IT Contracts Monthly Round-Up

I’m sure I am not alone in thinking “Where the heck has January gone? How can it be February already!?” 2022 has kicked off in exceptionally fast-paced style, with the Tech scene in Belfast continuing to have an insatiable appetite for talent and showing no sign of slowing down. By this time, most companies have their 2022 Talent Planning at least at the sign-off stage and have ramped up their recruitment accordingly.

With the huge (and I mean HUGE- just check out any NI job board!) number of IT vacancies currently open in Northern Ireland, candidates are finding themselves with multiple job offers, in record quick time. As each candidate can really only choose one of those offers, that inevitably will leave the rest of the interested parties with an unfilled space on their team.

So how has this affected the IT Contracts market?

So far in 2022, we have seen a rise in companies entering the contract market. Companies who have been operational in NI for many years, but who have (up until now) focused their hiring plans solely on permanent recruitment. What we have also seen, is these companies getting creative and splitting off pieces of defined project work, and going to market for skills on a short-term/contract basis to complete these set pieces of project work. In doing so, they are ensuring that they can continue developing their products, integrating systems, or customising their software, which will ensure their clients remain happy and they keep moving forward. This in turn takes the pressure off their permanent teams, helping to avoid unnecessary attrition due to extra pressure and additional workload. And this in turn gives management the breathing space to get back to their permanent recruitment, knowing that the team they have is safe, the work is still getting done and their clients are still happy.

We have seen a rise in the number of companies considering short-term engagements, and exploring the IT Contracts market, often for the first time. If you are currently facing project deadlines, delivery dates, or tight customer requirements, and feel a contractor could help to ease the pressure and ensure project delivery, we would be more than happy to discuss your options and talk through the process.

 Please feel free to give me a call on 02896 935 509, or reach out on j.johnston@mcsgroup.jobs.