Benchmark IT - Technology Talent

📉 New talent, tougher market. According to Indeed Hiring Lab’s latest report, 2025’s labor market is tightening — especially for new entrants and early-career professionals. While overall job growth remains steady, entry-level opportunities are slowing as companies grow more selective, prioritizing specialized skills and hands-on experience. In tech, that means adaptability, AI fluency, and real-world project work are no longer “nice-to-haves” — they’re essential. For hiring managers, this shift highlights the need for better alignment between skills, potential, and long-term workforce planning. For candidates, it underscores the importance of continuous learning and finding the right fit in a competitive landscape. At Benchmark IT, we help both sides navigate this new reality — connecting forward-thinking employers with adaptable, high-performing talent, and guiding candidates toward roles where they can grow, contribute, and thrive. 📊 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/exc-5HXR

📈 Benchmark IT Talent Trend: The U.S. tech job market is experiencing a significant shift, with AI roles defying the overall cooling trend. While the latest data from CompTIA shows a slight contraction in overall tech employment, employer demand for artificial intelligence skills is surging. This dual trend highlights a critical insight for IT leaders: the market for generalist roles may be softening, but the competition for specialized, high-impact talent in areas like AI is more intense than ever. Winning the best candidates now requires a highly targeted and data-driven hiring strategy. 💡 Key Takeaways: Overall Market Cooling: Tech occupations across the economy decreased by 31,000, signaling a broader market adjustment. AI Hiring Surge: Despite the downturn, employer job postings for AI-related positions jumped by 2,000, reaching nearly 17,500 in the last month alone. Talent is Dispersed: A growing number of core tech jobs are located outside the traditional tech sector, particularly in professional services, finance, and manufacturing. Low Unemployment Persists: The tech unemployment rate remains low at 3.5%, indicating that skilled professionals are still very much in demand. To navigate this complex landscape, organizations need a partner who understands the nuances of the tech talent market. Benchmark IT focuses on skills-based screening and specialized sourcing to connect you with pre-vetted, high-demand candidates faster. 🔗 Read the full article: U.S. Tech Job Market Cools as AI Hiring Accelerates https://lnkd.in/gbCAqSYm

🎙 In case you missed it… Our first-ever Benchmark IT Podcast is live! In Episode 1, we dive into our real-world experience using Alex, an AI-powered interview tool that’s helping us enhance candidate responsiveness and streamline the early stages of the hiring process. AI in recruiting is still new territory — and we’re learning right alongside our clients and candidates. In this conversation, our team discusses what’s working, what’s evolving, and how we’re using technology to create more human interactions, not fewer. At Benchmark IT, our approach remains the same: combining high tech with high touch to deliver smarter, more personal recruiting experiences. 🎧 Catch up on the episode here: https://lnkd.in/eDuNgtph

✨ Wrapping up an incredible week at the SIM TechExec and TechServe Alliance Executive Summit! From insightful sessions to forward-thinking conversations, this year’s event was all about turning innovation into impact — and we were proud to be part of it. Our Director of Recruiting, Mariah Szarek, joined an expert panel on “Leading Change: Turning Tech Investments into Recruiting Results” alongside top industry leaders. Together, they explored how AI and automation are reshaping the recruiting landscape — and how firms can adopt new technologies while keeping the human connection at the core of every search. Benchmark IT’s mission has always been clear: to balance high tech with high touch, using innovation to strengthen relationships, not replace them. A huge thank you to the TechServe Alliance team, our peers, and everyone who contributed to meaningful conversations about the future of tech talent and recruiting. Until next year! 👏

📈 U.S. Job Market Stabilizes — But Hiring Caution Remains According to Aspen Tech Labs’ September 2025 U.S. Job Market Update, hiring across the U.S. is holding steady but showing clear signs of restraint as employers navigate economic uncertainty. Key insights: 📊 Job postings edged up 0.2% month-over-month, but remain 2.5% below last year’s levels 🏠 Remote job openings declined for the second straight month, signaling a plateau in flexibility 💵 Median full-time pay sits at $62,504 — up 8.3% year-over-year — while salary transparency continues to rise, with nearly half of all job postings now including pay details 🏢 States like Wisconsin are leading in frontline and healthcare hiring, posting some of the strongest wage gains nationally The market is cooling but not collapsing — it’s recalibrating. Employers are hiring more selectively, while job seekers are becoming cautious about switching roles. At Benchmark IT, we help tech professionals and hiring managers navigate this changing landscape with clarity — providing market insight, transparent guidance, and pre-vetted connections that accelerate hiring decisions without sacrificing fit. Read the full Aspen Tech Labs update here → https://lnkd.in/eYbyCE-s

