MarketWatch (03/27/12)

A new survey of more than 700 director to chief information officer level executives by Protech, an information technology search and staffing firm in Boca Raton, FL, shows that 42% of tech leaders expect to boost IT staff in 2012. Moreover, 57% of respondents are worried about losing top IT talent, with 58% citing compensation as the top reason.

Additionally, the survey shows a greater increase in direct hiring than in temporary staffing. Deborah Vazquez, chief executive of Protech, says, “Employers are more confident about making longer-term hiring decisions in IT, which can further propel corporate growth and streamline operations.” The best perks offered by employers were flextime, telecommuting, and bonuses, and the average pay increase was 3.5% last year, compared with 2% in 2010. Vazquez says, “We are effectively now in an employee-driven market due to low unemployment in IT and specialized candidates weighing multiple job offers.”