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Tech Recruiter Sees Big Surge in Demand for Mobile Dev Skills

• By David Ramel
• March 20, 2017

Tech jobs specialist Randstad Technologies said it has seen a big surge in employer demand for skills spanning mobile apps and modern Web design.

Specifically, the company cited a 104 percent 2014-2016 year-over-year increase in demand for skills in technologies such as iOS, Android, HTML5, Angular, Java and JavaScript.

That's probably no surprise to mobile coders, who earlier this year saw CNNMoney name their profession as the "best job in America."

Enjoying a high demand for mobile coding talent combined with a low supply of such talent, mobile developers have seen their salaries skyrocket in the age of mobile-first initiatives and enterprise mobility.

Randstad cites other research that backs up those observations, such as Cisco Systems last month predicting there will be 5.5 billion global mobile users by 2020, with the number of U.S. mobile-connected devices increasing from 447 million in 2015 to 947 million in 2020.

"As consumers increasingly rely on smartphones and tablets for information and tasks, businesses of all sizes, particularly in industries such as hospitality, restaurants and consumer goods, are dedicating resources to enhance mobile apps and optimize online presence with mobile responsive Web site design," Randstad said.

The company also cited a recent CIO survey that revealed 18 percent of CIOs at enterprise-sized organizations predict they will have a hard time finding IT talent with appropriate mobile technology skills.

"Randstad Technologies has found it is no longer just corporate IT departments that want to enhance their mobile presence -- marketing, sales, human resources and even business intelligence teams are requesting mobile responsive Web design to improve various business functions," the company said.

The company compiled data drawn from its client base hooked into Randstad North America's network of some 6,500 recruiting experts working in approximately 1,100 locations.

"With much of the workforce going mobile, sales and service personnel are more frequently conducting business using a mobile device rather than a desktop," the company said. "Internal tools, such as intranets and sales portals that are responsive and efficient, are also vital for keeping companies competitive."