IT Candidates Are Receiving Multiple Job Offers. Here’s What to do About It.
After a rough couple of years, the IT job market looks like it’s staging a comeback—and it’s about time too!
Tech unemployment fell to 2.8%, with the sector adding 90,000 jobs in June. For some high-demand skills, demand for talent is outpacing supply. As a result, we’re seeing a common trend among in-demand IT candidates: multiple, simultaneous job offers.
If you’re still acting like it’s a down market and taking days, even weeks, to follow up with candidates, you risk missing the boat. Instead, it’s time to embrace this candidate-centric market, fill critical roles faster, and outpace—and out-innovate—your competition.
The “split reality” of the IT job market
Two years of industry-wide layoffs, economic uncertainty, and numerous strategic realignments among major tech players (like Microsoft) have created a perfect storm for the IT job market. Finally, it looks like those clouds are starting to break.
The race toward AI adoption, cloud maturation, and more sophisticated cybersecurity approaches—not to mention faster, more cost-efficient development cycles—are prompting the industry to ramp up hiring again. Dice’s July 2025 Jobs Report shows a 33% month-over-month increase in IT job postings. What’s more, Ravio’s report on the tech job market shows that high-demand IT jobs are commanding strong salaries, signaling high competitiveness.
However, it doesn’t exactly feel like the market is rallying, at least not across the board. There’s still some lingering hesitation to expand or invest, at least until conditions improve across the board. What’s more, the job market is highly polarized—specialized skills are in high demand, while generalist and junior roles are less so. So while certain segments are strong and recovery seems to be on the horizon, that recovery is both slow and uneven.
This has resulted in a strange “split reality,” where employers are treating the market like it’s cool, while high-value candidates are acting like it’s hot. As a result, many employers are missing out on opportunities to fill critical roles, because their competitors are getting to them first.
Which IT jobs are most in-demand?
Here are some of the most in-demand IT skills and competencies right now. If you’re hiring for any of these positions, your candidates are almost certainly fielding multiple offers.
AI & machine learning
According to the same Ravio report referenced above, job posts with “AI” in the title have increased by 700% in 2025 compared to the previous year. These roles include AI/machine learning engineers, prompt engineers, AI ethicists, and AI risk auditors. In fact, these roles are in such high demand that they command a massive salary premium over other IT positions.
Cybersecurity
The World Economic Forum’s Global Security Outlook 2025 reports that 66% of organizations expect AI to impact cybersecurity in 2025. As such, the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Security Spending Guide predicts a 12.2% increase, making roles like security analysts, network security engineers, and cybersecurity architects highly competitive.
Cloud engineering & infrastructure
Other high-demand roles in 2025 include cloud engineers, DevOps engineers, and professionals proficient in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Since 50% of workloads run entirely in public clouds, 80% in hybrid, and 89% in multi-cloud environments, the vast majority of companies across industries need competent talent in these areas.
Data science & analytics
Per data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we can expect to see a 32% increase in data-related jobs by 2032. This is not shocking, considering the explosion of data needed not only for traditional use cases, but also to support ongoing, aggressive AI initiatives.
Specialized software engineering
Despite a five-year low in overall software engineer hires, many specialized roles are still in high demand. Typically, these roles combine various specialties—like Azure DevOps engineers or AI-focused cloud software engineers. As more employers switch to skills-based hiring, the value of a niche role will continue to increase.
How should you adapt your hiring strategies for in-demand IT roles?
Adapting your strategies to hire more in-demand IT roles is critical if you want your offer to be taken seriously. Based on our experience with leading IT professionals and employers, here’s what we’ve seen works best.
Prepare for a high volume of candidates
One thing that takes hiring managers by surprise is the sheer number of applicants they receive. This isn’t because the market is “oversaturated,” at least, not with the candidates you’re looking for. Truth be told, high-value candidates know they’re in demand, so they’re more likely to put themselves out there to try and get a better role. Prepare yourself, and your hiring manager, for this reality.
Follow up as quickly as possible
After you conduct that first interview, you should follow up with next steps as quickly as possible. Remember: these candidates are fielding multiple offers. Delays only give your competitors more opportunities to snatch them up. Plus, it’s always better to have fewer, more impactful steps in your process than a bunch of short steps. You don’t want someone taking another offer because they’re still on Step Five of your 15-step process.
Don’t lowball and risk losing the candidate
Going in with a lowball offer is a bad idea. Yes, it’s a typical negotiating tactic. But right now, candidates know their worth. They’re realizing just how in-demand they are. You could risk offending them and losing them to a competitor without a counter.
How do you best navigate a nuanced IT job market?
If today’s IT job market proves anything, it’s that mixed realities are the norm. Yes, hiring is still slow in some segments. In others, it’s booming. The trick is to devote your hiring resources to the most competitive areas so you can land the best talent before your competitors do.
Navigating these challenges is much easier when you have a recruiting partner with their ear to the ground, who talks with candidates day in and day out. Contact Concero to see how we can help you find the right talent to fill critical roles—before your competitors get to them.