Many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rely heavily on their IT environment. They typically use the systems for internal operations, to deliver products or services to their customers, and to remain competitive with other companies in their market sector. Organizations that neglect the benefits of an optimized IT environment are hurting their ability to survive in today’s business landscape.
The Dangers of an IT Skills Gap
Companies with an IT talent gap face several issues that can negatively affect their business.
- A gap in its IT talent can severely hamper a company’s ability to optimize its existing technology investments. Solutions obtained to meet business objectives may not meet expectations without the proper level of technical support.
- An IT skills gap can impact a company’s internal productivity through the inefficient use of technological solutions. Deep insight into installed software can uncover features that streamline operations and provide benefits throughout the organization.
- Customer satisfaction may be impacted by an inability to take advantage of emerging technology such as advanced analytics. These tools can help identify the trends and customer sentiment that are essential to creating engaging and enticing services.
- A company can lose its competitive edge and fall behind its market rivals if it cannot effectively use its IT resources. The ability to harness cutting-edge technology can differentiate an organization and provide a path to consistent business growth.
The Reasons Behind Your IT Talent Gap
Your company can experience a talent and IT skills gap for a variety of reasons. A gap in technical skills can impact an organization suddenly when faced with new technology. The effects may also be more subtle when IT systems are not used efficiently. A company can limp along with under-utilized solutions that, if optimized, would improve operations and the ability to serve its customers.
Following are some of the most common reasons your company is afflicted with an IT talent gap.
- An essential employee with deep knowledge of the IT environment either retires or leaves the company for a new opportunity. This can open a tremendous talent gap that immediately affects many aspects of the business. Based on the specific skillset of this employee, it can be extremely difficult to promptly find a qualified candidate.
- An acquisition or merger can introduce new technology for which no internal skills currently exist. It can be important to quickly close this gap to assimilate the new systems and obtain the business benefits that influenced the company’s decision to proceed with the merger.
- Your company may have decided to migrate some or all of its infrastructure to the cloud. Some organizations do not have employees with the necessary skills to optimize and secure the cloud infrastructure. Data resources can be put at risk without an adequate understanding of cloud security. Companies can also end up paying too much for cloud resources without the skills needed to manage them appropriately.
- New technology solutions may become available that appeal to company decision-makers as drivers for business growth. Without the necessary internal IT skills, an organization may miss opportunities that would result in long-term benefits for the business.
- Budgetary constraints can result in a company operating with a limited IT staff. This may provide a reduced level of support that becomes unacceptable over time. At some point, management may have to enhance the organization’s IT skills to operate the business effectively.
A company’s IT talent gap needs to be addressed regardless of the reasons an organization finds itself without the required skills. Failure to take the initiative and bring in new talent can reduce the benefits available with an optimized IT environment and harm the business.
Methods to Close the IT Talent Gap
A company can choose between two main methods of closing an IT talent gap. The route they choose will usually be dictated by their unique business and budgetary considerations.
Hiring new staff members
An organization can choose to simply fill its talent gap by hiring new full-time staff members. This can be an expensive approach and may be overkill if there is a limited or specific lack of skills that need to be addressed. In some cases, though the current team needs targeted assistance, there may not be enough workload to justify hiring a new employee.
In other instances, there may be multiple skill gaps that are difficult or impossible to address without hiring multiple employees. Adding the required number of employees can be beyond the capabilities of a small or medium-sized business (SMB) with limited financial resources. Without other options, a company may need to knowingly operate its business with insufficient IT skills.
Engaging a third-party service provider
A competent third-party service provider like VAST IT Services can help a company address its IT talent gap without hiring new full-time employees. Organizations can obtain the specific skills they need to make the most efficient use of their existing infrastructure and take advantage of new opportunities without adding permanent personnel to their payroll.
Working with experienced and skilled third-party technical resources can elevate the efficiency of an entire IT department. The best practices employed by third-party personnel can influence the rest of the IT team and make them more effective in utilizing the company’s computing and data resources. Supplementing existing IT resources with the skills available from a service provider offers an excellent way to economically close the organization’s talent gap.
VASTS’s Expert Team Provides the IT Talent You Need
VAST has your back when it comes to closing any temporary or permanent IT talent gap. VAST’s team of experts have extensive skillsets that cover virtually every aspect of an on-premises, cloud, or hybrid computing environment. They complement your current IT talent with the specific skills necessary to optimize your infrastructure.
The skills available from VAST include:
- Storage management experience that can optimize any type of cloud or on-premises storage solutions;
- Business continuity planning to ensure your company can withstand unexpected events;
- Cloud security skills to ensure your valuable data resources are effectively protected.
Talk to VAST today and see how they can supplement your IT team, maximize the value of your technology investment, and help your business thrive.
