Using your IT staff to its fullest potential

With fewer IT experts available to hire and CIOs being asked to produce more with less staff, it's important to get as much value from each IT staff member as possible. Step back and honestly assess what your company needs in terms of people and skills. Don't be afraid to turn down a request if you don't have the manpower. Be honest about what you can accomplish and move resources to important initiatives. Hire the best of breed in any field of IT where you can find them. Don't look too narrowly, or the person that you hire will have limited value to the company. And provide real career paths for your people by finding a way to develop them, such as career rotation and training. Also, consider hiring entry-level staff and helping them grow.

Read more about making do with less:
- read the column at TechTarget

ALSO:
- read this on preventing employee turnover
- this on why competition for IT staff is fierce
- this on the need to retain valuable tech knowledge
- and this on the talent war