🇺🇸 Honoring Our Veterans This Veterans Day, we express our deepest gratitude to those who have served—and continue to serve—with courage, discipline, and dedication. At Benchmark IT, we recognize that the skills veterans bring—leadership, adaptability, problem-solving—are invaluable in tech and beyond. To all veterans in our community and across the country: thank you.

🔥 U.S. Tech Hiring Cools — But AI Talent Is Heating Up According to the latest CompTIA Tech Jobs Report, traditional tech hiring is slowing across the U.S.—but demand for AI skills is bucking the trend. Here’s what’s happening: 📉 Core roles like software development and systems engineering saw major declines last month. 🤖 AI engineer postings rose by 317, making it the only top tech role showing growth. 💼 One-third of postings didn’t specify experience requirements, signaling more flexibility in how employers define roles. 🎓 Many tech jobs are also dropping degree requirements, opening the door for skills-based pathways into IT. This shift highlights a new hiring reality: companies are scaling back in legacy roles and reallocating toward AI, automation, and emerging tech—focusing on long-term capability over short-term need. At Benchmark IT, we help both employers and professionals stay ahead of this evolution. From sourcing AI-ready developers to guiding candidates through upskilling for new market demands, we bridge the gap between where tech is today and where it’s going next. Read the full article via The National CIO Review → https://lnkd.in/edu_2xrc

📊 The Labor Market Is Tightening — Especially for New Entrants Indeed’s latest Labor Market Update reveals a cooling job market that’s hitting early-career professionals the hardest. Key findings: 📉 Overall job postings are 7% lower than last year 👩💻 Junior-level postings have fallen 7% year-over-year, while senior roles are up 4% ⚙️ Tech and engineering sectors are especially competitive — with fewer than 2% of roles labeled “junior” 💼 Only two of 45 sectors have seen growth in openings this year For recent grads and professionals making a pivot, this means navigating a market where opportunities are scarcer — but not gone. At Benchmark IT, we help candidates stand out with market guidance, resume strategy, and access to pre-vetted opportunities that align with their skills and growth goals. Whether you’re early in your career or ready for a new challenge, we can help you move forward confidently in a shifting job landscape. Read the full report from Indeed → https://lnkd.in/g6jMkQBy

We were honored to attend the October 2025 dae Adult SWE Program Graduation. It was an incredibly uplifting and inspiring experience hearing from the dae team as they reflected on the students’ journeys through the Back-End and Cybersecurity tracks. This is a rigorous program, and it was clear from the graduates’ stories that they’ve worked hard, grown tremendously, and have a bright future ahead in technology. dae is a multi-location Learning Studio dedicated to developing the next generation of tech professionals who are not only highly skilled but also deeply grounded in their humanity. In Stamford, the Adult Learning Studio is located within — and funded by — the Stamford Tech Hub, a thriving ecosystem launched by the The Stamford Partnership. Congratulations to all the graduates and the dae team on such a tremendous accomplishment! 🎓✨

🤖 AI Is Reshaping IT Hiring — But Many Aren’t Ready According to a new report covered by TechRadar, only 37% of U.S. recruiting leaders feel prepared for the rise of AI, automation, and analytics — even as 77% say active sourcing is now essential. Recruiters and hiring teams are facing major challenges: 💡 Verifying candidate skills and authenticity ⚙️ Integrating outdated or disconnected hiring tools 🔍 Finding quality talent before competitors do At Benchmark IT, we help companies stay ahead of this disruption by combining deep technical insight with proactive, skills-based sourcing — connecting you to the right candidates faster and with greater accuracy. Whether you’re scaling cybersecurity, DevOps, or data teams, we help you hire smarter in an AI-driven market. Read the full article on TechRadar → https://lnkd.in/ekuxy3mP