A lthough some companies have downsized their teams in the past year, many software development companies are expanding and looking for new people to join their organizations. IT companies in Hungary are now start- ing to pay more attention to the impor- tance of salary ranges across all levels. Having acknowledged the primary impor- tance of certain skills sets for long-term business growth, clients are bringing sal- ary offers closer to candidates’ expecta- tions to secure the best talent. DEMAND FOR NICHE TECHNICAL SKILLS Companies are also scrutinizing the length of selection processes as well, for fear of losing out on the right talent. To this end, they tend to look for candidates with niche technical skills, who are difficult to attract. The most sought-after skills in the cur- rent market include Java and .Net. Despite the fact that trends have reversed in recent months, demand is still high for C++ lan- guage and ASP.Net knowledge. We also expect to see growing demand for mobile application development skills, as mobile technology is becoming a thriving platform for content providers. SOFT SKILLS AS AN INVALUABLE ASSET However important technical skills and attractive salary ranges are, we have noticed a growing preference on the part of HR managers at IT companies for IT profes- sionals with the desired soft skills who can integrate smoothly into their organizations. Personal competencies cannot be over- looked since IT experts, along with other employees, are the face of a company and inevitably personify the organization during their interactions with stakeholders. Hard skill expertise alone will simply not satisfy most hiring managers’ expec- tations any longer. Companies require specific soft skills across the globe due to the importance of diversity and intercultural values in their company culture. This is more evident as numerous Hungarian developer companies are working on global projects. So what are these much sought after soft skills? In our experience, hiring managers most crucially look for a team player atti- tude, with both local colleagues and team members scattered around the globe. Sec- ondly, we note an ability to efficiently com- municate complex business needs and specifications within the organization. Natu- rally, there are also additional skills specific to each project, but these remain core. Obviously for hiring managers there is more than just these two points to staying ahead in the IT game. What is key in IT is the ability to refresh your knowledge by attend- ing relevant seminars and obtaining up to date qualifications; it is not possible to over- state the importance of this in a most rap- idly developing sector. THE HARD NUT TO CRACK: SALARY LEVELS From our perspective there has been an intensifying demand for both hard and soft skills, and in turn this has resulted in changes regarding salary brackets across all levels. On the candidate side, IT professionals are becoming increas- ingly aware of the value of their specialist skills and are therefore raising their sal- ary requirements by an average of 8-10% compared to last year. THE FUTURE FOR IT Overall, there has been a continuous demand for IT experts with specialist skills in the Hungarian market compared to the post-recession years. The future projections for industry expansion look positive throughout the second half of 2013 and in 2014. For employers out there we would advise that, first and foremost, always find the right person for the right job. Beyond that, make sure you give your IT professionals the opportunity to grow within their own niche as this will always benefit your company and help long-term retention. To find out more about how Hays Hungary can help your organization with its recruitment needs in the information technology and other sectors, and to request your free copy of our 2013 Salary Guide and Market Overview, visit hays.hu or call +36 1 501 2400. KNOW YOUR NICHE IN IT Information technology is one area of the market in which Hungary is steadily moving forward and hiring experts; a trend set to continue for the year ahead. Tímea Tóth, senior consultant in the IT division of Hays Hungary, provides a market roundup and talks about the challenges in sourcing the right skills. EXPERT OPINION Tímea TÓTH Senior Consultant, IT HAYS HUNGARY hays.hu NOTE: ALL ARTICLES MARKED EXPERT OPINION ARE PAID PROMOTIONAL CONTENT FOR WHICH THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY