2023 State ofTech Talent Report
Acquiring and Retaining Technical Talent in 2023
May 2023
Jason Perlow, Editorial Director,
The Linux Foundation
Stephen Hendrick, Vice President,
The Linux Foundation
Foreword by Clyde Seepersad, SVP & General
Manager, Linux Foundation Training & Certification

2023 State of Tech Talent Report
Economic concerns caused
59% of organizations torevise their 2023 technicalhiring plans primarily by
freezing new positions, butmore plan to increasehiring than decrease.

Organizations increasing
their hiring in 2023 arefocusing on newer
technologies: cloud /containers (50%),
cybersecurity (50%),and AI / ML (46%).

64% of respondents agreed that
recruitment is costly, timeconsuming, and can lead to thewrong candidate and quick
turnover. Almost one out of

three new hires (29%)
depart within six
months of being onboarded.

Respondents felt thatupskilling (91%) andcertifications (77%) are
more important than auniversity education(58%) to address
technology needs.

New hiringcontinues to focus
on developers andnewer technologies,
while senior technicalroles bear the brunt ofjob cuts (45%).

70% of organizations
surveyed provide
training opportunities
for existing technicalstaff on newtechnologies.

25% oforganizations haveincreased theirreliance on training
and certification
incentives in 2023.

53% of respondents
felt upskilling is
extremely importantto acquire the skills
and knowledge yourorganization needs.

Both cloud andmanaged service
providers (65%) andtelecommunicationsorganizations (65%)
are more likely
to increase theirtechnical staff in 2023.

When unable to ﬁndsuitable technicalcandidates,organizations trained
existing employees(58%) more often
than hiringconsultants (38%).

Most respondents agree
that certification (73%)

and pre-employment
testing (81%) arenecessary to verify

skills, addressing thechallenges of ﬁnding theright candidate.

Training is asignificant strategy fororganizations; half of
those reducing (52%) or
freezing (50%) theirhiring plan to upskill toaddress talent needs.

Copyright © 2023 The Linux Foundation | May 2023. This report is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License.

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTContents
Foreword...................................................................................................................... 4
Executive Summary...............................................................................................5
The technical hiring picture in 2023............................................................ 6
Organizational preparedness for economic uncertainty began in 2022......... 7
The impact of economic concerns on technical staff hiring in 2023...................8
Changes to hiring plans in 2023 by industry focus
on increasing or freezing technical staff............................................................................10

The increased need to train andcertify existing staff in 2023........................................................................... 27
Certifications and technical skill verification
will improve the hiring process............................................................................................... 28
Upskilling is now the primary approach organizations
use to expand and improve technology skills ................................................................ 29

The impact of increasing, pausing, or
reducing technical staff in 2023.................................................................. 30

Long-term staffing plans reflect cautious optimism beyond 2023...................12

Conclusions and actionable insights..........................................................34

The upskilling trend in 2023........................................................................... 13

A clear upskilling trend................................................................................................................. 35

Technology opportunities in growth-oriented organizations.............................14

Today’s hiring challenges require a multi-pronged approach ............................ 35

Technology opportunities in more risk-averse organizations.............................15

Organizations need streamlined hiring and onboarding processes............... 35

The overall impact of technical staffing changes on technology area

Comprehensive training and certificationemphasis..................................................................................................................................................16

programs should supplement hiring....................................................................................36

Addressing tech talent shortages in 2023............................................... 18

Training and certification are important in an
increased or reduced hiring environment.......................................................................36

Expanding and improving organizational technology
skills when candidates are scarce..........................................................................................20

Methodology............................................................................................................ 37

Training has become an important employee incentive.........................................20

Appendix A................................................................................................................39

Recruitment and onboarding processes
create challenges in 2023.................................................................................22

About the authors..................................................................................................69

Upskilling emerges as the best way to cope with a difficult situation.............23

Acknowledgments................................................................................................69

Recruitment and hiring are time-consuming in 2023............................................. 24
Lengthy recruiting and onboarding times don’t guarantee
goodness of fit...................................................................................................................................... 25

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORT

Foreword
I am thrilled to present the findings of the 2023

The report also shows that certifications andState of Tech Talent Survey. This report is apre-employment testing are becoming necessaryvaluable resource for organizations seeking totools for organizations to verify the skills of poten-

understand the current and future technology

tial candidates. At Linux Foundation Training &staffing requirements and skills needed within

Certification, we understand the importance of

their teams.

certifications in demonstrating technical proficiency and validating expertise. We design our

The report sheds light on the impact of economic

certification programs to equip individuals withconcerns on technical hiring plans, revealing thatthe skills and knowledge needed to succeed

more than 50% of organizations surveyed havein today's fast-paced tech industry and assurerevised their hiring plans due to ongoing global

prospective employers that candidates demon-

economic uncertainty. However, the report also

strate the required skill sets.

shows that despite these challenges, the demand
for skilled tech talent remains strong, particularly

As the tech industry evolves, we recognize thein newer areas such as cloud / containers, cyber-crucial role of ongoing learning and development

security, and AI / ML.

in staying ahead of the curve. The 2023 State of

PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023

Tech Talent Report provides valuable insights
Training and upskilling are essential strategies forinto the ongoing changes and challenges in theorganizations looking to address the changing

tech industry workforce. We encourage hiring

hiring landscape. The report highlights that 70%

managers to use this report as a resource in theirof organizations surveyed provide training oppor-

training and staffing efforts and look forward

tunities for their existing technical staff on new

to continuing to provide valuable research andtechnologies, demonstrating a commitment totraining resources for the tech industry.

ongoing development and growth.
Clyde Seepersad
Upskilling is becoming more important for

SVP & General Manager, Training &recruitment, with organizations choosing to train

Certification, The Linux Foundation

existing employees more often than hiring consultants when they cannot find suitable external
candidates. This recognizes the value of investingin existing staff and the challenges of finding theright external candidates.
4

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORT

Executive Summary
The 2023 State of Tech Talent Report provides valuable insights into the current and future technology staffing requirements and skills needed within organizations.
This report is based on a global survey conducted by Linux Foundation Training & Certification and Linux Foundation Research in February and March 2023 of over
400 hiring managers and staffing professionals addressing the needs of both end-user organizations and technology providers.

Impact of economic
concerns

Shift in technical roles

One of the report's key findings isin the types of technical roles being

the impact of economic concerns on

hired for. While senior technical roles

technical hiring plans. More than 50%

have seen the biggest job cuts, newof organizations surveyed reported

hiring focuses more on developers

revising their hiring plans by freezing

and IT management. This suggests

new positions. This is likely due to theorganizations seek skilled individuals

ongoing global economic uncertainty

who can contribute to project imple-

caused by the COVID-19 pandemic andmentation, management, and tech-other factors, including inflation andnical development.

Upskilling is also becoming more
important for recruitment purposes.

Another interesting finding is the shift

When unable to find suitable technical candidates, organizations train
existing employees more often thanhiring consultants. This suggests thatorganizations recognize the value ofinvesting in their existing staff and thechallenges of finding the right external
candidates.

Training and upskilling

Certification and preemployment testing

Demand for skilled
technical talent

To address the changing hiring land-

Respondents felt that certification andMore organizations plan to increase

becoming increasingly important strat-

This is a positive sign for those seeking
employment in the tech industry. The
demand for skilled tech talent remains
strong, particularly in newer areas suchas cloud / containers, cybersecurity,and AI / ML. Respondents identified
these areas as the primary focus forhiring in 2023.

The 2023 State of Tech Talent Reportprovides valuable insights into theongoing changes and challenges inthe tech industry workforce. As thetech industry continues to evolve, it isclear that a commitment to ongoinglearning and development will be
crucial for individuals and organizations seeking to stay ahead of thecurve. We hope hiring managers findgeopolitical conflicts.

their technical staff than decrease.

Conclusion

pre-employment testing are necessary

scape, training and upskilling are

to verify skills to address the challenges of finding the right candidate.

egies for organizations. The report

This tool is useful to ensure organi-highlights that 70% of organizations

zations hire the right people for thesurveyed provide training opportu-

job. It also gives candidates a clear

nities for their existing technical staff

understanding of the skills they muston new technologies. This is a positive

demonstrate to succeed in the role.

sign, as it suggests a commitment byorganizations to the ongoing development of their employees andkeeping their staff up to date with thelatest technologies and practices.

5

this report useful in their training andstaffing efforts and encourage you toparticipate in future Linux Foundation
research projects.

PART 1

The technicalhiring picture
in 2023

6
PHOTO BY JON TYSON ON UNSPLASH

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 1: THE TECHNICAL HIRING PICTURE IN 2023

Organizational preparednessfor economic uncertainty
began in 2022

FIGURE 1

CHANGES TO TECHNICAL HEADCOUNT IN 2022
What changes did you make to your technical headcount during 2022? (Q15)2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q10-Q12 (Which response best describes the organization you work for?)segmented by Q15, sample size = 418.

The hiring picture remains strong despite the widely
publicized layoffs at technology vendors at the end of

Overall (all organizations)Overall (all organizations)

61%“End user” organizations that“End user” organizations
primarily use that
IT products toprimarily
use IT
products
to activities
supporttheirbusiness
support their business activities
Technology vendor, supplier,Technology vendor, or
supplier,
service provider
or service provider
Other, including government,
Other, includingNGOs andgovernment,
academic institutions
NGOs and academic institutions
Telecommunications /Telecommunications/ (ISP) /Internet service provider
Internet service provider (ISP)web/ hosting
web hosting
Manufacturing
Manufacturing(discrete or process)(discrete or process)

61%

66%
60%
45%

18%

66%

16%

60%

17%

45%

36%

71%
61%

18%

71%

19%

1%

1%

21%

2%

19%

2%

19%

19%

We increased our technical
We didn't make any changes to
We reduced our technicalDon't know
We increased
our technical
We didn'tour
make
any changes
to in 2022
We reduced
our technicalheadcountin 2022technical
headcountheadcountin 2022 Don't know
or not sureheadcount in 2022
our technical headcount in 2022
headcount in 2022
or not sure2022, which has extended at times into 2023. The top
part of FIGURE 1 shows three views into how organizations intend to address staffing: all organizations;a segmentation of the sample by end users, vendors/ service providers, and others; and selected industries. The overall assessment is positive, with 61% oforganizations increasing staffing, 18% waiting to see
how the economic uncertainty evolves, and just 19%

19%

20%
6%
20%
2%

19%

1%

17%
1%

17%

21%

36%

6%

61%

19%

16%

17%

19%

implementing staff reductions. The most variability is

2%shown at the individual industry level because of thenarrower functional focus of each industry.
Hiring in the "telecommunications / Internet service
provider (ISP) / web hosting" sector was particularly strong, with 71% of organizations increasing
their technical headcount. Most other organizations’industries (not shown) also increased their technicalApproximately what percent of the organization’s technicalheadcount did you lay off or resigned in 2022? (Q16)2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q10 (What type of organization do you work for? [Asked if theorganization reduced technical headcount in 2022) segmented by Q16, sample size = 80.

Total

Total

MEAN

ME A N

32.7%
32.7%

MEDIANME D I A N

20%“End-user” organizations that primarily use IT
24.7%“End-user” organizations
that primarily
use IT activities
products to support
their business24.7%
products to support their business activities

18%

Technology vendor, supplier,
39.3%
Technology vendor, or
supplier,
service provider
39.3%
or service provider

35%

headcounts. For more information on the industries
represented in our sample, see TABLE A12 .
The top part of FIGURE 1 shows that 66% of end-userorganizations (those who primarily consume technology to support their business activities) were20%

able to increase technical staff in 2022 compared to18%

End-user organizations also fared better in tech staff

60% of technology vendors and service providers.
decreases, with 17% of their ranks reducing technicalstaff compared to 21% for technology vendors and35%

service providers.
72023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 1: THE TECHNICAL HIRING PICTURE IN 2023

PHOTO BY CAMILA MARTINEZ ON UNSPLASH

The bottom part of FIGURE 1 combines both involuntary (layoffs) and voluntary (retirements andresignations) technical headcount reductions.
Layoffs often result in a redistribution of responsibilities, which sometimes can be significant andwill precipitate additional resignations as remaining

KEY TAKEAWAY

staff evaluate their roles, workloads, and opportunities. For this reason, FIGURE 1 staff reductions are

Despite the economic

best described as turnover because of their volun-

concerns and layoffs thattary and involuntary components. Vendor / service
provider organizations experienced very highhave impacted the techturnover, at 39%. Meanwhile, end-user organizationsindustry, the 2023 State ofaveraged 25% turnover, more in line with typical pre-­Tech Talent Survey data

pandemic levels.

suggests that hiring trends
For an evaluation of staff reductions segmented byremain strong, with thecompany size (number of employees), see TABLE A17.

ongoing demand for skilled
technical talent, especially

The impact of economic
concerns on technicalstaff hiring in 2023

at the more entry level for
professionals with developer
skills. This is particularly
true for certain sectors, such

Economic concerns beginning in 2022 and extending

as cloud and telecommu-

into 2023 have impacted hiring plans, especially innications, which continue

North America.

to play a critical role in the
As shown on the top half of FIGURE 2 , 59% oftechnology adoption land-

surveyed organizations reported revising their tech-scape. The outlook for hiring

nical hiring plans in response to these concerns,in the tech industry remains

37% elected to leave their technical hiring planspositive, with many organi-unchanged, and 4% said they didn't know or were notzations planning to increase

sure (DKNS). The majority of organizations (59%) havetheir technical headcount inconcerns about how to plan for 2023, but 41% did not
expressly state concerns about how the economy

the coming years.

would impact their technical hiring plans in 2023.
82023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 1: THE TECHNICAL HIRING PICTURE IN 2023

FIGURE 2

The chart on the bottom part of FIGURE 2 shows

THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CONCERNS ON TECHNICAL STAFF HIRING

the difference between those organizations where
the economic concerns caused a revision of plans
and those organizations that were not as concerned

4% Don’t know or not sure

about the economy and left their 2023 hiring

Did economic concerns
beginning in 2022 cause yourorganization to change orrevise your 2023 technical
No
37%
Yes
headcount hiring plans?
4% Don’t know or not sure 59%plans unchanged. The same figure also shows acomposite view when you combine all the organizations together. Various responses to the questions
included increasing staff, freezing staff hires,
reducing staff, or DKNS. Respondents could select2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q20, sample size = 418.

multiple responses. This chart, therefore, shows all
the possible response permutations in descendingorder based on the overall composite view.

