Nine of ten tech companies cannot find the people they need
En un momento en que la economía digital exige cada vez más conocimientos especializados, el sector tecnológico español se enfrenta a una paradoja estructural: todas las empresas necesitan contratar, pero casi ninguna puede hacerlo. La escasez de perfiles en inteligencia artificial, ciberseguridad e infraestructura en la nube ha transformado la gestión del talento en una cuestión de supervivencia competitiva, empujando a las organizaciones a replantear desde sus cimientos la relación con quienes ya trabajan para ellas. Lo que emerge no es solo una crisis de contratación, sino una redefinición profunda de lo que significa retener el conocimiento humano en una industria donde ese conocimiento lo es todo.
- El 92% de las empresas tecnológicas españolas no logró cubrir sus vacantes en 2025, convirtiendo al sector en el más afectado por la escasez de talento de toda la economía.
- La demanda de perfiles en IA, ciberseguridad y cloud supera con creces la oferta disponible, y el 58% de los procesos de selección fracasan en la negociación salarial antes de cerrarse.
- Ante la imposibilidad de contratar, las áreas de RRHH han pivotado radicalmente: el 74% de su capacidad se destina ahora a retener a los empleados actuales, frente a solo el 26% dedicado a la captación.
- Las empresas responden con tres palancas simultáneas —mejoras salariales, paquetes de beneficios y formación intensiva en IA— aunque persiste una brecha entre lo que ofrecen y lo que el talento cualificado realmente exige.
El sector tecnológico español atraviesa la crisis de contratación más severa de cualquier industria del país. En 2025, la totalidad de las empresas tecnológicas necesitó incorporar personal, pero nueve de cada diez —el 92%— no encontró los perfiles que buscaba. La escasez se concentra en los campos más estratégicos: inteligencia artificial, ciberseguridad e infraestructura en la nube. Un 29% de las compañías declara dificultades graves para contratar, ocho puntos por encima de la media nacional. Y cuando aparece un candidato válido, el proceso suele naufragar en la negociación económica: el 58% de las contrataciones no llegan a cerrarse por desacuerdos salariales.
Frente a este bloqueo estructural, las empresas han reorientado su estrategia de recursos humanos de forma radical. Ya no persiguen nuevas incorporaciones como prioridad: las protegen. El 74% de la capacidad de los departamentos de RRHH se dedica ahora a la retención, la proporción más alta de cualquier sector. La lógica es contundente: en un mercado donde contratar es caro, lento y frecuentemente infructuoso, mantener al equipo existente se ha convertido en la principal línea de defensa.
Esa estrategia de retención se apoya en tres ejes. En materia salarial, el 29% de las empresas tecnológicas ha compensado plenamente el impacto de la inflación en los salarios, casi el doble que el año anterior, situando al sector en segunda posición solo por detrás de la industria farmacéutica. En beneficios, el 71% ofrece paquetes formales —muy por encima de la media del 58%— y la mitad prevé ampliarlos en 2026. En formación, el 63% tiene programas planificados, y el 96% de quienes forman incluirán competencias en IA y tecnología, la proporción más alta de toda la muestra.
Sin embargo, como señala Miriam Martín, responsable de marketing de Pluxee España, la brecha entre lo que las empresas ofrecen y lo que el talento cualificado exige —especialmente en compensación económica— sigue sin cerrarse. La competencia por los perfiles más escasos no hará sino intensificarse en 2026, y quienes no puedan saldarla seguirán perdiendo a sus mejores profesionales frente a quienes sí estén dispuestos a pagar el precio.
Spain's technology sector is locked in a brutal competition for skilled workers, and the numbers tell a story of an industry under strain. Every single technology company in Spain needed to hire in 2025. Yet nine out of ten—92 percent—could not find the people they needed. This is not a minor staffing inconvenience. It is the most acute recruitment crisis across any sector of the Spanish economy, according to a new report from Pluxee, a benefits and employee engagement company that tracks labor market trends annually.
