What to avoid when outsourcing IT staff?

Dominika Jakubaszek – Business Manager – An irreplaceable member of our Warsaw Sales and Business Development team, she is dedicated to establishing long-term relationships with both our Clients and Consultants. Her impressive work ethic and ambition has allowed her to build a solid portfolio of IT professionals. 

More and more departments of individual companies are depending on external service providers for their operations. Things are no different in the IT industry. There is a growing interest in the outsourcing of IT system management, application development, custom software, security systems maintenance, network infrastructure support, etc. The question immediately arises: how to use external services wisely and avoid mistakes? I will address this issue in the following article!

IT outsourcing is on the rise

According to a recent report by Bulldogjob, the largest number of IT professionals, 72 per cent, found employment with companies that provide outsourced IT services to others. Of these, 34 per cent sold them as a product or service, and 28 per cent worked on in-house software development. Such figures only confirm the growing interest in the outsourcing of IT engineers. 

The nature of such activities has evolved slightly in recent years. Traditionally, the IT industry tended to use external services for hardware delivery, server management, networks, code lines, data centres, etc. The new era has shifted the emphasis to a collaborative model based on the outsourcing of professionals. This is not surprising, as it is indeed the most agile way to develop an IT team while reducing costs and harnessing the potential of the best experts. However, this approach also comes with some limitations. 

What to avoid when outsourcing IT staff?

Developing good practices for effective cooperation with external business partners who specialise in outsourcing IT talents is key to being satisfied with this cooperation model. 

What are the things to be aware of to ensure that the whole process is effective and profitable? Here are some important aspects to take into account:.

•       Lack of a specific contract with detailed rules for cooperation with a business partner that provides IT outsourcing services. This can result in the expectations and requirements of the company that uses such services being different from what was originally stated in the contract.
•       Failure to understand the terms of cooperation. To avoid a situation where one of the parties expects more than what is stipulated in the contract, it is worth taking the time to fully understand all of its provisions. It is important to have a clear view of what was agreed and written down at the stage of setting out the principles of cooperation.
•       No designated person responsible for working with the outsourcing partner to implement new solutions. This often leads to unnecessary chaos and disruption of business communication. 
•       Failure to communicate changing requirements and ineffective communication. As a business partner, the outsourcing company needs to be informed of any changes in the organisation, requirements placed on the contractor and expectations that may affect the efficiency of the collaboration. Not sharing updates with the employee is a major mistake made by companies that use outsourced IT services. The outsourced professional must be kept up to date on all issues that may affect the course of their work. It is also essential to use established channels of communication. 
•       Not being open to the guidance and advice of the outsourcing partner in the recruitment process. As IT is an industry experiencing dynamic growth, it might be advisable to delegate the search for the right professionals to a company that has the right resources, knowledge and experience in finding the best candidates on the labour market.

A good knowledge of outsourcing and labour law is also crucialessential. The contract should include detailed provisions on working hours, the type of contract (e.g. for a specified period of time) or the confidentiality of any information which, if disclosed, could be detrimental to the employer. It may therefore be necessary to consult the company’s legal department or seek external legal advice when preparing the contract and defining its scope. 

Those who don’t take risks… don’t have the right staff

Does outsourcing of IT staff come with a risk? As with any cooperation model, a reliable business partner is key. If we establish a relationship with a recognised and professional company, we do not need to worry about the results. When working with ITDS, the expectations of both IT specialists and business clients are always taken into account.

Outsourcing of IT engineers provides a real opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and skills of qualified professionals who do not need to be permanently employed by the company, and involves a reduction in the costs associated with their sourcing, recruitment and onboarding. An outsourcing contract guarantees the delivery of the service within the agreed timeframe, and with the highest service standards. This allows companies to concentrate their efforts on their core business. What’s more, outsourcing of IT staff enables them to benefit from the experience and knowledge of the most highly qualified professionals on the domestic and international markets. 

It takes a skilled team to succeed in the IT industry. The best professionals should not only possess the knowledge and experience associated with hard, technical skills, but also demonstrate strong communication skills, creativity, analytical thinking and emotional intelligence. At the same time, finding new IT employees who meet these requirements is extremely challenging. This is why outsourcingoutscouring IT professionals is an essential support for effective recruitment of the best IT talent available on the market.