Forgoing Using Contract Cloud Migration Specialists: Benefits Vs Drawbacks

In our recent conversations with clients, we have had a number of hiring managers question whether they need contract cloud migration specialists for their projects or whether they can just upskill their current employees to cover the workload.

Whilst all companies do need to upskill their tech workers to an extent so that their team understands how to work with cloud technology, leading a cloud migration requires a specific skill set.

The best answer as to whether to hire or upskill to fill the migration position, of course, depends on the business, the staff available and the project itself. However, there a number of aspects businesses need to take into account when considering whether hiring cloud contractors or upskilling current staff is the right way forward.

What are cloud migration specialists?

Firstly, it’s important to specify what cloud migration specialists actually are. In essence, cloud migration specialists are niche and highly skilled cloud professionals who work solely on cloud projects that include developing, implementing and managing a cloud migration strategy. This incorporates transferring an organisations’ data, applications and workloads to the cloud for the first time or from one cloud-based system to another.

Cloud migration specialists are most commonly contractors who have built up their skills and experience to focus on cloud migration projects. Hiring cloud contractors has many benefits, including giving their clients access to their wealth of experience, knowledge and understanding of processes that they have learned from previous projects. These specialists are well prepared and efficient in leading migration projects.

Why are some companies hesitant to contract cloud specialists?

A number of companies we have worked with recently have told us that they have considered upskilling their IT staff to manage the migration process instead of contracting cloud migration specialists. Some have looked into training programmes or contracting a cloud migration specialist for a short period to train current staff into these roles, but on most occasions, they realised that using a specialist to lead a cloud migration was actually the best option.

Reasons why some companies opt for upskilling staff when tackling cloud migration projects

Budgets

In recent years, due to macroeconomic factors, businesses have been looking for ways to reduce spending and maximise budgets. Using a highly skilled contractor, such as a migration specialist, can seem like a high initial cost, despite the fact that in the long run it can be the most cost-effective.

Staff retention

Upskilling staff is well understood to help in retention and can be a reason why some businesses, along with wanting a smaller budget, choose to upskill rather than contract out the project to a specialist. However, this can have serious drawbacks, when the project is over and the organisation’s newly upskilled employees don’t have any opportunities to continue growing their skills in their particular role.

Upskilling is required anyway

In order for a migration to be successful, a company’s IT team will need an amount of training so that they understand how the system fits into their technology landscape and how to manage and troubleshoot their systems in the future. However, the skills needed to lead an implementation are quite advanced and can take a while to upskill an individual to the level needed.

Benefits and drawbacks of contract cloud migration specialists

Benefits

Efficiency

Some companies may be hesitant to hire contractors due to perceived high costs. However, contractors engaged on a time and materials (T&M) basis, rather than a fixed-term contract, are incentivised to work efficiently. Their reputation and ability to secure future opportunities often depends on their track record of meeting deadlines and delivering cost-effective, high-quality work. This structure ensures that clients pay only for the actual time and effort required, rather than committing to a fixed duration that may not reflect the true scope of work.

Worldwide experience

Due to their lengthy experience in cloud migration, cloud migration specialists can add extensive knowledge to the tech team, including what has worked for clients previously to improve the processes for their new client. Additionally, it is likely that they will have already seen what setbacks have occurred in other companies and so can plan for all eventualities going forward.

Immediate start

If a company is looking for a cloud migration specialist urgently, they will not have the time to upskill staff to the level that they need. Contractors are used to quick turnarounds and often companies can find contractors that can start within hours if need be. Furthermore, due to their extensive experience, they will have the knowledge and the skills to jump on a project immediately and get the process moving.

Drawbacks

High initial cost

There is no side-stepping the challenges around cost and budgets. Cloud contractors do tend to ask for a higher day rate than what an IT professional who could be upskilled into the role would ask for. This initial cost may be off-putting for some businesses and IT departments who want to keep costs low to manage budgets effectively. However, having an efficient, experienced migration specialist in the team can help to reduce costs as they will be able to ensure the project is completed within a reasonable timeframe.

Level of risk

Whether you hire a permanent employee or contract professional, there is always a risk of a potential bad hire not working out when you engage someone new. Whilst this risk can be managed by seeing previous work and reviewing references, an individual could always not work out which can derail a company’s migration project. Often companies understand the capabilities and suitability of their current staff, so it can seem like a more sensible option to upskill a trusted and skilled team member rather than engage a new unknown contractor.

Is there a compromise?

The real advantage to using contract recruitment when tackling migration projects is that a company can hire a resource for the parts of the role they require for the allotted time they need. For example, they can hire a cloud migration specialist just to upskill and train their current workforce to lead the implementation themselves, or use a specialist to plan and implement the process and to let the current team carry out deployment.

Whilst the most recommended option is to use a cloud migration specialist for the whole project lifecycle to ensure everything is done swiftly and correctly, a compromise is possible depending on a company’s current capabilities.

If you are looking for great cloud migration specialists to drive your migration project forward, our team have access to fantastic candidate pools of expert talent. Get in touch with our team here to learn more.