The Evolution of Technology Staffing

Of all of the challenges faced by companies, one of the top concerns is recruiting and hiring top talent, especially technology professionals. Fast paced and dynamic, the technology world requires those who can adapt to the often seismic shifts of business needs. Vernovis, a boutique staffing firm that connects high-quality technology consultants as well as those in accounting and finance to leading businesses, has managed to find success in a competitive industry by evolving with the ever-changing industries it helps to staff.

With more than 20,000 staffing firms in the U.S., and with staffing and recruiting growth outpacing both economic and employee growth, it is crucial for staffing firms, especially in the technology sector, to distinguish themselves from the pack. Businesses often mention growth and evolution as the key to staying relevant, but the difference is Vernovis actually distinguishes themselves.  Vernovis knows it’s important to stay ahead of the technology that the business world relies upon. 

“Just like any organization that has a technology department, it’s important for us to stay on the leading edge of what’s going on which can be challenging. It’s a formidable task because technology and the way it impacts business can change so quickly,” says Jason Skidmore, CEO of Vernovis.

Skidmore attributes their success to a variety of factors: maintaining a holistic education of industry matters and keeping ears attuned to the rumblings of the technology world are two of the most important.

“It’s reading things, it’s getting involved in technical publications, it’s being aware of different conferences that we can lead or contribute to,” says Skidmore. “It’s also participating in local user groups and other organizations that often sponsor learning opportunities.  These groups share content and invite the latest, relevant speakers to join their events. These are all really great ways for us to stay ahead.”

He does not discount, however, the importance of the client relationships to the continuing evolution of Vernovis. Those, as well as Vernovis’ “open-door” policy, put the company in the unique position of being in line with clients’ changing needs. 

“If we’re truly being purposeful about how we engage with our client companies, and how we engage with consultants who are working with us, we learn from them.  They often have a lot of the expertise and they’re doing a lot of the work and research that goes into figuring out kind of what that ‘next thing is,’ if you will,” says Skidmore. “How we engage with them helps us stay ahead of what’s coming next.”

Founded in 2009, Vernovis has been adept at maintaining personal and responsive relationships with consultants and clients as they have evolved into a larger company. Vernovis grew both in the form of expanded office space at their Mason location as well as new office space in Columbus last year. In addition, Vernovis saw a 46 percent increase in revenue and a 60 percent increase in internal employees and contract employees over the past two years.

Although that kind of growth could lead to less personal relationships with clients and consultants, Vernovis seems to have gone the opposite direction. As they have grown, their focus has remained on staying personal and responsive to clients and consultants alike. Indeed, they are committed to avoiding growing pains by renewing their commitment to those values most important to the core of their business philosophy: collaboration, integrity and extraordinary service.

“Those three things are really symbiotic,” says Skidmore. “It’s being ahead of what they need and it’s being able to connect with everybody from manager level all the way to the C-suite. It’s also understanding strategically what direction they are moving in as a technology organization. By knowing that, we can be proactive in getting to the heart of the types of talent they are going to need in six months, as opposed to only providing them talent they need when their business is in trouble. 

“We want to be able to do both. We want to be able to jump in and help them out on a moment’s notice when they need to get somebody in the door, and we also want to be as planful as possible. Collaborating with them in a way that helps us understand where they’re going strategically is how we begin to then proactively recruit and represent the type of talent they’re interested in.”

Vernovis’ evolution is also vital to the collaboration with their consultants. Through the ability to keep up with changes in the IT community, and specifically the changes brought about by new technology or a changing economic climate, they are able to help consultants not just in the short term, but with an eye toward the future.

“If a network engineer was sitting in front of one of our recruiters and contemplating, ‘Well, where do I go with my career from here? What technology is the next big thing?’ We should be able to give them an indication of some areas of opportunity they might want to look into, meaning the types of technologies they might want to be researching or studying,” says Skidmore. “That creates a level of collaboration between us and job seekers, because now we’re more than just a set of people who can help them find a job; we’re an organization that can actually impact their career and where it’s heading.”

