The report every IT & Tech Organization needs to read

The Tech and IT landscape has never moved faster or felt more unpredictable. Breakthrough innovation is accelerating, digital complexity is rising, talent competition is at an all-time high, and traditional career paths are being rewritten in real time. Global teams are now more dispersed than ever, and the pressure to stay ahead is relentless.

So how should leading organizations respond?

Our Global IT & Tech Talent Report, developed in partnership with Everest Group, uncovers the forces reshaping today’s tech talent market and the strategic moves top employers are making right now.

In this blog, we spotlight high-value insights from the report to help you sharpen your workforce strategy, navigate talent challenges, and position your organization for long-term success in a rapidly shifting industry.

Ready to dive in? Keep reading for the highlights or explore the full depth of the data by downloading the complete Global IT & Tech Talent Report.

Key Takeaways for IT & Tech Organizations

• Shift to Skills-First Hiring: Move beyond job titles—use skills-based assessments and predictive analytics to expand talent pools and accelerate onboarding.
• Prioritize Continuous Upskilling: Build tech academies and structured learning paths for AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and automation to keep pace with rapid change.
• Adopt Flexible Talent Models: Launch internal gig marketplaces, formalize freelancer engagement, and partner with bootcamps and MSPs for niche skills.
• Strengthen Governance and Security: Embed compliance and Zero Trust strategies into workforce planning; hire hybrid roles blending tech, law, and risk.

Adapting in the IT and Tech space requires more than awareness; it demands decisive action. Our Global IT & Tech Talent Report helps organizations navigate the sector’s most pressing complexities. From macroeconomic uncertainty to AI acceleration, cloud adoption, regulatory shifts, skills shortages, and digital transformation, these are not optional challenges; they are urgent realities. Organizations that fail to evolve their workforce strategies risk falling behind in a market defined by rapid innovation and fierce competition. Don’t let your organization be restricted by outdated approaches; evolve and adapt to build a future-ready workforce.

Shift to Skills-First Hiring

With less than 40% of the global workforce digitally literate, AI, cloud engineering, and cybersecurity roles remain among the hardest to fill, with vacancies often open for months. You can consider these skills your next-generation capabilities, and with that in mind, we suggest organizations adopt a skills-first hiring approach to reduce time-to-fill and improve workforce readiness.

Prioritize Continuous Upskilling

Legacy skills are rapidly phasing out as companies modernize systems and scale AI adoption. Over 65% of IT leaders agree their workforce needs reskilling to keep pace with digital transformation. Building tech academies and structured paths for AI, cloud, and automation ensures employees stay relevant and supports internal mobility.

Adopt Flexible Talent Models

Persistent skill gaps and high attrition demand agility. IT hiring is shifting from headcount expansion to efficiency and value creation, with companies increasingly leveraging gig models, outsourcing, and automation. Efficiency and value creation translate into strategies such as internal gig marketplaces, formalized freelancer engagement, and partnerships with MSPs and bootcamps, enabling quick access to niche skills while maintaining compliance and scalability.

Strengthen Governance and Security

Things are tightening up for data governance and privacy rules, creating hybrid roles that blend tech, law, and risk. As a result, companies are making the Zero Trust move, and this adoption along with AI governance is driving demand for privacy engineers, IAM specialists, and cross-functional security teams. Microsoft notes that regulatory mandates such as U.S. Executive Order 14028 and the federal Zero Trust strategy (OMB memorandum 22-09) emphasize that " The Zero Trust model should extend throughout the entire organization and serve as an integrated security philosophy and end-to-end strategy". Organizations should embed compliance strategies into workforce planning and cross-training for governance and ethics to ensure their teams can adapt to regulatory and security challenges.

What’s next for your organization

The IT and Technology sector is at the forefront of accelerated innovation, driven by strategic investment and the relentless evolution of digital infrastructure. This environment demands decisive action and workforce strategies that continuously adapt. With the right partner like Hays helping you anticipate change, refine your talent approach, and position your organization for sustained success, you can stay ahead of disruption and lead with confidence. Contact our workforce specialists today!