Skip to main content
Tech Radar Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming
TechRadar TechRadar the business technology experts
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
RSS
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Trending
  • Best web hosting
  • Best office chairs
  • Best website builder
  • Best antivirus
  • Expert Insights
Don't miss these
IT helpdesk administrator in Black Suit Jacket Sitting at the Table
Pro 7 features every small business help desk software should have
Group of businesspeople negotiating gathered in modern conference room, blurred silhouettes view, meeting behind closed glass doors. Business communication, workflow, decision-making, strategy sharing
Pro From first steps to data-driven: a new path for growing businesses
meeting
Software & Services 5 mistakes businesses make when choosing a virtual meeting platform
SaaS Concept, Software as a Service, A man types smartphone with digital icons representing various aspects of Software as a Service (SaaS), emphasizing modern technology platforms and cloud computing
Pro Companies spending too much on SaaS could cost them more than just money
digital transformation
Pro Why tech can fail in the last mile: The devil is all in the detail
Artificial intelligence India
Pro Starting a business? New study shows you really need to get on board with AI
Office with laptops
Software & Services 5 essential features every business should be using to increase productivity and drive growth
Workplace Culture
Pro Why outcome-led thinking beats product-first decisions
Half man, half AI.
Pro I’m an AI expert and here are five tips on how to use AI to maximize your business potential
Someone typing at a keyboard, with an ecommerce shopping cart symbol floating in the air.
Pro SMBs want to use tech more in order to grow - but costs are proving a big barrier
Keeper home page
Security Keeper Review: pros & cons, features, ratings, pricing and more
A digital image of a person working through HR controls.
Pro Why CIOs should think like HR leaders to onboard agentic AI
A digital image of a person working through HR controls.
Pro The intranet dilemma: bridging IT and communications for a better employee experience
Ai tech, businessman show virtual graphic Global Internet connect Chatgpt Chat with AI, Artificial Intelligence.
Pro I am an AI expert and this is the single most important question businesses need to ask themselves before adopting AI
Hands on a laptop with overlaid logos representing network security
Computing 5 essential features every remote monitoring and management platform needs to have
  1. Pro

Hiring an IT Manager: 6 things your small business should consider

News
By Jacob Grana published 12 November 2015

You get what you pay for

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

Many small businesses muddle through with minimal IT support. They furiously consult Google whenever Excel crashes. They bring in a tech-savvy son or daughter to network a new printer or configure a new employee's computer. They cross their fingers, say a prayer, and rub the lucky rabbit's foot whenever the tower servers get a little hot.

This low-level IT only works (and barely) when a business is very small. Once the headcount gets to twenty, the security, networking, system administration, even the daily desktop support becomes too complex to rely on muddling. An IT Manager is needed.

But for many small business owners, hiring an IT Manager is as daunting as choosing a car mechanic – maybe even harder. One hundred years of operation have at least made the automobile familiar to the layperson. But the computer? It's a relative few who know what the high-pitched whirring coming from a computer's chassis means.

A small business can't afford any missteps, especially when it comes to IT. Here are 6 things a small business needs to consider when hiring an IT Manager.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
1. Make present IT needs a priority

1. Make present IT needs a priority

Before any resumes are reviewed, a small business should list its priority IT needs. Start simple: what are the IT issues the business routinely addresses? No doubt desktop support is number one, and it should be. Crashed computers, and the resultant hit to productivity, are a huge bugaboo.

Beyond crash fixing and prevention, what else? Small businesses should think of IT projects that are particular to them. Does a website need to be re-launched (or even launched); does the website need to be mobile-friendly? Is the phone system unreliable? Is the CRM a cluttered disaster? Any IT Manager under consideration should have experience solving these particular challenges.

Small businesses must also note the dominant operating system and hardware used in the office.

If PC's with Windows and Microsoft Office are being used, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) is the key certification a small business should look for in an IT Manager, even more so than a bachelor's or master's degree. In the IT world, education is often secondary to experience.

Future IT projects are important to consider too. If these projects are beyond the scope of the new IT Manager, the business will be forced into another round of potentially costly hiring.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
2. When in doubt, hire a generalist

2. When in doubt, hire a generalist

Small businesses having trouble pinning down their exact needs should consider hiring a generalist.

A generalist will not only have desktop support experience, but networking and system administration as well. This includes firewall, router, server, switches and virtualization experience, as well as familiarity with programming languages like Perl, MySQL, and XML.

An IT Manager with such experience will help source new hardware, network the office securely, create a rudimentary database, advise on third party database software, configure servers for email, web hosting and remote access, and of course troubleshoot slow-downs and crashes.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
3. Size may be limiting

3. Size may be limiting

IT Managers with only "big" experience may be a challenge for small businesses to keep. After all, if an IT Manager has spent the last five years vetting vendors for a thousand user company, they might not be too thrilled by a small business's re-cabling project.

The last thing small businesses want is an employee who quits after a few months because they feel their career is "going backwards."

That being said, an IT Manager with large business experience should not be ruled out – as long as they've previously undergone the large to small transition. Such a background will ensure they have clear expectations of their role and its challenges.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
4. Experienced IT isn't cheap

4. Experienced IT isn't cheap

Via PayScale, IT Manager salaries range from $48,000 to $121,000 a year, with a median of $80,000 (about £52,500). That type of salary may be cost prohibitive for smaller businesses with lower annual revenues.

