Mobile app development skills: How to meet enterprise demand- Valutrics

Hybrid strategy to meet demand, acquire skills

The high demand for mobile app development skills is driving up the cost of talent. In the Robert Half Technology 2016 Salary Guide, annual pay for mobile app developers ranged from $107,500 to $161,500 last year; this year it’s $115,250 to $175,750, a jump of 8.2%.

“Mobile application development skills continue to be in really strong demand, and we continue to have clients asking for that skill set,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing company.

He said he, too, sees CIOs trying to determine whether they need those skills on staff or on a contract basis. They consider how much work they have and how complex that work is, as well as how fast they need the skills onboard (as a quick turnaround favors contracting the skills).

Reed said many companies are pursuing something of a hybrid approach, using outsourced skills to build mobile apps and also to train employees on building and maintaining mobile apps moving forward.

“A lot of companies see that as a long-term strategy, but if they want to push out an app soon, they have to bring someone in right away,” he added.

Robinson said he sees a similar trend, explaining that as more companies seek to offer more mobile options to their customers and employees, they’re going to increasingly want to add some mobile app development skills to their internal ranks.

“They’re going to want this mobile development to be in-house. But not every company can afford to do this, and it won’t happen overnight,” Robinson said.