SMBs face challenges every day. Every activity from balancing the budget to managing vendors and mitigating security risks is full of frustration and uncertainty. Throw IT management into the mix and the stress levels rise beyond manageable, especially when you can’t find the right IT talent to keep your network online and operating efficiently. It’s one of the SMB conundrums that’s nearly impossible to overcome.
According to Wasp Barcode Technology’s Annual State of Small Business report, about half of all SMBs say hiring is their top challenge. For most it’s an even greater worry than increasing profits. And when those businesses add hiring IT talent to the mix, the difficulties just continue to increase.
Why Is It So Hard to Find IT Talent?
Depending on your SMB’s geographic region, you might think finding the right IT talent is a symptom of location. For example, Nashville, Tennessee is a hotbed of IT companies, so SMBs trying to hire IT talent compete with those companies. However, the competition isn’t just in Nashville. No matter what area or region you SMB is in, you’ll have challenges finding the right IT skill set.
Why is that?
There are a number of reasons SMBs struggle with finding the right IT professionals for the job. The most overwhelming of those issues is the sheer level of competition for that skill set. The same skills that your SMB demands for managing networks, controlling security, and creating IT innovation are the skills that every organization needs. That puts the SMB at a disadvantage because:
- Large enterprises, which are hiring the same talent, can offer more competitive compensation and benefits plans. An SMB simply can’t afford to make their offerings attractive enough to draw the top talent or to retain the talent they do have if a recruiter comes knocking at the door.
- SMBs usually have limited advancement opportunities. Most IT talent has a plan for where they want to work at in the long-term or they aspire to open their own business. The SMB is just a stepping stone along the progression of that career track. In an SMB there sometimes aren’t enough positions to ensure IT talent will stay for any length of time.
- Employee engagement is often missing from SMB environments. Engagement activities help to keep employees immersed in and enthusiastic about the work they’re doing for your company, and when engagement is missing, IT professionals become bored and start looking for new opportunities.
For an SMB, the challenges of recruiting and retaining IT talent can be overwhelming. The best IT workers have all the options they could want, and the skills you need are the same skills larger organizations need. If you’re lucky enough to find an IT person who has the skills you need, keeping them is a challenge, too. That means your IT department is always in a state of uncertainty, and your business may struggle to rely on IT as a strategic tool.
If this sounds like the IT struggles your SMB is facing, contact Advanced Network Solutions. Our team of IT professionals replaces uncertainty with the skill sets you need to ensure your business is always ready for whatever comes next.