Many technology leaders plan to ramp up new hires in the new year, according to research from recruitment firm Robert Half, but wary staff are putting job security front and center.
Robert Half’s 2025 Salary Guide found that almost half (46%) of IT and tech hiring managers are planning to add new positions for permanent, full-time members of staff.
A quarter (25%) are also planning to bring more contract talent into their firms to support certain projects and growth plans.
While this may paint a positive picture for jobseekers in the year ahead, the situation is quite different among tech workers already settled in their roles, the study noted.
Most tech workers do not intend to switch roles or take advantage of this hiring spree in the coming year, with nearly half (43%) of staff placing a greater level of importance on job stability than salary.
48% also want to see financial allowances for working from home (WFH) incorporated into employee offerings, the survey found, with a significant portion willing to take a cut in pay for the benefit of WFH.
Robert Half’s research fielded responses from 500 hiring managers and 1,000 workers in industries such as finance, IT and technology, administrative, marketing and creative, and financial services.
Tech staff are feeling the pinch
This latest study aligns with similar research from recruitment specialist Harnham this year which found that tech staff’s appetite for career moves had dropped significantly.
Harnham found only 59% of staff would leave their role for the right opportunity in 2024, down from 74% in 2020 and representing the lowest figure for risk appetite in the four intervening years.
“It’s been a tough year for IT and technology professionals, following mass layoffs from big brands, and this has clearly left a lasting impact, with job security highly valued by tech employees,” Tony Koyratty, client services manager at Robert Half, said.
As 2025 approaches, businesses must reassess their employee value proposition, Koyratty added, to ensure it is fit for purpose and helps strengthen relationships with core talent pools.
“Doing so at a time when there are more generations of workers in the workforce – all with differing values and requirements – will necessitate an honest review of what candidates and employees want from work. And it might not always be what you think,” Koyratty said.
“Aside from job security, our data shows that 50% of IT and technology professionals would like access to sabbaticals or a paid leave of absence, while a further 48% want financial allowances for working from home offered by their employers as a benefit. An additional 37% would like access to extended parental leave,” he added.
