It’s an unfortunate reality that Australia is facing an IT skills shortage. In fact, according to the Hays Salary Guide Report FY21/22, which is based on survey results of nearly 3,500 organisations, 68% of the local technology industry is suffering from skills shortages.
What’s more, in the next 12 months, 64% of employers believe the tech skills shortage will impact the effectiveness of their organisation or department.
The supply of IT skills has largely been hampered by the pandemic which has significantly curtailed the movement of talent internationally and encouraged many overseas workers to go home. In addition to this, is the increasing demand for IT talent due to IT being ubiquitous in business, schools and the home; and of course, the rising incidence of cyber criminals worldwide.
For companies that are considering building their own IT team, this unbalanced market, where demand exceeds supply, presents problems – where are you going to find the exceptional skills needed to manage an increasingly complex IT environment, negotiate the best possible deals, maintain licences… and beat off the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex threat of cyber-attacks? And even if you do find the people you need, can you afford the time and money to keep them up-skilled? It may feel like you are always fighting IT fires and lacking the proactive support needed to succeed.
In my mind, there’s really only one solution and that’s to forget about building an in-house IT team and instead engage an external provider.
I know you’re thinking “of course you’d say that, you’re trying to drum up business”, however, the facts stack up.
When you engage an external supplier, you get access to the expertise of multiple IT subject matter experts (SMEs) who spend their waking hours filling their minds with everything IT. They know the latest technologies, they understand how to architect technical solutions and they are aware of existing and emerging threats that might harm your system, your people or your business.
Importantly, if one of those SMEs goes on holiday or falls ill, there are others to fill the gaps. Even if there aren’t, that’s not your problem, it’s your providers, so you can be pretty sure they’ll find someone quick smart.
Finally, your supplier will have strong relationships with a number of IT vendors, from which they can pick and choose hardware and software to meet your very specific needs.
Expect not to fight IT fires
If you’re currently considering building an IT team, or you're grappling with keeping your existing team fully resourced and up to speed, it’s time to have a re-think.
At The Missing Link, our Managed IT Service can provide you with the resources, expert advice and service implementation to protect your business, optimise its workflow and boost productivity. With proactive support, you can expect not to fight IT fires, and focus on the work that matters instead.
Our highly credentialed team can deliver reactive support and proactive management of all your end users, regardless of the device they’re working on or where they’re working from.
And, thanks to your newly engaged managed IT service, you’ll be able to offload day-to-day management tasks associated with supporting end-users and their devices, and mitigating the risks of systems failures or cyber-attack. Importantly, your staff will be free to focus on building your business, caring for your customers and boosting revenue.
Talk to The Missing Link today about how we can help. It’s time to expect more.
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