We sat down with Toby Wallace, Practice Lead, Technology & Digital, and Principal Consultant, Cloud, Security and Infrastructure, to unpack what CTOs and senior hiring managers are asking for right now, and what that means for businesses and candidates.
The hybrid tech leader is in demand, and in short supply. The market is moving away from managers who just manage. Many experienced managers are now struggling to land roles because businesses want someone closer to the technology. “Getting someone who has that commercial acumen whilst still being close to the tools and still being hands-on with the technology is a bit of a unicorn.” With ACS Digital Pulse 2026 forecasting Australia will need an extra 259,000 technology professionals by 2035, the pressure on that blended talent pool is set to grow.
Businesses need to build the bridge, not just search for it.
Most clients still expect to find both skill sets in one person, but tech is moving so fast that the pool is limited. “I think businesses should be offering more development in one area or the other.” Toby’s advice: look beyond a perfect tech-stack match and consider “hiring for the right mindset and being able to adapt to different tools.”
Senior Candidates should lead with business outcomes.
For heads of and senior managers, the bigger picture matters more than traditional delivery methods. What stands out is “being able to articulate what they’ve done in relation to driving business outcomes.”
Communication is now a core tech skill.
Tech is no longer just about technical excellence. Every executive wants a stake in it, which means “the CFO now needs to understand, and the CEO needs to understand.” ACS Digital Pulse 2026 makes the same point, with employers looking for technical expertise paired with communication, judgement and adaptability. The takeaway: “stakeholder management and the soft skills in tech is more important than it probably previously was a couple of years ago.”