| Opportunities to innovate abound in a down market | | | | has already happened and smart managers look |
| and successful businesses know how to strike a | | | | ahead; not in the rear view mirror. Thoughtful, educated |
| balance between cost containment and capitalizing on | | | | projections are required for employing smart resource |
| new opportunities that present themselves. A down | | | | management strategies. |
| economy provides excellent opportunities to evaluate | | | | In a difficult economy, the reality is that companies may |
| and optimize your current Information Technology | | | | feel the need to reduce their IT recruiting and staffing |
| staffing and resources and employ a proactive | | | | efforts. However, it is not productive for an |
| approach to managing your IT department. | | | | organization to cut or freeze hiring across the board |
| Begin by renewing IT's relationship to the business side | | | | without a thorough and comprehensive review of its |
| of the organization. Closely examine where IT is | | | | talent position by position. The complexities to be |
| legitimately adding value and how IT initiatives are | | | | considered include preserving subject matter expertise |
| helping the organization achieve competitive | | | | that is critical to your organization and ensuring that the |
| advantages. Scrutinize every aspect of your | | | | poorest performers are targeted, rather than have the |
| department (infrastructure, legacy systems, databases | | | | talent working on redundant initiatives. The greater |
| and application development) and then reprioritize your | | | | availability of talented IT professionals in the job market |
| initiatives, keeping in mind the key business drivers the | | | | provides an opportune time to initiate a cost effective |
| organization will be using in its decision making process. | | | | talent upgrade. It may also be a good time to consider |
| Many organizations currently are in a holding pattern | | | | outsourcing contracts with professional technology |
| when it comes to their IT staffing. The InSource Group | | | | staffing agencies since managing budgets and |
| recently conducted an informal survey of companies in | | | | timelines of outsourced projects can be easier than |
| the Dallas area regarding their hiring plans. The majority | | | | containing the head count, costs and timelines of |
| of respondents indicated they were not planning on | | | | in-house projects. Cost containment is important, but |
| major changes to their IT talent and most hiring plans | | | | must be done with business drivers in mind. Ultimately, |
| were conservative. These responses were not | | | | those companies that view the current economic |
| unexpected and in all probability these organizations | | | | environment as an opportunity to refocus on business |
| are waiting on further economic data to make | | | | drivers and stretch the organization's capacity for |
| decisions before making bold decisions. While this is | | | | innovation will weather the storm and inevitably be |
| predictable, businesses can put too much weight on | | | | better positioned for the economic upturn. |
| economic data. Remember such data reflects what | | | | |