No

37%

Yes

Perhaps the most interesting finding is that despite

59%
How did concerns about the 2022Increase
economy impact
your 2023 technical staff hiring plans?

44%

32%

more organizations
were planning to increase their62%
staff in 2023 (44%) but did not anticipate any reductions

30%
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q34 (contingent on Q20), sample
size = 247, valid cases = 247, total mentions = 313. 34%
Freeze2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q35, sample size = 171, valid cases = 171, total mentions = 193.
8%
Reduce13%2%Increase

6%
32%
7%
5%
30%
6%
34%
6%
24%
5%

Freeze and increase

FreezeReduce and freeze

8%

Reduce13%
Reduce,2%freeze, and increase
6%
7%
Reduce5% and increase

Freeze and increase

Reduce and freeze

Reduce, freeze, and increase

Reduce and increase

1%

4%
6%

2%
3%
1%

or freezes to balance those increases. Looking across all24%

the strategies that involved staff hiring, 56% of organizations intended to hire in 2023 even if other activities

44%
62%

such as staff reductions or freezes were also involved.
This is encouraging and suggests that while organizations are economically concerned about 2023, they are
not amending their hiring plans.

Composite view

Part of the concern that does exist is expressed byYes, revised 2023 plansthe 30% of organizations overall that elected to solely

No, unchanged 2023 plans

put staffing freezes in place and the additional 6%

6%
0%
6%
Don't know or not sure
0%
5%
0%
4%
6%
1%
Composite view
2%
3%
1%

economic headwinds, the overall composite view showsthat were looking to first freeze and then hire, the
6% that were going to reduce staff and then freeze,
and finally the 4% looking to reduce, freeze, and thenultimately hire. This shows that strategies involving

Yes, revised 2023 plans

staff freezes were a preferred path forward in 2023

No, unchanged 2023 plans

and represent a conservative but not overly punitive0%
Don't know or not sure0%0%approach to dealing with an uncertain economy.
92023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 1: THE TECHNICAL HIRING PICTURE IN 2023

KEY TAKEAWAY

At 8% overall, reductions alone were not the onlyThis contrasts significantly with the 41% of organi-strategy used to scale back technical staff. Morezations that did not express economic concerns.

complex strategies that involved reducing technicalAmong these organizations, 62% only intended tostaff included:

increase hiring, followed by 24% that only indicated• Reducing staff and implementing a hiring

Organizations are generally reluctant
to reduce technical staff, primarily
due to the difficulty in finding, hiring,and retaining skilled technical talent.

freeze (6% overall)and then hiring (4% overall)• Reducing staff and then hiring (2% overall)
While 20% of organizations overall did showcase

tainty, organizations prefer imple-

strategies that involved staff reductions, 6 percentage

and, if necessary, reducing compen-

primarily reduce their technical headcount.

• Reducing staff, implementing a hiring freeze,

When faced with economic uncermenting a temporary hiring freeze

they would freeze hiring and just 2% that would

points out of these 20 did involve hiring as well.

Changes to hiring plans
in 2023 by industry
focus on increasing or
freezing technical staff

Looking at the 59% of organizations that expressed

Organizations across different industries reported

economic concerns, the primary strategy for

mixed results in their hiring plans. Some industries

off staff. This brings up an important

addressing these concerns was to freeze hiring

showed growth, while others faced significant chal-question about how organiza-(34%), followed by a focus on hiring (32%) and staff

lenges, as shown in FIGURE 3 . On average, 57% of all

reductions (13%).

organizations reported increased hiring plans, indi-sation rather than resorting to laying

tions can keep their technical staff

cating cautious optimism about the future. However,engaged and enhance their technical

46% of organizations also reported freezing staff

skills when hiring is not an option.

hiring, and 20% were reducing staff, highlighting thecontinued uncertainty and challenges facing businesses. The reason these percentages do not add
up to 100% is shown on the bottom part of FIGURE 2 .
Organizations sometimes pursue complex hiring
strategies that initially combine a staff reduction or
freeze on hiring with a later decision to hire all within
a single year.
The industries with the highest percentage of organizations planning to increase their workforce werecloud service providers, telecom ISP / Web hosting,and healthcare, with an average of 65% reporting
an increase in hiring plans. These industries seem to

PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023
10

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 1: THE TECHNICAL HIRING PICTURE IN 2023

FIGURE 3

CHANGES TO HIRING PLANS IN 2023
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q10-Q12 segmented by Q34 and Q35, sample size = 418, valid cases = 418, total mentions =506, DKNS responses excluded from the analysis.

2023 staffing changes by organization type
46%

Total
20%
“End-user” organization thatprimarily uses IT products /services to support its
business activities
Other types of organizations(e.g., government, NGOs,
and academic institutions)

Tech vendor, supplier,or service provider

2023 staffing changes by industry
57%

65%
35%
22%
65%

Telecommunications /Internet service
provider (ISP) / web

61%

41%

18%

Cloud service provider ormanaged service provider

43%
29%
59%

17%

Healthcare

58%

37%

27%
System integrator or
IT consulting ﬁrm

53%
50%

21%

Manufacturing(discrete or process)Increasing technical staﬀ in 2023
Freezing technical hiring plans in 2023
Decreasing technical staﬀ in 2023

46%

Hardware and / orsoftware vendor / supplierbenefit from the growing demand for digital services

expertise in digital transformation and the economic

and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

recovery from the pandemic.

The system integrator / IT consulting industry andOn the other hand, the hardware / software vendor

the manufacturing industry also reported a positiveor supplier industry reported the lowest percentage

trend in hiring, with an average of 57% of organiza-of organizations planning to increase their workforce

tions planning to increase their workforce. These

at 43% and the highest percentage of organizationsindustries benefit from the increasing demand forfreezing technical staff hiring at 58%. This trend may

11

57%
49%
21%
53%
39%
19%
43%
58%
19%

be due to increasing competition and a shift toward
more cloud-based solutions, leading some organizations to cut back on staff.
Overall, the mixed results in hiring plans acrossdifferent industries suggest that organizations willneed to remain adaptable and agile to navigate theever-changing landscape of the future of work.

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 1: THE TECHNICAL HIRING PICTURE IN 2023

Long-term staffing
plans reflect cautious
optimism beyond 2023
The long-term plans of organizations are based on
the strategies they have identified when addressing

FIGURE 4

MAJORITY ANTICIPATE INCREASED HIRING LATER IN 2023 / 24
What are your long-term technical staffing plans?
We are planning to hire
technical staﬀ in 2024

38%

16%
20%

2023 technical staff changes, as shown in FIGURE 4 .
Organizations could select multiple strategies (hire,freeze, reduce) and more than one longer-term
approach for each strategy. While this complicatesthe analysis, there is room for cautious optimism.
For organizations planning to hire in 2023, 46%
may be able to hire in 2023; additionally, 38% areplanning to hire in 2024. Only 16% of these organizations are concerned about further staff reductions in
2023 and 2024.
Of those organizations that are engaging in hiring
freezes in 2023, 41% do not anticipate addressing staff

We may be able to hire
technical staﬀ later this year

39%
33%
22%
22%
21%

We are not anticipating
any changes to staﬃng
later in 2023 or 2024

32%

Based on the economy, we
don't anticipate any more staﬀ
reductions in 2023 or 2024

41%

35%
16%

Based on the economy, we
may see more technical staﬀ
reductions in 2023 or 2024

Don't know or not sure

46%

3%
3%
4%

25%

56%
2023 plans to hire staﬀ
2023 plans to freeze hiring
2023 plans to reduce staﬀ

reductions in 2023, and 39% feel they may be able tohire later in 2023. While 25% of these organizations
are concerned about potential staff reductions in 2023
or 2024, 16% plan to hire technical staff in 2024. The
sentiment from these organizations is that they will2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q50 (hire strategy), sample size = 235, valid cases = 235, total mentions = 369.
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q45 (freeze strategy), sample size = 189, valid cases = 189, total mentions = 276.
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q41 (reduce strategy), sample size = 82, valid cases = 82, total mentions = 138.

weather this storm and look forward to returning to amore normal approach to technical staffing.
Organizations who indicated that they would needto reduce technical staff were the most pessimistic.
Still, it is important to note that only 20% of overall
respondents1 indicated that 2023 staff reductions
were already planned. Of the 56% of organizations
1 Q
 uestion 41 shows a sample size of 82, which is 20% of thetotal survey sample size of 418.

planning to reduce staff in 2023, 35% of these organizations also said they did not anticipate anymore
staff reductions in 2023 or 2024. 33% reported theymight be able to hire later in 2023, and 20% wereplanning to hire in 2024.

reductions in 2023 and 2024, with some anticipating
the possibility of technical staff reductions due tothe economy. Others expressed confidence in theirability to hire technical staff later in the year or in
2024. However, a significant portion of respondents

Overall, the survey results suggest that organizations have mixed outlooks for hiring and staff
12reported that they do not anticipate any significant
changes to staffing levels, indicating a relatively
stable outlook for their organization.

PART 2The upskilling
trend in 2023
A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE

13
PHOTO BY MAGGIE HALLAHAN, MICROSOFT, AZURE, VISUAL STUDIO

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTTechnology opportunities
in growth-orientedorganizations

FIGURE 5

TECHNOLOGY AREA OPPORTUNITIESFOR GROWTH-ORIENTED ORGANIZATIONSIn which technology areas are / will you be hiring technical staff in 2023?

FIGURE 5 compares the focus of organizations planning[Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]

2023 staffing increases to the staffing focus of all orga-

Which of the following technology areas are staffed by technical headcount?
Cloud / Container technologies

50%

Cybersecurity

50%

Artiﬁcial intelligence /Machine learning

37%

Database and data management
Advanced analytics
and data science

33%

30%

CI / CD & DevOps
Linux
Kubernetes
Edge computing
Blockchain
IoT & Embedded
Augmented / Virtual reality

14%

18%

Open source hardware

17%
20%

There are two dynamics at work in FIGURE 5 .
1. The first dynamic is the percent (volume) of

54%
48%

organizations looking to increase technicalstaff in a technology area.
2. The second dynamic is the priority organizations attach to hiring in a technology area.
This priority is the ratio of organizations

41%

targeting an area for staff increases divided

37%

26%
29%
23%
30%
20%
22%
19%
24%
19%
20%
Areas targeted for 2023 staﬃng increases
19%
22%
Areas currently staﬀed
19%

Storage technologies

10%

58%

43%

31%

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps
Networking technologies(5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)

mation in FIGURE 5 , and it warrants careful analysis.
59%

46%

37%

Web & application development

Manufacturing, 3D printing,and CAD / CAM

41%

nizations in the sample. There is a wealth of infor-by the current staffing level in that area. Thisratio is expressed as a percent—the ratios in
FIGURE 5 range from 51% to 137%. Ratios of

90% or above show high priority, and ratiosof 75% or below suggest a low priority.
FIGURE 5 shows that a high volume of organizations

are looking to add technical staff in the following
technology areas: cloud / container technologies(50%), cybersecurity (50%), AI / ML (46%), databaseand data management (37%), and advanced

36%

analytics and data science (37%).

14%

The leading technology areas where organizations
prioritize hiring include augmented / virtual reality

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q51 (areas where hiring will occur), sample
size = 235, valid cases = 235, total mentions = 1,195.

(137%), AI / ML (110%), blockchain (98%), CI / CD and
DevOps (91%), and Kubernetes (90%).

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q21 (areas currently staffed), sample
size = 418, valid cases = 418, total mentions = 2,569.

14

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 2: THE UPSKILLING TREND IN 2023

FIGURE 6

AI / ML is the only technology area that shows a high

TECHNOLOGY AREA OPPORTUNITIES FOR
MORE RISK-AVERSE ORGANIZATIONS

volume of organizations looking to increase staff
and is an area where organizations prioritize technical staff hiring.

