More than two in five IT professionals are regularly exploring new job options, making it one of the most mobile sectors of industry.
Global research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group’s new IT sector worker survey — the ‘IT Talent Trends 2025 Report’ — found that 42% of IT professionals are regularly exploring potential new roles.
The UK-based group surveyed 500 IT professionals globally. The respondents, primarily from the United States, Canada, and Australia, not only provided responses on their IT structures, the future of IT leadership, and their own employee experiences but also insight into how generative AI will reshape their work.
Brittany Lutes, research director with Info-Tech and lead author of the report, said that challenges around talent retention will be among the big challenges facing IT companies in 2025. Some 65% of organisations anticipate structural changes due to generative AI, including the formation of specialised AI teams.
“With 89% of IT structures undergoing some form of a redesign in 2025, we are going to see the way we lead, leverage IT skills, and deliver against emerging capabilities change rapidly,” said Brittany Lutes.
“To maintain their competitive edge, organisations must prioritise creating sustainable talent pipelines, thoughtfully integrating AI, and supporting employees to meet the evolving demands of the digital economy.”
Info-Tech’s findings reveal the growing urgency for organisations to adapt to shifting workforce dynamics. With 42% of IT professionals actively or passively seeking new roles, often citing work-life balance and having a good manager as their main concerns, the firm advises that organisations must focus on retaining all IT talent while also identifying the obstacles.
“What is most notable is the divide we saw between those who are entering the workforce and representative of Gen Z employees versus those nearing the end of their careers,” says Brittany Lutes. “Gen Z is more likely to think that skills need to change to support the future we are driving toward and more likely to believe their tasks can be taken over by AI. These findings highlight the urgent need for IT leaders to evolve their talent management strategies to stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape.”
Demand for security, cloud, and AI professionals, coupled with the growing need to leverage organizationally embedded IT, is reshaping workforce planning and driving the need for adaptive and forward-thinking strategies.
“The integration of generative AI, combined with reskilling initiatives, provides organisations with a unique opportunity to bridge skill gaps and foster a culture of innovation,” adds Lutes. “However, achieving success requires thoughtful planning — aligning AI-driven strategies with workforce empowerment and collaboration beyond just a skills-based hiring approach.”
The IT Talent Trends 2025 report identifies several key trends shaping IT talent management. Firstly, 66% of IT employees anticipate greater autonomy in their roles, enabled by generative AI.
In this regard, Info-Tech advises that organisations need to proactively implement AI tools thoughtfully and strategically, investing in upskilling programs to equip IT professionals with the necessary skills to leverage AI effectively.
Info-Tech also predicts significant restructuring withing IT organisations. While 55% of respondents believe their current IT structures are effective for today, 89% recognise the need to redesign their IT organisation to future-proof their operations and better align with evolving business demands.
This wave of restructuring is expected to have a significant impact on the IT talent landscape, leading to the increased need for specialised skills, a shift in required competencies for IT leaders, and a greater focus on attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive market.
The report also highlights an urgent need for reskilling in IT organisations. Some 95% of survey respondents acknowledge that some, most, or all of their current IT skills will need to change by 2030 to keep pace with the exponentially evolving technology environment.
Reskilling will be particularly in areas like cybersecurity and AI/ML, which 38% of leaders identified as critical for 2025.
The report also highlights the need for companies to bridge the employee experience disconnect. While 86% of IT leaders indicate they are prioritising improving the employee experience (EX), their efforts may be misdirected, as 39% of IT employees reveal that reliable digital tools and technology have the greatest impact on their experience.
Also of interest is the finding that CIOs within IT organisations are increasingly seen as being on a path to becoming CEOs. As technology increasingly becomes central to business strategy, 23% of respondents view the CEO position as the logical next step for CIOs, which is a reflection of the evolving prominence of CIOs in organisations, with many already reporting directly to the CEO.
However, this transition requires CIOs to expand their leadership capabilities beyond technical expertise, including developing stronger strategic and business acumen. While 23% see it as a natural progression, only 11% of respondents indicated that a CEO or a senior executive role was their ultimate career goal. Another 13% aspire to other C-suite roles, including some positions that are emerging or don’t yet exist.
