As business leaders plan their budgets for 2027, the big question isn’t about cutting costs or growing fast. It’s about a clear trade-off: Should you spend money on artificial intelligence to make your current team faster or should you hire more people?
For TechSmith, that question is a factor in next year’s planning.
“A real debate on the horizon is whether to budget for more AI — for internal use that can make employees more productive — versus hiring more employees,” said Wendy Hamilton, CEO. A decision on the table for next year could come down to daily work efficiency. Is it better to buy AI tools for employees to use internally or bring on new team members?
When asked about hiring plans, Hamilton noted that TechSmith will “largely hold steady.” Because TechSmith’s workers are part-owners, bringing on a new team member is amajor, long-term decision.
“We do add offshore contractors for temporary volume needs,” Hamilton said. “When we hire an employee, who are also employee-owners of TechSmith, it’s a longterm commitment. So, we have to be sure we need the headcount long term, even as our strategies change.”
While saving time internally is a goal, AI is also driving revenue. Hamilton pointed out that TechSmith’s biggest growth opportunity lies in “helping existing customers adopt AI to be more effective at creating software-accurate documentation, training and advertorials.”
To make the most of this opportunity, companies must direct their spending toward top talent; even when it’s hard to find.
“We are a software development shop, and experienced AI engineering expertise is the hardest to fill,” Hamilton said.
Beyond AI projects, budgets also need to cover simple tools that make day-to-day work easier. Hamilton highlighted TechSmith’s own Camtasia and Snagit as examples of tools worth the cost for “everyday visual and video communication, including customer-facing support,” noting that “it has reduced internal ‘unneeded’ meeting time and closed support tickets faster.”
Success in 2027 won’t mean picking humans over technology or vice versa. The winning strategy is using AI to help your core team do better work, staying flexible with extra help when needed and spending money on tools that save people time
KEEP THESE IN MIND FOR 2027 BUDGETING BALANCE
LABOR VS. EFFICIENCY
Evaluate whether increasing headcount is truly necessary or if investing in better internal tools, automation and streamlined workflows can achieve the same results without adding permanent payroll overhead.
MATCH HIRING STRUCTURE TO GROWTH TYPE
Full-time hires are long-term financial commitments. For temporary volume spikes or specialized projects, budget for flexible contractors to keep fixed operating expenses low.
AUDIT DAILY OPERATIONAL TOOLS
High-cost technology isn’t the only place to invest. Inexpensive software that cuts down meeting times, improves internal communication or speeds up customer support often delivers the fastest return on investment.
ACCOUNT FOR SPECIALIZED TALENT COSTS
If your 2027 goals require niche skills, whether in software, compliance or specialized engineering, expect higher compensation demands and longer recruitment cycles in your talent budget.
