IT Staffing For Small and Medium Businesses: 3 Things You Must Know

When small and medium businesses recruit for IT positions requiring skills that are in high demand, they often find themselves facing a formidable challenge. If this describes your organization, your IT staffing plan must include a wide array of recruitment strategies. While it’s always challenging to find the right IT candidates, smaller businesses have the added difficulty of remaining competitive in salary and perks when competing with bigger firms. Here are three ways that smaller employers can adapt their IT staffing recruitment to attract the most talented candidates.

1. Stay Flexible

It isn’t only about salary; the work environment is a huge factor for IT employees. This is where small and medium business has something of an advantage over bigger firms. They can be more creative with HR policies as they pertain to flexibility or work-life issues. Flexible work arrangements include:

• Flextime, including the option for employees to choose their hours.
• A compressed workweek, where employees work your company’s normal number of hours, but usually in less than the typical 5-day work week.
• Job-sharing, where two part-time employees fill one position.
• Telecommuting that allows employees to spend all or a portion of their work week at home.
• Permanent part-time positions with prorated benefits are very attractive to some IT professionals.

One of the greatest advantages a qualified staffing agency offers small and medium businesses is their ability to be flexible. An agency will help you find top talent who are looking for positions that offer some or all of these perks, including short-term assignments for special projects.

2. Offer Innovation

If your business is willing to grow, develop and evolve, it will find the perfect candidates for its IT staffing needs. You have to give job candidates a reason to forego a position with a larger firm. You can do this by creating an environment where employees are offered opportunities for real growth, and where their input is truly valued. Smaller companies can excel at this, as they are not held back by large company infrastructure.

3. Be Open to Contract Work

In-demand IT professionals often prefer to work as independent contractors. They enjoy the freedom this type of work offers. They are ideal candidates for filling a gap position or working on short-term projects. They also may start with contract work, but transition to permanent hire. Working with an IT staffing agency, you can try out different contractors before offering them full-time work. Many small and medium size businesses have contractors who work with them on a regular basis. It’s an arrangement that allows these firms to keep their workforce flexible, but still have access to some of the best IT talent available. Small and medium business can benefit from the help of an IT staffing agency – just like the big boys. The right agency will help you find the talented individuals your firm needs and turn your recruitment challenges into decisive wins.