As demand for IT specialists grows, businesses are offering increased salaries and better benefits packages.

This is what the research conducted by specialist technology recruiter Best People has shown, which surveyed over 100 companies that actively recruit IT professionals.

The results show 85 per cent of respondents believed the benefits package they offered to be standard or above, and 75 per cent of those surveyed said they offer their IT employees flexible working.

Steve Baxter, Best People director, said “A good work life balance is now just as important as an attractive salary. Whilst benefits offered to IT professionals may be industry leading, flexible working is now expected as even more employees demand packages to suit their lifestyles.”

Also, the lack of IT people to fill market demand means “pay looks set to soar,” said the Best People report. The time it takes to fill an IT position is proving a real concern for organisations, with half of the respondents having waited more than three months to fill a place and nearly ten per cent experiencing a five-month wait.

The survey also found that soft skills are proving more important when hiring IT professionals, and skills such as communication, team management and the ability to influence were listed by recruiters as important as technical capabilities.