Say it with us: The Great Resignation is well and truly happening. If you’re an IT leader or work in recruitment, it’s likely you’ve started feeling the pinch in your IT team as this global phenomenon gains momentum in Australia’s workforce.
IT skills have always been in short supply and high demand in Australia. Now, they’re more important than ever as businesses search for resources to support lofty digital transformation goals amid fast growth in remote working and increased demand for innovative tech solutions.
The appetite for digital services is sky-high and, as a result, experienced IT workers with niche skillsets are a hot commodity that is harder to find than toilet paper in a pandemic. Seriously. Sprinkle in the level of staff churn caused by The Great Resignation and you’ve got a few serious dilemmas on your hands.
Three main challenges, to be specific. Let’s explore them in more depth…
The Great Resignation is expensive
We all know recruiting and hiring exceptional new team members comes with a steep price tag. In 2022, Australian companies are finding themselves paying a premium to remain competitive and secure the best candidate for the job when they find a good fit with the right skillset.
It’s much harder to put a figure on the cost of pausing or delaying essential components of your digital transformation due to staff turnover. The overall cost would likely be eye-watering when stalled business growth, abandoned, or postponed infrastructure upgrades, and overlooked cyber security requirements are considered.
Burnt out teams become dissatisfied at work
The Great Resignation doesn’t pick and choose its victims. You can enter the hiring market with the expectation that companies all over Australia, from the big end of town to small businesses, are feeling its indiscriminate effects. That means talent have more choices when it comes to their job search and can be more selective. The power is in their hands.
It makes sense, then, that the hiring process is taking a little longer as business leaders and hiring managers work together to source a good fit. We’re seeing key roles in IT teams remaining open for extended periods of time because hiring the right people can (and should) take time in the current market. Consequently, under-resourced teams are tasked with picking up the slack – and they’re exhausted.
Burnt out, dissatisfied team members are less likely to give an important project the time and care it deserves, or stick around for an extended period, and so the cycle repeats…
Continuity seems like a far-fetched dream
Onboarding new hires and helping them build a working knowledge of your unique IT ecosystem can be a long process, especially if you operate using complex systems and processes. As IT teams are constantly in this state of flux during The Great Resignation, it’s important to maintain continuity on important projects and ensure they run smoothly with each transition.
It’s certainly no easy task to fill the gap each team member leaves in their wake, and smooth operations might feel out of reach.
A workable alternative
Despite what the above may have you believe, it’s not all doom and gloom for IT in The Great Resignation. There is a solution available that can help you save money and time without compromising continuity during this time.
Introducing staff augmentation
Staff augmentation is a flexible outsourcing option that enables businesses to extend their IT team on an as-needed basis. It’s particularly useful right now because it can help bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled IT specialists during The Great Resignation in Australia.
There are many situations where staff augmentation solutions could prove beneficial for your business, including:
- Adding value with under-resourced/niche skills – Occasionally, you might find your current team doesn’t have technical expertise required to execute a new project. Using staff augmentation, you can benefit from the knowledge and training of an experienced professional, who is yours to keep for the duration you need their skills.
- Testing a new role – If you’re expanding your team, staff augmentation is a great way to test a new role internally without encountering premature HR logistics or permanent hiring costs.
- Covering IT staff on leave – Staff augmentation providers can help mitigate logistical challenges which arise when staff go on long service, maternity, or sick/personal leave.
- Resourcing hefty project work – Big one-off projects often require an extra set of hands, but not on an ongoing basis. Staff augmentation means you can scale up your team without long-term costs, for the length of the project.
- Helping offload mundane tasks – Hiring a junior who is just beginning their career as a contractor can increase job satisfaction and morale in your team as they can pivot to focus on more challenging and enticing work.
What are the key perks of staff augmentation?
There are 5 main ways using staff augmentation can give you an edge.
- Scale quickly to meet demand
- Accelerate the delivery of your backlog
- Negotiate flexibility so your staffing solution is on your terms
- Access a unique talent pool
- Live worry-free without the commitments and overheads of full-time employees
How can my business take advantage of staff augmentation?
The easiest way to harness the power of staff augmentation in your team is to pick the right partner to come on the journey with you. Look for an Australian organisation that offers talent who are highly skilled across your technology mix and wish list for future projects.
The Missing Link understands the challenges of finding the right skills for the right project while managing deadlines and project deliverables. When you use our Staff Augmentation offering, we source, onboard, and manage tailored and tested technical resources to ensure your project is delivered successfully.
It’s not just about putting a contractor in place to get the job done; we take the time to understand your business objectives, team extension challenges, requirements and expectations.
Are you looking to scale your in-house IT team? Learn more about whether staff augmentation is right for you here.
