As 2018 approaches, many companies are looking ahead, creating plans and forming critical IT goals. With technology advancing at such a rapid rate, many businesses are preparing to up the IT budgets so they can pursue projects and simply keep pace with this quickly evolving industry.

While your company’s precise plans may vary, you shouldn’t be surprised if bringing on additional tech-oriented professionals is a part of it. Here’s why.

Large-Scale Upgrades and Implementations

If you have anything more than basic patches scheduled for the next year, you may need to bring some new hires into your IT department. Systemwide upgrades are cumbersome tasks, especially when they are directed at business-critical applications or services, and implementing a new solution is almost always a challenge. And, if your current tech team already has their plates full, adding such a large project to their workload might not be realistic.

When it comes to large-scale upgrades and implementations, it can make sense to bring in additional IT professionals to make the process more manageable, allowing you to fully maintain your current operations while working towards the next solution. Whether you prefer to bring in contract employees for the short-term or hire a full-time staff member is up to you, and should depend on whether you anticipate a long-term increase in overall workload after the project is complete. But planning to get a few extra hands on deck can ease the burden for your tech pros while ensuring you get a high-quality end result.

Company Growth

Any time you add a significant number of employees to your network, it’s wise to consider bringing on additional technical support staff as well. Whether you recently experienced a period of growth or anticipate one over the coming year, understand that having a more robust IT team is a critical part of supporting your employees and business.

If the systems in place require upkeep, new solutions need to be implemented, or staff members need someone to contact when they experience an issue, having long waiting periods for completion will harm your workflow. So, it is smart to avoid this entirely by properly staffing your IT department as quickly as possible.

Burgeoning Technologies

There have been quite a few significant technological advancements over the past few years and, if you’re considering adding one of them to your system, you’ll need skilled tech pros to support them. IT is a large field, so the professionals you have today might not have the right skills or experience to support a new technology, depending on their areas of expertise. If that occurs, you’ll need to find talented professionals to fill these skill gaps, allowing you to bring in the new technology with greater ease.

If you are looking to hire professionals for your IT team, the recruitment specialists at MindFinders can connect you with some of the best talent available. Contact us today to see how our customized approach to hiring can benefit you.

Written by Tim Booker, President and CEO of MindFinders, with over 20 years of industry experience.