How IT Staffing Works
From Fortune 500 companies down to small businesses and startups, outsourced IT and IT staffing have become the go-to solutions for on-demand technology expertise and support for businesses around the world — and for good reason. For many businesses, they simply don’t need full-time IT staff. For those that do, they often find it extremely difficult to find highly qualified, highly skilled candidates to fill their roles. That’s because the demand for tech experts is at an all-time high, while the unemployment rate for IT occupations sits at just 2.1 percent, according to CompTIA.
On top of that, information technology is an ever-changing, ever-growing environment, and business’s needs can change rapidly. That means that hiring a full-time IT expert can be a serious decision with potential financial risk. After all, according to YFS Magazine, it can cost up to two and half times a new hire’s annual salary to replace them if they turn out to be the wrong fit. Luckily, IT staffing companies can help find the perfect fit for your business or simply provide support when you need it — all while mitigating risk.
Why Consider IT Staffing?
First and foremost, IT staffing provides flexibility for your business. Partnering with the right IT support services vendor allows you to create the tech team you need right when you need it.
If you’re considering IT staffing, chances are you’re facing one of the following challenges:
- Your IT staff is overburdened with current projects
- There is a large upcoming project and you need support
- Your team lacks some specific expertise
- One of your staff members is sick or on vacation
- You don’t currently have an on-staff IT expert and you want to try before you buy
- You need support but don’t have the budget or need for a full-time hire
Whatever your IT challenge may be, IT staffing can be the perfect solution for filling those gaps, getting those projects completed, or just bolstering your team. In just a few easy steps, you could be on your way to finding the best fit for your business.
1. Getting Started
The first step is to examine your business, your current IT team, and your upcoming challenges. Ask yourself a few basic questions:
- Why do you need IT staffing support?
- What is your budget?
- How long will you need support?
- What role do you need the new IT staff member to play and what knowledges must they have?
- Are you considering temp-to-hire?
Now is also the time to ask a few questions you might not have considered up to this point:
- Where will the new hire sit?
- Do you have the equipment needed for the new hire to perform their job?
- What personality would best gel with your existing staff?
- Is your current team prepared to integrate the new member?
- Have you prepared an onboarding program to get them up to speed?
It’s important to have the answers to these questions available, since they’ll be vital to helping your IT staffing partner find the best candidates. Plus, these questions will help you better understand your own needs and solidify your request.
2. Find the Right Partner
Once you’ve defined your need and what you’re looking for in a new team member, it’s time to identify the right IT staffing partner. This step will require some digging, since you’re searching for a reliable vendor that can provide top-notch candidates for your unique situation. Look for an IT support services vendor with years of experience in the field who caters their services to act as an extension of your team.
Seek out a flexible partner that adapts to your needs — one that can provide daily, weekly, or on-demand IT staffing. After all, information technology is a constantly changing environment, and the needs you have today may change dramatically over time. Once you’ve identified the right partner, provide as much detail about your ideal candidate as you can. This will help go a long way towards finding the right fit the first time around, saving you time, money, and plenty of hard work.
3. Integrate and Analyze
Once you’ve found an ideal candidate with the right set of skills and experience, it’s time to integrate them into your existing team. Whether you’re considering creating a full-time position for this individual or not, it’s important to analyze their impact on your business. This can help you answer critical business questions moving forward.
- Does it now appear that you need a full-time IT staff member?
- Did you overestimate the hours needed for the project?
- How much time did the new staff member save your team?
- Is IT staffing a viable long-term solution for your business?
Compare and contrast the pros and cons of having a full-time employee or continuing to utilize outsourced IT support moving forward.
Finding the right IT staffing partner, identifying the perfect candidate for your needs, and evaluating your future needs isn’t an overnight process. These steps require time and patience, but if given the attention they deserve, they can have incredible effects on your business and team, and even help you tackle an enormous variety of IT projects.
Ready to get started with IT staffing? Talk to our experts and get a free assessment for your business!