| | OCTOBER - 202219CXO INSIGHTSBy Chad Stiller, Associate Director of Information Technology, Northern Arizona UniversityLEVERAGING THE GIG ECONOMY TO AUGMENT IT STAFF IN HIGHER EDHigher Education has shown itself to be susceptible to the "great resignation" or "great reshuffle" occurring in the wake of the COVI19 pandemic. The effects of this process have been significant but not uniformly distributed as some job types have demonstrated higher rates of turnover, in particular in-demand technical skill sets within Information Technology (IT). IT staff are leaving to take roles that offer significant salary increases as well as greater flexibility and progression opportunities.Compounding the problem of experienced staff leaving is the lack of qualified applicants applying for vacant positions. Positions that would once attract dozens of candidates are seeing zero applications, or at best a handful that barely meet minimum qualifications. One reason for this phenomenon is that a significant number of individuals are pursuing freelance work in lieu of full-time employment.While not a traditional approach in Higher Ed, augmenting staff with freelancers forming the "gig economy" is becoming an increasingly attractive option considering contemporary recruitment and retention issues. Bringing freelance staff onboard provides flexible and agile resources that can be utilized to address specific project needs or technical skillsets that are compromised due to full time staff turnover. One of its great advantages is in allowing an institution to quickly identify, vet, and hire a worker with the specific abilities needed at an exact point in time. This relieves the internal pressure on training and building depth of bench around skills which may be hard to find or not required year-round. Organizations looking to utilize this model will need to be aware of the direct and indirect costs, be cognizant of where these resources are best utilized, and ensure that proper engagement management is in place.A variety of online marketplaces exist to facilitate connecting freelance technical staff with organizations looking for hourly/weekly/monthly or project-based engagements. Direct costs can range from $20-$180+ per hour, with more experienced participants and in-demand abilities commanding the higher end of the scale. Marketplace fees and retainer structures also impact direct cost, but these costs are offset by reduced institutional overhead in paying benefits, providing equipment, and in Chad Stiller
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