In which technology areas are / will you be reducing technical staff in 2023?
[Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]
Which of the following technology areas are staffed by technical headcount?
40%

Cloud / Container technologies

33%

Artiﬁcial intelligence /Machine learning

58%

24%

Database and data
management24%

CI / CD & DevOps

23%
20%
20%

Blockchain

Linux
Networking technologies(5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)
Web & application development

54%

Storage technologies

13%
14%
11%

Augmented / Virtual reality
IoT & Embedded

10%

Open source hardware

7%

are planning to decrease staff in 2023. These actions
characterize organizations—many of whom aresuccessful—that prioritize stable financial metrics
and wish to shed some financial risk in various
aspects of their operations where they feel overextended. We do not equate risk averse with impending

36%

13%

Edge computing

in FIGURE 6 . We label those organizations who areconcerned about the economy they already have or
37%

30%

15%
14%
13%

who are planning 2023 staffing decreases shown

This is because these organizations are sufficiently

43%

16%

of minority organizations (~20% of respondents)

planning to decrease staff as being risk averse.

29%

17%

Manufacturing, 3D printing,and CAD / CAM

priority in FIGURE 5 , we can analyze the hiring plans

48%

24%

Cybersecurity

Using the same approach to evaluate volume and

41%

27%

Advanced analytics
and data science

Kubernetes

41%

28%

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

59%

Technology opportunities
in more risk-averse
organizations

financial difficulty. It is just an organizational recog-

24%

nition acknowledging that minimizing disruptions toinvestors and shareholders is important.

22%
20%
22%

Areas targeted for staﬃng decreases
Areas currently staﬀed

FIGURE 6 shows that the technology areas where

the greatest percentage of risk-averse organizations
are looking to decrease technical staff include cloud/ container technologies (40%), AI / ML (33%), and2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q42 (areas where reductions will occur), sample size = 82, valid cases = 82, total mentions = 302.
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q21 (areas currently staffed), sample size = 418, valid cases = 418, total mentions = 2,569.

15

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps (28%). The magnitudeof these volumes is less than we saw in FIGURE 5 and2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 2: THE UPSKILLING TREND IN 2023

reflects a moderate percentage of organizations

Interestingly, the technology areas with the highestthat were complex and speculative areas of invest-

seeking to decrease technical staff in these areas.

percent of risk-averse organizations seeking toment that likely didn’t generate the expected ROI.

decrease technical staff attach only a moderate
High-priority areas for decreasing staff based onpriority to decreasing technical staff in those areas.

Technology areas that have a low priority ratio for

calculated priority ratios (percent of organizations

The priority ratio for cloud / container technologies

decreasing technical staff include Kubernetes (33%),

decreasing staff divided by percent areas currently

and DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps is just 68%. The

storage technologies (38%), web & application devel-

staffed) include blockchain (118%), manufacturing,ratio for AI / ML is somewhat higher at 80%. Whatopment (39%), cybersecurity (42%), database and3D printing, CAD / CAM (107%), and augmented /this tells us is that organizations are most interested

data management (45%), and open source hardware

virtual reality (98%).

in shedding technical staff from technology areas(49%). The low priority of reducing staff in theseareas reflects the more mission-critical nature ofthese technologies to the organization, which means
higher job security.

TABLE 1

THE IMPACT OF NET STAFFING CHANGESON TECHNOLOGY AREA EMPHASIS
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q51 and Q42 compared to Q21.

The overall impact oftechnical staffing changes ontechnology area emphasis

2022
RANK

NET 2023 STAFFING
IMPACT ON RANK

2023
RANK

Cybersecurity

2

+1

1

Cloud / Container technologies

1

-1

2

and staffing reductions impact the volume andArtificial Intelligence / Machine Learning

6

+3

3

priority of technical staffing changes across tech-

Database and data management

3

-1

4

nology areas. TABLE 1 shows the combined impact

Advanced analytics and data science

4

-1

5

Web & application development

5

-1

6

of staffing increases and reductions on the overall

Networking technologies (5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)

8

+1

7

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

7

-1

8

CI/CD & DevOps

11

+2

9

Kubernetes

13

+3

10

TECHNOLOGY AREAS

FIGURES 5 and 6 evaluated how staffing increases

ranking of technology areas. This analysis was
based on the number of organizations increasing
their technical staff (N=235) and reducing technicalstaff (N=82). Comparing technology areas originally

Linux

10

-1

11

staffed by technical headcount with the net impact

IoT & Embedded

14

+2

12

of increasing and reducing staff yields a modest

Edge computing

12

-1

13

change in the rank order of technology areas being

Augmented / Virtual reality

18

+4

14

Storage technologies

9

-6

15

staffed.

Open source hardware

15

-1

16

Blockchain

16

-1

17

Manufacturing, 3D printing, and CAD / CAM

17

-1

18

16

TABLE 1 indicates that most technology areaschanged by only + / - 1 position. This will not have

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 2: THE UPSKILLING TREND IN 2023

KEY TAKEAWAY

a significant bearing on the importance of thesein 2022 and is projected to be ranked #1 in 2023

areas in the eyes of an organization. However, as

based on organizational plans to increase andtechnology areas change by + / - 2 , + / - 3, or evendecrease staff. Cybersecurity will therefore emerge

more positions, this signals a newfound increasing

as an important area for adding technical staff

or diminishing importance of these areas to theand a correspondingly marginal number of staff

organization. The information in FIGURE 5 , FIGURE 6 ,reductions.

and TABLE 1 provides several ways to interpret how

According to the 2023

technical staffing actions will play out in technology

Another key area is cloud / container technologies.

State of Tech Talent Survey,

markets.

Our findings show that a high percentage of organi-upskilling remains anessential aspect of newer
technology areas such as

zations are planning to both increase and decrease
Over the last two years, cybersecurity has become

technical staff in this area. This is not a case of a split

an important technology area for organizations.

personality: cloud and containers are important

TABLE 1 shows that cybersecurity was ranked #2

technologies that most organizations are investingin. As organizations gain or lose economic ground,cloud / containers, cyber-they will need to expand or contract staff. Cloudsecurity, and AI / ML. As/ container technology, by virtue of its pervasive-technology evolves andness, qualify it as an area that will see technical staff

new areas emerge, thechanges. However, FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 6 both show

survey data indicates thatthat staff changes in clouds and containers are likely

continued upskilling will be

to be far more positive than negative.

critical for organizations toAugmented / virtual reality (+4), AI / ML (+3), andstay competitive in the tech

Kubernetes (+3) are technology areas that areindustry. Organizations

seeing increasing attention in 2023 because of theirare adopting various

significant increase in technology area ranking.

approaches to upskill their

Augmented reality, with its smaller organizational
footprint and high priority for both staff increases

employees, including

and decreases, will see hiring volatility. AI / ML has

offering training opportu-

a bigger footprint, and its priority leans strongly

nities and hiring new talent

toward hiring, lending it considerable stability

with relevant experience in

as a technology opportunity for technical staff.

these areas.

Kubernetes is also uniquely positioned. Although nota high-volume technology area, its priority ratio is
90% for those increasing staff and just 33% for thosedecreasing staff. This helps explain its rapid rise inits stack ranking.

PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023
17

PART 3

Addressing
tech talent
shortages
in 2023

A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE

18

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 3: ADDRESSING TECH TALENT SHORTAGES IN 2023

introduce new skills into an organization. Still, it can

Organizations are turning to training existing

provide training opportunities for existing technicalemployees and hiring new talent to address thestaff when there is an introduction of new technology.

be risky given the time required to find the rightshows that 71% of organizations cite hiring new IT

These two approaches to addressing organiza-rate if the cultural or economic fit is compromised.

professionals with experience in that new technology

tional technology needs are popular because they

as a step taken to ensure their technical staff haveare highly effective and complementary. Hiring

the right skills. At the same time, 70% of organizations

new IT professionals can be a very effective way toneed for upskilling in these emerging areas. FIGURE 7

staff and to onboard them and the high turnover
Alternatively, upskilling existing staff offers a way
to incentivize existing staff and backfill with lesssenior staff where the supply of candidates isbetter and finding an optimal employee / employer
fit is less complex. Taken together, these two
approaches form the foundation of how organiza-

FIGURE 7

tions should expand and improve their portfolio of

APPROACHES TO EXPANDING AND IMPROVING AN ORGANIZATION’SPORTFOLIO OF TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

technology skills.
As indicated in FIGURE 7, differently sized organi-

As new technology comes into use at your organization, what steps are you
taking to ensure your technical staff have the right skills? segmented byPlease estimate how many total employees are in your organization.

zations favor different approaches to expanding
and improving their portfolio of technology skills.
Specifically:• Organizations with fewer than 250 employees

71%
Hiring new IT professionals withexperience in the new technology

57%

73%
70%
71%
67%

Providing training opportunities
for existing technical staﬀ

Hiring consultants to support projects
and train existing technical staﬀ

38%

32%
Total

5,000 or more employees

37%

hiring consultants.
• Organizations with more than 5,000 employees
are more likely to hire new IT professionals orhire consultants.

77%

42%
43%
45%

29%

Requiring additional training
for existing technical staﬀ

focus more on training and less on new hires or
76%

Importantly, most organizations, regardless of
size, see training as a must-include approach toenhancing the depth and breadth of their in-housetech talent resources.

44%

End-user organizations are more likely than techcompanies to try several approaches, as shown in

250-4,999 employees

1-249 employees

TABLE A24 , with 47% requiring training compared to

35% of tech companies and 77% providing training
compared to 67% of tech companies.

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q22 segmented by Q14, sample size = 417,
valid cases = 417, DKNS responses excluded from the analysis.

192023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 3: ADDRESSING TECH TALENT SHORTAGES IN 2023

Expanding andimproving organizational
technology skills whencandidates are scarcetechnology skills when resources are scarce is to obtainare cases where there is no substitute for a senior

training for existing employees. 58% of organizations

engineer with unique skills, this uniqueness meansseek training for their existing employees when unable

that there are fewer qualified candidates, so they are

to find suitable technical candidates, up from 50% themore difficult to find, acquire, and keep.

Organizations face the consequences of delayed

The second leading approach to addressing the needprojects and the need to seek training for existingfor technical skills is to continue looking until theemployees when they cannot find candidates withdiscovery of a close fit. 55% of organizations in 2023

the requisite skills, as shown in FIGURE 8 . The leading

endorse this approach, up from 41% in 2022, whichapproach to expanding and improving organizationalreflects 34% growth year over year. While there

previous year and a 16% growth year over year.
Additionally, hiring consultants is becoming less

FIGURE 8

TRAINING IS THE LEADING METHOD TO ADDRESS THE INABILITY TO
FIND QUALIFIED CANDIDATES
If unable to find technical candidates with the skills you need, which of thefollowing best describe how you have met your organization’s requirements?

popular, with only 38% of organizations choosing
this approach in 2023, down from 48% in 2022,
leading to a decline of 21%.

Training has become an
important employee incentive
Based on the responses of organizations shown in
FIGURE 9, the top incentives needed to retain technicalheadcount and prevent them from moving to anothercompany in 2023 are increased salary and an opportunity for better work / life balance. Approximately
half of the respondents chose both incentives, with
57% indicating an increased salary as an important

58%

Sought training forexisting employees

factor and 50% indicating an opportunity for better
work / life balance. Compensation, along with work /50%life balance and training / certification continue to be55%

Continued to look until
we found a close ﬁt

key levers for hiring and retention.

41%

Other incentives chosen by a significant number of38%

Hired a consultant

respondents include additional training opportunities or certification (50%), an opportunity for a flexible

Delayed technology projects
and / or deployments

29%
19%

work schedule or telecommuting (49%), and the oppor2023

tunity to be bonus eligible (43%). The training incentive

2022

increased from a 40% penetration rate in 20222 to 50%
in 2023, which equates to 25% growth year over year.

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q25, 2023 sample size = 385, valid cases = 385, total mentions = 698. 2022 sample size = 477.
2 S ource: The 10th Annual Open Source Jobs Report, The LinuxIn 2022, the question asked hiring managers about finding professionals with
open source-related skills. Not all answer choices are shown in the chart.

Foundation, June 2022.

20

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 3: ADDRESSING TECH TALENT SHORTAGES IN 2023

39% of respondents noted high recognition for

Overall, the data suggests that hiring managers

recognition for accomplishments can also contributeaccomplishments as a factor, while 29% expressed

believe that offering competitive compensation andto retaining talent. Finally, hiring managers feel thatinterest in the opportunity to contribute to open

benefits packages and opportunities for professional

offering flexible work arrangements and the oppor-

source projects they are interested in. 21% of respon-development and work / life balance are important

tunity to contribute to projects of personal interest

dents chose additional stock options / RSU / equity.

factors in retaining technical headcount. In addition,

can be additional factors in attracting and retaining

providing incentives such as bonus eligibility andtechnical headcount.

FIGURE 9

TRAINING / CERTIFICATION, BONUSES, AND EQUITY HAVE BECOME
MORE PREVALENT AS EMPLOYEE RETENTION INCENTIVESKEY TAKEAWAY

What incentives is your organization offering to deter yourtechnical headcount from moving to another company?

