Gartner estimates that the current percentage of IT jobs outsourced will grow fivefold by 2010 -- from 5 percent in 2004 to 25 percent within six years. Forrester Research's predictions are even more foreboding. The current 100,000 jobs being lost to outsourcing will hit 1.6 million by 2010, according to the research firm.
No matter what the future tally, IT professionals have to make sure outsourcing doesn't catch them by surprise. Like any other professional, you don't want to first learn the news when the boss calls a meeting because that won't give you much time to react in terms of staying employed, whether at the same company or in a new job.
In an outsourcing tide, the key to survival is to be prepared and to know that it's coming long before CIOs begin handing out pink slips.
Preparation requires understanding the top signs that an enterprise is considering outsourcing an IT function. As TechRepublic members and a corporate leader explain, the earlier you notice that outsourcing is an issue on the management table, the sooner you can begin work to change the course of action. Advanced warning also lets you drum up potential employment options if you fail to convince company leadership it isn't the right direction to take.
To determine the top five signs that an IT role is in jeopardy of being outsourced, we reached out to members and professionals who've seen the trend come into play within their own enterprises and with clients.
Sign 1: Closer scrutiny of the IT budget
As one TechRepublic member explained, his first indication that his job was on the line was that corporate leadership was taking a very close look at IT costs and labour -- even calculating what IT cost per employee and the number of helpdesk/desktop techs per staff member.
"If you're asked to fully document your processes, it could very well be a prelude to outsourcing," he wrote.
