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HR Spotlight Charlotte Staffing Firms CEO Answers 5 Hard Questions...

May 3, 2005 -- During the economic boom of the late 1990s, demand for business transformation and scarce IT skills drove outsourcing. Cost containment and reduction are back to the top of enterprise agendas, and outsourcing IT positions can help achieve this goal. In this interview, Beth Crigler, CEO of Charlotte, NC-based staffing company Windward Partners answers the hard questions about the benefits of outsourcing and future of IT staffing.



What are the core elements of outsourcing

Beth: For some companies, cost containment is crucial. Outsourcing allows a business to put a fixed cost on the employee asset. Others want access to skilled personnel. Finding qualified employees that fit into a certain corporate culture isn't easy. Another big element is knowledge transfer- its important that the client is never in a position to be left high and dry. Keeping the client updated on the ins and outs of development and transferring core technology to in-house IT staff is a core part of what we do.



When's a company ready to outsource

Beth: Everyone's different, but when a company is growing fast with limited IT resources, they're a good candidate for outsourcing. Really, any company that has a progressive view of information management and considers information technology to be a competitive resource should outsource.



Is it difficult to find qualified candidates

Beth: Yes and no. Most staffing companies can find someone that looks good on a piece of paper and just drop them in somewhere, but that's a recipe for disaster. As an agent for the candidate, you have to really get to know them. If you take a genuine interest in their career and do what's right for their long term goals, you'll attract better people. It's important to know what it takes for a candidate to fit into their new job. We work with small to medium size companies all the way up to Fortune 500 firms, so candidates have a choice of work cultures.



Will IT outsourcing play a role in smaller business

Beth: Things that make good business sense for big companies don't always make sense for everybody, but I think IT outsourcing is appealing to small businesses, since it gives them access to expertise they couldn't otherwise afford. This would probably be a reality right now if it wasn't for the complexity of many outsourcing agreements. One of the primary benefits of the Windward Partners model is its flexibility. Every situation is different, so you need some room to be creative.



How can outsourcing turn ugly

Beth: Everybody has seen bad consulting relationships. The client's in-house staff naturally tries to protect their turf, and the consultant tries to create dependencies by being stingy with information. It's the old story of Not Invented Here vs. Job Security. When you've got two organizations pulling in different directions, you rarely end up where you're supposed to be headed. You've got to be in regular communication, drop the ego and do what's best for the client. Doing things right from the start avoids the IT manager's worst nightmare: zero return on a major IT investment.



Crigler's firm, Windward Partners, is one of a small handful of firms taking a new approach to staff augmentation. Instead of multiple billing mechanisms, work styles and agendas, Windward provides one cohesive team that works across multiple projects, creating a more efficient billing process for the client and strong knowledge transfer for their projects. This approach ties staff augmentation and resource allocation to larger, more strategic business objectives.



Learn more about Windward Partners by visiting their new company website: www.windward-partners.com

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