March 26, 2025
In those moments when your IT department is overwhelmed and working way more hours than anyone should in a week, hiring additional IT staff can seem like the perfect solution. But it’s not your only option.
And if the last time you considered outsourcing was more than five years ago, it might be time to look at it with fresh eyes. With the rise of cloud computing and cybersecurity concerns, the ROI of outsourced IT — or managed IT — has changed. In this blog, I’ll explain why.
When Shouldn't an Organization Hire Additional IT Staff?
One of the most valuable conversations I tend to have with prospective clients at Marco is talking about value vs. cost. Many organizations that are stuck in a perpetual break/fix cycle haven’t gotten to experience first-hand the competitive advantages that they should be getting for their money.
But because that’s not always clear, here are 4 scenarios when hiring another IT employee might not be the best solution:
1. IT Employee Turnover Keeps Happening
Hiring entry- or mid-level IT staff can be a bit of a gamble. In my experience, these employees stay with an organization for right around 18 months. And there are a few common reasons for this:
- They're looking for experience and keeping their sights set on upper-level positions where they'll manage projects and people.
- There's not enough work to go around. IT staff like to be busy.
- IT staff like a challenge now and then. If your IT roadmap doesn't excite them, they'll likely seek employment elsewhere.
And if that weren’t bad enough, there’s also an IT talent shortage right now, and it’s only going to get worse. In fact, the shortage is expected to affect 90% of organizations by 2026.
2. Internal IT Resources Are Already Stretched
The average salary of a full-time IT employee — at least in Minnesota — is hovering around $107,500. Recruitment costs for employees of any type are typically around $4,700. But because of the IT talent shortage, expect your recruiting process to cost more and last longer. Then add the time it will take to manage and supervise that person, and you can start to get a sense of the short-term time and money pit you can expect.
Now, add the extremely high risk that your new employee will seek employment elsewhere after a year or two with you, so you're looking at this extra expense becoming a regular drain on your budget and IT resources. And remember — your IT team doesn’t have the additional bandwidth in the first place.
3. Physical Space in the Office Is Limited
Don’t overlook this one! Employees take up space. If you're wondering how you'll be able to accommodate another workspace in an already cramped office, deciding to outsource IT services can eliminate the issue altogether.
4. There's No Clear Picture of Ongoing IT Needs
When internal IT staff are involved in the day-to-day tasks of keeping your business functioning, there's not much time for research and planning for the future. Higher-order priorities like migrating to Windows 11 or adopting more cloud computing tools get pushed to the back burner when the focus is on keeping the lights on.
What I find when I start working with new managed IT clients is that their tech is not aligned with their strategic goals. It’s what they’re used to, and it’s gotten them this far. But for most businesses in 2025, continuing to work that way is a bit like trying to ride a bicycle with both hands tied behind your back: You can see where you want to go, but you’ll have a much harder time getting there, and you won’t be able to adapt as quickly should your route change.
What You Should Get From an IT Outsourcing Company
Not all managed IT providers are the same — not by a mile. And that can be frustrating! Managed IT can mean a different list of services and tools from provider to provider, and so making a decision solely based on cost can leave you without the value you were hoping to receive.
Short-Term Benefits of IT Outsourcing at Marco
At Marco, when we start the managed IT onboarding process with a new client, we immediately look at the big picture of your organization's IT lifecycle and provide recommendations for how your infrastructure can evolve over the next one, three, and even five years to help you achieve your goals faster. That way, you can apply an IT strategy that will allow your business to plan for the future without neglecting end-user issues. And because we have extensive experience working with organizations that have specialized IT needs, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We already know the solutions that have worked well for most organizations like yours and why.
Additionally, with a provider like Marco, you don’t have the skill gaps that are almost impossible to avoid in a smaller in-house team. As soon as you start, you get access to world-class cybersecurity professionals, IT people who excel at providing help desk support, expert systems engineers, and IT strategists who can help you plan and prepare for the future. And you do it all while saving money.
In fact, organizations that use managed service providers tend to save quite a bit:
- Organizations that outsource to MSPs reduce overall IT costs by 20-30%
- MSPs increase productivity by 15-25%
At Marco, one way we help our clients save even more is by cultivating strategic partnerships with top equipment manufacturers and software developers, so our clients can access insider pricing. But it’s certainly not the only one!
You’re always welcome to talk to a human here at Marco. But if you’d like to explore more about what’s included in our managed IT services, how we approach partnership, and common IT provider red flags, click the link below!
