Got Talent? Then you're in demand among Boston's emerging companies as bigger IT firms snatch up some of the area's leading tech professionals. As the market turns around and the Ciscos and Intels of the world begin to rehire, Bay State startups find themselves competing more heavily for talent than they did during the height of the recession.

But it's not just new companies feeling the challenge: More established startups are being pinched, as well. Joe Redshaw, in-house recruiter for Lexington Web analytics and performance firm Gomez Inc., says IT workers already employed aren't as likely to take a chance on start-ups now because the economy isn't all that secure. "Unless you're unemployed, a startup is high-risk," says Redshaw. "It's just a challenge finding people in general."

In a complaint similar to those made by recruiters in other cities, Stu Needles, a recruiter at Framingham-based MindCircuit, says it can be tough to find specialized talent, such as developers with capital markets experience.

Gomez, which was acquired by Compuware last year, has 280 employees but intends to hire 120 people worldwide, including development engineers, network engineers and project managers.

-- Sonia R. Lelii