When Should You Hire a Contractor For Your IT Jobs?

Some jobs are best left in the hands of a professional contractor. This is as true in IT as it is in any other field. There are certain situations where it makes sense to hire a contractor for your IT jobs. You may be looking for an expert for a short-term project or even an urgent hiring situation. In these situations, hiring a contractor for your IT job makes a lot of sense.

It might seem counterintuitive to bring an IT contractor in temporarily. If your company already has an in-house IT department, it might not initially make sense to look for outside help. This department also has other responsibilities beyond solving these particular issues, however.

A contractor can be invaluable support on a short-term project. This way, the focus can remain on upkeep and security. If the contractor does a great job and you want to keep them around permanently, that’s always an option, too. Hiring a contractor can be a valuable support for your company’s IT department.

The Importance of IT Support Jobs

IT support jobs are an important part of the larger IT job market. Many tech professionals like the flexibility, freedom and potential work-life balance IT support work can offer. According to a 2018 NPR/Marist poll, 1 in 5 American workers are working contract jobs like IT support. With an increasing need for greater flexibility and on-demand help, employers are still relying on contractor jobs for IT support positions.

This leads to two conclusions. It reaffirms the idea that workers see benefits to contract work over full employment. It also shows that employers rely on IT support workers for specific projects or smaller durations of time.

By taking on a contract worker for a short-term project, there’s a reduced risk in testing them out. If a contract worker is a good fit for the organization, they can always be approached for fulltime employment. After their contract job is finished, they can be reassigned to other IT support positions as necessary. This extra flexibility is another reason many employers look at contractors as a dry run for employment. Many contract jobs don’t necessarily lead to full employment, but it can be a way to test for them.

When an IT Job Should Become an IT Contract Job

An IT job requires a specialist to fully address the complexity of a technical dilemma. The time that’s taken to solve the issue should be taken into consideration, too. In many cases, an IT job like this can be handled in-house. In more dire situations, however, these jobs may have to become IT contract jobs. For example, losing an employee with a specialized skillset may require a temporary contractor to fill that position. In situations like this, you might need a new Subject Matter Expert (SME).

Also, an employee may be going on maternity or temporary leave, which will require coverage until they return. That kind of coverage may be necessary to meet tight deadlines or to complete a delayed project. In situations like these, instead of hiring permanent staff, an IT contract position could help pick up the slack. There’s no need to overburden your own IT department with this strain, either. It can easily be alleviated with the help of a skilled contractor.

Looking for IT Contract Jobs?

Rackfinity is here to help with your high-quality tech equipment or installation issue. We work in partnership with ISNetworld to ensure our IT contractors are the best choice for the job. Installation and support assistance through one of ISNetworld’s contractors will ensure all your needs are met. We also offer a wide range of tech, peripherals, hardware, and more.