Businesses suffering because of strike situations may not be able to recover operations by simply asking others to come into work. One major bargaining chip of striking parties is the expertise and/or familiarity with the industry and the sudden lack of skill that usually happens when a strike takes place. Information Technology (IT) systems represent a unique training situation, since the IT industry is both a new challenge when compared to other disciplines and inherently trainable due to the built-in (but often ignored) documentation culture. Here are a few plans to put into motion if your business needs to bring in IT talent during a strike.
Help Desk And Repair Backbone Comes First
Many businesses have expansion, product deliver, or enhancement projects that IT and CS (Computer Science) professionals work on. Unless you're on the verge of polishing a new product that any programmer with the right credentials can confirm, put improvements aside and stick to maintenance first.
Computers need repairing, information needs to be backed up, and customer calls with technical questions must be answered. This technical team should be focused on learning the maintenance basics and building a snapshot of sorts for where the previous team left off. This ensures that data won't be lost because of a new team, and that there will always be a place of progress if something needs to be reset.
Look For Certifications, Fresh Install Experience, And Startup Skills
If these strike replacement professionals are intended to be temporary, hire people who are used to temporary working arrangements. Contractors who show up for installations, transitions, upgrades, or supporting startup companies that are designed to be sold can help you get the job done without additional loose ends.
These technicians are dedicated to transition, and a strike can be seen as another type of transition. Even if you expect workers to come back after an agreement that may not even involve your business--a common case with unions going against government policies or issues that go beyond specific businesses--these transition technicians can curate a space of maintenance and productivity without expecting permanent hire.
That doesn't mean you can't hire some strike replacements if their performance is great. A transition team can help you figure out the best way to place these new hires, especially if there may be animosity between strike replacements and returning workers.
Every situations is different, so contact a strike staffing company to discuss replacement, transition, and even growth potential when your regular workers are unavailable.
