IT Certification Research Results from an Online Survey for Prometric February 2013 Research Background & Objectives Prometric surveyed approximately 400 IT professionals, influencers and decision-makers to communicate the value IT training and certification provides both individuals and organizations. The research objectives included: Measure the importance of certification in the hiring process, and its impact on IT employee job satisfaction, confidence, productivity, etc. Prioritize the key success factors or desired outcomes from training and/or certification. Does certification strengthen the ability of employees/the organization to deliver better in these areas? Understand the relationship between training, certification and on-the-job-experience when it comes to hiring decisions and meeting IT needs. What role do they play in hiring decisions? Perform sub-group analysis for all metrics (above) to understand key drivers. These include analysis by: Certification stakeholders: IT professionals, IT decision-makers and HR/hiring/recruiters. Certified vs. uncertified IT professionals to measure lift, if any, from certification. Research Methodology An online survey was conducted January 29 through February 5, 2013 among IT Certification stakeholders: Respondents were screened and qualified for the survey using this criteria: IT Professionals: IT Support, IT Technician, Network or Computer System Administrator, Network Architect or Engineer, Software or Applications Engineer Decision-makers: Business Owner/President, CTO, CIO, COO that supports IT, IT VP/Director, IT Manager; have role in decision-making and purchase of IT training or certification for staff members HR/Hiring Influencers: HR Manager or Associate, Hiring Manager, Recruiter, COO or Operations Manager that supports HR
Soft quotas were applied to obtain a good mix of business size (number of IT users in organization) The survey averaged 10.5 minutes in length. CertificationStakeholders Number of Completed Online Interviews IT Professionals 212 Decision-makers 100 Larger Organizations Are More Likely to Support Training and Certification in General % Support Training and Certification HR/HiringInfluencers 100 TOTAL 412 Executive Summary Certification leads to higher job satisfaction among IT professionals and greater confidence in their ability to do their jobs compared to their uncertified peers. The perceived benefits of IT certification vary slightly by IT or decision-making level: IT professionals recognize the benefits of IT certification primarily in terms of career enhancement and the personal development of skills and knowledge to do their jobs better. 1-10 IT Users (n=34) 11-99 IT Users (n=32) 100+ IT Users (n=33) IT decision-makers view certification as a path to employees skill development and as a productivity tool, improving the reliability and efficiency of the IT environment, and ultimately paying off for the organization as a whole (HR/Influencers have a similar view). Decision-makers and HR/Influencers indicate that certification can help a job candidate get their foot in the door by landing an interview or getting the attention of the head of the hiring department. IT certification goes hand-in-hand with IT training and on-the-job experience when it comes to developing the skill set to increase productivity and making IT professionals more marketable. (see also challenges). Training and Certification is Largely De-Centralized and in Response to Employee Requests How IT Training and Certification is Offered within the Organization Response to a large strategic initiative Regularly on a schedule Proactive/ Centralized 17% 22% Ad hoc by department request Ad hoc by employee request Employee reimbursement Reactive/ De-centralized 24% 27% 17% 2 Note: All percentages have been rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Job Satisfaction Confidence in Implementing On-budget and On-time 86% of certified IT professionals are satisfied with their job. IT professionals that hold one or more certifications have slightly higher job satisfaction than those that do not hold certifications. IT Professionals Job Satisfaction Certified IT professionals have greater confidence in their ability to implement IT systems on budget and on time. IT Professionals Confidence in Implementing On-budget and On-time Very/Smwt dissatisfied Neutral Certified (n=112) Not Certified (n=90) Certified (n=112) Not Certified (n=90) 1% 1% 2% 2% Very/Smwt 7% 4% dissatisfied 3% 5% 8% 12% Neutral 16% 19% Somewhat satisfied Very satisfied 51% 35% 86% Satisfied with Job 52% 81% Satisfied with Job Somewhat satisfied 40% Very 29% satisfied 27% 76% Confident 40% 67% Confident 3 Note: All percentages have been rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Key Benefits of Certification Vary by Level While IT professionals look to certification for career enhancement and developing their skill set, IT decision-makers and hiring influencers look to the long-term productivity and benefits that certification provides to the overall organization. IT Professionals IT DMs HR/Hiring Career Enhancement Skills & Knowledge Skills & Knowledge Top perceived benefits by audience More marketable Keeps skills current