Tom Sweetman, Midwest area manager for RHI Consulting, a division of Robert Half International, said because IT is the backbone of most organizations today, companies that don t keep up with technology lose out to the competition. The ability to compete is dependent on computers on the desks, databases from which information can be drawn and the ability to communicate with the touch of a finger. Sweetman, who is based in Minneapolis, said there s no end in sight for the shortage of technical people for at least five years and probably much longer. Once Y2K has been put to rest, firms will begin work on all the new developments they had shelved because of lack of resources. IT is the number one way to accomplish that.
Firms have to invest, re-invest and continue to build better systems.
If they pause for a couple of years, the competition will pass them by. One reason for the high demand for IT professionals is that although firms may not feel the impact on the bottom line now, they know they will definitely feel the repercussions in the future. Companies are putting together some creative packages to attract IT professionals. Because of the amount of IT work, many firms push their people to 65 hours a week or longer. Some companies that had required strictly formal dress are allowing casual or semicasual dress for IT professionals.