If you find your business in need of a computer consulting firm, you need to proceed with caution through the hiring process. Don’t simply hire the first salesperson or tech geek that shows up. Consider the following Computer Consulting 101 hiring advice that will help you screen and interview local competing computer consulting firms.
PREVENT PROBLEMS
Small business owners might find it difficult to figure out how to work with equally difficult computer consultants. But you can determine potential issues before the relationship even starts or at least at the very beginning to help avoid issues that can typically spell doom for your company.
WHERE DOES THE PROBLEM BEGIN?
Most small business managers know what to ask when hiring internally, but hiring a computer consulting firm is an entirely different animal. On top of the legal issues surrounding retaining contractors (the best bet is to talk to your attorney before proceeding), you will need to come armed with the questions that will get you the answers you need to know to hire the best computer consulting firm. These questions can act as a checklist for the interview process:
1. Is the computer consulting firm offering full-time or just part-time consulting services?
2. Do employees also have a day job or are they moonlighting?
3. Is the representative from the computer consulting firm the only practitioner or is it a true business?
4. What does the representative mean by the “we”? What other people work at the company?
5. Are the employees of the company contractors? Also ask their names, specialties and backgrounds, how long they’ve been with the company and if they will be involved with your business account.
6. Is the consulting company a small business or a large company and how will that affect the experience?
7. What is the size of the typical client’s company in terms of number of PCs, employees and the annual revenue?
8. Is the company a generalist or a specialist company?
9. What industries or other markets has the computer consulting firm worked with, and with what software applications?
10. What kinds of things does the computer consulting company not feel comfortable working with, and does the company work with any specific hardware, software or services companies?
These questions can provide a launching point for finding the right computer consulting firm.
Created By: Joshua Feinberg
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