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Finding tech professionals with the right skills is one thing. Attracting them to your organization is another. In the current economic climate, you need to ensure you’re best placed to build a future-ready workforce.

So, aside from pay, what’s important for those working in tech roles today?

Here, you can investigate the non-monetary factors that matter most to tech contractors specifically.

Filter the first chart to display data for all contractors, across all skill areas, according to your chosen location from the first drop-down filter. Use the first drop-down on the second chart to filter by skill area across all locations. You can quickly explore five areas of importance labelled ‘Topics’.

Source: Hays independent survey, 2025

Below, you can investigate regional markets for contractors in two areas of high demand on a non-permanent basis: those who specialize in software development and those who can help organizations successfully implement change and drive project success.

Filter by your region of choice to display data specific to tech contractors in Software Development or Project Management. Use the other filters to dive deeper into these professionals’ needs and preferences. Swipe through the carousel graphic to understand the countries that make up each region. *

* The specific regions were selected as they are high-demand talent networks; we subsequently focused on countries where we had sufficient data to maintain the integrity of our insights. Hays hires for contractors in Software Development and Project Management in all markets globally, not just those below.

Below, we widen the focus to explore the plans of all the tech professionals on permanent contracts. Use the drop-down filters of the two graphics to compare professionals by their country, or the speciality they operate in. Will you target those looking for new opportunities, or will you engage contractors instead?

To beat your competitors for in-demand skills in the world’s permanent talent markets, hiring managers need an employment proposition that really stands out and speaks to the desires of the candidates you’re targeting, in the location(s) you’re hiring for. Below, you can investigate what matters most to the world’s tech professionals when looking for permanent employment—aside from pay.

The first chart displays data for all tech professionals—across all fields of expertise—in your chosen location from the first drop-down filter. The second chart displays data for all tech professionals globally from your chosen field of expertise. Browse between various areas of importance, labelled ‘Topics’, with the other two drop-down filters.

As AI and other technologies evolve, there’s an ever-growing need for specialist expertise to help organisations make the most of these advancements while also defending against the increasingly sophisticated security threats they enable. This is quickly creating a global supply and demand gap for specialists in Cybersecurity and Data & Advanced Analytics.

Below, we’ve focused on these professionals and what they want from their employers. We’ve broken down our insights by broader geographical regions, which you can understand by scrolling through the maps below. On the chart, use the first filter to select your region, before choosing a specific skill area in the second.*

* The specific regions were selected as they are high-demand talent networks; we subsequently focused on countries where we had sufficient data to maintain the integrity of our insights. Hays hires for Cybersecurity and Data professionals in all markets globally, not just those below.

Why contracting?

From greater flexibility to the potential for higher earnings, there are several reasons to consider contracting as your next career move.

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Understand Statement of Work

Whether you’re already starting out as a contractor, or interested in a new career path, it helps to know how you’ll be engaged by organizations.

Learn about common ways of working – and which one is right for you.

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Manage a blended workforce

Interested in working with contractors?

Discover tips, tricks and advice for adopting a blended workforce and accessing the right talent, at the right time.

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Protect your organization from worker misclassification

Ensure your organization stays compliant in engaging tech contractors.

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Designed for both experienced professionals and newcomers alike, our free guide covers everything you need to know for contracting success.

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