The answer to this is debatable. Is it that they are hiding or that there aren’t any? Or maybe, is it that they are being overlooked? Here are some answers…
Jon Marcus, a longtime tech recruiter in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco was interviewed about the “engineering shortage myth” where he states that software engineers are the hardest to find. He goes on to explain that even though there is always a need for more engineers, there is no shortage, it’s just that the companies have raised their standards or are being more selective with who they hire, turning down people that have the potential to be a great fit.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on tech jobs in the Silicon Valley and their research shows that their is a shortage in the Bay Area. They report that the number of capable, talented engineers is dropping and not replenishing fast enough.
So far it seems that one could say there aren’t any due to the shortage, but there is also reason to believe software engineers are in fact being overlooked. So once they are found and hired, why is it hard to keep a software engineer at one place?
Software engineers are a hot commodity says forbes.com. This article explains that even though the demand of engineers is higher then the supply, software engineers are jumping to different jobs to get salary increases.
It is not a simple answer for the question “Is there a shortage of software engineers in Silicon Valley?” The best answer might be that yes, there is a shortage, but it’s an artificial shortage. It only appears to be a shortage because of the selectivity of the employers, but software engineers are out there, they are just in search of the best salary, maybe difference experiences or more of a challenge.
-Maricela Ramirez
Social Media Intern
Ryzen Solutions