The fastest way to level up in Jira? Hire an expert

Atlassian first released Jira in 2002. Twenty years ago. It’s unbelievable to think it’s been that long.

Back then, Jira was purely for software development. 

But now, it has evolved into a tasking, listing and accountability tool that’s used in a variety of industries and teams, from Legal and HR, to Marketing.

It’s not just a dev tool anymore.

It looks different. The functionality has changed. It has evolved into a complete workflow management system that’s as competent in bug and issue tracking as it is in assigning payroll duties.

And with apps and add-ons, the Jira ecosystem has become infinitely more versatile and flexible.

And complicated.

All this change means skills can lag behind new functions – and your once cutting-edge tool can be relegated to a glorified “to do” list.

When it comes to levelling up in Jira and maximising your investment in the tool, you have two choices: you can train your team – or you can hire an expert to show you how it’s done, while they’re on the job.

Option 1. Training your team

Jira training is a long-term investment, but it happens reasonably fast.

Jira training sessions empower your team with the knowledge to use Jira to the full extent of its capabilities. Advanced Jira training courses can level up an entire company, across all departments, and add value that extends for years.

Every single project and department can benefit from Jira training.

But – it’s not always the best move to make at any given time, especially in smaller teams already under heavy crunch.

Don’t get us wrong; Jira training is a great thing to undertake, and it doesn’t really have any downsides at all.

But timing is crucial.

Any training course that adds real value can run over multiple sessions. In a small team already pushed for capacity, taking time out from a working day to go to a training session can just add to their stress. The lessons won’t really stick, as their minds will be on looming deadlines.

It can be a recipe for burnout, and wasted training budget.

It can turn a well-meaning growth opportunity into an ordeal – and it simply is not the right choice at certain points in a company’s growth.

In fact, when you need an extra set of hands, the last thing you need to do is take your star players out of the game. If anything, you need more of them out on the field.

That’s where hiring a freelance Jira expert could be the fastest and most beneficial way to level up your team.

Option 2. Hiring in a freelance Jira expert

Freelance Jira experts come into your team as readymade, fully-fledged practitioners, with the skills to mould Jira to any use case. You can task them with optimising workflow, or overhauling processes – and give your team a front row seat to them in action.

Having an expert in your ranks merans their experience will rub off on your team; they’ll answer your team’s questions, show them how to work more fluidly, and solve their day-to-day productivity bottlenecks.

And within that, you can achieve your specific project goals, with another set of hands on deck.

The long-term benefit to productivity (and mimisining crunch) is undeniable – and for small to medium teams looking to boost capacity and gain new knowledge, it’s a huge short-term boost.

Bringing in the external knowledge of a freelance Jira expert has many positive ripple effects beyond simply ticking the work off the list.

What are the cons of using Jira freelancers?

As the name suggests, freelancers are free to do as they wish – go where the wind takes them, pursue new opportunities, and change specialisms entirely. Even if you have the best working chemistry, offer amazing day rates and build a connection, you can never guarantee they’ll stick around.

But on the other hand, the same is true for full-time employees, who are free to go on to pastures new.

Of course, there’a also a risk that they won’t work out, or fit with the team – but with ClearHub, you’ll have a specialist skill sourcing partner on your side.

Hire freelance Jira experts

ClearHub specialises in finding the best freelance Jira experts in the world; vetted, skills-checked and ready to level your business up.

Want to know more? Get in touch with the ClearHub team today. Call +44 (0) 2381 157811 or send your message to info@clearhub.tech.