Key facts
IT has steadily gained in importance at the Federal Administration over the last few years, and now counts
around 3,500 IT jobs. However, the skills shortage has meant that, in 2023, it was difficult to fill the roughly 600 IT job vacancies. These recruitment difficulties increase the risk of delays to and additional costs for important digitalisation projects, and of an even greater reliance on external contractors. Against this background, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) carried out its first audit of the recruitment and retention of ICT specialists in the Federal Administration.
In 2030, the current retirement wave will reach a peak, and further exacerbate the skills shortage. The Federal Administration therefore needs to optimise personnel marketing and recruitment, in order to keep pace with the strong competition in the future. However, the decentralised HR organisation model and insufficient steering of measures tailored to specific IT target groups make it difficult to combat the skills shortage. In the IT area, the Federal Administration is at a disadvantage compared to its main competitors.