What you should consider before hiring your next tech person
Hiring a technology consultant or a technology support team is not only about hiring a technical person to maintain your digital infrastructure. Many businesses approach technology with a “break-fix” attitude: something breaks, my tech person fixes.
Technology, however, is tied less to the “break-fix” mentality and more to the optimization and revenue state of mind. How can my investment in technology optimize and improve my workflow? How can I automate processes so my employees spend less time on menial tasks? How can I bill more quarterly? How can I bill more annually?
By approaching technology with an “optimization” model in mind, businesses are realizing that technology drives growth and that technology is not a nonessential cost but an essential investment. That is why it is integral that your IT employees, whether they are in-house or outsourced, must understand this and play these three vital roles: the Translator, the Orchestrator, and the Tech with Many Faces.
The Translator
When hiring an IT person, it is integral that they act as The Translator. They need to understand that you don’t understand the language of technology — that is why you hired them. Your tech team must be able to translate what the state of your technological infrastructure, your technical efficiencies, inefficiencies, etc. mean simply, in a language you, the business owner, can understand. That means talking in dollars and cents. How are your IT decisions, technology investments, and tech inefficiencies affecting your revenue? How much is it losing you? How much time is it wasting you? How much will it cost to fix? And, how much Return on Investment (ROI) will you get back? If your IT people can’t translate tech issues non-technically and can’t talk numbers, you will not grow.
The Orchestrator
Always remember this: you hire technical people to make technical decisions for you. They are the experts in that field, not you. A technology consultant, as well as an IT team, must always be able to handle all other technical personnel. They must be able to outsource technical help when needed, and be able to manage all parties involved. That means setting goals, expectations, regulations, deliverables, etc. to every vendor, outsourced team manager, and their own IT team. You should not be the orchestrator on technology projects. They should be able to handle everything from start to finish and only play the role of The Translator when it comes to informing you about important aspects.
The Tech with Many Faces
The Tech with Many Faces is one of the most important roles your tech team should play. When hiring a technology employee, whether in-house or outsourced, you must be sure that they are not only an expert in the technology industry, but an expert in your industry. Why? Technology Consultants and IT teams should help you optimize your business and make you money. If they don’t understand your industry, your industry’s problems, and the way you need to work on a daily basis to compete in that industry, their skills are useless. If they can’t understand your specific industry needs, they cannot understand your challenges or your business. You must hire a tech who specializes in your industry and is a leader in their own industry. They must be able to adapt and understand the environment around them quickly and efficiently to make you more money.
zbrella Technology Consulting is the leading technology consulting and managed IT services firm in New York, Miami, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. Our CIOs specialize in delivering revenue boosting solutions and support to business owners across the country to connect the gap between the world of technology and the financials of your business. Reach out to us today at 800-750-4296 or contact us at “sales @ zbrella . com”
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