For most IT departments, workload has increased over the past few years, but the staffing contingent has not. A looming labor shortage and an economic downturn are also front-burner issues facing IT executives. Whether IT staff are overworked because of a shortage of qualified help, or because their companies have slashed jobs, adopting an agile approach is the answer to avoiding employee burnout and ensuring that projects are appropriately staffed.

What's an Agile Workforce?

An agile workforce is an organized, dynamic talent pool that can quickly deliver the right skills and knowledge at the right time, as dictated by business needs. An agile workforce can be compared, in concept, to the just-in-time principle found in the manufacturing industry. Building an agile workforce involves integrating permanent and temporary staff and is most appropriate when:

• The future needs of the business are ambiguous.
• The business and required skills are changing rapidly and repeatedly.
• Levels of competitive risk are high.