Computer engineers are still in high demand

Survey after survey, the trend is confirmed: the computer engineer remains a precious commodity for companies, whether in IT services or in digital service companies (ESN), formerly SSII. The 2017 edition of the survey on "The workforce needs of companies" conducted by Pôle Emploi and the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc), underlines a new time.

Another record according to Apec

"Like last year, the proportion of recruitments deemed difficult is high for engineers and study executives and IT R&D (62.8%) , but remains at the same level as the average of the previous five years", notes the organism in its note of insights and syntheses.

Computer engineering vs electrical engineering

Same story on the side of the Association for the employment of executives (Apec) in its second quarter economic report. For the second consecutive time, business recruitment forecasts by function - such as commerce, human resources, communication, etc. - are “historically high”, at 30%, for IT. Apec explains this enthusiasm by the need for companies to be supported in their digital transformation. IT functions also figure in the various "tops" of the BMO survey: The 15 most sought-after occupations by employers, the top 10 occupations with the largest number of recruitment projects deemed difficult, and the 10 occupations where recruitment difficulties are the highest. Thus, recruiting computer scientists is not,

A more open recruitment process

The large ESNs, which each year hire several thousand IT specialists, the majority of whom are young graduates , are deploying strategies to meet their objectives. Like GFI Informatique, which wants to reach 2,000 recruitments by the end of the year. In detail, the company is looking for 65% of experienced profiles and 35% of young graduates, work-study students and interns.

“Before we weren't looking for so many junior profiles, it's a part that we have doubled over the past four years. This is one way of responding to the market shortage, ”explains Marlène Escure, Director of Recruitment France. A shortage that can be explained in two different ways. Developers are plentiful but also highly sought after, forcing companies to stand out from the crowd to attract them.

But also consultants and data scientists

On the other hand, certain expert profiles are rare, such as architects, consultants in the field of digital, mobility, or data scientists. GFI also uses the operational preparation for employment (POE) of Pôle Emploi, to train qualified people who are far removed from the IT field. “We always have to imagine new recruitment channels, because the response to advertisements and CV databases are no longer sufficient. We must be present on social networks of course, but also inventive on recruitment events. We deploy in particular hiring without CV, based on soft skills, such as the ability to upgrade skills,to work as a team, and we are extending our research beyond rank A engineering schools, ”continues Marlène Escure. More openness, therefore, which benefits the multitude of computer training courses in schools and universities, not always well known to companies.