The Myth of High-Tech Outsourcing

(page 2 of 2)

Money can help fuel interest. So, certainly the average high-tech salary of $75,500 in 2005, compared with the average private-sector wage of $40,500, should gradually encourage more Americans to seek bachelor of science degrees. Archey believes there must also be a cultural shift in how Americans see high-tech jobs: "Kids think it must be pretty boring to go into high-tech because if you do, you're a geek," says Archey. "We have to do a much better job showing how exciting the world of technology is."

David Bair, national vice-president of technology recruiting at Kforce (KFRC), says that the U.S. needs a marketing campaign around technology. "We are going to have to make sure that we have students coming into the space," says Bair. "We need to let people know this is an unbelievable career opportunity for individuals."

Foreign Legion

Then there's the option of letting more skilled foreign workers enter the U.S.—though it meets with opposition from lawmakers who view limits on work visas as a safeguard for highly skilled U.S. citizens.

Even if the restrictions are lifted, some skilled foreign workers may find plenty of reasons to stay abroad. Increasingly, there are opportunities for talented high-tech professionals in their home countries. "Ten years ago, if you had somebody really bright coming out of a European or Asian university, there was nowhere to go other than the U.S.," says Archey. "We no longer have a monopoly on that."

Some employees are finding they have a better quality of life working in their home countries, says Steve Van Natta, president of V2 Staffing, a consulting services company in Shelton, Conn., that specializes in software development. This is especially true for experienced employees who are familiar with the operations of U.S. companies—the kind most in demand domestically. "If anyone comes over to the U.S. to get experience, their stock gets even higher when they go back home," says Van Natta.

Training and ROI

To meet the demand, Van Natta and other recruiters say that companies will need to be more flexible with their requirements and train capable employees without extensive experience in the specific area of need. "You take a smart person who comes in and doesn't necessarily have your industry experience but is a good developer and give them the functional training that they need," says Van Natta.

And unlike a half-decade ago, demand is likely to remain for now, recruiters say. Many of the available jobs are for companies that have proven returns—not ideas that have yet to pan out. "People are hiring someone not just to do one task," says Robert Half Technology's Spencer Lee. "The hiring here is based on ROI [return on investment]."

Click here to see a slide show of the U.S. states gaining and losing the most technology jobs.

Holahan is a writer for BusinessWeek.com in New York .