The 2023 State of Tech Talent Survey
sheds light on the difficulties orga57%
57%

Increased salary
50%

Opportunity for better work / life balance
Additional training opportunities or certiﬁcation

40%

Opportunity for ﬂexible work
schedule or telecommuting

49%
48%

Opportunity to be bonus eligible

Don't know or not sure10%

although there is a high demand forskilled technical professionals, theavailability of labor remains severely

solely rely on hiring to solve the techtalent shortage. Alternative strategies,

21%

2%
1%

itive labor market. It is evident thatsolution in sight. Organizations cannot

29%
30%

Additional stock options / RSU / equity

technical talent in a highly compet-

limited, and there is no immediate

39%

Opportunity to contribute to open
source projects I am interested in

Other (please specify)

43%

31%

High-level recognition for accomplishments

No incentives are being oﬀered at this time

50%

nizations encounter when hiring2023

such as upskilling existing employees

2022

and offering better salaries, work / life
balance, and opportunities to work on

4%open-source projects, will be critical2%

for organizations aiming to attract and2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q24, 2023 sample size = 418, valid cases = 418, total mentions = 1,529.

retain top talent.

2022 sample size = 559. Both samples are of technology hiring managers, but in
2022, the question was focused on retaining open source talent.

21

PART 4

Recruitment
and onboarding
processes create
challenges
in 2023

A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE

22

PHOTO BY CARLOS ARTHUR M.R ON UNSPLASH

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 4: RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESSES CREATE CHALLENGES IN 2023

Upskilling emerges as
the best way to cope witha difficult situationand onboarding again is an issue. In comparison, 64%easier than hiring a senior person. 47% of orga-

agree that recruitment is costly and time-consuming

nizations state that upskilling takes too long or isand often does not lead to the right candidate.

ineffective at training for complex roles, but it is

64% agree that onboarding takes valuable internal

noteworthy that 39% of organizations disagree

resources away from other critical projects for too long.

with this statement. Finally, 47% of organizations
agree that upskilling is not well suited for teaching

84% of those responsible for hiring tech talent agree(strongly agree and somewhat agree) that there is

Upskilling does have its challenges. While 55% of

broad subject matter. 31% of organizations disagree

a need for a streamlined way to recruit new tech-organizations agree that upskilling can help fill awith this last statement, and it is inappropriate tonical staff with proven skills, as shown in FIGURE 10.

new position, often the need to backfill remains.

expect that upskilling is an alternative to college orAdditionally, 78% agree that hiring the wrong candidate

Fortunately, hiring a junior person is nearly always

advanced degrees.

FIGURE 10

UPSKILLING IS THE BEST WAY TO COPE WITH A DIFFICULT SITUATION
What are your perspectives on upskilling, recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff?
There is a need for a streamlined
way to recruit new technicalstaﬀ with proven skills

45%

Hiring the wrong candidate and thenhaving to onboard again is an issue

39%

41%

Recruitment is costly, time-consuming,and often does not lead to theright candidate for the position

31%

Onboarding takes valuable internal
resources away from other criticalprojects and is time-consuming

27%

Upskilled staﬀ doesn't help us toﬁll new positions because we still haveto backﬁll for the positions vacated24%

Upskilling takes too long or is
ineﬀective at training for complex roles

25%

Upskilling doesn't work for senior
roles because you can't teachbroad subject matter expertise

Strongly agree

37%

12%

33%

14%

37%

22%
26%
Somewhat agree

Neither disagree nor agree2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q26, Q27, sample size = 418.
23

20%
Somewhat disagree

6% 3% 2%
6%
11%

25%
22%
Strongly disagree

1%

5%
6%

19%

18%
15%

3% 1%
1%

14%

19%

31%

21%

12%

1%

13%
9%

1%
2%

Don't know or not sure

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 4: RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESSES CREATE CHALLENGES IN 2023

FIGURE 11

TIME TO FILL AN OPEN TECHNICAL POSITION
About how long does it take to fill an open technical position?

KEY TAKEAWAY

Organizations should streamline their hiring40%

and onboarding processes to reduce turnoverrates and increase efficiency. Even with effi-

29%

cient processes in place, the survey data showsthat recruitment and onboarding remain
time-consuming. High turnover rates indicatethat organizations may benefit more from

11%
8%

Less thana month

1-3 months

4-6 months

7-9 months

8%3%10-12 months

More than
12 months

1%

Don’t know
or not sureupskilling their existing employees than solely
relying on external recruitment efforts. The
key is to use an “all of the above” strategy toaddress talent needs.

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q29, sample size = 418.

Recruitment and hiring aretime-consuming in 2023

candidates in a timely manner, which could poten-

job market and the specialized skills and experiencetially impact business operations and growth.

required for technical positions.

Respondents also reported longer wait times to fill

The average time to fill a technical position is 4.3
months.

As shown in FIGURE 11 , the time it takes to fill a tech-technical positions, with 11% indicating that it takes

nical position can vary significantly. Most respondents

7 to 9 months and 8% indicating that it takes 10 toindicated that it takes 1 to 6 months to fill a tech-

12 months. A small percentage of respondents, 3%,

nical position, with 40% reporting that it takes 1 to 3

reported that filling a technical position takes overmonths and 29% reporting that it takes 4 to 6 months.

12 months.

According to the average of the survey data, a signifi-

On the other hand, only 8% of respondents indi-

This may include offering competitive compensa-

cant number of respondents, approximately 48%, or

cated that it takes less than a month to fill a technicaltion and benefits packages, providing opportunities

roughly half, indicated that it would take more than 3

position, suggesting that finding qualified candi-

for professional development and growth, andmonths to fill a technical position. This highlights thedates quickly can be a challenge. This may be due

promoting a positive workplace culture to attract

potential challenges in finding and hiring qualified

to the demand for technical talent in the current

and retain qualified candidates.

Overall, the data suggests that filling a technicalposition can take several months, indicating theneed for organizations to plan and take proactive steps to attract and retain technical talent.

242023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 4: RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESSES CREATE CHALLENGES IN 2023

FIGURE 12

ONBOARDING IS TIME-CONSUMING, BUT TURNOVER REMAINS HIGH
How long does the onboarding
process take for new
technical headcount to reachnormal productivity?

KEY TAKEAWAYThis year, the survey did not
ask about the difficulty of40%finding professionals with open

On average, what percentage of new technicalstaff hires resign or were asked to leave
within 6 months of being onboarded?

38%

source-related skills because it
has been consistently difficult
for the past 10 years. However,

26%

24%

the survey revealed the greater
impact of onboarding and17%

retaining new hires success-9%

fully. Strategic planning for techis crucial, and organizations
should consider the impact on
business operations and growth.
To remain competitive andrelevant, prioritizing softwaredevelopment, technical support,
and staff training is essential.
Organizations can position themselves for success in the dynamic
digital landscape by being
proactive in staffing changes.

PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023

nical staffing changes in 2023

8%

7%

5%

7%

4%

4%

5%

4%

1%

Up to
4 weeks

1-3
months3-6monthsMorethan
6 months

Don’tknow ornot sure

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q30, sample size = 418.

Additionally, organizations may need to consider
alternative approaches to recruitment, suchas partnering with staffing agencies or leveraging online platforms to connect with potential
candidates. By taking a proactive and strategic

0-10% 11-20% 21-30% 31-40% 41-50% 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90% 91-100%2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q31, sample size = 390.

Lengthy recruiting andonboarding times don’t
guarantee goodness of fit

approach to recruitment and retention, organiza-

The chart on the left in FIGURE 12 shows thattions can better position themselves to succeed

onboarding is time-consuming. For 40% of organi-in the competitive landscape of technical talentzations, onboarding takes 1 to 3 months. Beyond

acquisition.

that, 32% of organizations report it takes more than25

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 4: RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESSES CREATE CHALLENGES IN 2023

3 months. The average across all organizations is an
onboarding process that takes 2.6 months.
The chart on the right in FIGURE 12 shows employee
departures, be they voluntary or involuntary. 38% oforganizations lose 0 to 10% of their new hires within
4 to 6 months. While these percentages trend down
as departures grow, the overall average is somewhathigh at 29%. Almost one out of three new hires
departs within six months of being onboarded.

This is an astoundingly high metric and indicatesprocess for many organizations. Therefore, organi-that conventional approaches to recruiting andzations must ensure employees have the necessary

onboarding are not working. Considering thatskills to succeed in the rapidly changing technology

the average recruiting time is 4.3 months, andlandscape. Training and certifying existing staff areonboarding takes an average of 2.6 months, you

crucial to address the ever-increasing demand forwill need to replace one out of three after an 8 totechnical expertise.

13-month investment in each of your new hires.
Recruiting and hiring the right candidate has provena costly, time-consuming, and often ineffective

KEY TAKEAWAY

Successful recruiting and onboarding
can be challenging, requiring significant
resources and time. However, upskillingis a surprisingly effective solution
to potential obstacles in the process.
Upskilling and certification programs
can address the technical talent
shortage. These programs can verify
technical skills developed by internal
candidates through pre-placement
testing and certification. Effective
onboarding and upskilling are highly
valued and essential for success. Whilesmaller companies may be less likely toinvest in these programs, it is crucial torecognize their value in ensuring thattechnical staff possess the necessary
skills to thrive in an increasingly techdriven business environment.
PHOTO BY DESOLA LANRE-OLOGUN ON UNSPLASH
26

PART 5The increased
need to train andcertify existing
staff in 2023

A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE
PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023

27

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 5: THE INCREASED NEED TO TRAIN AND CERTIFY EXISTING STAFF IN 2023

Certifications and technical skill verification
will improve the hiring process
There is a strong desire among respondents

73% of those hiring tech talent agree that certifi-

for certification and pre-employment testing tocations should be a requirement to verify claimed

verify technical skills, as shown in FIGURE 13 . 81%

technical skills. Certifications are proof points ofagree (strongly agree and somewhat agree) that

demonstrable validation of knowledge on specificpre-employment testing should be a requirement.

subject areas, such as secure software development.

Pre-employment testing, especially scenario or case

Certifications provide a proactive way for candi-study testing, is an effective way to validate that thedates to demonstrate alignment with a role and cancandidate has a portfolio of relevant skills for thehelp mitigate the pressure and risks associated withrole they are applying for.

pre-employment testing.

PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023

FIGURE 13

TESTING AND CERTIFICATION ARE WAYS TO VERIFY TECHNICAL SKILLS AND STREAMLINE HIRING
What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff?
Pre-employment testing should
be required to verify claimed
technical skills

43%

34%

27%
Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

14%

33%

40%

Certiﬁcations should be required toverify claimed technical skills

12%

39%

40%

Not all tech talent is thesame—they do not have a common
benchmark of skills, methodologies,
and approaches

With all the recent tech talentlayoﬀs, it's now easier to identify
great candidates

38%

Neither disagree nor agree2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q27, sample size = 418.

28

15%
23%

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

4%

1%
1%

5% 2% 1%
7%

11%

4%

2%

4%

2%

Don't know or not sure

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 5: THE INCREASED NEED TO TRAIN AND CERTIFY EXISTING STAFF IN 2023

Upskilling is now the primary approach organizations
use to expand and improve technology skills
Upskilling and certifications are highly valued, as

develop critical thinking and decision-making

shown in FIGURE 14 . 91% of organizations believe

skills, training and certification are unparalleled atthat upskilling to expand or improve IT staff tech-teaching and validating domain-specific skills.

nical skills are either extremely important or very
important. 77% of organizations indicate that

As covered in the earlier section on addressing techcertified skills are important, which follows because

talent shortages (FIGURE 7 ), investing in upskillingcertification is a way to validate training. Surprisingly,

and certification opportunities can be cost-effec-

58% of organizations consider a college or university

tive for small companies, helping to ensure that

degree important. While college and university

existing staff possess the necessary skills to thrive indegrees are instrumental in helping individuals

a rapidly changing technology landscape.

PHOTO FROM THE LINUX FOUNDATION / KUBECON EUROPE 2023

FIGURE 14

UPSKILLING AND CERTIFICATIONS ARE HIGHLY VALUED AND
MORE IMPORTANT THAN A TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
How important are the following approaches to addressing your organization’s technology needs?
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q23, sample size = 418.

Upskilling existing IT staﬀ toacquire the skills and knowledge
your organization needs

53%

Hiring and onboarding
new talent that have the IT
skills your organization needs

49%
36%

30%
Extremely important

28%
Very important

7%

39%

41%

That technical candidates haveskills that are certiﬁed
That the candidate has acollege or university degree38%

Somewhat important

29

30%
Not very important

1%

11%
17%

Not important at all

1%

3% 3% 1%
9%

3%

Don't know or not sure

PART 6The impact
of increasing,pausing, or
reducing technicalstaff in 2023

A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE

30

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 6: THE IMPACT OF INCREASING, PAUSING, OR REDUCING TECHNICAL STAFF IN 2023

FIGURE 15

Increasing, pausing, or reducing technical staff all

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF
CHANGES IN TECHNICAL STAFF HIRING PLANS

impact organizations positively and negatively.
Organizations can address these changes in a variety
of ways, such as:

What impacts have or are likely to occur in 2023 in technical staff hiring?

