Middle management 'squeezed' in IT sector

IT industry is one of the worst for internal promotions, research claims

The IT sector has one of the "leanest" management structures in the UK, with internal promotion well below the national average, according to new research from recruiter Randstad Technologies.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 UK staff, found the IT sector fell below the UK average of 4.4 management layers, averaging 3.5 layers, as middle management tiers are "slowly squeezed".

Mike Beresford, managing director of Randstad said: "There are fewer cogs in the machine, but each cog is locked more firmly into place."

The report found that 85 per cent of IT roles were filled with external talent, compared to an average of 42 per cent across all UK industries.

This lack of internal promotion and "lean" management structure is forcing IT workers to switch companies to climb the career ladder, according to Randstad.

"Tech employers have been streamlining their business models since the recession, and one of the key ways of doing this has been to reduce layers of management," Beresford said.

"But creating leaner workforces has had a knock-on effect on internal promotion opportunities. As the tiers of middle management are slowly squeezed, the opportunities to climb the career ladder within an organisation are contracting," he said.

The research found that one quarter of employees felt their company had reduced its management tier over the last five years.

"The trend for condensing companies is catching on across tech companies. Squeezing layers of staff together creates a more productive and well-oiled company - but there is less room for progression," Beresford said.