Even businesses with large budgets may feel they are "overpaying" for a Manager if their head count is low, or their technology needs are relatively small.

Those businesses are not out luck, but they will have to adjust their expectations.

An IT Assistant (PayScale median salary $38,000) or a Computer Support Specialist (PayScale median salary $60,000) could fit into a business with limited resources or low-level IT needs.

But small businesses should be aware that, like with any investment, you get what you pay for. Advanced IT projects are probably beyond the scope of an IT Assistant's expertise. This is why considering future needs is critical. Today's overpaying is tomorrow's saving if higher ticket IT helps the business quickly roll out revenue generating – and revenue saving - initiatives.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
5. And experienced IT is hard to find

5. And experienced IT is hard to find

Internet job boards are certainly useful for finding active candidates in a cost-effective way, and businesses employing such a strategy should post on technology specific sites like Dice for their IT Manager.

But small businesses should keep in mind that IT is a growing, in demand field. Average IT Managers get offers as soon as they post their resume to a job board, and great IT Managers may not even have to post at all. They are recruited right out of their current roles.

Small businesses may never get to pitch great candidates unless they use their referral network or hire a recruiter.

The referral network should be the first avenue of attack. Small businesses can use referral bonuses to incentivize current staff into getting involved in the hiring process. A bonus is often much cheaper than job postings (on reputable sites anyway) or a recruiter's fee.

In the end though, a recruiter may be a small business's only hope, albeit an expensive one. Considering an IT Manager's median salary, and a recruiter's fifteen to thirty percent fee, it's not unreasonable for a small business to expect a $12,000 to $24,000 outlay for hiring.

Once again, small businesses will get what they pay for. Job posting strategies are cheap, but they often yield unqualified candidates, leading to churn. The sizable network and expertise of a recruiter may help businesses get the hiring right the first time – which is usually worth more than any fee.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
6. IT must speak the company's language

6. IT must speak the company's language

The IT Manager's communication skills are just as, if not more, important than any technical knowledge they may possess. All the computer wizardry in the world will not help if he or she cannot communicate solutions to staff in need.

Cultural fit should not be overlooked either. If the IT Manager feels like the company isn't welcoming, it won't be hard for them to find another home.

Owners have to make sure IT isn't treated like the mop – left in a closet and fetched when there's something to clean up. In today's tech-reliant world, businesses can't survive without good IT. Hiring the right IT Manager, and keeping them, should be a priority.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Jacob Grana
Read more
IT helpdesk administrator in Black Suit Jacket Sitting at the Table
7 features every small business help desk software should have
 
 
Group of businesspeople negotiating gathered in modern conference room, blurred silhouettes view, meeting behind closed glass doors. Business communication, workflow, decision-making, strategy sharing
From first steps to data-driven: a new path for growing businesses
 
 
meeting
5 mistakes businesses make when choosing a virtual meeting platform
 
 
SaaS Concept, Software as a Service, A man types smartphone with digital icons representing various aspects of Software as a Service (SaaS), emphasizing modern technology platforms and cloud computing
Companies spending too much on SaaS could cost them more than just money
 
 
digital transformation
Why tech can fail in the last mile: The devil is all in the detail
 
 
Artificial intelligence India
Starting a business? New study shows you really need to get on board with AI
 
 
Latest in Pro
US solar highway infrastructure may contain hidden malicious tech, officials warn
 
 
Issy les Moulineaux, France - January 2020 : Microsoft France headquarters entrance in Issy les Moulineaux near Paris
US Senator says Microsoft should be probed for 'gross cybersecurity negligence' after hospital ransomware attacks
 
 
New Siri features infused with Apple Intelligence being demonstrated at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024.
Apple issues customer warning after four spyware campaigns discovered targeting devices
 
 
 Facebook social media app logo on log-in, sign-up registration page
Keep an eye on your Meta Business account, these fake extensions could steal your credentials
 
 
Group of businesspeople negotiating gathered in modern conference room, blurred silhouettes view, meeting behind closed glass doors. Business communication, workflow, decision-making, strategy sharing
From first steps to data-driven: a new path for growing businesses
 
 
Flag of Vietnam on binary code
Vietnam creditors hit by cyberattack - sensitive data at risk
 
 
Latest in News
The iPhone Air on a fingertip
Don't worry, the iPhone Air has 'great' battery life according to Apple boss Tim Cook
 
 
A Nikon camera next to an iPhone Air and new Bose headphones
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Apple's iPhone Air debut to Spotify finally getting Lossless music
 
 
Claude incognito
You have to pay Claude to remember you, but the AI will forget your conversations for free
 
 
Ellie and Dina staring at an off-camera Joel in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1
The Last of Us season 3 will see Neil Druckmann retaining a ‘high level’ role – here’s why this is very good news for the HBO series
 
 
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond release date finally confirmed by Nintendo along with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment – and they're both arriving sooner than you think
 
 
Rabbit R1 Review
rabbitOS 2 gives the Rabbit R1 a bold new look – and some very cool AI powers
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Whoop MG review: the super-premium Whoop option falls flat at this price
  2. 2
    Foundation season 4: everything we know so far about the Apple TV+ show's return
  3. 3
    Another vendor launches an AMD Radeon RX7600M XT external GPU - and this one even comes with Thunderbolt 5
  4. 4
    Get 25% off Webshare proxies with high-speed secure access from 195+ countries
  5. 5
    Don't worry, the iPhone Air has 'great' battery life according to Apple boss Tim Cook

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...