IT companies will struggle to recruit in the future

A report by IT research analysts Gartner has shown that over the next ten years, IT organisations will struggle to recruit and retain talented employees. Emerging trends suggest that up to 60 per cent of companies will under-perform, as the workforce adapts to the "digital age".

Gartner vice-president Diane Morello warned that "the workplace of the future will require more imagination, more commitment and more cutting-edge action than most enterprises have faced before", adding that "doing nothing is not an option".

Several "new rules" were identified as likely to govern the workplace of the future. They include: "the competition for qualified IT talent will be global" and "talented people will move around", highlighting the reality that many now have a flexible approach to working and work for multiple clients. Indeed, collaborative working will feature more prominently, with IT workers being members of several different teams.

Also emerging is a widening gap between "leaders and followers" with leaders embracing new work patterns - working from home, networking socially, communicating and learning through blogs - and followers remaining stuck in their ways.

Use of technology will also change, with individuals using their own hardware and tools rather than having them forced on them by employers.

Tomorrow will see the start of WorkWise week in the UK, a campaign to promote flexible working.