Welcome to this interesting blog where we are going to talk about a game-changing solution for IT businesses looking to fill in vacancies for meeting project deadlines.
We are going to talk about a different kind of approach to hiring employees that is different from traditional in-house employee hiring as traditional means of hiring employees will simply not be enough for when highly talented IT specialists are needed as fast as possible for specific project requirements.
This is where we come to the unique and strategic staff hiring solution called IT staff augmentation.
We will understand exactly what IT staff augmentation means and we will also learn about the benefits of this process of hiring external employees as well as the process of doing so and even the best practices involved in hiring them.
The reason why this kind of process is not only very practical but also necessary in the IT industry is simply because traditional hiring of in-house developers can take up a lot of time. When you do not have the luxury of time you go with something like IT staff augmentation.
So, what is IT staff augmentation, let’s find out.
What is IT Staff Augmentation?
IT staff augmentation can be classified as a hiring technique and even a business strategy where IT companies hire temporary IT experts quite easily based on the current demands of the company.
This is usually done when the company is short-staffed on a certain project and they might need specific talent for a specific type of work.
This is different from regular in-house permanent hiring because that process can take months and is filled with multiple steps and a lot of paperwork.
IT staff augmentation is about hiring temporary or even long-term external IT professionals in order to expand existing IT teams.
This is simply done by companies to bypass the complicated process of permanently hiring employees because permanent hires are complicated and this strategy of IT staff augmentation is just like working with private contractors in other industries.
That is exactly why IT staff augmentation comes with its own set of benefits.
Key Benefits of IT Staff Augmentation
Cost Efficiency
The first and probably the most important reason why companies decide to go for IT staff augmentation is simply that it is much more cost-effective.
This is because if you look at regular permanent employee hiring then it involves everything from salaries to benefits as well as insurance and then there are training fees as well as recruitment fees involved in that process.
That’s a lot of money. Now imagine getting to hire an experienced and skilled professional with just a salary or even a contractual payment just for the duration of the project or even a one-time payment for the project. The latter just makes much more sense.
Access to Specialized Talent
The second benefit we are going to talk about is the fact that with IT staff augmentation you get to hire experts from all over the world and according to the specialisation you need.
This means that if the project demands an AI expert, then you get to hire that expert and not think twice about it.
This gives companies much more freedom and flexibility to get into complicated projects without any kind of permanent commitment of a permanent employee.
This also means that if a company decides to venture into cloud computing, then they can simply hire cloud engineers with the help of IT staff augmentation and if they want to close down this development then they can do it just as easily.
Faster Time to Market
Speaking of benefits, we need to talk about the time it takes to hire an expert with the help of IT staff augmentation.
When you plan on hiring an employee through the regular channels then the entire process of onboarding professionals can even take months.
Now think about the situation where you desperately need an expert to work on a project and get it out into the market. In a situation like this, you simply cannot trust regular and traditional hiring and you are going to need something as fast as IT staff augmentation.
Scalability & Flexibility
The benefit that makes IT staff augmentation the most practical and lucrative hiring technique for companies is the fact that it offers the best kind of freedom and flexibility to the companies as well as the professionals.
When we are talking about IT staff augmentation, we are talking about highly skilled professionals who juggle multiple projects until they find the best one for themselves.
We are also looking at businesses planning on scaling up their project deployment rates and when you combine the two, the best agreement out there is staff augmentation.
When Should You Consider IT Staff Augmentation?
Tight Deadlines
You should only consider IT staff augmentation if the deadlines are very tight and this usually happens when the existing staff are just not able to fulfil the project needs fast enough to meet deadlines.
In a situation like this one of the best solutions is to have more people working on the project and that is when you need IT staff augmentation and get access to skilled professionals in the fastest way possible.
Budget Constraints
The second reason why you should consider IT staff augmentation is if you are tight on the budget when it comes to the project.
If this is the case then doing a permanent hire would be considerably much more expensive if you considered everything.
Compared to that, IT staff augmentation would be much more budget-friendly for you.
Skill Gaps
IT staff augmentation is usually considered by companies as an option when there are skill gaps in the project.
This usually happens when the company is trying on a specific kind of project that requires knowledge about a specific technology or domain. Creating a vacancy for a permanent hire in the situation is just not practical.
Seasonal or Temporary Workloads
This is one of the reasons that is common in nearly every industry and we are talking about seasonal or temporary workloads where businesses experience a busy season and spike in company activity.
This is when more projects are accepted by companies during special seasons and this is when there is just a need for more manpower. You can think of something parallel to the IT industry like restaurants hiring more people during Christmas to meet with demand.
Short-Term or Niche Projects
It just so happens to be the case that companies like to experiment in new areas and avenues from time to time in the quest to try and grow.
This means that an IT company specialising in cloud services can also try and venture into the world of AI.
In a situation like this, the company that specialises in cloud services are only going to have cloud engineers and not AI engineers and that is why they might need to temporarily hire AI experts which is possible with IT staff augmentation.
Types of IT Staff Augmentation
Long-Term Augmentation
Long-term augmentation is exactly what it sounds like and it is when the project is ongoing and requires people with experience to work on it for a longer period of time. This can span months or even years and depends on the success of the project.
