Junior developers and business analysts among the jobs seeing increased demand in a digital era 

With an uncertain geopolitical and economic landscape on the horizon for 2018, businesses are shifting their focus and hiring practices to survive in an aggressive market. The Robert Half 2018 Salary Guide has revealed that junior developers, senior business analysts and fund accountants are all in line to receive the largest salary hikes in the coming year.

The top 10 roles set to see the biggest salary gains next year are:

• Junior developer – 4.5%

£19,750 – £32,000

Responsible for developing high performing applications through agile methodologies, support and maintenance, salaries for junior developers are increasing at a rate reflective of the skills deficit in the marketplace. The role has gone from eighth place in 2017 to one of the key requirements for businesses in 2018.

• Senior business analyst – 4.4%

£46,000 – £72,500

As digitisation transforms organisations, experienced business analysts are in high demand. Analysts will be required to assess business models and establish how they can be integrated with technology. The ability to understand and map existing processes and practices, while determining opportunities for automation will be key to the evolution of businesses.

• Fund accountant (NQ – 3 years’ PQE) – 4.2%

£52,500 – £65,750

The accuracy of a fund accountant is hugely important in financial services. There is a strong demand for newly-qualified accountants with up to three years of experience who can assume responsibility for the maintenance of financial records in investment funds and ensure that investors share the gains or losses equitably.

1. Chief financial officer/Group finance director for a small or medium enterprise – 4.0%

£86,500 – £100,000+

The traditional chief financial officer (CFO) job description is transforming to encompass a more strategic role that balances financial responsibilities with a capacity to influence corporate strategy and drive business change. Going into 2018, the CFO role will become more closely aligned with the chief executive officer job description, with a focus on increasing profitability and driving overall growth.

• Financial controller for a small or medium enterprise – 4.0%

£44,500 – £54,000

Working closely with senior stakeholders and board members, these qualified accountancy professionals act as business partners to support the revenue growth of an organisation. Using their expertise in management accounting and financial analysis they are able to assume responsibility for various elements of the finance function from preparing management accounts to delivering budgets, forecasts and developing internal controls.

• Data analyst – 3.8%

£24,500 – £58,500

As automation becomes increasingly commonplace within organisations, the data analyst role is becoming more sought after, particularly with the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018. The data analyst is responsible for managing an organisation’s technical data in a way that is meaningful to business decision makers, making it a strong career choice for candidates who combine analytics skills with commercial acumen. With the introduction of GDPR, there will be further demand for those who can combine a knowledge of analytics with regulation and compliance, communication skills and attention to detail.

• Systems administrator – 3.7%

£29,750 – £46,750

Systems administrators require strong problem-solving, analytical and communication skills coupled with in-depth technical knowledge of hardware and software to keep IT systems running smoothly. The need for professionals in this position is one reason CIOs are expanding their teams.

• Developer lead – 3.7%

£47,500 – £79,000

Businesses need strong leadership for their growing IT development teams. Demand for junior developers is also increasing the need for both senior developers and lead applications developers. Companies require the lead to direct the development team in the design, development, coding, testing and debugging of applications.  The role also requires softer skills including the ability to communicate and mentor team members while collaborating with the wider business functions.

• HR business partner – 3.7%

£33,250 – £51,500

A rigorous change in the way technology is being applied to HR is impacting businesses and their on-boarding process. HR business partners will work closely with business leaders to ensure that existing staff have the capabilities and skills to meet new business challenges in the digital world. The introduction of GDPR they will also be required to be change agents in collaboration with other parts of the business to ensure employee’s data is processed and used throughout the organisation within the regulations.

• Network engineer – 3.6%

£31,500 – £47,250

Network engineers must be detail-oriented and have in-depth knowledge of networking hardware and software. A bachelor’s degree in computer science or electrical engineering and five or more years of experience in areas such as network design and implementation, security and server or network infrastructure is necessary. There is also a demand for engineers who can focus on network design in new cloud environments.  

“The shifting emphasis on certain job roles is a clear indication of a changing tide. Technology is increasingly infiltrating businesses and is having a fundamental impact on hiring practices,” explained Phil Sheridan, Senior Managing Director, United Kingdom, South America and the Middle East, Robert Half. “For those roles that weren’t on the list last year, the increase in salaries illustrates both the shift organisation’s are taking to compete in a digital world and the skills required to make them a success. All companies need to be aware of the roles where staff can expect to earn a premium and ensure they are regularly benchmarking salaries to remain competitive in the war for talent.”