Technologists show up at the negotiating table knowing they're in demand

Nick Canzoneri, an infrastructure engineer at GitHub, has seen his professional market value increase steadily over the course of his 10-year career in tech. "Anywhere I've applied I've gotten responses quickly," Canzoneri told HR Dive's sister publication CIO Dive. "Especially in the infrastructure space, I think it's just a common skill set that's applicable to a lot of different companies now." Amid a talent crunch that's lowered unemployment to near zero in certain areas of technology, and some analysts expecting a deeper talent drought for the coming years, Canzoneri's awareness of demand in his field is indicative of a broader trend: technologists are coming to the negotiating table with a clear picture of what their skills are worth. According to a recent survey from human resources consulting firm Robert Half, 82% of professionals in tech say they feel well-informed about what their compensation should be. That awareness is spread somewhat unevenly between men and women, with 87% of men and 76% of women saying they're well-informed.