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As CEOs envision different scenarios for achieving company success, finding and retaining people with the skills needed to grow the business is a top concern. In PwC’s global 2017 CEO survey, 82% of U.S. respondents said that they see the availability of talent as the biggest threat to their business growth. When you also consider that the skills that have the highest priority for these CEOs include problem-solving, leadership and innovation, it makes sense to have IT outsourcing included in a successful talent and business strategy.
The Challenge of Resourcing an IT Department
There are many roles to fill in a fully functioning IT department, and it is impossible to find one or even a few people who can be experts in all aspects of IT. The roles include professionals who can build systems, keep servers running and up-to-date, and monitor the health and security of the network. Others need to specialize in software applications. There is always a need for some people who can answer user questions and help take care of issues when they occur. Someone skilled in technology and business must collaborate with management to create an IT strategy.
Outsourced IT as a Talent Strategy
CEOs can push past talent availability barriers that threaten the growth of their businesses when they outsource IT as part of their talent strategy. By doing this, they can offload the challenge of recruiting, training and retaining technical professionals while filling all the roles needed for a whole IT department for a fraction of the cost of doing the same thing internally. When the IT provider’s business model is focused solely on providing IT department service, a consistently high level of IT capability and innovation is delivered, contributing to their competitive advantage.
Value Reaped from Outsourcing IT
Outsourcing IT can be a valuable part of talent strategy and an increasingly important part of business strategy. IT companies that work with CEOs and management to create and implement IT strategies can help them meet goals and improve business by leveraging technology to increase productivity, lower costs and better manage risk, ultimately boosting business value.
About the Survey
PwC (formerly Price Waterhouse Cooper) has conducted its CEO survey for 20 years. For the 2017 study, they talked to 1,379 CEOs worldwide to collect information on their opinions and attitudes on competitive threats, government regulation, the workforce and how they will grow their businesses during a time of rapid cultural and technological change.
