The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a number of challenges ever since the World Health Organization first declared the virus as a pandemic back in early 2020. Businesses and individuals alike have had to navigate various shutdowns, mandates, changing consumer behaviors, and more. Now, with life getting back to something resembling pre-pandemic times, businesses are facing a staffing shortage.
Across the United States, wanted ads are going unanswered as a record number of job openings sit unfilled. Many workers may have found other jobs, started their own businesses, or could be waiting until unemployment benefits run out. Regardless of why, it is proving to be one of the main challenges business owners face today.
This is especially true in the IT sector where finding quality IT staff was difficult even before the pandemic. Of course, IT needs can’t simply be swept under the rug. So, how do small businesses (SMBs) face this challenge head on? Many are turning to managed IT services. Managed IT providers retain a team of IT professionals to meet the IT needs of the businesses they serve. This allows the business to get the IT expertise they need without hiring staff directly.
A Cost-Effective Solution
Perhaps the greatest challenge with hiring IT staff in this ongoing labor shortage is the competition in the market which allows employees to command a higher wage. Of course, higher wages can have broad benefits for the economy but it can make it especially difficult for budget conscious SMBs to hire. Consider that the average IT professional earns $82,000 per year and it’s clear why small businesses have often been shut out while competing with larger corporations for the same pool of employees.
There are also the additional costs that go into hiring someone. Advertisements need to be posted on job boards, some businesses may pay for sponsored job ads to get more interested applicants, background checks need to be ordered, employees need to be onboarded and added to benefits plans, among countless other costs that can add up quickly.
With managed IT services, making an agreement with a provider gets SMBs access to an entire team of professionals. The managed IT provider has already done the leg work of vetting and hiring the staff. In addition, they service a number of small businesses so the total cost of the salaries is spread out across all of the businesses that subscribe to the services.
Saves Time for Businesses
As the old saying goes, time is money. While there are some very tangible costs to hiring an IT professional, there are some costs that can’t be quantified as easily in terms of dollars and cents. The time spent hiring a new IT professional can be extensive. Not only do standard interviews need to be completed but verification needs to be done to ensure the potential employee’s credentials are real and up to the current standard.
It would be nice to send out an offer letter and have the new employee start the next day but that’s just not realistic. Potential hires may have multiple offers to consider, they will need background checks upon accepting, and they need to be onboarded and trained. All of this costs time. However, IT problems don’t patiently wait for the new team member to start before rearing their ugly heads.
This is an important benefit to considering managed IT services. Once the agreement is completed, the IT services can commence. Since the IT professionals are employed by the managed IT provider there is no onboarding process, setting up healthcare benefits, and all the other things that come up when hiring new staff. Instead, the team is fully trained and ready to begin working right away. This saves precious time and ensures business continuity.
No Ongoing Employee Management
As any manager or business owner is aware of, hiring is just the start of the employee journey. There is ongoing management of the employee, training, performance reviews, pay negotiation, and more. In a worst-case scenario, the employee may not work out and need to be replaced which begins the hiring process all over again from square one.
With managed IT services, these responsibilities fall under the service provider and not small businesses. As a result, business owners and managers are free to focus on their business and leave the IT work up to the experts.
Experience the Benefits Today
Finding good IT professionals can be a challenge in today’s job market. Instead of fighting the trends, turn to managed IT services to help lower costs, save time, and provide certainty. To learn more, contact the managed IT experts at CDS Office Technologies today.
