IT Support Company or In-House?
It can be difficult to know whether to hire an IT support company or to do your IT in-house. Whilst many companies have their own IT departments, IT support companies in London like Infinity Group can provide clients with business solutions that allow employers to focus on other areas of their business.
There are various areas to consider when trying to decide the best option, and it often depends on the nature of your business. The following areas will help you to determine whether to hire an IT support company or to do your IT in-house.
Your skills
As someone running their own business – or “the boss” – it’s important to establish your strengths and weaknesses. If your business is relatively small and new and you are confident in your IT knowledge, you might be comfortable hiring an IT team and putting your faith in their skills. The key is to make sure you ask the right questions at interview stage and establish a mutual respect with your new IT manager.
However, if you have a limited technical knowledge and you’re worried about this aspect of the business, it can never hurt to speak to an IT support company. You will speak to someone with experience in supporting all kinds of businesses and won’t need to worry about your own lack of knowledge in the area.
Alternatively, it’s important to consider your own interests and goals for the business. As the boss, do you want to be focusing your energy on IT and technology? Or are there other areas that you want to specialise in, such as marketing, consumer satisfaction or employee attrition? Whilst there isn’t a right or wrong answer, some people might argue that good bosses need to put people skills above technical knowledge.
For years, Google has been setting out to determine what makes a great manager. They used a research team to conduct annual employment surveys and performance evaluations, and came up with the following ten most important qualities in a good manager:
- Is a good coach
- Empowers team and does not micromanage
- Creates and inclusive team environment, showing concern for success and wellbeing
- Is productive and results oriented
- Is a good communicator – listens and shares information
- Supports career development and discusses performance
- Has a clear vision/strategy for the team
- Has key technical skills to help advise the team
- Collaborates across Google; and
10.Is a strong decision maker
You will notice from the list that most of the qualities listed refer to the way managers communicate with their employees and make them feel. Whilst having “key technical skills to help advise the team” is on the list, it is the only quality that features specialised knowledge – perhaps emphasising the importance of social skills.
Your business
Employers also need to consider the area of their business when deciding whether to hire an IT support company or do their IT in-house. If you are working in technology, engineering or design, for example, you might have more of a pressing need for IT in-house. This is because of the complex software that might be used and the amount of technological support needed.
Alternatively, if your business requires less technological support, you might not need an in-house IT team. If you’re running a small business with in-home services that require less technical assistance (like repairs, consultancy or writing, for example) then an IT support company may be more viable, and can be used for reactive means.
Another substantial area to consider is the finances of your business. How much money do you have to spend on IT services?
According to Jeffrey Rumburg and statistics at MetricNet, 77% of service desk agents are either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. However, fewer than 30% of all service desks track agent job satisfaction. But why does this matter?
If you choose to have an in-house IT support team, the team functions actively to support the office and improve morale – however, many employees who work on IT service desks do not have a strong morale themselves. This could lead to high employee attrition, which is expensive, time consuming and all round not great for your business. Recruitment in general can be expensive and therefore an in-house IT team should be considered with a view of potential costs. Will it be beneficial enough?
Pros and cons
So, you’ve thought about yourself as an employer, your business in general, and your finances – but what are the pros and cons to having an IT support company or doing your IT in-house? Which path should you take?
In-house pros
With in-house IT services, you have a team of dedicated staff who you know and trust. This means you’ve built solid relationships and can communicate effectively. They are invested in the company and know the network and databases like the back of their hand.
In-house cons
However, with in-house services you rely on one or two people – depending on the size of your company and the need for IT support. So, if someone hands in their notice or takes the day off sick, you could be in trouble. Plus, you will have to have a good knowledge of recruitment strategies and this is another team of employees you need to support.
IT support company pros
With an IT support company, you don’t need to hire an in-house team, and therefore you have extra money to spend elsewhere – plus extra office space. You can speak to an experienced member of staff who has dealt with companies like yours regularly and be reassured that you’re in safe hands.
IT support company cons
However, when you outsource, you might not have the same level of trust, as you don’t know them on a personal level. They might not be as invested in your company, and will be less familiar with your database. They may also be dealing with several different clients, so you might have to wait longer for a response.
