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Staffing firms that specialize in information technology consultants can add considerable value to your search for an IT specialist because they will have prescreened potential consultants and checked references before recommending a candidate. They can also assist you in clarifying the projects scope and, in the process, help determine the most effective staffing mix. All of this can save you considerable time and money.
A good pointer for interviewing prospective consultants is to ask them to walk through the details of one outstanding project. The way the consultant describes it, the intricacies, the knowledge, the details he or she uses, should shed a great deal of light on his or her level of expertise and work style.
Once managers have identified three to four potential candidates, they should make sure that references have been checked diligently. Questions that should have been answered include:
Again, all of these are questions for which a staffing firm can perform the research extensively.
A few simple arrangements ahead of time will help the consultant get started as quickly as possible.
To help foster a more congenial work environment, managers should explain the nature and length of the consultants project to their staffs. Managers should encourage them to be supportive. In many cases, consultants are brought in to lighten the work load for regular staff, who are usually grateful for the additional help.
As discussed previously, objectives, needs, and timing should be thought through. Even if the consultants first step is be to help fine tune this information, managers need to begin with their visions of a project description, that is, with a basic understanding of the projects specifics. If possible, this should be written down on a single page. It will provide both the organization and the consultant with a helpful baseline measure of the expectations.
The last thing any organization wants is to have a consultant show up and have no place to work. All necessary tools should be made part of the consultants workspace, including a desk, phone, and computer that includes all relevant hardware and software. Materials should be organized no later than the day before the consultant begins work. Before he or she arrives, someone should explain the companys dress code.
When he or she arrives, someone needs to provide basic workplace information, such as where to hang coats, location of rest rooms, the lunch hour, policies on smoking, and where supplies are kept. Also, managers should make sure all proper paperwork has been completed for the human resources department, and that, if possible, the consultant processes this information before the first day on the job. The goal of all this is to ensure that the consultant is able to jump right in and be productive as soon as possible.
As the assignment progresses, be sure to regularly check on the consultants performance. While it is important to provide him or her with a degree of freedom, conducting weekly meetings or requesting regular reports on the projects status are also a sound practice. Managers should take time to discuss the project, including changes in timing and unexpected developments.
Solicit feedback from the IT staff. Is the consultants interpersonal manner appropriate for the IT department and the one its serving? Is the consultant receptive to input?
In answering these questions, it is important to remember that a good consultant can help with more than just the task at hand. Managers can take time to tap his or her expertise for insights into additional challenges and projects the department is facing. Because consultants have often worked in a wide range of industries, they might well offer new insights into the departments problems.
If the organization is working with a consulting firm, managers can check in frequently with the firms account managers to tell them how the consultant is working out and clients should not hesitate to air their grievances. Whether taking the time for an emphatic talk with the consultant or finding a replacement, a quality firm should be able to satisfy all needs promptly. The firm should also be able to assist in determining what additional consultants might be necessary.
IT staff should feel free to disagree with a consultants recommendation. Working as a consultant requires a healthy appetite for problem solving. The consultant or consulting team should be more than willing to discuss the pros and cons of recommendations in a logical manner. During these discussions and when reaching a consensus, managers should make sure the consultant is then totally committed to implementing the agreed-upon recommendation. The organization is the client, and the final responsibility for successfully completing a particular project is the managers. The manager should not hesitate to assert his or her role whenever appropriate.
In working with the consultant, the manager might also recognize the need to create a full-time position or positions. Over time, activities that once were performed on a contract basis could easily evolve into full-time positions, for example, maintaining a departmental database. Experienced consultants and staffing firms are adept at pointing out to clients work that could be performed by an employee (i.e., writing source code). Managers should talk with the consultant about staffing scenarios and let them help develop new job descriptions for IT positions.
Consultants who help you in the ways discussed in this chapter will only enhance their value to a client organization. To summarize, any business considering bringing in consultants should:
Without a doubt, the role of IT will continue growing to meet needs across the enterprise. In this way, managers can see that a competent consultant can be a strategic business partner.
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