The shortage cuts deepest in specialized fields: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure. These are the skills that define competitive advantage in modern technology, and they are vanishingly scarce. Twenty-nine percent of tech companies report severe hiring difficulties—nearly a third of the sector struggling openly. That is eight percentage points higher than the average across all industries. The root cause is straightforward: there simply are not enough qualified people. Ninety-two percent of tech firms cite talent scarcity as their primary obstacle, compared to 83 percent across all sectors. Even when companies find candidates, salary negotiations often collapse. Fifty-eight percent of tech firms fail to close hiring processes because of wage disagreements.
Faced with these structural barriers to recruitment, technology companies have fundamentally reoriented their human resources strategy. They have stopped chasing new hires and started protecting the ones they have. HR departments in tech firms now dedicate 74 percent of their capacity to retaining existing employees, versus only 26 percent to recruiting new ones. This is the highest retention-focused ratio of any industry sector—eight points above the overall average of 66 percent. The logic is clear: in an environment where hiring has become expensive and exhausting, keeping your current team intact is now the primary defense.
That retention strategy rests on three pillars. The first is compensation. Tech companies have made the most dramatic salary adjustments of any sector. Last year, only 17 percent of tech firms had fully compensated employees for inflation's impact on their wages—one of the worst figures across industries. This year, 29 percent have done so, a jump of nearly 12 percentage points. Tech now ranks second only to pharmaceuticals in how thoroughly it has restored real wages. The second pillar is benefits. Seventy-one percent of tech companies offer formal benefits packages, well above the 58 percent average across other sectors. Half of tech firms plan to expand or introduce new benefits in 2026, signaling a sustained commitment to this lever.
The third pillar is training. Sixty-three percent of tech companies have planned formal training programs for the coming year, with artificial intelligence and technical skills as the dominant focus, followed by leadership and team management. Remarkably, 96 percent of tech firms offering training will include AI and technology skills in their curricula—the highest proportion across the entire sample. In an industry where knowledge is the primary asset of its workforce, the quality of a training program can matter as much as the paycheck. Miriam Martín, head of marketing and communications at Pluxee Spain, observed that while benefits and training represent sound engagement strategies, a gap persists between what the sector offers and what qualified talent demands, particularly in economic compensation. The competition for scarce skilled workers will only intensify in 2026, and companies that cannot bridge that gap will continue to lose people to rivals willing to pay more.
Notable Quotes
The data shows an industry prioritizing talent retention amid intense competition and severe hiring difficulties. Benefits and training are sound engagement strategies, but a gap persists between what the sector offers and what qualified talent demands, especially in compensation.— Miriam Martín, head of marketing and communications at Pluxee Spain
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the tech sector struggle so much more than others? Is it just that there aren't enough computer science graduates?
It's partly that, but it's deeper. The skills in demand—AI, cybersecurity, cloud—are moving targets. Universities can't train people fast enough in fields that are evolving monthly. And the people who do have these skills are being hunted by every major company simultaneously.
So if you're a tech company, what do you actually do?
You stop trying to win the hiring game and you focus on not losing the people you have. That's why 74 percent of HR effort goes to retention now. It's cheaper to keep someone than to replace them.
But doesn't that just mean salaries have to go up?
Yes, and they are. Tech companies have nearly doubled the share that fully compensates for inflation—from 17 to 29 percent in one year. But salary alone isn't enough anymore. Companies are also betting on benefits, remote work, and training in AI skills. They're trying to make the job itself more valuable.
Is it working?
The data suggests it's helping, but there's still a gap. Companies are offering more, but qualified people are still demanding more than what's being offered. It's a stalemate that favors the worker, at least for now.
What happens if this doesn't resolve?
Companies either keep raising compensation until the market clears, or they start moving work elsewhere, or they slow their growth. Right now, they're choosing to invest heavily in retention and hope the talent pipeline eventually catches up.