IT staff back in demand

Help desk candidates and network engineers with security clearances were among the those most in demand this year, said recruiter Hays Information Technology.

Its latest quarterly report said that managed services businesses wanted help desk workers with "excellent communication skills and appropriate security clearances" to work on client sites.

"Following signs of increased government project activity, private companies are also seeking network engineers with clearance, preferably at the secret or above level," the report said.

Business analysts, infrastructure team leaders, project managers, system engineers and senior .NET developers rounded out those employers wanted.

Hays believed Australian employers were "repopulating teams" after a year when departing staff were rarely replaced.

"For many employees, the last few months have meant coping with extra work and employers realise they risk losing those dedicated employees if they don't feel recognised, rewarded and, most of all, supported," the recruiter's regional director Peter Noblet said.