best practices for managing IT workforces — and closing the skills gap.

IT hiring is in a state of flux right now, with new best practices governing retention, onboarding, compensation and more. To drive better outcomes, keep the following pointers top of mind.

• Don’t shy away from hiring contractors: Contractors are a great way to address short-to-medium-term skills gaps — plus, they can hit the ground running with plug-and-play expertise, minus the usual long-term commitment on your end. 
• Consider managed service solutions: With a managed service solution, skills gaps and depleted talent pools are a non-issue, because the best people for any given project are already on hand, giving you a serious edge on your competitors. 
• Invest in reskilling: It sounds simple, sure, but nearly three out of four candidates will stick with an employer that does.

Seek value-adding partnerships: From talent development programs to immigration services (ahem, Randstad has a 95 percent visa-approval rate), strategic partners are your best bet for mitigating talent-related challenges before they get in the way of key business goals.