• Using technical debt as a buffer[Answer choices differed slightly depending on the context]• Adjusting time frames

Training is being or will be used to
upskill existing technical staﬀ so thatthe organization can be more productive

50%
52%

26%

Increased / decreased workloads
per technical staﬀ member

30%

25%

Increased / decreased timeframes for product delivery

37%

43%

9%

Selected project cancellations

shown in FIGURE 15 .

23%

Upskilling is now the leading approach to ensurethat new hires or existing staff can remain agile
and adjust to organizational needs in response toincreasing staff, pausing staff hires, or reallocation
after staff departures.
FIGURE 15 shows that 60% of organizations upskill

21%

8%

6%

Upskilling is the leading solution
to align technical capabilities
with product needs
need to adjust and align with market conditions, as

19%
22%

17%

• Use of training to better align staff capabilities

The recognition of technical staff training within

27%

18%

• Adjusting workloads

organizations is important regardless of how they

17%

14%

or offshore resources (if permitted)• Adjusting technical staff workloads

17%

Increased / decreased use ofcontractors or managed service
providers to ﬁll critical gaps

Decreased use of oﬀshore
outsourcing to better manage costs

39%

22%
24%

Increased / decreased technical debt

• Scaling contractor, managed service provider,with project needs

22%

Increased use of oﬀshore
outsourcing to better manage costs

No signiﬁcant impact is being felt
across the remaining technical staﬀ

60%

10%

their staff when increasing their technical headcount,
Increasing technical staﬀ

presumably to provide existing staff with new oppor-

Freezing technical hiring planstunities while backfilling for them with new hires.

Decreasing technical staﬀ

50% of organizations that have paused their technicalstaff hiring use training to reallocate resources based2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q49 (increase), sample size = 235, valid cases = 235, total mentions = 571.
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q44 (freeze), sample size = 189, valid cases = 189, total mentions = 428.
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q49 (reduction), sample size = 82, valid cases = 82, total mentions = 208.

on changing business needs to remain flexible andoptimize how they address changing workloads when312023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 6: THE IMPACT OF INCREASING, PAUSING, OR REDUCING TECHNICAL STAFF IN 2023

other alternatives are out of reach. 52% of organiza-

when organizations cut staff or pause hiring plans.

staff and 30% of those that are freezing staffing

tions that are facing technical staff reductions rely on

Specifically, 43% of organizations that will be reducing

plans expect to increase the workloads of theirtraining to upskill staff much in the same manner as

staff and 37% that will freeze staffing plans aretechnical staff members. In contrast, only 26% oforganizations that have had to pause their hiring.

expecting longer time frames for product delivery. In

those increasing staffing believe that it will ease thecontrast, only 25% of those increasing staffing believe

workload of their technical staff members.

FIGURE 15 also points out that negative outcomes,that it will result in a quicker time to market.

such as increased workloads and longer timeframes for product delivery, are likely to occur

Similarly, 39% of organizations that are reducing

Strategies for what technical staff
roles to add or reduce vary wildly
Organizations that have the opportunity to add
technical staff have lots more flexibility within their

FIGURE 16

budget constraints than organizations that must

TYPES OF STAFF MOST IMPACTED BY CHANGESIN TECHNICAL STAFF INCREASES OR REDUCTIONS

reduce technical headcount.

What types of technical staff is your company adding or reducing?
[Asked if the organization is increasing or reducing its technical headcount in 2023]
67%

Software developers and engineers

35%

34%

Technical support staﬀ

30%

The addition of contractors (22%) addresses unique41%

requirements or levels peak loads.

40%

When organizations must reduce staff, there aredifferent concerns to address. An obvious firstmove is to shed contractors, as identified by 40%

20%of organizations, and lay off recently hired tech-

22%

Contractors or part-timeoutside technical resources
Technical staﬀ most recently hired
Don’t know or not sureadditional training (41%) and support staff (40%).

23%

Technical R&D staﬀ

nical staff (34%) who have yet to amass significant

40%
34%

5%

Developers are the primary focal point for 67% of

nical organization scales, there is always a need for
51%

35%

Technical training staﬀ

existing development teams or populate new ones.

58% and junior technical staff at 51%. As a tech-45%

Junior technical staﬀ

staff, they emphasize adding staff to either scaleorganizations, followed by senior technical staff at
58%

Senior technical staﬀ

FIGURE 16 shows that when organizations add

experience and generate value add. While it ispainful to consider laying off senior technical staff,
Increasing technical staﬀ in 2023

their compensation can sometimes be significant

Decreasing technical staﬀ in 2023

compared to convention developers (35%) and espe-

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q48 (increasing staff), sample size = 235, valid cases = 235, total mentions = 711.
2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q38 (reducing staff), sample size = 82, valid cases = 82, total mentions = 229.
32

cially junior staff (35%). In some cases, organizations
can eliminate most of an entire team, and those2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTPART 6: THE IMPACT OF INCREASING, PAUSING, OR REDUCING TECHNICAL STAFF IN 2023

team members can be reallocated to other teams.

67% of organizations are increasing their tech-for their technical staff. At 46%, IT management isThis creates a somewhat more equalized approachnical staff target for developers and engineers.

the second most commonly sought role.

in which staff are subject to a reduction in force.

Moreover, when taking the type of engineer out of
the equation, software developer is still the mostThe survey reveals an interesting trend:

FIGURE 17 shows developers and IT management

likely job role being recruited, with 54% of organiza-

Organizations that believe recent tech talent layoffs

are the most commonly recruited roles. Specifically,tions looking to staff up and target more developers

facilitate the identification of exceptional candidates are more likely to hire IT management roles ifthey expand their technical workforce. These roles,
which could be viewed as senior technical staff, are

FIGURE 17

of greater interest to 56% of these organizations

DEVELOPERS AND IT MANAGEMENT ARE THE MOST RECRUITEDROLES BY ORGANIZATIONS INCREASING THEIR HIRING

compared to the average respondent, where only
46% are looking to hire for IT management positions.

What kinds of positions are you looking to fill with technical staff?
Developer

54%

IT Management

46%

KEY TAKEAWAY

40%

DevOpsEngineer37%

The 2023 State of Tech Talent Survey

30%

Security Professional

reveals that training is essential for both

Project Manager

28%

increased and reduced hiring moves.

Data Engineer

27%

Negative outcomes, such as increased

Systems Administrator

26%

workloads and longer time frames for

Network Administrator

26%

product delivery, are likely to occur

revenue misses and economic caution.

20%

DevSecOps

Furthermore, the types of staff most

12%

Executive Management

affected by staffing cuts are senior

7%

GitOpsDon’t know or not surehiring plans, and job cuts are blamed on

23%

Architect

Other (please specify)

when organizations cut staff or pause

24%

Data Scientist

staff members, while developers and1%

IT management are the most recruited2%roles.

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q53, sample size = 235, valid cases = 235, total mentions = 950.
33

Conclusions
and actionableinsights

A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE34

PHOTO BY CHEN ON UNSPLASH

Photo to come

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTCONCLUSIONS AND ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

A clear upskilling trend
Organizations need to focus on upskilling their workforce in emerging technology areas, such as cloud / containers, cybersecurity, and AI / ML. With technology constantly evolving, companies must invest in training and certification opportunities to ensure that they equip their employees with the necessary skills to remain competitive. The survey shows thatorganizations are taking different approaches to upskill their workforce, such as providing training opportunities andhiring new talent with experience in these areas.
Investing in upskilling is crucial for companies looking to keep up with emerging technologies and remain competitive inthe market.

Today’s hiring challenges require a multi-pronged approach
The survey results highlight the difficulties organizations face in hiring technical talent in today's tight labor market. While
it is tempting for some companies to rely solely on external recruitment efforts to address the shortage, the data suggests
this may not be enough. Instead, alternative approaches such as upskilling existing employees, offering increased salaries,
improving work / life balance, and providing opportunities to work on open source projects can effectively attract andretain top talent.
Organizations need to be creative in their approach to hiring and consider alternative solutions to overcome the challenges posed by the current tech talent shortage.

Organizations need streamlined hiring and onboarding processes
The data reveals that organizations must streamline their hiring and onboarding processes to reduce turnover rates
and increase efficiency. Even with efficient processes in place, recruitment and onboarding remain time-consuming.
High turnover rates suggest it might be better to focus on upskilling existing employees rather than relying on external
recruitment efforts.
Improving onboarding and training programs can help organizations reduce turnover rates and ensure that new hires
effectively integrate into the company culture and team dynamics.

35

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTCONCLUSIONS AND ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

Comprehensive training and certification
programs should supplement hiring
The results of this year’s survey underscore the importance of investing in upskilling and certification opportunities toaddress the technical talent shortage. Certification and pre-employment testing can verify claimed technical skills while
upskilling, effective onboarding, and certifications are highly valued and important for success.
While budgetary constraints are affecting both smaller and larger organizations in 2023, it is essential to recognize thevalue of training and certification in ensuring that technical staff possess the necessary skills to succeed in an increasingly tech-driven business environment.

Training and certification are important in an
increased or reduced hiring environment
Training is crucial for increased or reduced hiring activity. The data also suggests that job cuts are to blame for revenue
misses and economic caution, highlighting the importance of taking a strategic approach to hiring and staffing decisions.
Organizations need to be aware of the types of staff most affected by staffing cuts, such as senior staff members, and be
strategic in their hiring efforts by targeting roles such as developers and IT management that are commonly recruited for.
Organizations that are reducing staff or pausing hiring plans need to focus on upskilling their existing workforce toprevent negative outcomes such as increased workloads and longer time frames for product delivery.

36

Methodology
About this study
From a research perspective, it was important toeliminate any perception of sample bias and ensurehigh data quality. We eliminated sample bias bysourcing 80% of our usable sample from a 3rd party
panel provider and the remaining 20% from LinuxFoundation membership. We addressed data quality
through extensive pre-screening and screening
criteria to ensure that respondents had sufficientfamiliarity and professional experience to answer
questions accurately on behalf of the organization
they worked for.
The design of the worldwide survey conducted by
Linux Foundation Training & Certification and LinuxFoundation Research was to gather insights on thecurrent trends and challenges related to technicaltalent hiring and management. We conducted thethose who were employed full-time were part of the

One approach is to treat it just like any otherstudy. Individuals who were not affiliated with any

response. In this way, report readers can see theorganization or were unable to talk about their orga-

percentage of respondents that answered DKNS.

nization's hiring plans and practices were not part of

The advantage of this approach is that it reports

the survey.

back the exact distribution of the data collected. The
challenge with this approach is that it distorts the

In total, the survey received 437 responses. We

distribution of valid responses—those responses

removed 19 responses, as they could not provide

where respondents could answer the question.

answers to questions about the 2023 hiring trends.
The final sample size used in most of the report wasSome of the analyses in this report excluded the418 respondents. The margin of error for the survey

DKNS. This can occur when the data missing candata is + / - 4.9% at a 95% confidence level, indicating

either be classified as missing at random (MAR) orthat the survey results are statistically significant

missing completely at random (MCAR). Excluding

and representative of the broader population.

DKNS data from a question does not change the
distribution of data (counts) for the other responses,

For more details about the screening criteria used

but it does change the size of the denominator used

and access to the survey dataset, see http://www.

to calculate the percentage of responses acrossdata.world/thelinuxfoundation.

the remaining responses. This has the effect ofproportionally increasing the percent values of thesurvey from February 23 through March 10, 2023,
and we promoted it through various channels,
including social media, the Linux Foundation andLinux.com websites, and the Linux Foundation
Newsletter.
To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the survey
data, we also utilized a third-party panel provider
to obtain 80% of the respondents. These respondents received nominal compensation for their
participation in the study. It is important to notethat the screening of the survey participants wasdependent on their employment status, and only

How missing data is handled
Although the requirement is for respondents toanswer nearly all questions in the survey (the only
exceptions are the open-ended questions), there
are times when a respondent is unable to answer
a question because it is outside the scope of theirrole or experience. For this reason, we frequently
add a DKNS response to the list of responses fora question. However, this creates a conundrum
regarding what to do with DKNS responses.

remaining responses relative to the number of DKNS
responses. The number of valid cases is adjusted
accordingly. Where we have elected to exclude
DKNS data, a careful examination of the footnote forthe figure will enable the reader to determine thenumber of DKNS responses based on the difference
between the sample size (DKNS inclusive) and valid
cases (DKNS excluded).
Finally, percentage values in this report may not add
up to exactly 100% due to rounding.

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTFIGURE 18

SELECTED DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE 2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT SURVEY
Region of organization’s headquarters

Organization’s # of employees

Demographics
FIGURE 18 presents a combination of employee andorganizational demographics. This was a worldwide
study, with 45% of organization headquarters
located in North America, 25% in Europe, 19% in

45%States
United States
45% Unitedor Canadaor Canada
25%(eastern
Europeor(eastern or
25% Europe
western, excluding
western, excluding
Russia) Russia)
19%
India
19% India

18% 1 to18%
249 1 to 249

India, and 10% in other Asia-Pacific countries.

72%
I hire tec
72% I hire
technical
sta
17%Internal
17%

Internal human re

250 to 4,999 We originally collected company size data (number
6% Internal
53% 25053%
to 4,999
6% Internallearning
3%
Internal
29%
5,000
or
more
of employees) in the 2nd panel across seven size 3% Internal recruiter
29% 5,000 or more1%
categories. We aggregated and then recoded this 1% Other Other

11%
Other Locations
11% Other
Locationsdata into three categories: 1 to 249 employees (18%),250 to 4,999 employees (53%), and 5,000 or more

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q8, sample size = 418.

