In 2018 there were clear indications of how technology and business change recruitment will develop in 2019 and beyond, and what skills and experience will be in demand.

Businesses are generally in the market for high quality technology & business change contract resource, to gain competitive advantage and compliance with new and upcoming regulations.  Technology is a facilitator, but many companies find it challenging to embrace the change that comes with it.  Often there can be a lack of understanding in that technology and change are interdependent.

Current market climate

Political and economic uncertainty in the UK resulted in a reluctance from businesses to recruit the numbers of technology and change professionals in 2018 that we had seen in 2017.   Brexit has played a role in these concerns, and many companies are warning of the severe consequences of our exit from the EU. For instance many manufacturers have declared that they will be closing plants or moving to 2-3 day weeks.

Baker McKenzie’s June 2018 survey of 800 business leaders in France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Ireland found that almost half of respondents’ companies have reduced investment in the UK since the Brexit vote.

Recruitment activity 2019

Many organisations have tried to balance innovation with Brexit and compliance, while trying to gain competitive advantage and improve customer loyalty. At psd we have seen demand increase in a number of skills and experiences such as business intelligence, CRM, digital, architecture, AI, MI, HR systems, cyber security and compliance.

The market sectors we expect to see the most activity in over the next 12 months include Retail, Leisure, Real Estate, Aviation and Energy & Utilities. They will all face stronger global competition, new market structures, changing demand patterns and a move to real time business. Technology is creating strategic options that allow a company to respond to fluctuating and transformative conditions in the market.

At psd we have seen demand increase for a number of skills and experience such as business intelligence, CRM, digital, architecture, AI, MI, HR systems, cyber security and compliance.

Recruiting contract personnel provides businesses with a competitive advantage, due to speed, agility and market knowledge that contract resources can provide.  Hiring policies will likely continue to change over the next 12 months due to socio-economic changes in the market, and many companies will look to adopt new ways of working while having the ability to hire and reduce contract resource at short notice.  This in turn will lead to cost savings, however most companies realise the need to adapt to the digitalisation of the workplace or risk becoming obsolete.

psd technology & change recruitment

Technology is increasingly integral to every business – in every sector. psd’s technology recruitment consultants recruit board-level, management and executive professionals, as well as subject-matter experts, for Technology & Change positions globally.

Our technology recruitment consultancy spans everything from the world’s leading brands to niche boutiques and early-stage start-ups, with specialist teams recruiting permanent and contract staff, including interim managers. We identify best-in-class candidates for roles in IT strategy & architecture, organisational change & transformation, and digital project/programme management.