Thinkronization Newsletter
Are EDI, MFT and B2B an alphabet soup to your staffing partner? Is your training and consulting source truly up-to-date on the issues facing the IT and integration industry today? Are you working with a general staffing firm or a partner who has exceptional industry knowledge and will share your end goals? Is general staffing the best avenue, or is niche consulting the best value for your IT investment dollars? While general staffing firms can supply a wide pool of candidates, niche firms can target candidates with specific competencies and skill sets within defined parameters. Niche firms have the added benefit of establishing relationships within their specialty, following both active and passive candidates as their careers evolve.
In this issue of Thinkronization, we explore how organizations benefit from using a specialty IT software, services and recruitment/placement partner, versus a general staffing firm, from the points of view of the decision makers, technologists and sourcing managers.
For The Decision Maker…
How can an organization afford a relationship with a general staffing firm?
According to an article posted on www.cio.com, IT jobs will grow more that 20% through 2020. With an increased demand for IT professionals; quantity is not always quality. The article cites recent finding by the Bureau of Labor and Statics which defines growth for some IT roles of more than 29% in some cases. Demand for quality IT professionals to keep up with the growth of business are a concern for many companies.When you are exploring options to fulfill the growth needs of your business, you have several choices when it comes to staffing. General staffing firms that are considered a jack-of-all-trades can fill your team vacancies with bodies, not always understanding the full scope of your project or the talent/skills required to complete the project. Niche staffing firms are able to provide your business with quality professionals that understand the scope of your project, skills needed to complete your business requirements, and often have established relationships with software providers for greater knowledge about your integration tool(s).
The IT services market accounts for about $120 billion a year. How can an organization truly measure success with a general staffing firm? Evaluate your sourcing firm. Are they specialized in IT? Niche firms attract more specialized candidates. Individuals with better skill sets result in more efficiency through more accurate assessment of project time, costs and scope.
How well do your firm’s account managers understand your IT needs and goals? Do they have the technological expertise your project requires? Can they leverage experience from similar projects to save your company time and money? General staffing firms tend to post positions on LinkedIn and job boards that may or may not be relevant to the industry. When you see these posting by the jack-of-all-trades firms, often times they have misused terminology and/or they have regurgitated a job description that they really don’t understand. Would you rather utilize a firm that simply posts your job or a niche firm that has the ability and knowledge to direct recruit the most qualified candidates?
Niche firms, like Remedi Electronic Commerce Group, can walk you through the entire project, train your employees and effectively hand over the reins upon completion, or partner with your IT staff through individual phases or throughout the project based on your needs. Our sourcing managers will find the right people for your job. People who are ready to work, and require less training time because they are already knowledgeable in specifically defined skill sets. Our account managers have access to more EDI, MFT, and B2B software professionals than a general staffing firm and maintain more solid contacts than general staffing sources.
You need a partner like Remedi Electronic Commerce Group, a business and data integration consulting services and placement company, who can provide the services, support and personnel to meet your needs. For more information, please contact us at 614-436-4040 or inforequest@remedi.com.
For The Technician...
How valuable is specialized experience to your project?The benefit to you, the technician, working side by side with experienced, specialized resources vs. a resource sourced by a general staffing firm can be invaluable. Niche staffing firms provide specialty resources to a variety of clients. These specialty resources, and their firms, often have relationships with software companies, have certifications, and access to documentation developed for similar projects and specific to your project.
Account managers at niche hiring firms are more knowledgeable and experienced with placing candidates in the right tech position, as well. Because account managers at niche firms have more extensive relationships with candidates and clients, they can match a candidate’s specific experience to place them in the right position. These established relationships can further benefit a project and the team by allowing them to expand their career skill sets and leverage relationships with software companies and resellers to enhance experience with specific integration software tools or hardware.
While larger, general staffing firms may have a larger pool of candidates, are they the right candidates? Niche firms tend to attract candidates with more specific skill sets and provide resources that are established and experienced in the field.
Data released in April 2012 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that employment of computer and information systems managers is projected to grow 18 percent through 2020. The bureau reports growth will be driven by organizations upgrading their information technology systems and switching to newer, faster and more mobile networks. Increased IT security needs are also cited among the growth. CNN Money also lists information technology consultants among the best jobs for fast growth in America, citing 20 percent growth over the next decade.
Knowledge of the latest technology is key for IT professionals, and niche sources like Remedi Electronic Commerce Group are ideally positioned to place qualified candidates with top companies. For more information, please contact us at 614-436-4040 or inforequest@remedi.com.
For The Talent Manager…
Specialty recruiters provide better valueAs more companies continue to expand their IT departments, business leaders become savvier, and they are seeking more value from their staffing budget. Niche firms can offer consultants and permanent staff in more specialized skill sets. Studies show that quality applicants are more likely to respond to a specialized firm.
Passive candidates – those who are already employed and happy, but are willing to explore other opportunities if the right job and recruiter seeks them out – are highly sought after and more likely to respond to a niche or specialized firm. Passive candidates can be desirable to place over active candidates seeking employment, due to fewer unknowns up front, such as: Why are they looking? Were they laid off or fired? How long have they been seeking employment?
When general recruiting and placement firms are utilized by companies and they fail, or are slow to respond with resources, companies then often turn to niche firms that have expertise in the industry. Niche firms with connections to jobseekers in the marketplace; provide clients a quicker turn around time on candidates that are screened, qualified, and background checked by recruiting professionals experienced in the line of business. The result is a quality candidate faster.
Niche recruiters have an extensive network of candidates and personal connections to find the best fit and resources for your team or project needs. Non-specialized recruitment firms do not have the same relationship connections that specialty recruiters have. You wouldn’t hire a general laborer for a specific IT skill set. General staffing firms do not have the same pool of qualified, screened candidates that niche firms do. That’s why the professionals at Remedi Electronic Commerce Group can provide better candidates faster.
Given the choice of general or niche staffing firms, you’ll find that candidates prefer working with niche firms for many reasons. Niche firms have specific industry knowledge, know who is hiring, and understand the needs of the IT marketplace in addition to their specialty. The above articles highlight just a few of many reasons an organization can benefit by using a specialty IT software, services and recruitment/placement partner. We hope that as you have EDI, B2Bi, MFT and commerce services and recruitment/placements needs, you will consider us.
