In Focus: Technology Talent Strategies & Insights | Q2 2025…by Barden

In Focus: Technology Talent Strategies & Insights is a quarterly report focused exclusively on the technology profession within Ireland’s private sector. It examines the trends shaping talent dynamics, with data covering various fields, including software engineering, analytics, security, infrastructure, projects, and transformation. The data is sourced from LinkedIn, proprietary Barden data, and other third-party sources. This report offers actionable insights to help technology leaders make informed decisions about attracting, retaining, and developing talent in a rapidly evolving market.

#1 Ireland’s Tech Talent: Gains & Losses

The number of tech professionals in Ireland has decreased by 0.6% from last year.

1.1 Talent Lost

• London remains the top destination for Irish tech talent, driven by its proximity, strong financial sector, and established tech ecosystem. While some professionals are returning from London, more are leaving than returning.
• Spain and Brazil have seen small numbers of professionals relocating from Ireland.
• United Arab Emirates (UAE), with its growing tech sector and attractive tax incentives, is drawing some talent.
• Surprisingly, Australia and New Zealand have seen only a small percentage of technology professionals making the move.

1.2 Talent Gained

• Skilled professionals from Pakistan, India (Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai), and Nigeria are increasingly moving to Ireland.
• The geopolitical landscape has led to an influx of experienced IT professionals coming from Ukraine.

Ireland is evolving as a growing tech hub, attracting talent from South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. However, it faces strong competition from London and the UAE and must work to retain its local talent.

#2 Job-Seeking & Medium Tenure

2.1 Talent Activity & Job-Seeking Behaviour:

27.7% of tech professionals are actively seeking new roles, and 12.9% have changed jobs in the past year. This high turnover reflects a dynamic, fast-moving job market.

According to Barden’s National Talent Monitor, 20.2% of professionals in Ireland are demonstrating job-seeking behaviour, indicating that job-seeking activity is particularly high within the tech industry.

The prevalence of contractors in tech contributes to increased job movement and shorter tenures. The impact of this, along with deeper insights into retention challenges and strategies, is explored in the next section.

2.2 Median Tenure for Tech Professionals:

The median tenure for technology professionals currently stands at 1.9 years, significantly lower than the national average of 4.4 years, as reported in Barden’s National Talent Monitor. This trend highlights the dynamic nature of the tech industry, where employees frequently move between roles in search of new opportunities, skill development, and better compensation.

Observations:

• The fast-evolving nature of technology drives professionals toward new tech stacks, emerging innovations, and career growth opportunities, leading to more frequent job changes.
• A significant portion of tech talent works on a contract basis, which naturally shortens average tenure. A recent report from Irish Tech News (1) indicates that demand for skilled IT contractors is rising as companies tackle increasingly complex projects.
• Many tech teams operate in a project-driven environment, creating a cycle where even permanent talent seek new roles once major projects finish.

What Companies Can Do:

To attract and retain top talent, companies need to offer more than just competitive salaries. Career development, benefits, and workplace flexibility are crucial considerations. According to an Irish Jobs report in 2024 (2), the top three benefits provided by employers to tech professionals were remote work options, pensions, and free parking.

• Offer structured career growth pathways so talent can see long-term opportunities within the organisation.
• Invest in internal skill development to upskill talent and enhance career progression, rather than relying solely on external hiring.
• As some companies shift back to on-site work, maintaining hybrid or remote options (where possible) can provide a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent. In Ireland’s multinational tech sector, extended remote work with the flexibility to travel abroad is becoming an increasingly attractive benefit. Employers may also consider a ‘hyper-hybrid’ model, which involves only a few office visits per month or quarter. For more on hybrid working definitions, see: Remote & Hybrid Working, a Definition

As demand for highly skilled IT professionals continues to grow, companies must adopt a well-rounded approach that includes competitive pay, clear career progression, strong benefits, and flexible work arrangements. This strategy will help them navigate talent shortages and improve retention in an evolving job market.

#3 Gender Participation

Gender participation in the Irish technology sector remains male-dominated, with 73% of workers being male and 27% female.

If your organisation has 27% or more female participation – whether in leadership roles or IT functions – you’re doing well. If the percentage is lower, you may be missing an opportunity.

Striving for a 50/50 gender split is ambitious given the current demographics, but improving diversity is still valuable. Organisations looking to enhance gender balance might benefit from addressing the issue earlier in the supply chain by encouraging initiatives that allow for higher participation, which will over time address this imbalance.

#4 Job Posting Trends

4.1 Jobs Postings on the Rise

Since the first week of January 2025, tech sector job postings have been on the rise across multiple platforms. This steady increase suggests that companies are ramping up hiring efforts as we look forward to Q2 2025, indicating a renewed appetite for talent and growing confidence in the industry.