As an example of the symbiotic relationship between Vernovis, clients and candidates, one needs only to look toward the issue of cybersecurity. Staying on top of ever-changing business and technology needs, Vernovis recognizes that cybersecurity, and the need to keep a company’s data and system safe, is one of the biggest challenges facing CEOs in 2017. 

“It’s as hot as it’s ever been,” says Skidmore. “We’re already seeing high volumes of demand from our clients who are trying to get the right people in house to help them think through and meet those security needs. They know they need to plug some of those gaps.”As he talks, Skidmore paints a picture of the IT employee of today versus the stereotypical one of the past. He points out that companies today are looking for employees with a hybrid set of skills that enable them to communicate well and articulate the value of technology to the business.

“I’ve seen that evolution occur over the last two decades that I’ve been involved in IT and IT staffing,” says Skidmore. “Ten or 15 years ago, there was maybe a certain classification applied to [IT professionals]; everybody thought they were the really smart guys who were challenged with communication. Not only was that probably unfair and untrue then, but it’s actually the exact opposite now. These are some of the most charismatic, thoughtful, intelligent communicators that I’ve ever met in my life. And they have to be.

“If you think about what they do, they run and oversee something that most people aren’t educated on, they’re not trained on and that they don’t understand. There is still a certain fear of technology.” 

Fortunately Vernovis is well aware that the evolved IT employee has value beyond just tech support and systems implementation, and is often involved in strategic business decisions that can drive a company forward.

“I believe most companies, if they haven’t yet, are going to figure out that if their IT leaders aren’t sitting in either the boardroom or regularly with the C-suite, they’re going to have problems eventually,” Skidmore says. “So often there are simple solutions to really big problems that are being driven out of the IT department, simply because their business awareness is so strong now. 

“These IT pros know what’s going on in a business minute by minute sometimes. So, regarding the evolution of the technology professional, I would say it’s just as important now that they have communication skills as it is they have technical skills. Because these people are the future leaders of these organizations, quite honestly, in my opinion.”

It is that level of care and personal attention to client needs, and the vision toward building a future for their candidates and consultants, that has made Vernovis an industry leader. The name Vernovis was chosen because it is derived from three Latin words: “New,” “Vision” and “Trust.” It is through commitment to collaboration and integrity that Vernovis is able to be a trusted partner in business staffing solutions.

With the demand for both temporary and contract labor projected to remain strong in 2017, Vernovis is positioned to remain a vital player. A recent survey revealed that 75 percent of employers in the IT industry are looking at temporary or contract hiring in 2017. 

“They’re going to be looking for skill sets that they don’t have within their organization today or perhaps skills that they feel they’re light on, technologies they’re not as familiar with,” Skidmore says. “And I believe companies have really opened up to the idea of bringing in specialists to help them get over the hump for a period of time, and then head back out the door when they’re done, having left a little bit of training and education for their people along the way. So I think what we do is going to be even harder this year because I know we’re going to see many organizations looking for the same type of talent.”

But one thing is certain: With their core values of extraordinary service, collaboration and integrity, Vernovis is ready for the challenge of 2017 and beyond.

Asked how integrity plays a role in the success of Vernovis as well as its clients and candidates, Skidmore  explained that it dovetails neatly with trust and collaboration. 

“Integrity can mean so many different things to so many different people,” he says. “We often simplify it internally by saying, ‘Always do the right thing.’ And we find that if we do the right thing, and if we make decisions first from the standpoint of what benefits our consultant and our client, most of the time that works out pretty good for us too. We tend to find that if we operate with integrity and we do the right thing, people are more willing to collaborate. And that means trust is established.

“When you look at the tagline of our business, it is ‘talent you can trust.’ Because we hope the word ‘trust’ reflects everything that we aspire to be,” says Skidmore.  “When the trust and collaborationincreases, we are able to provide more opportunities for people and offer better solutions for clients, which in turn affects how they view our integrity. So those phases all  work together in a way that allows us to do what we do in the best way possible.”

Vernovis is located at 4770 Duke Drive, Suite 180, Mason, OH 45040 (513.234.7201) and 169 South Liberty Street, Powell, OH 43085 (614.569.5212). For more information, visit vernovis.com.