Skill-Based Augmentation
Skill-based augmentation is for projects that require a specific set of skills and knowledge and this can be both a long-term augmentation as well as short-term but this type is specifically about hiring based on skills.
Short-Term Augmentation
Just how long-term augmentation is about longer and more permanent projects Short-term augmentation is about emergency needs for different kinds of temporary projects. These last usually for a month and most are usually a few weeks.
The IT Staff Augmentation Process
Identify Needs
IT staff augmentation does sound complicated if you are doing it for the first time but it does not have to be like that. In order to find the best skilled professionals for your project the first thing to do is to identify the needs.
You will need to look at the scope of the project as well as the required skills and even the duration of the project and decide whether you actually need these professionals. It will also make it easier for you to hire them.
Choose the Right Partner
The process of IT staff augmentation and finding reliable IT staff with the help of a third-party partner.
That is why having a reliable partner will only mean better quality of people for your company and in order to determine that you need to look at the experience level and the industry reputation of third-party partners.
It also helps to look at case studies and client testimonials of these partners in order to find out if they actually provide the right professionals.
Candidate Selection
Now it is time to choose the candidate and if you want to do that you need to do the interview yourself and access their technical expertise directly.
Additionally, we would also suggest you to check out the communication skills of the potential candidates.
Onboarding
After you are done with candidate selection you need to move on to onboarding which means providing the employee access to the project details as well as helping them access the necessary tools and documentation required to work on the project.
This is where your assistance is going to be very valuable.
Ongoing Management
Finally, we come to ongoing management because ongoing management is just about monitoring their performance and also providing them with important tips and feedback regarding the work.
Every company has their own way of working and that is why the new employee might need a few days to adapt themselves.
IT Staff Augmentation Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Cultural Misalignment
Every company has their own set of culture of work and they are just different.
That is why getting a temporary employee is a challenge when it comes to cultural adaptation because they might be good at the job but that is not a guarantee of how good they will fit with the company culture.
Communication Barriers
The second thing we need to look at is communication barriers because when it comes to IT staff augmentation, you can hire employees from any part of the globe.
This might become challenging when they are not fluent in your local language or when communication is difficult since they work remotely.
Security Concerns
Hiring a permanent employee is a much safer option simply because you get more time to do background checks and everything else to ensure their reliability.
However, with IT staff augmentation, you do not really have the option for that has these new employees that hired and start working right away. To deal with this issue of having to share sensitive information with them you can make them sign different NDAs and also maintain a strict role-based access control policy.
Commitment Issues
Commitment issues might be yet another thing that can pose a challenge to IT staff augmentation hiring and this is because you are not hiring a permanent employee but someone temporary and they know that.
This means it might result in less company loyalty and less urge to work as compared to someone permanently employed.
Best Practices for Successful IT Staff Augmentation
Define Clear Objectives
If you are planning on IT staff augmentation then the first thing you need to do is to have clarity of thought regarding objectives and project goals as well as timelines and deliverables.
If you have this clarity in your mind then the hiring process is going to be much easier for you to manage.
Foster Collaboration
The second thing you need to understand is to always maintain a very collaborative and a very friendly environment with the IT staff augmentation.
You must understand that they have less incentive to give their very best to the company compared to the permanent employees and that is why you must always keep their morale high.
Provide Adequate Resources
You must never compromise on resources when it comes to IT staff augmentation because a staff implementation will only be successful if it is supported by resources.
This is simply because skilled professionals are just not enough if they are not supported by the systems they need in order to do their work.
Regular Reviews and Feedback
And lastly, you must always guide them with your feedback. This feedback will work as positive assurance in helping them work with the company.
Choosing the Right IT Staff Augmentation Partner
When you want to choose the right IT staff augmentation partner you need to keep a few things in mind. The first thing is that you need to look for experience and expertise because a partner without that is just unqualified.
You also need to look at their reach because a wider reach will only mean better candidates for you to hire.
Additionally, you also need to look at the costs of the partner and choose a partner that is transparent with their costs and charges.
You also need to choose a partner that is flexible and versatile and is able to understand your needs perfectly and that is how they will be able to serve you better.
Success Stories Regarding IT Staff Augmentation
While it is difficult to talk about success stories regarding IT staff augmentation as this kind of information is highly confidential when it comes to companies and their hiring practices but we can provide you with situations that demonstrate the success of IT staff augmentation.
One of the situations would be companies that are struggling with delays in launching a product could hire experienced back-end developers and launch the app successfully. This kind of developer will only be available for hire with IT staff augmentation.
You might also think about another situation where an online retailer might be going through an extremely busy season and they might be facing employee shortages during the peak holiday season. To compensate for that they need to hire at least 25 skilled IT professionals which is only possible with IT staff augmentation.
We hope this blog has been helpful for you to understand everything you need to know about IT staff augmentation and how it has the potential to completely transform your IT experience.
However, getting temporary employees for specific IT needs might not be the best option for you because there is yet another option that is even better and comes without the challenges of IT staff augmentation.
We are talking about outsourcing all your IT needs to industry-renowned IT professionals like us at Think To Share IT Solutions. We have the capacity and capability to solve all your IT needs and we are also industry pioneers when it comes to custom AI and cloud integration solutions.
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