Back-end developers just topped this list of the most in-demand tech jobs | ZDNet

Back-end developers top the list of in-demand tech jobs, according to a survey of recruiters by developer hiring platform HackerEarth. 

That means back-end developers could be well-placed if they know Java, PHP, Python and .NET as companies build up tech talent for a hybrid workforce. Front-end and back-end developers are crucial to maintaining websites but they have different requirements when it comes to technologies, programming languages and skills. 

HackerEarth ran a survey with 2,500 engineering managers and HR professionals from 79 countries to find out which roles are in demand in 2022. It found that 30% of recruiters are seeking at to fill at least 100 roles, noting “2021-22 is going to be a candidate’s market”. 

Most in demand were back-end developers, mentioned by 18%, while some 15% of recruiters were after front-end developers. In both cases, JavaScript be a useful programming skill to have while Python could be useful for machine learning and back-end development. 

Recruiters were also looking for developers with skills in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as mentioned by 13.2%. The other top categories for recruiters were data science, cybersecurity, IoT, and blockchain technologies.

Engineering managers are also in a hurry. In an ideal world, over 30% of the recruiters who took the survey said they would never compromise on candidate quality to fill a role – but that compares to 35% of engineering managers who said they would make the compromise to hire faster. And while ‘problem solving’ is a listed as the most important capability in early-career hires, the ability to write clean code is more important when hiring workers with two or more years experience; after six years systems architecture design becomes a key consideration. 

“Last year, many companies put a pause on hiring, but that has completely changed and many hiring managers report that they are looking to fill up to 100 roles in what’s already a highly competitive market,” says Sachin Gupta, chief of HackerEarth. 

“Employers seeking to hire top developer talent will be challenged to keep their recruiting practices current or risk compromising key priorities. Much of what happens in 2022 will shape the post-pandemic workforce. Engineering managers should be focused on updating outdated practices to eliminate hiring silos and increase candidate engagement.”

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn is the top place for recruiters to seek talent: 21% nominated it as the prime sourcing channel, followed by job portals, referrals, career pages, and university hiring.  

Resumes however remain an important vehicle to communicate skills. Of recruiters who didn’t use an online recruitment platform, a third filtered resumes and a third relied on telephone interviews, while 28% used take home assignments. 

Video interviews using tools like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom remained critical throughout the pandemic.  

“Of the respondents who do not use a dedicated interview tool, 27.2% said they use a video tool and ask candidates to explain take-home assignments. About 25% said they use a video platform in collaboration with an online IDE,” HackerEarth found.