You know the feeling. Your company needs to scale its IT operations quickly to support growth, but hiring and training new staff takes time. Do you build an in-house team or outsource the work? The hybrid IT sourcing model gives you the best of both worlds.
With a hybrid approach, you maintain a core group of internal IT staff to handle critical functions and sensitive data while outsourcing standardized, low-risk tasks to a global talent pool. This flexible model allows you to tap into specialized skills as needed and scale resources up and down rapidly based on business demands.
A successful hybrid strategy, however, depends on finding the right balance between in-house and outsourced talent. Get it right, and you’ll gain efficiency, control costs, and access world-class skills when you need them. But go too far in either direction, and you could end up with security risks, higher costs, and a mismatch of talent to priorities.
The hybrid IT sourcing model isn’t for every company or situation. But if done strategically, it may just help you achieve the scalability and agility your business needs to compete in today’s fast-paced digital world. Here’s how to make the hybrid model work for you.
Leveraging Local Talent for Business Knowledge and Cultural Fit
When it comes to IT sourcing, don’t underestimate the value of local talent. Hiring developers, engineers, and other tech professionals who live in your area and understand your company culture can be a winning strategy.
- Business knowledge. Local candidates already comprehend your company, customers, and competition. They can hit the ground running without needing months of onboarding to get up to speed.
- Cultural fit. Employees who mesh with your company culture tend to be more engaged and stay longer. With locals, what you see is what you get - no surprises regarding work styles or values.
- Agility. Having tech talent in close proximity allows for quick pivots and changes. Local teams can gather on short notice to brainstorm solutions or respond to issues.
- Cost savings. While remote teams may charge less, consider the hidden costs of miscommunications, reduced productivity, and employee churn. Local talent may balance out to be more budget-friendly.
Of course, the best approach is often hybrid IT sourcing, combining the advantages of local and global talent. For example, hire locally for key leadership roles and on-site engineers, then supplement with reputable offshore partners for additional skills and scale.
The key is finding the mix that maximizes your tech capabilities while keeping costs in check and company values aligned. With the right balance of local and global talent, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Tapping Into the Global Talent Pool for Hard-to-Find Skills
When key tech skills are hard to find locally, looking abroad can be a smart move. Tapping into the global talent pool gives you access to specialized expertise that may be scarce in your own backyard.
As an IT recruiting agency, we’ve helped many companies build out their tech teams with top talent from around the world. Here are a few of our tips for finding and recruiting international IT professionals:
- Focus on skills, not location. Don’t limit your search geographically - cast a wide net to find candidates with the abilities you need. Skilled developers, engineers, and other tech talent can be found anywhere.
- Use global job sites. Post on international job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and AngelList. This exposes your role to qualified candidates worldwide. You can also post on country-specific sites to target certain regions.
- Build a strong employer brand. Highlight what makes your company an attractive place to work. This helps candidates understand your culture and mission, so they can determine if you’re the right fit for them.
- Consider remote work options. Offering remote or hybrid work models opens you up to a global talent pool. Be open to candidates from anywhere if they’re willing to work remotely. This provides more flexibility and work-life balance which many tech professionals seek.
- Provide relocation assistance. For the right candidate, offering relocation and visa sponsorship may be worthwhile. Make the transition as smooth as possible to set them up for success in their new role.
Tapping into global talent networks takes an open mindset and a willingness to accommodate remote and international professionals. But for hard-to-fill technical roles, the effort can pay off through access to a wider range of specialized and experienced candidates. With the right strategies, you can build a high-performing global IT team.
Achieve Competitive Advantage with a Balanced Talent Approach
So there you have it, a few strategies to consider for balancing your local and global IT talent needs. By taking a hybrid approach, you really can have the best of both worlds. Leverage global talent for scale and cost savings where it makes sense, but don't underestimate the value of local talent and relationships. They provide the cultural knowledge and responsiveness that is so critical. With the right governance model and collaborative tools in place, a hybrid IT sourcing strategy can give you a competitive advantage. It may require an upfront investment of time and resources to implement, but will pay off through access to the best talent, improved service delivery and reduced costs over the long run. Why not give it a try? You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The future of work is hybrid - your IT sourcing strategy should be too.
