After the hiring frenzy of 2022, the IT job market is cooling, as companies face economic headwinds. The unemployment rate for IT professionals reached 3.7% in June–a four year high. And, this rate is expected to climb, with predictions estimating that the IT job market could shrink by as many as 30,000 jobs by the end of 2024. 

For IT teams to be successful despite hiring freezes, they must do more with less. This can be a daunting task–especially as teams are expected to meet ambitious digital transformation goals and implement new solutions like AI and machine learning.

To avoid overextending your team, you’ll need to adjust your strategies to maximize efficiency and empower teams across your organization to drive innovation. Explore these six tips to lead your team to success during times of economic uncertainty.

1. Empower business technologists

Your integration backlog is a major drain on your IT resources. Most modern tech stacks include hundreds of applications, and your team can quickly get overwhelmed as they try to integrate all of them. 

One way to eliminate this backlog is to offload simple integrations to your business teams. To do so, you’ll need to identify the business technologists on your teams. Business technologists are digitally adept employees who are already leveraging technology to configure their own analytics, process automation, or solutions.

By empowering these individuals, IT leaders can distribute the integration workload more evenly and reduce the overall backlog. Providing the right integration platform and training can enable business technologists to manage their own integrations, reducing the dependency on a stretched IT department.

2. Boost efficiency with iPaaS

An iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) can be a game changer for IT teams looking to improve efficiency and productivity. With robust developer capabilities, iPaaS solutions allow you to implement integrations and automations faster. These platforms also provide your IT team with a single platform that ensures unified best practices, data security, and scalability. 

Managing integration errors can be a huge time suck for your IT team. You can eliminate this tedious task with Celigo’s iPaaS. Celigo offers AI-powered error management that automatically resolves 95% of errors. 

3. Streamline processes with automation

Automation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as managing Helpdesk tickets and user provisioning, IT teams can redirect their efforts towards strategic initiatives. 

This not only boosts the efficiency of your team, but also eliminates human errors and ensures all your teams have accurate, up-to-date information. 

4. Enhance collaboration across departments

Effective communication and collaboration are crucial in a constrained work environment. With your tech stack integrated, you can make sure every team has the right data in the right place. This ensures your teams are aligned and working together to drive your business forward.

To take collaboration a step further, set up automatic alerts in your collaboration tool, like Slack. This allows you to send teams across your organization alerts at critical points of your processes. For example, you can alert your IT and customer success teams when a new IT ticket is submitted. 

5. Upskill your team

Investing in training and development is essential. While it might take up some of your team’s time, their enhanced skills will help you deliver on your objectives quicker and with higher quality. 

Encourage your team to pursue certifications and training programs that align with your organization’s needs. Upskilling your workforce not only enhances their capabilities, but also boosts their confidence and job satisfaction.

6. Build a resilient IT team

Your team is likely feeling the pinch of a constrained budget and limited resources as much as you are. To navigate this rocky economic environment, you should build resilience on your teams. 

Building a resilient IT team involves fostering a culture of innovation, encouraging problem-solving, and promoting a growth mindset. This prepares your team to handle challenges with confidence and agility.

Additionally, the well-being of your team should be a top priority. Burnout is a real risk when teams are stretched thin. Implement wellness programs, encourage regular breaks, and foster a supportive work environment. Happy and healthy employees are more productive and engaged.

Doing more with less

Reaching your goals amidst hiring freezes requires a multifaceted approach. By empowering business technologists and adopting innovative technologies like iPaaS, IT leaders can maintain productivity and efficiency on their teams. 

With a focus on employee well-being and investment in continuous learning, you’ll build a team that’s adaptable and resilient. This ensures your team is ready for whatever the future may bring. 

If you’re looking to explore more ways to do more with less, consider signing up for a demo of Celigo’s iPaaS. Discover how Celigo can help your team enhance efficiency, streamline processes, and empower your workforce to achieve greater success.