Type of organization

2023 Tech Talent Survey,
Q10, sample size = 418.

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q14, sample size = 417.

employees (29%).

35% “End-user” organization primarily using IT products / services to support business activities

The 3rd panel in FIGURE 18 shows the distribution

24% System integrator or IT consulting ﬁrmof organization types. 35% of our sample was clas-

12% Cloud service provider or managed service provider

sified as end-user organizations that primarily use

10% Hardware and / or software vendor(consume) IT products and services to support their

6%

Hardware and / or software supplierbusiness activities. This contrasts with vendors and2%

Software reseller or distributor

service providers (55%), whose primary activity is

2%Academic or research institution

2%

Nonproﬁt association or foundation

1%

Embedded systems vendor

1%

Government entity or agency

5%

Other entity

creating horizontal and vertical IT products andservices for sale to end users. This leaves 10%of organizations that are in academia, research,government, nonprofits, foundations, or otherareas.
The 4th panel classified the role of the respon35% “End-user”
dent. 72% of respondents were hiring
managers,
organization primarily using IT

Role in hiring process

17% were in talent management,24%
6% werelearningor IT consulting ﬁrm
System integrator

and development professionals, 12%
3% wereinternal
Cloud service
provider or managed service
recruiters, and 1% were in other 10%
fieldsHardware
relatedtheandto/ orsoftware vendor

72% I hire technical staﬀ to work for my team or department

named fields.

6%

Hardware and / or software supplier

6% Internal learning and development professional

2%

Software reseller or distributor

3% Internal recruiter2%

1% OtherAcademic or research institution

2%

Nonproﬁt association or foundation

1%

Embedded systems vendor

1%

Government entity or agency

5%

Other entity

17% Internal human resource or talent manager

2023 Tech Talent Survey, Q2, sample size = 418.
38

Appendix A
The contents of Appendix A include a frequency for every question andselected crosstabs referenced in the report. Free text questions are notincluded in this Appendix. For a complete PDF of the survey instrument, seewww.data.world/thelinuxfoundation. Appendix A includes 71 tables (A1 to A71).

A GUIDE TO ENTERPRISE OPEN SOURCE

39

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A1

Q1: Are you someone who hires or recruits information technology (IT) professionals? (select one)

A2

A3

A4

COUNT

COLUMN %

Yes

418

100%

No

0

0%

Total

418

Q2: What type of hiring or sourcing person are you? (select one)
I hire technical staff to work for my team or department

302

72%

Internal human resource or talent manager

72

17%

Internal learning and development professional

27

6%Internal recruiter

13

3%

Other (please specify)

4

1%

Total

418

Q3: Please indicate what best describes who you are. (select one)
I am a real person

419

100%

I'm just lines of code00%

I am a bot00%

I just want to mess with the researchers

0

0%

Don't know or not sure

0

0%

Total

418

Q4: When talking about your organization's hiring plans and practices, what perspective will you speak for in this survey? (select one)
I can speak for the entire company or enterprise that I work for

264

63%

I can only speak for the department or group that I work with

122

29%

I work for multiple entities and can speak for what I see in the industry

32

8%

I can speak only for myself

0

0%

Don't know or not sure

0

0%

Total

418

40

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A5

Q5: What is your current employment status? (select one)

A6

A7

COUNT

COLUMN %Employed, full time

399

95%

Self-employed; full- or part-time

13

3%

Employed; part-time

6

1%Student; full- or part-time

00%Unemployed but previously employed and looking for work00%Unemployed, and not currently looking for work00%Retired

0

0%

Total

418

Q7: How many technical headcounts report to you? (select one)
0

8

3%

1

4

1%

2–4

35

12%

5–9

78

26%

10–19

87

29%

20 or more

88

29%

Don't know or not sure

2

1%

Total

302

Q8: In what country or region does your organization have its headquarters? (select one)
United States or Canada

188

45%

Europe (Eastern or Western, excluding Russia)

104

25%

India

79

19%

Asia (except China, India, Japan, Russia, and Oceania)

72%

Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand)

61%South America

51%Middle East

4

1%

West and Central Africa

4

1%

Japan

3

1%

Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean

2

0%

41

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A8

A9

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Eastern and Southern Africa

20%North Africa

1

0%

China

1

0%

Russia1

0%

Other country / region (please specify)

11

3%

Total

418

Q9: Professionally, which role or field do you most closely identify with? (select one)IT development—Director or Vice President

99

24%

Talent management and recruiting

71

17%

Software development—developer, engineer, architect

60

14%

IT operations—Director or Vice President

59

14%

C-level (CEO, CFO, CTO, CIO, CISO, CSO)

44

11%

Systems operations, administration, SRE, or ITSM

24

6%

Product or project management

15

4%Software delivery (testing, packaging, release)92%Technical training

6

1%

Security team5

1%

Data scientist or machine learning

4

1%

Sales and marketing

3

1%

Open source program office (OSPO) team

20%

Business analyst

10%Legal counsel

10%Academic or educator

10%

Other (please specify)

14

3%

Total

418

Q10: Which response best describes the organization you work for? (select one)
“End-user” organization that primarily uses IT products / services to support its business activities

146

35%

System integrator or IT consulting firm

100

24%

Cloud service provider or managed service provider

49

12%

Hardware and / or software vendor

42

10%

Hardware and / or software supplier

25

6%

42

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A10

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Software reseller or distributor

10

2%

Academic or research institution

10

2%

Nonprofit association or foundation

8

2%

Embedded systems vendor

4

1%

Government entity or agency

3

1%

Other entity (please specify)

21

5%

Total

418

Q11: Which of the following best describes your organization's primary industry? (select one) [end-user organizations only]
Manufacturing (discrete or process)

25

17.1%

Telecommunications / Internet service provider (ISP) / web hosting

24

16.4%

Healthcare

18

12.3%

Financial services (banking, insurance, securities, etc.)

14

9.6%

Retail, wholesale, & e-commerce

13

8.9%

Business services (accounting, management consulting, legal, etc.)

10

4.8%

Construction / engineering

7

3.4%

Media (broadcast communications, entertainment, publishing, website, social networking, etc.)

5

2.1%

Automotive

3

2.1%

Education (college, university)

3

2.1%

Transportation & logistics (other than automotive)

3

2.1%

Mining, oil, and gas

2

1.4%

Life sciences (biotech, pharmaceuticals, etc.)

2

1.4%

Real estate, rental, and leasing

1

0.7%

Government (state, local)

1

0.7%

Education (K-12, primary, secondary)

1

0.7%

Consumer packaged goods

1

0.7%

Agriculture

1

0.7%

Hospitality & travel

1

0.7%

Government (federal, national)

0

0.0%

Utilities / energy

0

0.0%

Other (please specify)

11

6.8%

Total

146

43

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %A11

Q12: Which of the following best describes your organization's primary industry?
(select one) [vendor and service provider organizations only]
Cross-industry information technology (IT vendor, service provider, or manufacturer)

108

39.7%

Telecommunications / Internet service provider (ISP) / web hosting

25

9.2%

Healthcare

23

8.5%

Financial services (banking, insurance, securities, etc.)

14

5.1%

Retail, wholesale, & e-commerce

12

4.4%

Manufacturing (discrete or process)

11

4.0%

Business services (accounting, management consulting, legal, etc.)

10

3.7%

Education (college, university)

9

3.3%

Automotive

7

2.6%

Construction / engineering

7

2.6%

Government (federal, national)

6

2.2%

Education (K-12, primary, secondary)

5

1.8%

Media (broadcast communications, entertainment, publishing, website, social networking, etc.)

4

1.5%

Consumer packaged goods

4

1.5%

Transportation & logistics (other than automotive)

4

1.5%

Government (state, local)

2

0.7%

Utilities / energy

2

0.7%

Life sciences (biotech, pharmaceuticals, etc.)

1

0.4%

Mining, oil, & gas

1

0.4%

Real estate, rental, and leasing

1

0.4%

Hospitality & travel

1

0.4%

Agriculture

0

0.0%

Other (please specify)

15

5.5%

Total

272

44

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESA12

Q11 + Q12: Which of the following best describes your organization's primary industry? (select one) [all organizations]

A13

COUNT

COLUMN %Cross-industry information technology (IT vendor, service provider, or manufacturer)

108

25.8%

Telecommunications / Internet service provider (ISP) / web hosting

49

11.7%

Healthcare

41

9.8%

Manufacturing (discrete or process)

36

8.6%

Financial services (banking, insurance, securities, etc.)

28

6.7%

Retail, wholesale, & eCommerce

25

6.0%

Business services (accounting, management consulting, legal, etc.)

20

4.8%

Construction / engineering

14

3.3%

Education (college, university)

12

2.9%

Automotive

10

2.4%

Media (broadcast communications, entertainment, publishing, website, social networking, etc.)

9

2.2%

Transportation & logistics (other than automotive)

7

1.7%

Education (K-12, primary, secondary)

6

1.4%

Government (federal, national)

6

1.4%

Consumer packaged goods

5

1.2%

Government (state, local)

3

0.7%

Life sciences (biotech, pharmaceuticals, etc.)

3

0.7%

Mining, oil, & gas

3

0.7%

Hospitality & travel

2

0.5%

Utilities / energy

2

0.5%

Real estate, rental, and leasing

2

0.5%

Agriculture

1

0.2%

Other (please specify)

26

6.2%

Total

418

Q13: What percent of your IT workload runs in the public cloud? (select a percent value between 0% and 100%)
1–20%

29

7%

21–40%

60

15%

41–60%

10427%

61–80%

118

30%

81–100%

81

21%

Total

392

45

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A14

Q14: Please estimate how many total employees are in your organization. (select one)

A15

A16

A17

COUNT

COLUMN %

1–49

28

7%

50–24948

11%

250–999103

25%

1,000–4,999

119

28%

5,000–9,999

50

12%

10,000–19,999

16

4%

20,000 or more

53

13%

Don't know or not sure

1

0%

Total

418

Q15: Please identify what changes y made to your technical headcount during 2022. (select one)
We didn't make any changes to our technical headcount in 2022

77

18%

We reduced our technical headcount in 2022

81

19%

We increased our technical headcount in 2022

254

61%

Don't know or not sure

6

1%

Total

418

Q16: Approximately what percent of the organization's technical headcount did you lay off or resigned in 2022? (select a
percent value between 0% and 100%) [Asked if the respondent’s organization reduced technical headcount in 2022.]
0%

1

1%

1–20%

40

50%

21–40%

12

15%

41–60%

11

14%

61–80%

911%

81–100%

7

9%

Total

80

Q16: Approximately what percent of the organization's technical headcount did you lay off or resigned in
2022? segmented by Q14: Please estimate how many total employees are in your organization.
1–249 employees

250–4,999
employees

5,000 or more
employees

0%

0%

2%

0%

1–20%

36%

43%

71%

21–40%

43%

10%

8%

46

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A18

A19

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %41–60%

21%

21%

13%

61–80%

0%

19%

4%

81–100%

0%

14%

4%

Total

80

Q17: Approximately what percent of the organization's technical headcount did you add in 2022? (select a percent
value between 0% and 100) [Asked if the respondents increased technical headcount in 2022.]
0%

0

0%

1–20%

113

46%

21–40%

53

22%

41–60%

31

13%

61–80%

29

12%

81–100%

18

7%

Total

244

Q18: Please estimate how many technical staff were in your organization at the beginning of 2023. (select one)
1–9

23

6%

10–24

36

9%

25–49

39

9%

50–99

29

7%

100–24947

11%

250–49946

11%

500–99957

14%

1,000–2,499

41

10%

2,500–4,999

31

7%5,000–9,999

28

7%

10,000–14,999

5

1%

15,000–19,999

6

1%

20,000 or more

27

6%

Don't know or not sure

3

1%

Total

418

47

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A20

Q19: What is the average total compensation (salary + bonus) per person in USD for technical staff in your organization? (select one)

A21

A22

COUNT

COLUMN %$0–$24,999

28

7%$21,000–$49,999

55

13%

$50,000–$74,999

90

22%

$75,000–$99,999

77

18%

$100,000–$124,999

57

14%

$121,000–$149,999

14

3%$150,000–$174,999

31

7%$171,000–$199,999

16

4%$200,000–$224,999

13

3%$225,000–$249,999

82%$250,000 or more

16

4%

Don't know or not sure

13

3%

Total

418

Q20: Did economic concerns beginning in 2022 cause your organization to change orrevise your 2023 technical headcount hiring plans? (select one)
Yes

247

59%

No

154

37%

Don't know or not sure

17

4%

Total

418

Q21: Which of the following technology areas are staffed by technical headcount? (select all that apply)
Cloud / Container technologies

248

59%

Cybersecurity

242

58%

Database and data management

226

54%

Advanced analytics and data science

200

48%

Web & application development

181

43%

Artificial intelligence / Machine learning

173

41%

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

173

41%

Networking technologies (5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)

