Think you need a DevOps hire? Maybe not yet. For most small to mid-sized businesses, the challenges you're facing - like deployment failures, rising cloud costs, or infrastructure issues - can often be solved without hiring a full-time specialist. Here's why:
Instead of rushing into a costly hire, focus on improving processes, adopting automation, and upskilling your current team. These steps can keep your business lean, flexible, and better prepared for future growth.
Before rushing to draft a job description for a DevOps role, take a moment to assess whether your current challenges truly require a permanent solution. Many businesses mistakenly treat temporary setbacks as justification for creating full-time positions.
For small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), operational hiccups often stem from rapid growth rather than deeply entrenched technical flaws. Understanding this distinction can save you significant time, money, and effort in recruitment.
Issues like traffic spikes, deployment failures, or infrastructure glitches may seem urgent, but they’re often isolated incidents rather than ongoing challenges that demand a dedicated hire.
Imagine your SaaS platform faces an unexpected surge in traffic - servers struggle, and your team scrambles to keep things afloat. While the chaos might make hiring a DevOps engineer seem like the logical next step, it’s worth asking: Is this a recurring issue or just a one-off event?
SMBs frequently encounter challenges like resistance to change, struggles with adopting new tools, or the complexities of transitioning from monolithic architectures to microservices. These growing pains can leave teams feeling overwhelmed, but they don’t always point to a lack of expertise.
Similarly, outdated practices and siloed teams can create bottlenecks that slow progress. Often, the real problem lies in poor communication or collaboration rather than a gap in technical skills. Without a clear, overarching view of the DevOps process, even minor issues can feel like major crises, leading to misjudged decisions about hiring specialists.
The key is to differentiate between temporary hurdles and genuine long-term needs. Hiring a DevOps engineer isn’t just about filling a technical gap - it’s a major investment that can impact your company’s financial health and growth trajectory. In many cases, automation and managed services can offer a more practical solution.
Many operational headaches can be resolved with the right tools and automation, rather than bringing on additional staff. Modern cloud platforms, for instance, offer managed services that handle much of the heavy lifting.
By setting resource limits at both the account and application levels, you can keep cloud costs under control and prevent unexpected bills. Automating routine tasks like data backups and network scans can significantly reduce workloads, freeing your team to focus on more critical operations. In fact, automation tools often handle these tasks more reliably - and at a lower cost - than hiring a full-time DevOps engineer.
Building redundancy into your architecture is another way to ensure service availability during disruptions. A well-structured system can preempt many issues, eliminating the need for manual intervention. Similarly, if your CI/CD pipeline is causing problems, reconfiguring existing tools or switching to more suitable solutions can resolve inefficiencies. Multi-cloud strategies can also help distribute workloads and avoid vendor lock-in, all without requiring a dedicated hire.
For SMBs, adopting DevOps as a Service (DaaS) can be a game-changer. This approach combines collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement, giving you access to DevOps expertise without the financial and logistical commitment of a full-time employee.
Instead of expanding your team, consider optimising your existing processes. Evaluate how your current workflows align with your business objectives. Often, better tooling and refined processes can address operational challenges more effectively than hiring new staff.
Before committing to a full-time DevOps hire, it’s worth considering more budget-friendly options that can address operational challenges while keeping your operations lean and efficient.
Managed cloud services offer a practical way to achieve professional-grade operations without the need for permanent staff. These services take care of critical cloud management tasks - like security monitoring and disaster recovery - so your team can focus on what matters most to your business.
In 2022, the global cloud-managed services market was valued at £213.8 billion, and it’s growing at a rate of 12.8% annually through 2030. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), this model is especially appealing. Instead of the fixed cost of hiring a full-time DevOps engineer, managed services operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, letting you scale resources to match your needs. You also benefit from 24/7 monitoring, proactive threat detection, and automatic updates - all without the headache of recruitment and training.
These services are particularly effective for handling time-consuming operational tasks like network monitoring, automated backups, security patching, and disaster recovery planning. They also address expertise gaps that many SMBs face, especially in areas like cybersecurity and compliance. A 2024 Flexera study found that 74% of SMBs identify compliance as their biggest cloud computing challenge. Managed service providers bring experienced security teams and proven processes to tackle these issues head-on.
