SMEs are cream of the crop for job seekers

IT recruitment firm Computer People claims IT professionals are turning to smaller firms to further their careers

Small business are the target of choice for IT professionals looking for a change of career, according to research from recruitment firm Computer People.

The company claims that about 70 per cent of IT placements it has overseen in the past three months have been into smaller businesses, a sector which employs 13.5m people.

Nick Dettmar, managing director of Computer People, said: “Though the IT industry isn’t immune from the effects of the economic downturn, it is unlocking talent that would previously have been unavailable for firms at a certain level to reach.”

According to the firm, IT professionals in particular are attracted by the greater level of responsibility, ownership and variety in their day-to-day job that working in a smaller firm can offer.

“Much as we saw happening in the City at the tail end of last year, high-flying professionals are now reconsidering careers with bigger firms, and are instead considering the perceived security of SMEs,” added Dettmar.

“Technology-based SMEs have proved to be extremely attractive to candidates keen to take their career to the next level. SMEs offer professionals a chance to make their voice heard and see the benefits to the business first hand,” he said.