156

37%

Storage technologies

149

36%

Linux

127

30%

48

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A23

A24

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %CI / CD & DevOps

121

29%

Edge computing

102

24%

Kubernetes

93

22%

IoT & Embedded

92

22%

Open source hardware

84

20%

Blockchain

82

20%

Manufacturing, 3D printing, and CAD / CAM

57

14%

Augmented / Virtual reality

57

14%

Other (please specify)

6

1%

Don’t know or not sure

0

0%

Total

418

Q22: As new technology comes into use at your organization, what steps are you taking toensure your technical staff have the right skills? (select all that apply)
Hiring new IT professionals with experience in the new technology

297

71%

Providing training opportunities for existing technical staff

291

70%

Hiring consultants to support projects and train existing technical staff

174

42%

Requiring additional training for existing technical staff

159

38%

Don’t know or not sure

1

0%

Total

418

Q22: As new technology comes into use at your organization, what steps are you taking to ensure your technical staff
have the right skills? segmented by Q10: Which response best describes the organization you work for?
“End-user” organization thatprimarily uses IT
products / services
to support its
business activities

Tech vendor,
supplier, orservice provider

Other, including
government, NGO,and academic
institution

Hiring new IT professionals with experience in the new technology

47%

35%

26%

Providing training opportunities for existing technical staff

43%

40%

45%

Hiring consultants to support projects and train existing technical staff

77%

67%

57%

Requiring additional training for existing technical staff

78%

66%

74%

Don’t know or not sure

0%

.4%

0%

Total

418

49

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A25

Q23.1: How important are the following approaches to addressing your organization's technology needs? (select one)—
Hiring and onboarding new talent that have the IT skills your organization needs

A26

A27

A28

COUNT

Not important at all

0

COLUMN %0%

Not very important

5

1%

Somewhat important

46

11%

Very important

162

39%

Extremely important

204

49%

Don't know or not sure

1

0%

Total

418

Q23.2: How important are the following approaches to addressing your organization's technology needs? (select one)—Upskilling existing IT staff to acquire the skills and knowledge your organization needs
Not important at all00%

Not very important

20%

Somewhat important

31

7%

Very important

159

38%

Extremely important

221

53%

Not important at all

5

1%

Total

418

Q23.3: How important are the following approaches to addressing your organization's technology
needs? (select one)—That the candidate has a college or university degree
Not important at all

13

3%

Not very important

39

9%

Somewhat important

125

30%

Very important

115

28%

Extremely important

124

30%

Total

418

Q23.4: How important are the following approaches to addressing your organization's technology needs?
(select one)—That technical candidates have skills that are certified
Not important at all

113%

Not very important

14

3%

Somewhat important

71

17%

50

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A29

A30

A31

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Very important

149

36%

Extremely important

170

41%

Total

418

Q24: What incentives is your organization offering to deter your technical headcountfrom moving to another company? (select all that apply)
Increased salary

237

57%

Opportunity for better work / life balance

211

50%

Additional training opportunities or certification

210

50%

Opportunity for flexible work schedule or telecommuting

204

49%

Opportunity to be bonus eligible

179

43%

High-level recognition for accomplishments

164

39%

Opportunity to contribute to open source projects I am interested in

120

29%

Additional stock options / RSU/ equity

86

21%

No incentives are being offered at this time10

2%

Other (please specify)

6

1%

Don't know or not sure

8

2%

Total

418

Q25: If unable to find technical candidates with the skills you need, which of the following best
describes how you have met your organization’s requirements? (select all that apply)
Sought training for existing employees

223

53%

Continued to look until we found a close fit

210

50%

Hired a consultant

148

35%

Delayed technology projects and/or deployments

112

27%

Other (please specify)

5

1%

Don't know or we've been able to find tech talent, so this is not an issue

33

8%

Total

418

Q26.1: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskilling rather thanhiring new employees is a more cost-effective way to increase technical expertise
Strongly disagree

31%

Somewhat disagree

102%Neither disagree nor agree

46

11%

51

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A32

A33

A34

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Somewhat agree

139

33%

Strongly agree

218

52%

Don't know or not sure

2

0%

Total

418

Q26.2: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskilling is thepreferred way to fill senior positions where we can't find a technical headcountStrongly disagree

31%

Somewhat disagree

143%Neither disagree nor agree

49

12%

Somewhat agree

170

41%

Strongly agree

179

43%

Don't know or not sure

3

1%

Total

418

Q26.3: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)–Upskilling doesn't
work for senior roles because you can't teach broad subject matter expertise
Strongly disagree

38

9%Somewhat disagree

94

22%

Neither disagree nor agree

84

20%

Somewhat agree

107

26%

Strongly agree

88

21%

Don't know or not sure

7

2%

Total

418

Q26.4: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskilled staff doesn't
help us to fill new positions because we still have to backfill for the positions vacatedStrongly disagree

27

6%Somewhat disagree

81

19%

Neither disagree nor agree

76

18%

Somewhat agree

129

31%

Strongly agree

102

24%

Don't know or not sure

3

1%

Total

418

52

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A35

Q26.5: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskilling is
an ideal way to help junior technical staff expand their capabilities

A36

A37

COUNT

COLUMN %Strongly disagree

20%Somewhat disagree

41%Neither disagree nor agree358%Somewhat agree

147

35%

Strongly agree

228

55%

Don't know or not sure

2

0%

Total

418

Q26.6: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskilling works best for learning narrowly focused skills
Strongly disagree

31%

Somewhat disagree

27

6%Neither disagree nor agree

69

17%

Somewhat agree

150

36%

Strongly agree

161

39%

Don't know or not sure

8

2%

Total

418

Q26.7: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskillingtakes too long or is ineffective at training for complex roles
Strongly disagree

53

13%

Somewhat disagree

103

25%

Neither disagree nor agree

61

15%

Somewhat agree

94

22%

Strongly agree

103

25%

Don't know or not sure

4

1%

Total

418

53

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A38

Q26.8: What is your perspective on upskilling technical staff? (select one)—Upskilling, training,and certifications are more important than having a relevant college degree

A39

A40

COUNT

COLUMN %Strongly disagree

102%Somewhat disagree

18

4%Neither disagree nor agree

71

17%

Somewhat agree

138

33%

Strongly agree

175

42%

Don't know or not sure

6

1%

Total

418

Q27.1: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff? (select one)—
Recruitment is costly, time-consuming, and rarely leads to the right candidate for the position
Strongly disagree

26

6%Somewhat disagree

60

14%

Neither disagree nor agree

60

14%

Somewhat agree

140

33%

Strongly agree

131

31%

Don't know or not sure

1

0%

Total

418

Q27.2: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff? (select one)—
Onboarding takes valuable internal resources away from other critical projects and is time-consuming
Strongly disagree

215%Somewhat disagree

47

11%

Neither disagree nor agree

79

19%

Somewhat agree

156

37%

Strongly agree

113

27%

Don't know or not sure

2

0%

Total

418

54

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A41

Q27.3: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff? (select one)—
There is a need for a streamlined way to recruit new technical staff with proven skills

A42

A43

COUNT

COLUMN %Strongly disagree

51%Somewhat disagree

123%Neither disagree nor agree

49

12%

Somewhat agree

161

39%

Strongly agree

188

45%

Don't know or not sure

3

1%

Total

418

Q27.4: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff? (select one)—Not all tech talentis the same—it’s challenging that they do not have a common benchmark of skills, methodologies, approaches
Strongly disagree

61%Somewhat disagree

195%Neither disagree nor agree

59

14%

Somewhat agree

158

38%

Strongly agree

172

41%

Don't know or not sure

4

1%

Total

418

Q27.5: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff?
(select one)—With all the recent tech talent layoffs, it's now easier to identify great candidates
Strongly disagree

143%Somewhat disagree

45

11%

Neither disagree nor agree

98

23%

Somewhat agree

139

33%

Strongly agree

115

28%

Don't know or not sure

7

2%

Total

418

55

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A44

Q27.6: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff?
(select one)—Hiring the wrong candidate and then having to onboard again is an issue

A45

A46

COUNT

COLUMN %Strongly disagree133%Somewhat disagree

24

6%Neither disagree nor agree

49

12%

Somewhat agree

153

37%

Strongly agree

172

41%

Don't know or not sure

7

2%

Total

418

Q27.7: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff? (selectone)—Certifications should be required to verify claimed technical skills
Strongly disagree

143%Somewhat disagree

25

6%Neither disagree nor agree

59

14%

Somewhat agree

142

34%

Strongly agree

169

40%

Don't know or not sure

9

2%

Total

418

Q27.8: What is your perspective on recruiting, onboarding, and retaining technical staff? (select one)—Pre-employment testing should be required to verify claimed technical skills
Strongly disagree

61%Somewhat disagree

18

4%Neither disagree nor agree

49

12%

Somewhat agree

158

38%

Strongly agree

181

43%

Don't know or not sure

6

1%

Total

418

56

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A47

Q28: Which of the following training or professional development opportunities does yourorganization use to train and certify technical staff? (select all that apply)

A48

A49

COUNT

COLUMN %Employer-paid training and certifications

265

63%

Online / virtual courses

260

62%

We send employees to technical conferences

201

48%

Corporate onsite training

199

48%

Self-directed learning

190

45%

Mentoring programs

189

45%

Books and manuals

135

32%

Tuition assistance toward pursuing a degree

86

21%

Other (please specify)

2

0%

Don't know or not sure

2

0%

Total

418

Q29: About how long does it take to fill an open technical position? (select one)Less than a month32

8%

1–3 months

166

40%

4–6 months

120

29%

7–9 months

47

11%

10–12 months

34

8%More than 12 months

14

3%

Don't know or not sure

5

1%

Total

418

Q30: How long does the onboarding process take for new technical headcount to reach normal productivity? (select one)
Up to 2 weeks

30

7%

3–4 weeks80

19%

1–2 months

78

19%

2–3 months

89

21%

3–4 months

47

11%

5–6 months

54

13%

7–9 months

13

3%

57

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A50

A51

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %10–12 months

13

3%More than 12 months

9

2%

Don't know or not sure

5

1%

Total

418

Q31: On average, what percentage of new technical staff hires resigned or did you ask to leave within
six months of being onboarded? (select a percent value between 0% and 100%)
0%

26

7%

1–10%

125

32%

11–20%

68

17%

21–30%

35

9%31–40%

28

7%

41–50%

195%

51–60%

26

7%

61–70%

14

4%

71–80%

16

4%

81–90%

19

5%

91–100%

14

4%

Total

390

Q32: What is the status of an Open Source Program Office (OSPO) at your organization? (select one)
We are evaluating if we need an OSPO

85

22%

We have a partially staffed OSPO

68

18%

We don't have an OSPO

63

16%

We are implementing an OSPO

63

16%

We have a fully staffed OSPO

55

14%

We don't have a need for an OSPO

36

9%

Don't know or not sure

17

4%

Total

387

58

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A52

Q33: Where or who does this OSPO report to in your organization? (select one)

A53

A54

A55

COUNT

COLUMN %IT Operations or ITSM

78

42%

CTO

45

24%

Software engineering or development

35

19%

CIO

12

6%

CISO, security, compliance, or risk management

11

6%

Legal

2

1%

Don't know or not sure

3

2%

Total

186

Q34: How did concerns about the economy change your 2023 technical staff hiring plans? (select all that
apply) [Asked if concerns about the economy caused a change in technical hiring plans]
Our current plan is to put new technical staff positions on hold

128

52%

Our current plan is to increase the size of our technical staff

117

47%

Our current plan is to reduce the size of our technical staff

66

27%

Don't know or not sure

2

1%

Total

247

Q35: What is your 2023 technical staff hiring plan? (select all that apply) [Asked if the respondent
did not say the economy had an impact on technical hiring plans]
Our current plan is to put new technical staff positions on hold

118

68%

Our current plan is to increase the size of our technical staff

16

9%

Our current plan is to reduce the size of our technical staff

61

35%

Don't know or not sure

0

0%

Total

173

Q36: What are the reasons behind reducing your technical staff in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]
Revenue and profits are trending lower than planned

51

62%

The organization is exercising caution due to concerns over economic uncertainty in 2023

46

56%

Use of cloud or managed service providers has eliminated some roles

35

43%

The organization hired too many technical staff in anticipation of growth

25

30%

Increased reliance on more outsourcing or offshoring has eliminated some roles

23

28%

59

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A56

A57

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Technical staff were involved in projects that would not deliver value soon enough

20

24%

Upskilling can address our near-term need for new skill sets

15

18%

Other (please specify)

1

1%

Don't know or not sure

0

0%

Total

82

Q37: About what percent of the organization's technical staff have you or do you expect to lay off in 2023? (selectall that apply) [Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]
0%

1

1%

1–20%

28

39%

21–40%

6

8%

41–60%

11

15%

61–80%

11

15%

81–100%

14

20%

Total

71

Q38: What types of technical staff resigned or have / will you lay off in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]
Senior technical staff

37

45%

Contractors or part-time outside technical resources

33

40%

Junior technical staff

29

35%

Software developers and engineers

29

35%

Technical staff most recently hired

28

34%

Technical training staff

28

34%

Technical support staff

25

30%

Technical R&D staff

16

20%

Don’t know or not sure

4

5%

Total

82

60

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A58

Q39: What impacts have or are likely to occur in 2023 from this reduction in technical staff? (select all that
apply) [Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]

