The Linux Foundation[1] and edX[2], the leading online course company, released the 2020 Open Source Jobs Report[3] on October 26. Once again, despite the COVID-19 pandemic[4], the demand for open-source technology skills is growing. 37% of hiring managers say they will hire more IT professionals in the next six months.
Specifically, 81% of hiring managers say hiring open source talent is a priority going forward. 56% of hiring managers plan to increase their hiring of open source pros in the next six months
Why? The answer to that is simple. As a recent Red Hat survey[5] found, 86% of IT leaders said the most innovative companies are using open-source software, citing higher quality solutions, lower cost of ownership, improved security, and cloud-native capabilities as the top reasons for usage. So, even in these bad times, the demand for open-source savvy is higher than ever.
How high? 93% of hiring managers reported that they're having trouble finding employees who know open-source programs. Indeed, 63% say their organizations supported open-source projects with code or other resources just so they can recruit people with those software skills. In 2018, only 48% did this.
This isn't just companies that are new to open source trying to look good to knowledgeable potential open-source employees. SUSE[6], which has been a top Linux distributor for almost 30 years[7] uses it. SUSE Global Human Resources Director, Marie Louise van Deutekom, said, "SUSE looks at contributions as part of our recruitment strategy. It's great to see how much people really do contribute to these communities over time."
Why? Because to be successful in an open-source organization, van Deutekom said, you need to be reliable, trustworthy, and