Nearly every industry is facing a labor shortage, including the IT industry. As companies become more dependent on a smaller team of talent, employees become overworked, resulting in burnout and eventually turnover. This creates a cycle of burnt-out employees, leaving companies struggling to find talent to fulfill their IT needs. To resolve this dilemma, many companies invest in recruiting and attempt to make their organization more appealing through wage increases, technology adoptions, and positive company culture. While these methods may work to some extent, switching to an MSP may be a better answer.
Why Are Your IT Staff Leaving?
The worldwide labor shortage has created a domino effect of implications in every industry, but what caused the labor shortage? In general, one of the largest generations of professionals - Gen X – is reaching retirement age. This alone removes millions of professionals from work, most of which were in positions of leadership.
Another considerable contribution to the shortage was the pandemic. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of professionals were laid off or sent to work from home. Now, as companies try to get their employees back into the office, many are hesitant to do so. Professionals enjoy the flexibility of working from home and are reluctant to return to a job where that is no longer an option. Additionally, as employers are more desperate for talent, employees have the power to ask for higher wages and more flexibility, which many companies are not prepared to offer.
In the IT industry, in particular, the reasons get a bit more complicated. It seems as though new developments in IT come out each year, and existing technologies become more complex. Current IT professionals and candidates for jobs are struggling to keep up with developing technologies. To become an expert in even one facet of IT, an individual must undergo years of schooling and training, in addition to gaining real-world experience and potential certifications. Essentially, IT professionals can’t learn fast enough to keep up with technology or have the necessary experience to become an expert.
As a result of these challenges, companies are forced to continue operating with a limited number of team members, resulting in overworked employees. The more overworked employees feel, the more they experience burnout and likely turnover as a result. The more employees leave their jobs, the more overworked that other team members are, creating an unsustainable cycle.
So, how do employers address this issue? As mentioned, many companies are investing more into recruitment and meeting some demands such as remote flexibility and increased wages. That being said, recruitment and onboarding are expensive and can be highly time-consuming. In the time that it may take to find and onboard new employees, current staff are still struggling, and it could compromise the quality of their work. Fortunately, many companies have found the solution to their IT needs through outsourcing to an MSP.
MSPs Can Fulfill Your IT Needs
In outsourcing their IT needs, companies can obtain the IT support and services they need without the time and cost of recruiting and onboarding new employees. MSPs equip their clients with a team of expert IT professionals, providing them an unmatched level of IT support, resources, and service. In obtaining an MSP, companies receive four significant overarching benefits:
Support for Your Internal IT Team
One of the most significant benefits of outsourcing your IT needs to an MSP is the support it brings to your internal IT team. A common misconception of MSPs is that they are meant to replace a preexisting IT team when they are actually supplementing them. While your MSP focuses on more complex or even more tedious tasks, your internal IT department can focus on more critical projects. As a result, your current employees can delegate specific tasks to the MSP, reducing the likelihood of burnout and turnover.
Additionally, as your internal IT team will have more time thanks to the support of your MSP, they can also focus on improving their skills and knowledge. Learning new software and applications can be time-consuming, and with extra time, your employees can develop their IT skills and even obtain new certifications.
As a result, your internal employees are happier and can focus on more pressing tasks, while other IT issues can be handled by a team of experts designated to do so. Just like that, your organization receives the IT support they need, at no additional labor to your current IT staff.
Consistency
Another excellent benefit of outsourcing to an MSP is that you obtain higher levels of consistency. Most MSPs offer on-demand IT support, with 24/7 remote availability and helpdesk support available 365 days a year. This same level of availability is not feasible for your internal team that may be limited to only a few professionals.
If one of your employees gets sick or goes out on vacation, you are left without their set of knowledge and skills for that period of time. Alternatively, because MSPs consist of a team of professionals, they can offer full-time support that an internal employee cannot. MSPs will guarantee that you have support at all times, ensuring that problems are identified and resolved quickly and projects stay on track.
Broad Range of IT Skill Sets
Aside from consistency and availability, having a team of experts also means you have access to a broad range of IT skill sets. Depending on the size of your internal IT team, you may have a generous range of experience and skills, but it is likely more limited than that of an MSP's team. Your MSP will have an array of IT experts with experience in nearly every technology, software, and application available – including expertise in cybersecurity. As a result, you can supplement your IT department with a greater pool of knowledge and skills, ensuring that for any project, you have an experienced professional available.
In addition to intangible skills, your MSP will also provide your company access to state-of-the-art technology. Today's newest technology is quite the investment for any company, and it may not be the best investment for those planning to use it infrequently. Fortunately, MSPs have all of the technology that you may need, allowing you access to it without having to purchase it on your own.
Choose an MSP When Your IT Staff Leave
The current labor challenges being faced in the IT industry can be daunting, but there is a solution. In outsourcing your IT needs to an MSP, your company can receive the support of a team of IT experts. Your MSP can alleviate some of the workloads from your internal team, enabling them to focus on more fulfilling tasks. Additionally, you will have 24/7/365 support with unmatched IT services and technology. As a result, your organization will operate with a higher level of efficiency and innovation than ever before – improving your business tremendously.
