In the past year, most businesses have taken steps to “hunker down” and be a survivor. Many businesses are taking the opportunity to strengthen themselves to emerge stronger when the economy fully recovers.
De-risking your business is a simple framework that can be used to analyze your business and adjust your execution plan. Here are five areas to de-risk.

Recruiters tend to focus on how to examine a candidate to find the perfect match for the job. After all, that’s how they’re paid. When it’s your future and you are the candidate, how should you examine a company to determine whether it will be a perfect fit?

Some companies rely heavily on contractors to staff projects and even entire departments within IT. Others exclusively prefer full-time employees. Understanding the total cost of an employee is crucial in the decision-making process. However, the ultimate decision should be based on your company or department’s business strategy. Businesses often underestimate the total cost of a full-time employee. It’s true that hourly rates are usually higher for contractors and consultants than full-time employees, but we must consider all hard and soft costs. Some are not so apparent.

When deciding whether to use a technology contractor or hire a full-time IT employee, businesses must consider a wide range of factors. The choice must be rooted in the company or department’s business strategy, followed by consideration of cost.

Ask Yourself These 8 Questions…
• Is the function strategic to the business or tactical in nature?
If the function [...]

Technology executives are key business strategy players in today’s mid-market companies. In recent years, we’ve raised the bar for the qualifications for the ideal CIO. But, are our expectations realistic? Are we looking for a superman or superwoman?

Last week CIO.com reported that “IT Jobs May Get Left Behind in Recovery.” To sum it up, author Patrick Thibodeau deduced that companies will be less likely to hire permanent employees and more likely to hire contractors or use outsourcing providers to meet increased demand for IT workers and functions.
The evidence? Increased revenue and earnings [...]