Apply knowledge to job are shown Candidate for promotion Apply knowledge to job Keeps skills current Map career path/growth Staff exposed to new products Troubleshoot problems without Earn more money Troubleshoot problems without help of outside support Skills & Knowledge Keeps skills current help of outside support Indicator of skills/knowledge Indicator of skills/knowledge Staff exposed to new products Apply knowledge to job Productivity Productivity Exposure to new products Helps staff do their job better Helps staff do their job better Indicator of skills/knowledge Faster implementation Staff value/productivity Troubleshoot problems without help of outside support Reliability/Efficiency of IT environment Reduce network down time Faster implementation Reduce network down time Reliability/Efficiency of IT Staff value/productivity environment ROI/Organization benefits ROI/Organization benefits Demonstrates competency Makes staff more valuable to clients to org Makes staff more valuable Long-term savings to org Demonstrates competency to clients 4
IT Professionals: Perceived Benefits IT professionals perceive certification to primarily deliver on career enhancement and developing their skill set. Makes you more marketable 12% 43% 28% 83% Makes you a more attractive candidate for promotion Helps you map your professional growth and career path 13% 10% 35% 34% 30% 78% 76% Career Enhancement Helps you earn more money 76% Keeps skills/knowledge current 13% 38% 30% 81% Provides knowledge that can be applied directly on the job Exposes you to new products and functionality 14% 9% 39% 32% 81% 80% Skills & Knowledge Meaningful indication of job skills and knowledge 10% 35% 29% 74% Helps troubleshoot problems without help of outside technical support 76% Helps you do your job better 76% Increases value/productivity of staff Improves reliability and efficiency of the IT environment 10% 29% 29% 78% 75% Productivity Speeds implementation of new IT projects 8% 70% Helps reduce network downtime 8% 35% 67% Demonstrates competency to clients Provides long-term savings for the organization 13% 7% 24% 29% 80% 40% 70% ROI/Organization Benefits 5=Excellent 4 3 Rank ordered by top 2 box score ( 5-4 rating on a 5-point Excellent-Poor scale) 5
IT Decision-makers: Perceived Benefits IT decision-makers perceive certification as a way to strengthen staff s skill and knowledge and increase productivity within the IT organization. Keeps skills/knowledge current 53% 24% 88% Provides knowledge that can be applied directly on the job 12% 46% 89% Exposes your staff to new products and functionality 20% 90% Skills & knowledge Helps staff troubleshoot problems without help of outside technical support 39% 86% Meaningful indication of job skills and knowledge 38% 35% 84% Helps your staff do their job better 14% 87% Speeds implementation of new IT projects 10% 40% 34% 84% Improves reliability and efficiency of the IT environment 15% 84% Productivity Helps reduce network downtime 10% 80% Increases value/productivity of staff 32% 44% 87% Demonstrates competency to clients 17% 85% Makes your staff more valuable to the organization Provides long-term savings for the organization 12% 9% 35% 46% 39% 80% 86% ROI/Organization Benefits Makes staff more attractive for promotion within the organization Helps map your staff s professional growth and career path Puts staff into consideration for pay raise 7% 6% 8% 34% 43% 44% 38% 84% 81% 71% Employee Career Enhancement 5=Excellent 4 3 Rank ordered by top 2 box score ( 5-4 rating on a 5-point Excellent-Poor scale) 6
HR/Hiring Influencers: Perceived Benefits HR/hiring influencers view certification as a barometer of an IT employee s skills and knowledge, as well as increasing IT productivity and providing benefits to the overall organization (ROI). Provides knowledge that can be applied directly on the job 42% 15% 82% Keeps skills/knowledge current 22% 44% 16% 82% Helps staff troubleshoot problems without help of outside technical support 20% 39% 19% 78% Skills & knowledge Meaningful indication of job skills and knowledge 13% 44% 26% 83% Exposes your staff to new products and functionality 16% 41% 22% 79% Helps your staff do their job better 15% 44% 21% 80% Increases value/productivity of staff 12% 45% 24% 81% Helps reduce network downtime 23% 32% 20% 75% Productivity Improves reliability and efficiency of the IT environment 14% 39% 28% 81% Speeds implementation of new IT projects 13% 38% 76% Makes your staff more valuable to the organization 10% 41% 28% 79% Provides long-term savings for the organization Demonstrates competency to clients 20% 18% 29% 30% 28% 29% 77% 77% ROI/Organization Benefits Helps map your staff s professional growth and career path Makes staff more attractive for promotion within the organization Puts staff into consideration for pay raise 13% 7% 29% 73% 69% 79% Employee Career Enhancement 5=Excellent 4 3 Rank ordered by top 2 box score ( 5-4 rating on a 5-point Excellent-Poor scale) 7
