According to the report from recruitment agency Clicks IT, strengthening jobs demand is being driven by digitisation, cloud adoption, and acknowledgement that gaining customer insights through data gathering is a key to business success.

Clicks says its 21st annual Recruitment and Retention Report paints a rosy picture of the business environment and predicts that 2018 will be the most positive on record, following on from a stellar 2017.

“As might be expected in an expansionary climate, an unprecedented 59% of respondents are budgeting on increased sales — up from 49% last year — with 14% of them believing that growth will be more than 20%.

“As forecast by Clicks in 2017, many local companies did start bringing offshore IT services and functions back to Australia, and 2018 will solidify this trend. Employers know the importance of retaining good staff, with developers, analysts, project managers and cyber security experts in greatest demand. As a result, employers will offer more permanent positions this year and rely less on contractors.”

Clicks also notes that flexible working hours continue to be considered the most effective way of retaining staff, followed by the option of working remotely – and that both lures are more highly valued by IT workers than salary and performance inducements.

“Over the past five years a clear trend has developed away from traditional financial incentives such as bonuses and company cars,” said Ben Wood, managing director of Clicks.

“Flexibility, and the trust that this invokes, is key to staff retention. Technology has enabled this to work smoothly. Staff now expect it, and it provides much better scope for a win-win scenario as it is largely a cost-neutral concession for the employer.”