Start-up company hiring
When we see start-up companies setting their compasses toward hiring (in multiples), it is always a great sign. Though the local media has recently reported that there are still those who don't see the signs of growth I am reporting, I sense that they are either speaking to those outside of IT or to companies who didn't have to scale back when the economy got hit and therefore still have enough resources on board to get the new work done.
The companies that I speak to every day are showing clear signs of hiring more people near-term. These hires are not to back-fill people who left, in most cases they are to bring on new people to aid in completing new projects.
In cases where the hires are being made to backfill someone who left the company, there is another positive indicator - companies are hiring at a higher level than the person who vacated the role. This means that they are now looking to pay more, do more with the role and help grow their teams skills and abilities. All of these are long-term strategies. Whether the people hired are contractors or full time employees, they are making the decisions and starting to make them more quickly than before.