If you’re budgeting to hire more technology professionals in 2018, take a look at a new survey from Spiceworks that suggests many companies will spend more on technology next year. That could mean an uptick in the overall number of open positions, as firms need tech pros to run the new technology they acquire. Spiceworks interviewed 1,000 tech pros, including IT managers, sysadmins, and CIOs. Around 44 percent of those respondents expected their IT budgets to increase next year, and nearly as many (43 percent) saw no change. Only 11 percent anticipated any sort of decrease. The survey also delved into anticipated hiring for next year, and the results were similarly optimistic. Around 45 percent of respondents anticipated an increase in tech staff, while 48 percent saw no change; only 5 expected a decrease (and 2 percent didn’t know). “In 2018, more IT departments will swell in size than shrink. And the mega vessels (larger companies) forecast the biggest boost in staffing,” Spiceworks wrote in the report accompanying the data. “More than 60 percent of companies with 500+ employees expect to increase IT staff while 70 percent of large enterprises (5000+) report they’ll hire more IT pros in 2018.” According to the survey, tech-spending drivers include end-of-life milestones (54 percent), company growth (53 percent), upgrades/refresh cycles (49 percent), and end-user or project needs (46 and 45 percent, respectively). Dice has seen high salaries for tech pros across the spectrum, especially in areas of high demand such as Silicon Valley and New York City. Combine that with Spiceworks’ latest analysis, and it’s possible that the strong market for tech pros is unlikely to subside in the near term. As we mentioned earlier, when companies spend money on technology, they’re not only buying hardware or services; they have a pressing need for employees who can not only operate those new toys, but use them to generate some sort of business value. For recruiters and hiring managers, this situation could prove complicated. Companies may provide more money for hiring—which is great—but the competition for highly specialized talent could become especially fierce. Now might be the time for conversations about what 2018 holds, if you haven’t begun them already. 