If managed services meet your operational needs, automating your infrastructure can further reduce reliance on specialised hires.
Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools like Terraform and AWS CloudFormation can simplify cloud resource management, making it more consistent and repeatable - without requiring in-depth DevOps knowledge.
IaC works by allowing you to define your desired infrastructure setup in code. The tools then handle the implementation, reducing manual errors and ensuring your development, staging, and production environments are aligned. For example, Terraform’s multi-cloud compatibility can help SMBs avoid vendor lock-in, unlike CloudFormation, which is tied exclusively to AWS.
You don’t have to overhaul your entire infrastructure to get started. Begin small by breaking your infrastructure into reusable components, such as separate modules for networking, compute, and storage. Using version control systems like Git ensures your infrastructure code is well-documented and easy to maintain collaboratively.
Some best practices to follow include planning changes before applying them, using remote state storage for team collaboration, and integrating automated testing into your CI/CD pipeline. While this may seem challenging at first, these steps can help you avoid costly errors caused by disorganised processes.
When automation alone isn’t enough, bringing in external expertise can provide targeted solutions.
For specific needs - like compliance audits, cloud migrations, or performance tuning - external DevOps consultants can offer a focused approach without the long-term costs of a full-time hire.
Outsourcing DevOps has tangible benefits. It can reduce failure recovery times by up to 24 times and cut unplanned work by 22%. Financially, it’s often a better option too. The average annual cost of outsourcing DevOps is around £80,000, compared to the £160,000 required for an in-house hire when factoring in salary, benefits, and training.
The growing demand for DevOps expertise reflects its value. The global DevOps market, valued at £5.6 billion in 2021, is projected to reach £20.8 billion by 2027.
When engaging external consultants, focus on projects that deliver immediate results, such as automating deployment pipelines, improving monitoring systems, or optimising cloud costs. To maximise the value of the engagement, clearly outline your pain points, desired outcomes, and key success metrics.
The biggest advantage? You gain access to specialised expertise exactly when you need it, allowing you to address challenges effectively without committing to the ongoing costs of a permanent hire.
While automation and external services can solve many challenges, tapping into the potential of your current team is just as important. With the right training and tools, your engineering team can step into DevOps roles, reducing the need for immediate specialist hires.
Upskilling your developers is a cost-effective way to build in-house DevOps expertise. Instead of chasing broad certifications, focus on practical skills that solve the issues your team faces daily.
Start by identifying team members who show an interest in infrastructure and operations. These individuals often become your internal advocates for DevOps practices. Training can cover specific tools, best practices, and cloud architecture, but the priority should be addressing your most pressing challenges - whether it's deployment consistency, gaps in monitoring, or security improvements.
Instead of broad training programmes, take a targeted approach. For example, if deployment reliability is a problem, focus on CI/CD pipeline basics and tools like Terraform for Infrastructure-as-Code. If monitoring is the weak link, invest in learning observability platforms and alerting techniques. This focused strategy delivers quicker results and keeps costs under control.
Many companies have seen measurable results by adopting cloud-native and agile DevOps practices, such as increasing deployment frequency and reducing system incidents.
To keep training flexible, explore options like online courses, vendor-specific programmes, and hands-on workshops. Cloud providers often offer free resources and sandbox environments, allowing your team to practise without risking production systems.
With these skills in place, your team can drive both cost savings and performance improvements.
Empowering your team to optimise cloud usage can lead to long-term efficiency. Studies show that 32% of cloud budgets are wasted, and compute costs often make up 50-70% of total cloud spending. By making informed decisions and focusing on optimisation, your engineering team can significantly reduce these expenses.
Cloud cost management tools provide engineers with actionable insights, such as spending broken down by deployment or feature. This allows them to make cost-effective technical decisions. Implementing a consistent labelling system for cloud resources further helps track spending by project or environment, turning cost optimisation into a routine part of engineering.
