Why Staffing IT Can Lead to Business Growth

Staffing challenges will surface as your business grows. It’s one of those “growing pains” that you’d have to deal with to expand your business. IT staffing, for one, is a common struggle among small firms.

Most small businesses don’t realize the value of IT staffing and the number of people it should consist of. Here, we will discuss how you should deal with IT staffing and how it can grow your business.

Determining the size of the IT staff

Usually, it should be one IT employee for every 14.7 general employees. Still, you shouldn’t stick to this division. Some businesses, especially those that use various technological hardware and software, will need more people to sustain the IT department.

Also, it should be based on your business’ budget and current positioning. If your business is in need to upgrade to a sophisticated system from a very outdated version, you might need more hands to do the work.

If technology is part of a great deal of your business’ day to day operations, you might also need a bigger IT department. If a system glitch can down your operation, it means that you need a pool of IT experts.

Why a dedicated IT team is important

Many small businesses fall prey to the habit of assigning IT work to an employee with a different task, say inventory. Since the employee’s attention is divided, both departments will suffer. This will lead to more losses than hiring an IT expert.

If your IT efforts are becoming a bottleneck rather than a driver for growth, you’re probably understaffed. It’s best to hire a real IT staff before you lose more money from over-tasking your current employees.

Who to hire and not to hire

As a small business, it’s not ideal to hire a ‘rockstar’ programmer or IT expert right away. This may sound counterintuitive, but this level of expertise will cost more. Also, elite IT professionals will demand big compensation that your company may not have the means to pay. Also, when the time comes that the IT guy decides to leave for a high-paying job, your business will be left hanging on a thread.

It’s best to hire IT experts that are interested in how your business works. Sure, salary and benefits are significant factors, but there should be something more to it.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about getting paid. For your business to grow, you need people that love to innovate. With this, you won’t be stuck on the same outdated system forever. This will attract customers and translate to more revenue.

Your IT staffing checklist

When addressing your business’ IT staffing needs, it will help to consider the following:

-Identify IT projects that need urgent work from those that can be addressed later on

-Talk to your employees and customers to know what your IT department needs

-Look for the aspects of your IT staff that works and doesn’t work

From here, you can pinpoint what you need to expand not just the size but also the function of your IT staff.