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Getting the IT Staff You Need May Not be as Easy as You Think

Man contemplating a decision

According to Computer Economics’ 2014/2015 IT Spending & Staffing Benchmarks report, hiring of IT professionals is finally on the upswing — yet another indication that our long-declining economy continues to improve.

Even so, you may not have an easy time finding the right IT expertise when you need it. That’s because there’s something of a squeeze going on (you know, the one that puts you between a rock and a hard place):

Committing to new IT capabilities…
On one hand, as the table below from the Computer Economics’ report shows, enterprises of all sizes and types have again started investing in new IT capabilities in addition to upgrading existing systems, becoming more cost efficient, improving IT security, etc.

Graph of the top 10 2014 budget priorities across industries, ranked by importance

After years of putting off new projects to focus on cost control, it’s not hard to grasp why this is happening. The opening comments in another report, Deloitte’s Tech Trends 2014 , nails it pretty well:

“More and more CIOs, faced with disruptive forces such as… mobile-only, big data, and cybersecurity, are shifting from a world of known problems into one filled with unknowns. …CIOs are…realizing that their current tools for managing risk and leveraging assets may not work in this [new] world.”

… triggers demand for new IT skills
Which brings us to the other hand — that the need for new capabilities addressing new technological challenges triggers demand for IT professionals with new types of skills. No wonder, then, that a majority of enterprises — including significantly more midsize organizations than in recent years — are looking to add IT staff.

Pie chart representing the % of organizations changing IT staff headcount in 2014

For instance, web and mobile app developers, software developers and engineers, business intelligence analysts, data architects and programmer analysts (among other IT professionals), are all currently in such high demand that you may need help finding people who (a) have these kinds of expertise and (b) will be a good fit in your organization. This is especially true if your need for such expertise is intermittent enough that hiring on a permanent, full-time basis is not financially practical.

Taking the hassle out of IT hiring
Hiring new IT staff — whether permanent, contract-to-hire, or consultants — is fraught with hassle. One recent survey noted that almost two-thirds of CIOs have been prevented from implementing innovative and emerging technologies because they can’t get the right expertise. So, you can expect these IT hiring hassles to intensify.

Fortunately, you can get help with your IT staffing requirements from technical staffing agencies like Quest that specialize in finding and vetting the IT professionals you seek. In my next post, I’ll review what you should look for in an IT staffing company.

Meet the Author
Tim Burke is the President and CEO of Quest. He has been at the helm for over 30 years.
Contact Quest Today  ˄
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