The explosion of technology and its impact on business performance has increased the demand for high quality and competent IT professionals in a wide range of service areas like mobility, big data, and migration to the cloud, just to name a few. Especially in these hot areas, finding the right IT consultant is no easy task; for any position.
Many questions must be asked to determine the fit: Will the consultant mesh with the client’s culture? How much experience do they actually have with Java? Does their personality match the skills on their resume?
In a tight job market with many clients requesting a wide range of desired skills, finding IT talent to get the job done has never proven more difficult. According to businessnewsdaily.com, “The most important personality trait that employers look for in early-career professionals is the ability to collaborate.” The article goes on to state that the ability to work hard was a close runner-up. But what should you actually be looking for in the perfect IT consultant and what can you do to find them? You’re about to find out…
Company culture is not something that can be trained or taught which is why it is imperative that the IT consultant you hire integrates well into the existing environment. Hiring decisions should be made collectively by your team to ensure that the consultant is a likeable and excellent fit. These decisions should be based on how well the consultant contributes to the values and goals established by the business. The right consultant should contribute harmony, ideas and positivity to the environment.
The perfect IT consultant should bring knowledge and skills to the table to improve the overall performance of the team. Previous training and proper education are an enormous leg up, but the IT consultant who is an expert and knowledgeable enough in the field and industry to feel comfortable speaking and writing on behalf of the business is a huge advantage to your company. Not only should the consultant know the technology environment, but they should have a sound understanding and familiarity with the industry as well.
Going above and beyond the call of duty is almost expected nowadays. The perfect IT consultant should take it upon his or herself to further their education and keep setting career goals. The more the person strives for excellence in their position and personal achievements, the better the opportunity for increased success in the workplace. This over achieving personality trait may inspire other team members to stay on top of technology trends, or seek ways to be more productive or efficient. You definitely can’t have a consultant spending their time staring out the window or creating boards on Pinterest all day. The perfect IT consultant will be driven and focused to exceed personal objectives and the goals of the team. If that translates to skipping lunch or taking a project home over the weekend to meet a tight deadline, so be it. “People who love their job and the company will work all the time anyway. If you’ve hired good fits, you’ll see this happen” (qz.com).
So now you know what to look for in the perfect IT consultant, but how do you find them? Download our eBook, “7 Steps for Identifying and Finding the Perfect IT Consultant” to learn how you can best work with your IT consulting company to find talented, right-fit technology employees for your company!
