The cost to you may be more than talent if you’re not seen as credible in that space.

What does your company do best? Those are your “core competencies.” They are the products or services that directly impact your success. Core competencies are controllable and measurable. If it’s necessary to introduce new technology—and the people to make it happen—to expand your offerings, you run the risk of losing focus. You can be distracted by peripheral activities or sophisticated systems. You may not even realize until it’s too late that they’ve moved you away from what really matters.

This floundering risk is why it’s crucial to know and stay within your core competencies. Companies already face enough roadblocks and distractions as it is. Your direction should be toward innovation, not mediocrity.

Partners, not vendors

Several studies by the American Staffing Association show that enterprise companies view their relationships with recruitment companies as an important part of the business. But, when further pressed, nearly 40 percent said they don’t view the relationship as a partnership. It’s revealing and cause for a concern.

To be fair, some companies have strong relationships with their vendors. They’ll construct agreements where vendors have the ability to increase compensation based on KPIs. That’s a partnership. Mostly though, a vendor is just a company that provides a product or service.

You’re missing out on some great benefits if you treat a recruitment company as just a vendor. They are, after all, the professionals you’ve turned to for one of your company’s most important assets. Which do you think will find you more talented employees: a vendor, or a partner?

That’s the result. To get there, you have to know what’s to be measured. Those are your core competencies. Sometimes they’re not so easy to establish. In the case of technology, though, it’s often cut-and-dry.

Defining core competencies

Is this technology-related project an existing and essential component to the company mission? That’s a question you can ask if you want to make quick work out of deciding to undertake the investment yourself or contract outside talent.

It’s time to add a few questions to this first big one if you’re still unsure. Map out this new project. List the essential components of its mission. It’s not an exercise in busy-ness. You’re looking to extract the elements of the mission from the ingredients of the recipe for the project. The former is what you’ll invest in.
If that’s still unclear, consider a sports analogy. A golfer needs his clubs, balls, and tees. But are those core competencies? Details not directly related to performance and results shouldn’t be measured.

Remove the ingredients. Look at what’s left. Then compare it with the company core competencies. Is there synergy? Do your people have those talents?

Move. Fast!

The competitive landscape of business today requires companies to decide and then implement. Pronto. They may take the time for lengthy feasibility studies, but things have to move quickly once a project is launched.

Projects that revolve round the introduction of new technology often require steep learning curves. Some of that education might occur during planning and feasibility studies, but the rest will have to happen during implementation. Is that when you want this to happen?

Your staff members are already highly skilled experts in your areas of core competency. You’re asking them to move away from proficiency, which puts what you already do in jeopardy, and places the prospect of success for your new project in doubt.

Hit the ground running

If you’ve applied the due diligence in planning, you already know the costs to undertake the project in-house. You also know that your key deficit is the talent. What is the true savings if you elect not to contract outside talent? What’s the potential loss of taking your eye off of core competencies, and distracting your staff further by taking on a project using unfamiliar technology?

That’s why you’ve got to stop looking at the list of ingredients. Let’s bring it full circle with the golf analogy. If you’ve got a chronic slice and you’re about to try out a new course, you’ve got two ways to approach it.

You could go out and buy new clubs.
You could work with a professional to help you find the right hip rotation and adjustment of your swing.
Only one choice creates a partnership that keeps you focused on addressing core competencies. The other only gains you an expensive set of new clubs.

We know finding the perfect technology team is hard. That’s why Consultis has spent the last 30 years developing strong relationships with both our clients and our talent, so that everyone finds the perfect fit. Contact us today to see how we can help.