IT Certification and Hiring IT certification is an important qualification in the hiring process and can make a difference in scoring an initial interview. IT Decision-Makers 85% 74% of IT decision-makers would set up an interview or put the person with IT certification into consideration for an interview + + 18% interview + + 67% consideration HR/Hiring Influencers of HR/hiring influencers would set up an interview or put the person with IT certification into consideration for an interview + + 15% fwd to dept head + + 26% interview + + consideration IT Certification is Important in the Hiring Process because... It is a way to prove qualification. HR/Hiring Influencer It shows that the candidate has the desire and ability to advance personal knowledge and to stay current with industry advances. IT Decision-Maker It got me a 10K bump over others when I was hired. IT Professional We need people ready to work, this shows effort to better themselves and familiarity with work; HR/Hiring Influencer 69% of IT decision-makers say IT certifications are very or somewhat important in the hiring process + + 29% say very important 68% of HR/hiring influencers say IT certifications are very or somewhat important in the hiring process + + say very important IT certifications receive additional points when scoring the applicant. IT Professional Certification shows an aptitude for a specific program. HR/Hiring Influencer 61% of IT decision-makers say they are very or somewhat confident in the ability of job candidates with IT certifica- 61% of HR/hiring influencers say IT certifications are very or somewhat confident in the ability of job candidates with Because it takes money and work to get certified, which shows the candidate has initiative and worked for the certification. IT Professional tions to meet the responsibilities of the position + + say very confident IT certifications to meet the responsibilities of the position + + 14% say very confident Without it, there is no way to be sure of training and experience. IT Decision-Maker 8
Importance of Certification in the Hiring Process Certification is an important factor, but not the only one, in the hiring process. Certification Certification 69% 61% say certification is important when considering job candidates for IT positions + + Single most important 1% + + Very important 38% + + Somewhat important 40% say certification makes them confident a job candidate will be able to meet the responsibilities of the position + + Very confident + + Somewhat confident 50% IT Decision-makers (n=100) IT Decision-makers (n=100) Measuring Effectiveness of Certification Improved job performance, using specific skills, and passing knowledge onto others are the top measures of certification s effectiveness; passing the exam alone is not an indicator of success. Improved job performance 66% Used specific learned skills on a project 65% Employee trains others within the organization 55% Employee passes the certification exam 35% Not sure 6% 10
Firmographics IT Prof. IT DMs HR/Hiring Employment Employed full-time 77% 54% 65% Self-employed 13% 39% 28% Employed part-time 8% 5% 6% Recently retired 2% 2% 1% External Consultant Yes 24% 38% 18% No 75% 61% 82% Primary Dept. Served Owner/President 55% 2% Finance/Accounting 2% 9% 29% Human Resources 8% 51% Information Technology 100% 59% 18% Learning & Development 7% 39% Legal 3% Marketing 1% 8% 24% Operations 13% 32% Prod. Development or R&D 3% 8% 7% Other 7% Decision-making Role Primary role 51% Secondary role Influential or oversight role 18% Professional Title IT Help Desk/SupportSpec. 22% IT Technician 23% Network/Comp Sys. Admin. 17% Network Architect/Engineer 4% Software/Applica.Engineer 3% IT Manager 80% IT VP/Director 9% CTO 9% CIO 2% HR Mgror Associate 18% Hiring Mgror Associate 5% Recruiter/Headhunter 4% Operations Mgror COO 13% 2012 Salary Less than $35,000 14% $35,000-$39,999 5% $40,000 -$49,999 7% $50,000 -$59,999 10% $60,000 -$69,999 7% $70,000 -$79,999 8% $80,000 -$99,999 12% $100,000 -$119,999 6% $120,000 or more 5% Rather not say 27% 11
Firmographics IT Prof. IT DMs HR/Hiring # IT Employees in Org 1 9% 27% 23% 2 8% 15% 20% 3-5 14% 16% 20% 6-10 14% 7% 11-50 21% 9% 51-100 8% 8% 2% 101+ 9% 7% IT Users Supported by Org 1-19 34% 38% 20-99 32% 32% 28% 100-249 20% 18% 19% 250+ 23% 15% 13% Total Revenue Less than $100,000 14% 18% $100,000 -$249,999 2% 7% 13% $250,000-$499,999 2% 7% 13% $500,000 -$999,999 4% 9% 4% $1 million -$4,999,999 5% 12% 12% $5 million-$9,999,999 5% 9% 8% $10 million-$19,999,999 5% 3% 1% $20 million-$29,999,999 2% 2% 3% $30 million -$39,999,999 2% 2% $40 million -$49,999,999 1% 4% 2% $50 million -$74,999,999 2% 1% 2% $75 million -$99,999,999 2% 1% 2% $100 million or more 15% 8% 3% Not sure/rather not say 43% 21% Industry Agriculture 1% 2% Business Consulting 1% 15% 7% Business/Personal Services 3% 4% 1% Charitable/Non-Profit 2% 2% 2% Construction and Design 1% 2% Education 5% 4% 12% Engineering 4% 1% Entertainment 1% 2% 1% Finance 5% 4% 4% Gov t: Local 5% 3% 3% Gov t: National/Federal 4% 2% 2% Gov t: State-Province 4% 1% 2% Health Care 7% 3% Insurance 5% 1% 2% Legal 2% 3% 1% Manufacturing 5% 5% 4% Personnel Services 1% 2% Pharmaceuticals 1% 1% Professional Services 4% 12% 2% Publishing/Printing 1% 3% Real Estate 4% 1% Retail/Wholesale 5% 12% Service Provider 5% 4% 5% Technology 15% 8% 6% Telecommunications 4% 2% Transportation 1% 1% 3% Other 7% 4% 8% 12
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