Mitigating Project Risks When Hiring Bench IT Talent

 

Leveraging bench IT professionals from BenchGeeks for your projects provides huge advantages in terms of rapidly filling talent needs and accessing specialized skills. However, as with any hiring, there are risks to manage when bringing on temporary bench resources. 

 

The key is mitigating these risks through careful planning and management by both clients and IT agencies. 

 

Here are some best practices:

 

Define Project Scope Clearly

 

Leave no room for ambiguity by detailing project objectives, timelines, responsibilities, expectations, and technical specifications in the job posting and contract. This aligns the bench resource.

 

Assess Technical Expertise

 

Thoroughly evaluate the bench IT pro’s skills and experiences against project needs before onboarding. Validate skills through technical evaluations or sample work if needed.

 

Plan Knowledge Transfer

 

Ensure there is a proper handoff through documentation and working alongside existing employees to transfer institutional knowledge to the new bench resource.

 

Establish Ongoing Touchpoints

 

Check-in regularly with the bench resource and closely monitor initial work output. This spots any skill gaps or misalignments early. 

 

Address Gaps Proactively 

 

If the bench pro lacks certain expertise, provide training, resources and mentoring to address it quickly.

 

Clarify Communication Channels

 

Define how the bench resource should communicate with team members, stakeholders and management. Ensure accessibility.

 

Integrate with Teams

 

Facilitate relationships between the bench pro and other teams they must collaborate with for optimal integration.

 

Plan for Transitions

 

For short-term bench hires, prepare transition plans for upcoming end dates to avoid disruptions when the contract ends.

 

Request Feedback

 

Check in with managers the bench IT pro works with to get feedback on work, skills and team dynamics.

 

Incentivize Success 

 

Structure incentive plans and performance metrics that motivate the bench pro to deliver high-quality work aligned with project needs.

 

With the right risk mitigation approach, companies can build bench IT talent into true extensions of their teams through BenchGeeks. Connect with us if you need any assistance ensuring your next bench pro hire goes smoothly!