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This question has been coming up a lot lately.
As companies grow, their IT bill grows too.
More users, devices, software, cybersecurity requirements, complexity, and more compliance
Eventually, someone in leadership (usually the CFO) looks at the monthly IT spend and says:
"Maybe we should just hire our own IT person."
At first glance, it seems logical. Why keep paying an outside provider when we could bring someone in-house?
The problem is that this is where I see companies get themselves into trouble. Not because hiring internal IT is wrong, but because they hire the wrong role.
The Hidden Trap
What typically happens is a company hires a help desk technician, systems administrator, or generalist.
Someone capable of handling day-to-day issues. Reset passwords, set up laptops, troubleshoot printers, and handle user requests. All important work, but the problem is that those tasks consume every minute of their day.
The strategic work never gets done.
Here is what they are not thinking about, or if they are not all of it:
- Cybersecurity maturity
- AI
- Business continuity
- Backup validation
- Disaster recovery
- Infrastructure lifecycle planning
- Network architecture
- Technical debt
- Future business growth
The company believes they solved the IT problem. In reality, they're slowly accumulating risk and technical debt.
What I See Working
The organizations that get this right take a different approach.
They hire a strategic IT leader. Someone who understands technology, but more importantly, understands business. Someone who can answer questions like:
- Where are we exposed?
- What systems are approaching end-of-life?
- How do we reduce risk?
- What should the three-year roadmap look like?
- What investments should we make now versus later?
That person becomes the bridge between leadership and technology. Then they leverage their MSP or IT partner to handle the day-to-day operational work.
The tickets, the monitoring, the patching, the after-hours support, the cybersecurity tools, and the project execution. That combination works incredibly well.
You get strategic leadership without losing the depth, redundancy, and specialized expertise that comes from having an entire IT team behind you.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Technology has changed.
Twenty years ago, one person could know almost everything.
Today, you need expertise in:
- Cybersecurity
- Cloud platforms
- Compliance
- Networking
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Identity management
- Manufacturing systems
- AI tools and automation
Finding one person who excels at all of that is nearly impossible.
That's why I don’t recommend replacing your IT partner with a single internal hire. I do recommend building internal leadership that can help drive strategy and accountability.
The Real Question
The question isn't:
"Should we hire internal IT?"
The question is:
"What role are we trying to solve for?"
If you're looking for strategic direction, governance, planning, and accountability, an internal IT leader may be exactly what you need.
If you're hoping one person can replace an entire team of specialists while reducing costs, you're likely headed toward technical debt, increased risk, and future headaches.
I've been having a lot of conversations about this lately, and it's a topic that deserves more discussion. Stay tuned.
We'll be hosting an event this fall specifically focused on helping business leaders understand when to hire internal IT, when to leverage an MSP, and how to build a technology strategy that scales with your business.
The goal isn't spending less on IT; it’s making smarter decisions about IT.