Solutions to Shore Up Your Corporate IT Skills Gap

August 29th, 2019 by Ashlee Colliver

One big problem with being an IT professional is the need to learn and use new skills on an almost daily basis. In the accounting profession, new regulations are passed annually, so you have some time to catch-up. But in IT, new mission-critical skills you need to acquire constantly fly across your radar screen at warp speed.

Think about how many different new technologies you’ve read or heard about in just the past week – and the investment needed (time/money) to keep your team’s skillset up-to-date. The big problem of adequately closing that skills gap can be broken down into three areas of concern:

  1. Specialty resources – lack of access when you need them
  2. Top-tier hands-on talent – scarcity (and cost) of IT pros with the needed skills
  3. Manager-level talent – availability to handle large projects

FINDING PEOPLE; PAYING PEOPLE

In today’s uber-competitive human resource marketplace, even if you can find highly-skilled people willing to work for you full time, the question then becomes: Can you afford the commitment?

Solving the problems associated with the three areas above is an exercise that requires a delicate balance between having access to the up-to-date skills your team needs daily and the cost (and huge hassle) of finding, training, and retaining the multi-talented staff needed to successfully complete each day’s assignments.

The depth and breadth of technical skills your team needs constantly shifts as new problems arise and new technologies emerge. How the heck are you supposed to stay ahead of the game when the rules change on the fly and the cost of staying in the game continually climbs higher?

SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS; BLUNT YOUR BOTTOM LINE

So, how do you stay balanced while performing your job, which is like an IT industry high-wire act? How do you achieve the required results for each project without falling flat on your face due to a missed deadline, a budget overrun, or because your team’s IT solution did not meet expectations due to a lacking skillset?

First, you start by trying to do a better job of anticipating needs. But that’s easier said than done. The future is unpredictable, so no IT administrator can be expected to accurately anticipate exactly which unforeseen problems you’ll need to solve – especially when your budget barely covers your current expenses.

Next, you start training your team, to try to stay ahead of the learning curve for the skills you know your team lacks. But, when your project immediately requires a skill your team didn’t previously need, you’re inevitably forced to search for an outsourced solution. And that search brings its own set of problems to the table.

So, what’s a truly workable and affordable solution?

MANAGED SERVICES TO THE RESCUE

The benefits of using managed IT solutions provided by Van Ausdall & Farrar include increased efficiencies decreased costs, and specific on-site expertise when and where you need it. When we manage your IT solutions, your team can stay focused on their primary revenue-generating tasks rather than spending valuable time mastering limited-use skills.

The big-picture expense of establishing, growing and managing an in-house IT team can be unpredictable and a bit overwhelming once that snowball starts rolling the down the hill and picking up momentum. Just how fast and large will that snowball become before it’s dangerously out of control?

Our Managed IT Solutions allow you to only pay for the services you need, without the added expenses of preparing for every possible circumstance or hiring in-demand individuals with niche skills.

If your project does require on-site expertise for a brief or extended period of time, we can place highly-skilled IT pros on-site, without you expanding your payroll obligations. We perform the required due diligence to put the right person in your seat. We handle all of the HR details to help ease your internal workload and maintain a manageable staff size.

A GAME PLAN FOR SUCCESS

Success does not usually happen by accident. Most winning endeavors succeed because of a well-planned strategic approach to overcome the hurdles on the path toward the finish line. What’s your plan to overcome the skills gap challenge within your organization?

Posted in: Insights from VAF Blog, Managed IT Solutions