Your team can address several high-impact areas right away:
Storage costs are another area for quick wins. For instance, switching to GP3 volumes can cost up to 20% less than GP2 volumes for the same storage size. Moving infrequently accessed data to cheaper storage tiers can also make a big difference.
To ensure ongoing improvements, set up a process for regularly evaluating and optimising costs. Organisations that integrate DevOps automation report impressive results: a 61% improvement in software quality, a 57% reduction in deployment failures, and a 55% decrease in IT costs.
Finally, build a culture of cost ownership by giving engineers visibility into the expenses tied to the resources they manage. When cost awareness becomes part of the engineering mindset, optimisation naturally integrates into the development process.
Using cloud cost management tools can even highlight areas where software can be restructured to boost profitability, turning performance improvements into a revenue-driving activity rather than just a technical task.
The data is clear: for most SMBs and scaleups, hiring a full-time DevOps professional is often unnecessary at this stage. With 64% of businesses already relying on third-party IT services and 93% of enterprises embracing multi-cloud strategies, the smarter move is to make the most of existing resources instead of rushing to expand your team.
By leveraging these insights, your business can achieve impressive outcomes without increasing headcount. For instance, migrating to the cloud has been shown to boost revenue growth by 2.3%–6.9%. Additionally, SMBs can save up to £37,000 annually by adopting cloud services. These benefits stem from strategic use of managed services, automation tools, and outsourcing, rather than prematurely hiring in-house specialists.
What makes the lean approach so effective is its ability to solve real challenges without introducing unnecessary complexity. Automation tools, for example, can seamlessly integrate your core applications, allowing your business to scale efficiently without adding layers of coordination.
Flexibility is the key to staying competitive. With cloud budgets ranging from just £4–£20 per user per month, you can not only reduce costs but also access cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, and dynamic scaling. This approach equips your business to adapt swiftly to market changes and internal demands, all without the burden of managing additional staff.
These strategies are designed to complement your existing strengths. The goal is to maximise your current team's cost-conscious mindset while tapping into external expertise when it makes sense.
In short, prioritising smart automation and managed services can drive growth while keeping your business efficient. Focus on delivering value to your customers and hold off on hiring a full-time DevOps specialist until the need becomes absolutely clear. Staying lean and flexible will keep you ahead of the curve.
For small and medium-sized businesses, bringing a full-time DevOps engineer on board might not be essential in the early stages. Instead, you can explore these budget-friendly options:
By leveraging these approaches, you can streamline cloud operations, scale your business effectively, and keep costs under control - all without the commitment of hiring a full-time DevOps professional.
Small businesses often grapple with the question: do you need a full-time DevOps hire, or are there smarter alternatives? The answer lies in assessing your current challenges and where your business is headed. If you're dealing with growing infrastructure complexity, repeated deployment hiccups, or delays in development, it’s time to explore your options.
Instead of jumping straight to a permanent hire, consider leveraging automation tools, managed cloud services, or outsourcing. Tools like Terraform or AWS Elastic Beanstalk, paired with managed services, can simplify your operations significantly. These solutions often eliminate the immediate need for a dedicated DevOps engineer.
Another smart move? Outsourcing specific tasks or tapping into temporary DevOps support. This not only offers flexibility but also helps you manage costs while scaling. By taking this approach, you can fine-tune your operations without the pressure of committing to a full-time hire too soon.
Using managed services and automation tools can be a game-changer for small to mid-sized businesses looking to save on costs and improve operations. In the UK, hiring a DevOps engineer can set you back anywhere from £80,000 to £150,000 per year when you factor in salaries and benefits. Managed services offer a cost-effective alternative, providing flexible, on-demand expertise without the hefty overheads.
Automation tools like Terraform or AWS Elastic Beanstalk take things a step further by simplifying repetitive tasks, cutting down on human error, and boosting overall efficiency. This frees up your team to concentrate on strategic projects that drive growth, instead of getting bogged down in routine work. By combining managed services with automation, businesses can reduce expenses, speed up deployment, and improve service reliability - an ideal solution for those not quite ready to commit to a full-time DevOps hire.