The Challenges of Strategic IT Staffing in a Highly Competitive Market

A 2017 report by CompTIA indicates that the demand for tech talent in the United States will continue to outpace the supply of workers. And among hiring employers, almost half (47 percent) expect hiring to be moderately or significantly more challenging this year.

Businesses and IT departments will continue to be driven by the need for greater data security, increased mobility for both employees and customers, and a desire to incorporate big data into company initiatives. The ever-changing technology needed to achieve these goals also requires workers with up-to-date skills and ever-stronger problem-solving abilities.

The challenges of strategic IT staffing

If you’re on the hunt for IT workers, then you’ve probably encountered a number of bumps in the road. Those difficulties can be magnified by talent shortages in geographic regions, increased competition for new grads and seasoned employees, and rising salary expectations throughout the industry.

You may have had trouble recruiting and retaining workers, especially those with more specialized skills. These potential employees have multiple opportunities in the workforce and can afford to hold out for the best possible compensation package. And once hired, workers aren’t always content to stay with an employer long-term.

There are also the challenges of finding employees with the skills to handle your legacy technology and maintaining secure systems while migrating to more up-to-date platforms. Filling these needs means finding people who understand both the old and new technologies and who can make the right connections.

It’s clear that the need to attract and retain skilled IT talent isn’t going away, forcing businesses to adopt more strategic IT staffing strategies. If that’s your company, then you may need to add some new tools to your arsenal.

Adopt unconventional recruiting strategies

For businesses accustomed to finding new employees via industry staffing firms, it’s time to broaden your search efforts. That’s because good-fit IT candidates for your company may still be a work in progress or may be hidden in plain sight.

Build connections with local colleges, universities, and technical schools to find potential candidates still working on a degree. These students are likely to have a strong technical foundation and may even have already acquired some of the specialized skills you’re looking for. The more flexible you can be, the likelier you are to find a diamond in the rough.

Another option is to look inside your organization for talent. Current employees and interns are likelier to be a good fit with your company culture and may need just limited training to fill an IT role. These people often have other skill sets—like strong oral and written communication and problem-solving—that will benefit your IT staff.

Add outside contractors to the mix

Once you’ve evaluated a variety of talent sources to fill your in-house positions, it may be time to look outside your organization. That’s especially true for project initiatives that require specialized skills or must be completed within compressed timelines.

Contracting with a managed services provider for some or all of your strategic IT staffing needs means a just-right level of service. And you won’t need to worry about escalating costs for salaries, benefits, and training. These contract professionals maintain the latest specialized IT skills needed to drive revenue-producing business initiatives.

Instead of waiting for your IT staff to get up to speed on a new technology or launching a months-long new-employee recruitment, you can have someone in place in a matter of days. You’ll save time and money, you’ll have the right knowledge and skills for the job, and you won’t have to worry about the quality of the work.

In today’s fast-moving business world, strategic IT staffing ensures the success of your company by getting the right people with the right knowledge in the right places. You’ll prevent costly delays in implementing vital business initiatives, and you’ll have the highest level of security for your customers and your important business processes.