Hiring IT experts typically comes down to choosing between a generalist with a long resume of client projects and diverse ideas or a specialist who has expertise in your chosen technology. While you might have a place for both in your company, they serve different roles for different seasons. Jack of all trades or a hyper-focused expert−which is the best fit for your team? Understanding what you need in your next hire will help you make the best choice come decision time.
Should You Hire an IT Expert Specialist or a Generalist?
Before you post that job on your company website, take a few moments to consider whether a technology generalist or a specialist will provide the right support for your team.
Generalists Provide Flexibility and Innovation Up Front
One benefit of a generalist is his or her fluid spirit and ability to use all of his or her skills and knowledge to problem solve creatively. He or she might have more curiosity and innovative ideas because they’re exploring the IT industry as a whole rather than on a granular level. If you’re looking for fresh ideas on implementation or someone ready to learn a new skill, you might want to hire a generalist.
The best time to bring on a generalist would be before you’ve made an investment in technology. He or she could give you a fresh perspective on your processes and what platforms you might be overlooking, and he or she can tackle the learning curve along with you and your existing team.
Specialists Can Help You Get the Most Out of Your Existing Tech
If you just finished a tech implementation or training, a specialist might be a better fit. You already did the research on what would work for your company, and you spent the money necessary to get it installed and running. You don’t need the innovation that comes from a generalist because you’ve already completed that part of the project. If you need someone to best manage the platform you’re already building, a specialist is sure to know your new tech like the back of his or her hand and be equipped to provide the specialized support you need.
Specialists keep up with product news and best practices
Technology specialists also keep up with the news and best practices for your product in ways that a more generalized team might not have time to do. Especially if you bring a specialist on part-time or as a consultant, the specialist will be interested in expanding his or her education on his or her own time to increase his or her value. These specialists keep up with the best of your particular platform, not just IT in general.
Both Generalists and Specialists Bring Insights from Previous Work
Whether you’re working with a team member who has deep-seated specific knowledge, or someone with a patchwork of loosely relevant experience, you can bet that the team you hire today will bring their past knowledge with them to the table. They might provide ideas and shortcuts from previous projects to make your process run more smoothly. Might be they have an idea to for cross-application from another industry that might work well with your company.
Both generalists and specialists are capable of harnessing an innovative spirit across industries and bringing that insight into your chosen system.
Using a Recruiter for Hiring IT Experts
How do you sort through the sea of generalists to find the perfect specialist for your team, or vice versa? With a job posting on a company website, you’ll be digging through resumes to determine if the candidates actually have the expertise, or if they’ve only worked on your platform at some point in their career.
Recruiters also come with specialties, and a technology recruiter will be keeping up with the candidates from past placements who have the certifications and experience you’re looking for. When a recruiter places the same candidate for multiple positions, they’ll have the best understanding of past job performance and experience.
Save yourself time with during the hiring process (and then time during the training process!) by working with an IT recruiter to find your specialist or generalist.
Get the best hire quickly by utilizing our expertise. We’re the IT hiring experts, and we can find you the candidate you need to support and properly utilize your technology investment. Connect with us today to get started.
