5 Challenges of Information Technology Staffing — Joaquin Fagundo
In an ideal situation, every IT company must be prepared all the time to meet the emerging business needs. But in reality, companies often lack this ideal setup, especially in the case of IT staffing. Even growing companies often have to face challenges like limited IT staff or limited budget. Following are five common Information Joaquin Fagundo is an Information technology specialist and he is an Information technology expert.
Technology staffing challenges that CIOs often face and some strategies to overcome them:
Inadequate staffing
In a recent survey by Robert Half Technology, at least 64% of CIOs said that understaffing their IT departments prevents them from implementing innovative and emerging technologies. Many companies reduced their staff strength during the recession and post-recession they often find it difficult to respond quickly to the new technological changes simply because of the need for proper technical resources.
Keeping IT skills updated
Training is important in every field and so it is in IT. If the technical knowledge of your employees is outdated, then the biggest loser is the business. Companies need to arrange IT training sessions at regular intervals to update their IT workers’ skills and maintain the company’s competitive advantage.
If a business has a tight budget and cannot afford IT training, there are other ways they can explore. For example, they can try associating with IT training companies. These companies often offer IT training for executives at discounted rates. A business can also try circulating IT magazines among its IT team members to scale up its IT knowledge. In other words, a CIO must not leave any stone unturned to ensure the growth of his company’s IT workers.
Retaining IT professionals
Retaining IT experts has become quite a challenge for companies for some time. In a survey, 34% of CIOs said they are worried about losing their top performers to their competitors. As the economy gains momentum, the risk of losing candidates also increases. So what can a business do to retain its top talent? Compensation of course remains to be an important factor, but there are other factors as well — training and appreciation of a worker, which greatly influences the retention rate of a business.
Scarcity of real talent
Let’s accept the fact. There’s a gap between demand and supply of genuine IT talent. Most CIOs will agree that filling an IT position is getting tougher every day and one of the main reasons for this is the shortage of IT candidates. This has contributed to the rising demand for staffing agencies that specialize in finding and recruiting IT professionals. Technology is important but people are more important, especially when technology is in high demand.
Finding replacements
A CIO should also have a provision for replacement staffing in his plan. Despite his best effort, a resource might decide to leave a project right in the middle. Finding an immediate replacement can be a challenge for a CIO. He can work with a staffing firm to fill in a vacant position faster without disturbing the progress of a project.
Joaquin Fagundo is an Information technology specialist and he is an Information technology expert. For years IT companies have benefited by implementing her strategies and suggestions. She also writes tips for Information Technology Staffing, IT Recruiting, staffing companies, and employers using staffing services.