A59

A60

COUNT

Training is or will be used to upskill existing technical staff

43

COLUMN %52%

Increased time frames for product delivery

35

43%

Increased workloads per technical staff member

32

39%

Technical debt will increase

22

27%

Increased use of offshore outsourcing to better manage costs

20

24%

No significant impact is anticipated on the remaining technical staff

18

22%

Increased use of contractors or managed service providers to fill critical gaps

15

18%

Selected project cancelations

14

17%

Decreased use of offshore outsourcing to better manage costs

8

10%

Don’t know or not sure

1

1%

Total

82

Q40: To your knowledge, have you or are you planning any of the following actions to avoid reductions in technical staff
in 2023? (select all that apply) [Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]
Upskilling technical staff

45

55%

Merit increases being put on hold

42

51%

Bonuses being put on hold

39

48%

Base compensation being temporarily scaled back

19

23%

Other (please specify)

0

0%

Don’t know or not sure

4

5%

Total

82

Q41: What are your long-term technical staffing plans? (select all that apply) [Asked if the
respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]
Based on the economy, we may see more technical staff reductions in 2023 or 2024

46

56%

Based on the economy, we don't anticipate any more staff reductions in 2023 or 2024

29

35%

We may be able to hire technical staff later this year

27

33%

We are not anticipating any changes to staffing later in 2023 or 2024

17

21%

We are planning to hire technical staff in 2024

16

20%

Don’t know or not sure

3

4%

Total

82

61

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A61

Q42: In which technology areas are / will you be reducing technical staff in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is reducing technical headcount in 2023]

A62

COUNT

COLUMN %Cloud / Container technologies

33

40%

Artificial intelligence / Machine learning

27

33%

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

23

28%

Advanced analytics and data science

22

27%

Cybersecurity

20

24%

Database and data management

20

24%
24%

CI / CD & DevOps

20

Blockchain

19

23%

Networking technologies (5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)

16

20%

Web & application development

14

17%

Linux

13

16%

Manufacturing, 3D printing, and CAD / CAM

12

15%

Augmented / Virtual reality

11

13%

Edge computing

11

13%

Storage technologies

11

13%

IoT & Embedded

911%Open source hardware

8

10%

Kubernetes

6

7%

Other (please specify)

0

0%

Don’t know or not sure

7

9%

Total

82

Q43: What are the reasons behind freezing technical staff hiring in 2023? (select all that apply) [Asked
if the respondent’s organization is putting a pause on technical headcount in 2023]
The organization is exercising caution due to concerns about economic uncertainty in 2023

108

57%

Revenue and profits are trending lower than planned

74

39%

The organization hired too many technical staff in anticipation of growth

59

31%

Use of cloud or managed service providers is more cost-effective than hiring additional staff

57

30%

Upskilling technical staff is being done to expand capabilities without hiring

46

24%

Established outsourcing or offshoring is more cost-effective than hiring additional staff

43

23%

Reducing technical R&D spending has allowed us to better address operations and technical debt

31

16%

Other (please specify)

0

0%

Don't know or not sure

3

2%

Total

62

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A63

Q44: What impacts will occur from this pause in hiring technical staff in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is putting a pause on technical headcount in 2023]

A64

A65

COUNT

COLUMN %Training is being used to upskill existing technical staff so that the organization can be more productive

95

50%

Increased time frames for product delivery

69

37%

Increased workloads per technical staff member

57

30%

Increased use of contractors or managed service providers to fill critical gaps

43

23%

Increased use of offshore outsourcing to better manage costs

42

22%

Selected project cancelations

40

21%

No significant impact is being felt across the remaining technical staff

35

19%

Increased technical debt

32

17%

Decreased use of offshore outsourcing to better manage costs

11

6%

Don’t know or not sure

4

2%

Total

189

Q45: What are your future technical staffing plans? (select all that apply) [Asked if the
respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
Based on the economy, we don't anticipate any more staff reductions in 2023 or 2024

78

41%

We may be able to hire technical staff later this year

73

39%

Based on the economy, we may see more technical staff reductions in 2023 or 2024

47

25%

We are not anticipating any changes to staffing later in 2023 or 2024

42

22%

We are planning to hire technical staff in 2024

31

16%

Don’t know or not sure

5

3%

Total

189

Q46: What are the reasons behind increasing your technical headcount in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
New skill sets are needed to address cloud native computing and other new technologies

144

61%

Technological innovation is accelerating and creating new opportunities for us

143

61%

Revenue and profits are trending higher than planned

108

46%

Difficulty in retaining technical staff is creating openings that we need to fill

60

26%

Outsourcing and offshoring are not effective at addressing some of our needs

44

19%

Upskilling is not able to address our near-term need for new skill sets

36

15%

Other (please specify)

4

2%

Don't know or not sure

3

1%

Total

235

63

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

A66

Q47: Approximately what percent will you be able to increase the size of your technical headcount in
2023? [Asked if the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]

A67

A68

COUNT

COLUMN %

0%

1

0%

1–20%

110

49%

21–40%

48

22%

41–60%

27

12%

61–80%

20

9%

81–100%

17

8%

Total

223

Q48: What types of technical staff is your company adding? (select all that apply) [Asked if
the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
Software developers and engineers

157

67%

Senior technical staff

136

58%

Junior technical staff

121

51%

Technical training staff

97

41%

Technical support staff

93

40%

Technical R&D staff

53

23%

Contractors or part-time outside technical resources

52

22%

Technical staff most recently hired00%Other (please specify)

2

1%

Don’t know or not sure

0

0%

Total

235

Q49: What impacts will occur from this increase in technical headcount in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
Ability to address new development opportunities

141

60%

Training will be used to upskill technical staff so that the organization can be more productive

140

60%

Decreased workloads per technical staff member

61

26%

Decreased time frames for product or service delivery

59

25%

Increased use of offshore outsourcing to better manage costs

52

22%

The amount of technical debt will decrease

40

17%

Decreased use of contractors or managed service providers to fill critical gaps

34

14%

No significant impact will be felt across the existing technical staff

21

9%

64

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A69

A70

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Decreased use of offshore outsourcing to better manage costs

19

8%

Don’t know or not sure

4

2%

Total

235

Q50: What are your future technical staffing plans? (select all that apply) [Asked if the
respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
We may be able to hire more technical staff later this year

108

46%

We are planning to hire more technical staff in 2024

90

38%

Based on the economy, we don't anticipate any staff reductions 2023 or 2024

76

32%

We are not anticipating any additional changes to staffing later in 2023 or 2024

51

22%

Based on the economy, we may see technical staff reductions in 2023 or 2024

37

16%

Don’t know or not sure

7

3%

Total

235

Q51: In which technology areas are / will you be hiring technical staff in 2023? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
Cybersecurity

118

50%

Cloud / Container technologies

118

50%

Artificial intelligence / Machine learning

107

46%

Database and data management

87

37%

Advanced analytics and data science

86

37%

Web & application development

78

33%

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

74

31%

Networking technologies (5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)

71

30%

CI / CD & DevOps

62

26%

Linux

54

23%

Kubernetes

47

20%

Blockchain

45

19%

Edge computing

45

19%

Augmented / Virtual reality

44

19%

IoT & Embedded

44

19%

Storage technologies

43

18%

Open source hardware

39

17%

65

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A71

A72

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %Manufacturing, 3D printing, and CAD / CAM

24

10%

Other (please specify)

2

1%

Don’t know or not sure

7

3%

Total

235

Q51: In which technology areas are /will you be hiring technical staff in 2023? minus Q42: In
which technology areas are / will you be reducing technical staff in 2023?
Cybersecurity

118

31%

Cloud / Container technologies

118

27%

Artificial intelligence / Machine learning

107

25%

Database and data management

87

21%

Advanced analytics and data science

86

20%

Web & application development

78

20%

Networking technologies (5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)

71

17%

DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

74

16%

CI / CD & DevOps

62

13%

Kubernetes

47

13%

Linux

54

13%

IoT & Embedded

44

11%

Edge computing

45

11%

Augmented / Virtual reality

44

10%

Storage technologies

43

10%

Open source hardware

39

10%

Blockchain

45

8%

Manufacturing, 3D printing, and CAD / CAM

24

4%

Total

226

Q52: What are the top three technical areas that you are seeking technical staff for? (select up to threeareas) [Asked if the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
Cybersecurity

83

36%

Cloud / Container technologies

83

36%

Artificial intelligence / Machine learning

62

27%

Advanced analytics and data science

56

25%

Web & application development

43

19%

Database and data management

39

17%

66

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIX

TABLE

A73

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICESCOUNTCOLUMN %DevOps / GitOps / DevSecOps

36

16%

C I/ CD & DevOps

32

14%

Linux

22

10%

Networking technologies (5G, SDN, NFV, etc.)219%Blockchain

18

8%

Augmented / Virtual reality

17

7%

Kubernetes

16

7%

IoT & Embedded

13

6%

Storage technologies

94%Edge computing

94%Open source hardware

9

4%

Manufacturing, 3D printing, and CAD / CAM

5

2%[Insert text from Other]

2

1%

Total

228

Q53: What kinds of positions are you looking to fill with technical staff? (select all that apply)[Asked if the respondent’s organization is increasing technical headcount in 2023]
Developer

128

54%

IT Management

109

46%

DevOps94

40%

Engineer

87

37%

Security Professional

70

30%

Project Manager

66

28%

Data Engineer

64

27%

Systems Administrator

62

26%

Network Administrator

62

26%

Data Scientist

56

24%

Architect

54

23%

DevSecOps

47

20%

Executive Management

29

12%

GitOps16

7%

Other (please specify)

2

1%

Don’t know or not sure

4

2%

Total

235

67

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORTAPPENDIXTABLEQUESTIONS AND ANSWER CHOICES

COUNT

A74

Q53: Breakout of respondents that agree that with all the recent tech talent layoffs, it's now easier to identify great candidates

COLUMN %IT Management

79

56%

Developer

74

52%

DevOps59

42%

Engineer51

36%

Data Engineer

44

31%

Security Professional

43

30%

Project Manager

42

30%

Data Scientist

37

26%

DevSecOps

35

25%

Network Administrator

34

24%

Systems Administrator

32

23%

Architect25

18%

Executive Management

24

17%

GitOps11

8%

Other (please specify)

1

1%

Don’t know or not sure

2

1%

Total

142

68

2023 STATE OF TECH TALENT REPORT

About the authors
With over 25 years of experience in the information technology industry, Jason Perlow is a seasoned systems architect,technology strategist, and technical writer and has worked with leading companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Unisys, andNTT Data. He serves as Editorial Director at the Linux Foundation, leading content writing and external communications
for Linux Foundation Projects and Research. Jason has authored several Linux Foundation Research reports, including the
8th, 9th, and 10th annual Linux Foundation Jobs Reports and the 2022 Mentorship in Open Source Report. Additionally,
Jason was the founding Sr. Technology Editor of Linux Magazine, covering the formation of the Linux Foundation, and had
an op-ed technology column on ZDNET for 15 years, from 2008 to 2023.
Stephen Hendrick is Vice President of Research at the Linux Foundation, where he is the principal investigator on a varietyof research projects core to the Linux Foundation’s understanding of how open source software is an engine of innovation for producers and consumers of information technology. Steve specializes in primary research techniques developed
over 30 years as a software industry analyst. Steve is a subject matter expert in application development and deployment
topics, including DevOps, application management, and decision analytics. Steve brings experience in a variety of quantitative and qualitative research techniques that enable deep insight into market dynamics and has pioneered researchacross many application development and deployment domains. Steve has authored over 1,000 publications and provided
market guidance through syndicated research and custom consulting to the world’s leading software vendors andhigh-profile startups.

Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Linux Foundation colleagues Hilary Carter, Lawrence Hecht, Stephen Hendrick, Anna Hermansen,
Christina Oliviero, Scott Punk, Melissa Schmidt, Mary Simpkins, and Clyde Seepersad for your contributions to and insupport of this research project.

69

twitter.com/linuxfoundation
facebook.com/TheLinuxFoundation
linkedin.com/company/the-linux-foundation
youtube.com/user/TheLinuxFoundation
github.com/LF-Engineering
Founded in 2021, the Linux Foundation Research explores thegrowing scale of open source collaboration, providing insight into
emerging technology trends, best practices, and the global impactof open source projects. Through leveraging project databases
and networks, and a commitment to best practices in quantitativeand qualitative methodologies, the Linux Foundation Research iscreating the go-to library for open source insights for the benefit oforganizations the world over.

May 2023

The Linux Foundation’s training program features courses developed and taught by expert instructors, many of whom are
well-respected professionals in the open source community. Ourcertification team performs comprehensive industry and job
analyses to ensure every professional certification program weoffer meets our exceedingly high standards. Combined with ouroutstanding customer success team, we can deliver responsive

Copyright © 2023 The Linux Foundation
This report is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public
License.
To reference the work, please cite as follows: Jason
Perlow and Stephen Hendrick, “2023 State of Tech
Talent Report,” foreword by Clyde Seepersad, The
Linux Foundation, May 2023.

support and customized training solutions to enable individuals andbusinesses to succeed.