From January to August 2013, salaries in the IT segment grew by 15 % in Russia, according to a report by employment agency Unity cited by news agency RIA Novosti. This growth is 5% higher than predicted for the field in 2013 and almost twice as fast as the growth in the human resources market as a whole.
The survey, which involved 1,100 IT specialists from different regions of Russia, indicates that IT specialists request on average salaries 8-10% above an employer’s proposal. In some positions the requested difference can reach up to 30% while in other industries, job seekers usually do not exceed 10 % of the proposed amount.
Applicants for the position of head of product development expect the highest salary compared to an employer’s proposition. Candidates for this position expect to be paid 185,000 rubles (approximately $5,600), while employers offer 130,000 rubles ($3,900). IT Directors, meanwhile expect 215,000 rubles ($6,500) versus an employer’s proposed 172,000 rubles ($5,200). Finally, Oracle product specialists demand 130,000 rubles ($3,900) versus the 100,000 rubles ($3,000) employers offer.
Unity statistics also showed that in the IT sector the average change of employer takes place every two years and that recruiters receive on average six candidatures when trying to replace an IT specialist.
For IT specialists, a flexible schedule and benefits package are important elements in addition to salary, according to another survey conducted by the social network Professionali.ru for RIA Novosti.
Asked what was important to them at work other than salary, 58% of the interviewed employees viewed a flexible schedule as being most important, and 45% preferred a benefits package that includes supplementary medical insurance, free meals, and coffee at the office. Working close to home was important for 43% of respondents, while the availability of leisure activities at work, such as ping-pong, fitness equipment, and massage chairs, appealed to 21% of employees.
Finally, a third of the surveyed IT specialists are now satisfied with the salary of less than 50,000 rubles, 26 % agree to work for 50,000-75,000 rubles, 16% are satisfied with the salary of 75,000-100,000 rubles, while 25 % will not accept less than 100,000 rubles.
High salaries are a consequence of the shortage of qualified human resources, which appears to be one of the most difficult challenges in such fast growing segments as e-marketing, e-commerce, or mobile. As a result, important positions may be filled with insufficiently skilled employees, or left vacant for months, according to a report on Russian e-commerce by East-West Digital News. Some Moscow companies try to recruit in the regions, or abroad.
“Neither our demography nor our educational system is currently fulfilling the shortage of qualified HR in the IT industry. The growth of this industry requires an adequate migration program,” said last year Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov.
