For many people and businesses, the coronavirus pandemic meant job losses and furloughs, but for others, it meant hiring and expansion. In the beginning, many companies were unsure if they would survive the lockdown, and people were not sure about the future of their jobs. But what about the IT industry – what impact has the coronavirus pandemic on tech jobs?
Even though the overall number of job adverts has dropped, certain job positions in the IT industry are still in high demand – such as jobs in data science, artificial intelligence, and cloud. The pandemic has impacted the industry as well, but IT professionals are in a much better position than those in other industries.
At the beginning of the outbreak, a lot of people that were looking for a job in the tech sector were affected. Most of the interviews were canceled or put on hold, and some of the jobs were withdrawn because of the pandemic. But the pandemic has shed some light on the importance of the IT sector – as tech is one of the main solutions to deal with the new normality people and businesses are facing. And even though during the pandemic, hiring of new talent was lower than it used to be, IT departments did not let go of their valuable contractors. This is unlikely to change in the near future as IT firms need to keep their core talent for the flexible and successful delivery of services.
Things are a bit different when it comes to startups, small and medium-sized businesses, as they operate with smaller budgets and fewer people. A lot of them stopped recruiting completely or severely cut down hiring due to uncertainty of the future, as well as operating in industries that were affected by the pandemic, such as hospitality or traveling.
Currently, many startups that are in the position to hire are looking for high-skilled talent to fill in senior roles due to more competitive rates compared to before the pandemic.
This means that beginners, students, and recent graduates will be more affected since they do not possess the needed skills or experience to look for more senior jobs that are in demand right now.
For example, computer science graduates are highly affected are they face the highest unemployment rates because they are not equipped with the skills most of the companies are looking for.
Another reason for the difficult job climate for students and recent graduates is the increased focus on soft skills since most of the IT companies still work mainly remotely. Those that are currently entering the job market might not be equipped with the necessary soft skills that are needed for effective collaboration when working from home.
In the future, remote working will most likely continue to be the most preferred way for the IT industry. During the lockdown, a lot of businesses discovered that working remotely can be just as effective as working in the office. The recruitment process would probably also change as people got used to virtual interviews and on-boarding.
There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic affected the technology industry, but the sector will be able to learn from them and adapt. Companies have discovered that remote working is a great way to attract and retain top talent and will most likely keep up with the trend even after the pandemic is over.
