Finding qualified IT technicians is becoming more difficult by the day. The proliferation of the globalized job search, a new general passion for entrepreneurialism, and the gig economy have all crashed at the intersection of full-time employment. Good luck finding highly qualified techs to handle your retail IT deployment in all of that wreckage.
Fortunately, the breakdown of traditional full-time employment is actually an opportunity for savvy companies. The proper use of specialized online labor platforms actually gives your company a chance to come out ahead in terms of talent. You can get a higher level of service without having to worry about overhead, training, health care costs, or employee turnover. As long as you are willing to explore "having control" instead of "requiring ownership" of your labor force, you have a world of new, cost-effective labor at your fingertips.
Knowing Where to Look
The first step is knowing where to look to find your new team of techs. Today, the two major platforms for qualified retail IT techs are Field Nation and WorkMarket. These so-called freelancing sites attract a different kind of independent contractor than, say, Upwork, Elance, or the aptly named Freelancer.
Because these platforms tend to market to tech-savvy, upscale SMBs and enterprise-level companies, the projects that need completion there require a high level of IT skill. The only people who have these skills are highly trained specialists who are looking specifically for this type of work. You cut through the weekend warriors and hobbyists straight to the full-time IT professionals with experience.
Platforms like WorkMarket and Field Nation may require much more direct management when expanding globally. Vetting a global partner can take more time, and you’ll want a partner that leverages all tools and platforms to help best govern and align the right resources based on scope, region, and more.
Understanding the New Labor Market
The general market for employment is a buyer's joy. Unskilled labor will continue to have problems.
The market for elite IT employment is currently — and will always be — a seller's paradise. There is always a shortage of people with the skill set to handle the esoteric workings of specialized software. Those IT pros with a specialty and the ability to problem solve in real-time stay booked. They do not need to sell themselves to any single employer. Everyone wants them; everyone needs them; get in line.
There is no use searching for a deal in this labor market. Finding specialists in retail IT who sell themselves at competitive prices is well worth the expense. After all, your company is set up to profit as long as everything runs smoothly, correct? Your primary need from retail IT is the ability to avoid costly errors and downtime. Expect to pay for this.
For the most part, these elite IT professionals are not cocky — they just understand their worth. Long negotiations over nickels and dimes will only lead to that individual taking on another project. Save the hard-nosed stuff for other departments.
Managing an Ongoing Need for IT Specialists
Your needs in retail IT will constantly change. This is why employing a full-time generalist is actually a disadvantageous proposition. You may feel safe having an "IT pro" in-house, but the truth is that hiring on-call specialists in real time is much better for business. However, keeping up with the fast-paced labor market, following up with prospects that you have earmarked as talented and affordable, and locking down the logistics with specialists can be a daunting task.
Here’s the best part about the new gig economy: You can outsource the staffing of your retail IT team just as much as the retail IT team itself. Forget having to keep up with the labor market — let dedicated experts do that work for you.
Here at Kinettix, for example, specialize in providing IT field services, onsite deployments, and specialized techs to retail IT, as well as global dispatch services for IT emergencies. Your problems of adaptation and slow response times are over. Give us the keys to your labor force so that you focus on what you do best.
