Why IT contractors can make all the difference.
There’s a growing communication gap in IT. It’s nobody’s fault – the information technology industry is evolving at breakneck speed, leaving a diverse spectrum of specialty vocations in its wake. One of the more frustrating results is a lack of understanding of the return on investment (ROI) garnered by properly staffing IT projects.
Hard costs such as software, servers, storage space, or other hardware costs are easy for non-IT savvy management to accept. However, when it comes to hiring additional staff to get a job done, IT projects often meet their demise.
If we already have an IT staff, why should we bring on contractors?
You wouldn’t go to see a general practitioner if you were suffering from a heart condition, would you? While your IT staff can probably do the job, if it’s not their specialty, you’re more likely to run into problems. Problems in the production process put additional strain on your IT team, and if that’s all that happens, consider yourself lucky … extremely lucky.
Without a capable budget and the right personnel, your project is pretty much dead on arrival. A proper budget needs to provide for a proper staff. The trick is to help management understand how it relates in terms of ROI.
Shall we do the math?
Just kidding, we promise – no math – just some accessible logic, and a few statistics to help support an argument for dedicated project staffing. For example, a study conducted by Intel revealed that more than 80 percent of IT professionals reported a talent shortage at their companies. This has a direct, and potent effect on project success.
The following factors will help management understand the benefits of a talent-based approach to staffing an IT project:
- When it’s over, they’re done. Staffing on a project basis doesn’t equate to more full-time employees to keep busy when the job’s completed. It’s more like renting, rather than purchasing, the best tools for the job because you don’t need them beyond this specific project.
- It’s bigger than just the project. When your IT department is bogged down with tasks beyond their specialties, it can affect the entire company.
- Maintaining productivity. Necessity is the invention of all projects. If the implementation of an IT product is delayed, it can cause sales and revenue goals to be missed. Also, when your IT staff is asked to perform beyond their core competencies, frustration is virtually inevitable, which leads to burnout, and the mistake-laden land of diminishing returns.
- Efficiency.Hiring SME contractors who know exactly how to get the job done right all but guarantees a less stressful, more efficient process. Less work translates directly into a greater ROI.
- A handful of supporting statistics. Businesses who favor a talent-based approach to budgeting projects are 21% more effective, suffer 48% fewer safety incidents, are 22% more profitable, and have a 10% higher customer rating.
How to find the best IT contractors in the business
The most successful IT producers in today’s world focus on which core competencies are required to do each specific project. It simply doesn’t make financial sense to keep this level of specialized talent on staff. Despite the benefits, it’s still frightening territory for managers and HR departments; finding trustworthy talent can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there’s an easy remedy.
Consultis has over 30 years of matching IT talent with IT projects. Our expert IT recruiters can connect the dots for all your IT project needs. Our carefully vetted pool of talent allows us to skip directly to who should be doing what without all the hassle of finding and selecting the “who.”
If you’re ready to start seeing more green lights in your future, we encourage you to connect with us today. We’re looking forward to showing you the difference talent-based staffing will make for your next IT project.