IT goals are moving targets. One day they’re here, the next day they’re disrupted by the next big thing. Keeping pace with technology can be exhausting. Yet businesses have no choice but to keep up—even better, get ahead—with those moving targets.
What businesses often forget is that the current tech landscape isn’t simply about hardware and software. It’s about people.
The best way to compete in today’s market is to understand who you need on your side and what role they can play to make your IT team better than it was yesterday. Sure, there are required skill sets, languages to code and data to protect. But it’s designating the right people to play on your team at any given time that proves to be a game-changer.
At the heart of finding the right person? Relationships. It’s about whom you engage and how that can make/break your path to success. We’ve outlined four IT relationships businesses must embrace to keep up with the speed of tech—and secrets to making the most of them:
- Project-based staff augmentation is the art of assembling the best team to get your project done on time, in budget and on target. Key to this relationship is being clear on what you want to accomplish and identifying the spot-on talent to get that job done. In some cases, you might be seeking utility players who can enhance your capacity. But if you’re tackling something new, you might be looking to engage an all-star who can lead your team to the next level with expertise. Access to a talent pipeline that’s ready and willing to shape your team around these needs can keep you as nimble and responsive as your project demands.
- Permanent placement requires employers to think not only about what hard skills they need from an IT professional, but what soft skills—like cultural fit, conversation and enthusiasm—candidates bring to the table and to your IT team. Remember, you’re hiring a person to join a dynamic environment, not a plug-and-play tech accessory that’s easy to replace. The right pick can set up your business with a long-term relationship that helps your new permanent employee grow, too. The wrong one can cost your business upwards of 1.5 times the position’s annual salary to replace—each time you get that relationship wrong.
- Skill set enhancement looks at your current team’s capabilities with IT goals in mind, and identifies the skills gap that could prevent your business from reaching those goals as they surge into the future. It’s important here to understand the ability of your current team to expand its skills sets with continuing education and training. Growth, after all, is an essential element of a healthy work relationship in IT. But time is of the essence when it comes to tech. When expertise and skills are needed beyond your current team’s capacity, your relationships with a talent pipeline ripe with a range of skills will be what keeps you from sliding down the skills gap for good.
- Your IT recruiter is pretty much your best friend when it comes to each of these relationships. It’s a recruiter’s job to get in elbow-deep with your business, understand what you need to accomplish, when, how and with whom. They understand that fulfilling your needs isn’t about stacks of resumes, but nurturing connections with people. Great IT recruiters are masters at building relationships across the tech community into a bustling talent pipeline they can tap into when the perfect opportunities arise. Access to that pipeline is key to quickly finding the right talent for your team and keeping your business moving with the speed of tech.
Now, let’s boost the power of your IT team with 3 #relationshipgoals.
Your relationships with talented IT pros aren’t unlike other valuable relationships in your life—but when do we ever think of it that way? There’s a balance of first impressions, honesty about the future and engagement to strike.
Do it right and you’ll find the spark to launch your IT staff to the next level. We’ve built a tip sheet that outlines three #relationshipgoals that can help you make it happen.
PSCI knows a thing or two about relationships. We’re an IT staffing solutions provider whose reputation is built on strong relationships with our clients and tech professionals. Connections this good take a lot of work—but they get great work done, too.
If you’d like to learn more about building relationships with IT professionals or starting a relationship with us, send us a note to relationships@psci.com.
