Indeed: Even non-tech companies are hiring more tech talent

Dive Brief:

The demand for tech jobs in non-tech industries is rising, a report from Indeed found. Tech-focused companies are still hiring plenty of tech workers, the data showed, but an increasing share of jobs at high-tech companies are going to workers in marketing, sales and other areas.
Indeed described tech occupations as jobs involving "development or direct application of software, computers, or other information technology tools." Non-tech industries like finance, retail and energy have seen rapid growth in these type of workers. Software developer, a combination of two sub-occupations, applications and systems software, is currently the top in-demand tech job.
Software developers account for 27% of all tech jobs, followed by broad computer occupations (including web admin and software quality assurance engineer), computer support specialists, information systems managers, information research scientists and programmers.

Dive Insight:

Finding employees with the right technical skills is a key challenge in the current talent market, various studies have shown; 41% of employers previously surveyed by Modis and General Assembly said that finding talent with the appropriate tech skill set is somewhat or much more difficult now than in the past. Indeed's report also speaks to this trend, given the rise of automation in the workplace and the widespread use of computer-powered tech to streamline businesses. In other words, nearly every company is a "tech company," to some degree — and the talent demands have risen to match.

A previously released report prepared by PwC and the Consumer Technology Association noted that each job in the U.S. consumer tech sector either directly or indirectly supports around three non-tech jobs, further showing how tech jobs have infiltrated every sector. In fact, the report revealed that consumer tech supports about 18.2 million jobs in the U.S. and generates $1.3 trillion in yearly wages. The demand for technical expertise, including in the realm of recruiting, has pushed more employers to modernize their tech, which in turn usually calls for more specialized talent.

Unfortunately for employers, many of them have said they are behind on their digital transformation goals; less than a quarter of U.S. companies feel their digital transformation is "highly mature," a study by Telstra noted earlier this year. HR, in particular, may feel it does not have the resources available to make such a transformation happen. In order to find these resources, a company may need to focus on its people — cultivating talent so they can do their best work and promoting a healthy, diverse workplace.

Companies with outdated tech will, naturally, have a harder time competing for talent in the first place, a Harvard Business Review Analytics Services report asserted. Shoring up tech and focusing on employer branding can go a long way in finding the right people. And while they may not have the shiny veneer of a startup, legacy companies can double down on what appeals to talent of all types, including solid benefits and a promise for career growth, experts previously told HR Dive.