The IT industry is constantly evolving. This evolution is vital to meet business objectives and drive productivity forward, but it also makes the potential for skills shortages much higher. Businesses need to move forward and individuals with skills to fill these gaps have an opportunity to maximise their expertise by contracting to these organisations.

Maybe you’re considering using or already have used contractors in your business. There are lessons to be learned every single time, but here are a few pros and cons to weigh up to get the most from your investment and minimize the risks to your business.

Should you use IT contractors?

PROS

1. An dedicated expert for a specific project

This is the big one. If you need to deliver a specific project to meet a business objective defined by your CEO you may find yourself looking at an IT team that just doesn’t have the experience needed. Contractors can help to bring and share experience in helping you meet your objective.

2. You have greater flexibility

Setting a contractor to a specific task without having to commit to the long term is a big advantage. You can also easily terminate a contract if you find that the person actually isn’t up to the job.

3. No extra investment

Although they have a reputation for being more expensive, most businesses find than over a three year period contractors do not work out costing more than a regular employee.

CONS

1. Less commitment to your business

Any contractor you hire will not have the same level of loyalty to the company or even to the team that they’re working in. Always have in mind that they are just a hired gun to get a particular job done.

2. Potential lack of direction

A good contractor should be proactive in helping you to complete tasks, but without clear instructions and expectations being communicated you could end up paying per hour for someone to sit doing nothing.

3. Increased security risk

Introducing any outside element to an IT infrastructure is bound to elevate the security risk. There are a number of unknowns that a contractor brings into your organisation. Be clear about where and what contractors have access to and be sure to revoke that access once specific tasks are completed.

Wallix helps in this area specifically by giving you full control of what systems contractors can access, as well as a comprehensive audit log and videos of activity captured during their sessions.