Nearly all of these Philly C-suite execs expect to hire tech talent in 2022

Backing up reports of wild tech jobs growth, nearly all surveyed C-suite execs in the region expect to hire more technologists next year — and to be able to do so in Philadelphia.

Accenture and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia conducted the survey to get a better idea of tech talent needs in 2022. They asked 200 regional executives — people with titles like CEO, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief technology officer and chief human resources officer — about their company’s 2022 hiring plans. Only 7% indicated that they were maintaining the same level of tech personnel in 2022, and no one said they’d be reducing it.

And as the majority will be seeking more tech talent in 2022, nearly all — 98% — said they feel confident they can get that talent in the Philadelphia region.

There are a few factors making the area attractive, the survey found: Top reasons include Philadelphia’s diversity of people, diversity of industries and its access to public transportation. Also listed were its access to parks and recreation, educational institutions, cultural institutions and cost of living.

The most in-demand skills listed were artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud skills, cybersecurity, blockchain and quantum computing. The top cities competing for tech talent listed were Chicago and New York City, and more than a third of the executives reported that tech talent is lost to New York, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City.

In-demand tech skills. (Philadelphia Metro Tech Hiring Survey Results Fall 2021 report)

When it comes to the breakdown of where people are working, it looks like a mix.

Some 17% of executives reported some part of their workforce will remain fully remote, and 34% said the majority of their workforce will remain fully remote. Nearly half said they plan to have their workforce return to the office in some capacity. The executives also said that a “safe and healthy workforce” and “availability of affordable office space” were their top ways to attract tech talent.

And when it came to where they are finding talent, 61% of survey respondents indicated that they’ll be doing some internal work to upskill current employees, along with 51% who said they’ll be hiring new talent.

Where executives will look for talent. (Philadelphia Metro Tech Hiring Survey Results Fall 2021 report)

Many indicated they’re using personal networking and in-house recruiting as their top methods of hiring, and that they have the hardest time finding mid-career talent. Almost all of the executives said they have not worked with nonprofit coding schools or apprenticeship programs to hire, and they are not investing in apprenticeship programs as an alternative talent pipeline — even as apprenticeships become more common overall in the tech industry.

For further reading on these trends, check out Technical.ly’s editorial series on the City of Philadelphia’s PHL: Most Diverse Tech Hub, the initiative seeking to boost tech skills for the future talent pipeline — specifically Black and brown Philadelphians looking to move into technology careers.