The Tech Trends for 2023

As more countries around the world gain access to 5G networks, companies are opening up more tech positions which is increasing the need for candidates with extensive experience in software-based products. In a recent report, CIO listed the ten in-demand tech jobs for 2023, with the top three being Cloud Engineers, Software Developers and Network Engineers. IT World Canada released their Tech Trends report for 2023 and discussed the main areas that will develop this year, from the Metaverse to AI technology and Digital processes.

We sat down with Rebecca Macmillan (Senior Account Director) and Laura Jones (Principal Account Manager) from our Toronto and Dallas offices respectively to talk about the tech trends in 2022, what tech roles they are working on for their clients and what tech trends will take over 2023.

Quick Introductions

Rebecca MacMillan largely focuses on the telecoms and tech sales market across Canada, in addition to working alongside Laura Jones recruiting tech sales roles in the United States

Laura Jones focuses mainly on telecoms & tech sales; however, she does recruit for technical telecoms jobs in Dallas and across the United States.

What were the main tech trends you saw in 2022?

• A demand for Channel and Partner sales roles.
• An increase in GSI and SaaS product sales roles
• Increased demand in Vice President, Director of Partnerships, Channel Managers and Director roles.
• An interest in candidates that have experience with Channel Partners.

How have these trends affected the recruitment industry?

Rebecca MacMillan (RM): There seems to be a gap in candidate skills for Channel and GSI roles. They generally take longer to fill as the talent pool is very niche, and clients often want candidates that have experience with Global System Integrators, Telco Operators or OEM’s. Channel and Alliance relationships are beneficial to the client as they sell to each other and then for each other, hence the importance of finding a candidate with that experience.

Laura Jones (LJ): The clients we often work with are usually seeking candidates with specific experience on required technologies and experience with Channel partners. These two specifications alone make finding the right talent a challenge as not many candidates have both, so it can take up to seven months to fill these positions.

What tech roles did you help fill last year and what was the impact of the role on the clients’ business?

RM: Our focus was largely within the tech sales space. As they are revenue-generating roles, the company can be losing revenue and market reach. Sales professionals are vital in getting the word out to the market that your company has something to offer. Having vacant sales positions affects companies bottom line, especially in a smaller organization.

LJ: Our focus last year was SaaS sales, telecoms, and network testing. One of our clients had been looking for candidates with ERP, HR, and Workflow platform sales experience. 

We were also focused on the test and measurement space and were identifying candidates with backgrounds in cyber security, 5G, 5G testing, Wi-Fi testing and position navigation technologies (PNT). Most of these roles had been open for several months before we were brought on to help with them. We can fill these roles relatively quickly, and help our clients find top talent that will bring in revenue very quickly for those areas.

How did client's priorities change when the trends did?

RM: In 2020 and parts of 2021, we were in a candidate-driven market, meaning there were more roles than candidates to fill them. Therefore, some hires were made that might not have been the best fit, and maybe exceptions were made in the interview to see if a candidate might work out. Of course, this wouldn’t work in all cases, so we have seen clients implement more stringent interviews and candidate assessments and change job requirements to ensure a better match.

LJ: As the market became increasingly competitive in 2022, businesses had to keep up, and that meant changing their interviewing strategies and increasing salaries in order to acquire the right candidates for the roles that they were seeking to fill. This resulted in hiring processes being quicker and more efficient but the talent pool being niche, which can increase the time it takes to find the candidates.

What is the focus for clients that work within the Tech industry for 2023?

RM: We saw many layoffs towards the end of 2022 due to economic uncertainty. We can expect to see companies put an emphasis on sales roles to maintain the profitability of the company. Whilst they might pull back on other areas such as R&D, innovation and new product launches, which can be costly and risky. 

LJ: I think we will see channel and alliance sales teams continue to grow. This will be a fantastic opportunity to increase sales for your business and for partners, which will lead to significant revenue growth for the company. 

What are your predictions on the tech trends for 2023 and how will that affect the recruitment activity?

RM: As inflation continues to rise, it’ll be unlikely that companies will continue to pay out sign-on bonuses, especially at the rate that companies like Oracle, Meta and Pepsi have in the past. However, with that, we will see salaries begin to level out and employees being offered more equity. This will definitely be seen and used as a retention tool.

LJ: Due to layoffs, many sales professionals are seeking work. This may potentially help candidates within technical sales areas as companies are now increasing salaries to keep up with the competitive market when recruiting candidates with extensive experience.

First Point Group work with many of the world’s largest telecommunications organisations. Our teams help to recruit for the most sought-after jobs in telecoms.  For more information about the roles we recruit for and the industries we work in, contact a member of our team in your local region.