IT staff resourcing has always been a mix of contract/freelance and permanent staff. This presentation is a snapshot of a survey conducted by Curo to examine the resourcing models used by Microsoft Partners.
The survey results include answers to questions such as…
The full survey results (including 9 charts, tables and maps as well as tips and expert commentary) is available to download at bit.ly/CuroReport2
• Are you planning to use IT Contractors in 2015?• How many Permanent & Contract staff do you employ?• Why is your company unlikely to use freelance/contract IT staff?• What’s the most/least popular postcodes for Microsoft contractors?• Which Microsoft technology skills will your staff need in future?
Resourcing Models used by Microsoft Partners
Permanent vs. Contract staff
Source = Curo Resourcing Ltd, 2015 n = 72
= Yes= No= Don’t know
“Are you planning to use IT Contractors in 2015?”
Half of Microsoft Partners plan to use IT Contractors and half do not.However, things can change.
An unexpected win of new business in an area where they have limited resources; the loss of permanent staff on a critical project –
many things could turn a No to a Yes very quickly.
“How many Permanent & Contract staff do you employ?”
Employing 21-50 permanent staff is the most common size, but there is an even spread across the other size groups.
The same is not true when we examine contract staff. A huge 73% employ 5 or less contractors, and only a small proportion utilise high numbers.
The mix of Permanent & Contract staff
Source = Curo Resourcing Ltd, 2015 n = 72
= Contract/Freelance= Permanent
“Why is your company unlikely to use contract IT staff in 2015?”
Most said it was because they had sufficient in-house skills. Just 12% said that cost was the issue. This supports the idea that firms need contractors
when they need them. It’s more an issue of timing, not cost.
Why don’t Microsoft Partners use Contractors?
Source = Curo Resourcing Ltd, 2015 n = 72
“What’s the most/least popular postcodes for Microsoft contractors?”
While it’s true that contractors accept they may need to move temporarily to find work, it’s also true they would prefer to stay local. Check your neighbouring postcodes to see if you can attract IT experts across the border.
But it’s perhaps the ratio of contractors to Microsoft Partners that determines your ability to attract specialist staff. A map of UK hotspots is included in our report, available for download at bit.ly/CuroReport2
Microsoft Contractors by postcode
Source = Curo Resourcing Ltd, 2015 n = 15,651
“Which Microsoft technology skills will your staff need in future”
When asked this question most Microsoft Partners quoted
Azure, Office 365 and SharePointas the technologies their staff will need in 2015.
Our own experience is there is also high demand for
System Center, Security, Mobile Dev, BI and Unified CommsWe have seen greater demand for contractors with security clearance recently,
particularly on sensitive projects such as finance or defence, and now over a quarter of our talent pool are security cleared.
Microsoft technology skills for the future
Keeping staff wages under control is a big part of running a profitable business, but reputation and growth are dependant upon completing projects on time and to specification. Getting the right mix of permanent and specialist contract staff to meet these requirement is key.
Today’s ‘new technology’ will eventually become mainstream, so resource capability needs to be reassessed and the cost of training scrutinised. Does the company bear the cost of training its permanent staff or does it employ specialist contractors who already have the skills?
For more advice on getting the most out of IT contractors please contact Di Mabe on 0845 094 4627 or email [email protected] can download our full report titled ‘Staff Resourcing Models used by Microsoft Partners’ from bit.ly/CuroReport2
Resourcing Models used by Microsoft Partners
Curo Resourcing Ltd400 Thames Valley Park Drive Thames Valley Park Reading Berkshire RG6 1PTT: +44 (0) 845 094 4627Skype: curo.resourcingE: [email protected]: www.curoresourcing.co.uk
Trusted provider of technical experts to Microsoft and its partnersFor the second year running Curo have been appointed as Microsoft Services’“Smart Team Freelance Partner”. This means we manage Microsoft Services’freelance programme, providing contract staff to support project delivery.
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