According to Indeed’s 2025 Ireland Jobs & Hiring Trends Report (3), as of January 17, 2025, job postings in Ireland were 19% higher than pre-pandemic levels. (This statistic applies to all job categories, not just tech-specific roles.)

Job postings on Indeed across most occupational categories saw a reduction in 2024. Tech job postings were amongst the weakest. IT operations and helpdesk roles were down nearly 30% compared to February 2020. Between January 2024 and January 2025, there was a continued decline in job postings for software development and IT operations roles. However, the recent uptick in postings since January 2025 and throughout Q1 suggests a strong hiring outlook for Q2 2025.

This trend is further supported by Manpower’s 2025 report (4), which indicates that the IT sector in Ireland has the strongest hiring outlook of any industry for Q2 2025, with a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of +49%. This means that a higher percentage of employers plan to hire than those who intend to reduce their workforce, signalling growth in the job market.

The IT sector’s NEO of +49% is the highest recorded in three years, reflecting a significant increase of 10 points from the previous quarter and 57 percentage points from Q1 2024. This marks the strongest hiring outlook since Q1 2022 when the NEO for the tech sector stood at 55%.

4.2 Jobs: Remote vs Hybrid vs Onsite

Technology roles, once closely associated with remote work, are increasingly shifting to hybrid working models.

Barden data shows that hybrid work is now the standard for location-independent roles in Ireland’s private sector, with 66.5% of positions following a 2–3 day hybrid model. While full-time office roles have risen slightly, they remain a minority, and companies enforcing them may struggle to attract talent. Fully remote roles are also declining, with tech positions accounting for only 30% of remote jobs.

For location-independent roles, for example, those in accounting and technology, 79.8% of companies offer hybrid work, requiring 1–4 days in the office.

Employee engagement and wellbeing is a top priority for talent, so organisations need to look at their hybrid policy to reflect what talent seeks and needs.

4.3 Hard to Fill Positions

Even in a strong job market, certain tech roles remain difficult to fill. This is why the concept of skills-first hiring has gained traction, which prioritises practical skills over formal qualifications. Employers are increasingly focusing on problem-solving, technical skills, and adaptability – traits that are crucial in today’s evolving landscape.

Indeed’s 2025 report (3) sheds light on the growing challenges in tech hiring, revealing that 35% of software engineering job postings remain open for over 60 days. This prolonged vacancy period highlights the difficulty in finding qualified talent for key tech roles. One factor contributing to this shortage is the rapid evolution of technology, which makes traditional qualifications less relevant and highlights the need for continuous learning and adaptability.

This challenge is compounded by the growing global competition for talent. According to an Irish Jobs Report (5), other markets are intensifying their efforts to attract skilled professionals. As a result, Ireland must ensure it remains an attractive destination for international talent. Government and industry collaboration will be key to maintaining Ireland’s position as a top European talent hub.

Grant Thornton conducted a recent report (6) which shows that 44% of Irish medium-sized businesses plan to invest in AI to improve efficiency and reduce costs, with 60% focused on boosting productivity. However, Irish firms are still behind global peers in tech investment, with only 50% planning to increase IT spending, compared to 69% globally. As skill shortages persist, leveraging AI and other technologies will be essential for addressing gaps and fostering business growth.

Attracting international talent and investing in technology like AI is crucial for Ireland to remain competitive in filling tech roles and ensuring business growth.

#5 A Future Built on Talent

Ireland’s tech sector is at a turning point, with big opportunities and tough challenges ahead. Global mobility, changing work models, and the growing demand for niche skills are all reshaping the job market. But in the end, success will come down to one thing – attracting, developing, and retaining top talent.

To stay ahead, companies need to do more than just fill roles when they arise.  A talent-first approach means building an inclusive culture, investing in ongoing learning, and making work more flexible in ways that meet people’s needs.

In today’s world, talent drives innovation. Ireland has what it takes to not just keep up, but lead. The choices business leaders make now – whether in hiring, training, or workplace culture – will determine whether Ireland remains a top destination for tech professionals, one that’s diverse, adaptable, and ready for the future.

This is where Barden can help you. If you are interested in a future built on tech talent, we offer tech-specific quarterly talent monitors that provide real-time, quarter-by-quarter insights. While some of this data is publicly available here>>>, bespoke analysis remains key to effectively shaping your talent strategy.

References:

1. Adapting to an evolving technology landscape: Key tech trends in 2025 – Irish Tech News
2. IT most highly paid sector in 2024 – IrishJobs Career Advice
3. Indeed’s 2025 Ireland Jobs & Hiring Trends Report: Resilience, Despite Global Uncertainties – Indeed Hiring Lab UK I Ireland
4. ManpowerGroup Ireland Q1 2025 Employment Outlook Report · Experis IE
5. Top Five Recruitment Predictions for 2025 – IrishJobs Recruiter News
6. Irish businesses least concerned about economic uncertainty | Grant Thornton