The world has made progress in leaps and bounds regarding technology. Businesses, too, have evolved their business models to keep up with this progress. The competition has been steadily rising, making hiring the right person for the right job increasingly difficult. Here is where IT staff augmentation enters, the new buzzword of the IT industry.
Traditionally hiring employees requires a lot of time and capital on the part of companies. Remote hiring has thus gained more popularity as it is less time consuming, requires less capital, and allows companies to hire from a global talent pool.Â
What is IT Staff Augmentation?
IT staff augmentation is outsourcing talent to compensate for the skill gap of in-house employees. Outsourced talent can be hired either temporarily or permanently.
Your company’s IT staff augmentation team will analyse and identify the skill gap present in your existing team and hire individuals with the right skillset accordingly. These individuals can be hired based on the requirements of a particular project.
Outsourcing usually means hiring remotely located professionals. While new startups that don’t have a lot of capital to invest can hugely benefit from IT staff augmentation, big tech firms can also complement their existing workforce by hiring remote talent.
What are the instances when businesses need IT staff augmentation?
Different projects require different skill sets. Sometimes, the in-house team might lack the specific skills the project demands, which is when the need for IT staff augmentation arises.
- To bridge the skill gap: Staff augmentation allows companies to hire talent remotely on a project basis. These professionals tend to have the expertise the in-house team lacks. Involving remote experts in the project shows an overall better result.
- Having extra resources: When all the in-house employees are working on different projects and no one is available, remote hiring might be the right move, especially for any new project that must be finished on time.
- Reducing operational costs: Hiring a remote professional part-time for specific projects will save you a lot of money than hiring full-time individuals with the same skill set.Â
7 Ways in which IT Staff Augmentation helps your business
1. The flexibility:
Hiring remote professionals on a project basis can be a win-win situation for both the company and the professional who is being hired. For the company, it can be cost-effective to hire remotely rather than hiring full-time employees. Also, experts can be hired based on a project’s requirements, and they can complement and assist the existing team for maximum results.
On the other hand, professionals can also enjoy the benefits of being hired remotely, as they can work only on the projects they enjoy the most and feel passionate about, rather than having to work on all the projects of a company.
2. Accessing a large talent pool:
Companies can access a much larger talent pool when they hire remotely. There is no need for the professional to physically be present in the office so that talent can be hired anywhere.
This opens up opportunities for professionals as well. Millennials with the right skill and talent can work in global firms and showcase their expertise. This also increases job opportunities.
3. A cost-effective competitive edge:
Hiring remotely frees up companies from bearing the cost for the long term. Also, it allows companies to have a greater reach when they hire experts from the global talent pool. Companies can access talented individuals at a fraction of the cost of traditional hiring. Acquiring such a large talent pool allows companies to have a competitive edge over other firms that don’t have this flexibility.
4. Reduction in infrastructure cost:
Hiring remotely cuts down on a company’s infrastructure cost when working with traditional employees. There is little requirement to provide office spaces to remote professionals.
Individuals either work from their homes or at the supplying organisation’s office. However, employees are still entirely accountable for the firms they are working for.
5. Safe scaling of businesses:
Companies can scale their businesses without the accompanying risk of failure and losing investments. Hiring temporarily allows companies to expand their workforce without investing in a full-time workforce.
Also, companies can better adapt to the ever-changing market requirements by hiring talent on a project basis. Hiring new talent means having greater exposure to new ideas and innovations.
6. Avoid stagnation of ideas:
Having a fixed set of employees can stagnate outdated ideas. Millennials can come as an excellent asset for companies with their contemporary world views.Â
7. Being in control:
Unlike traditional outsourcing, where complete control is handed away to an external agency, IT staff augmentation ensures that you remain firmly in control of the project.
You are only hiring human resources from an external agency. As the parent firm, you remain firmly in charge of the final call regarding the project.
Types of IT staff augmentation services
IT staff augmentation services come in various types, and each has its specific functions.
- Time and Material model: Many projects require flexibility from all the parties involved, regardless of the timeline. The time and material model for staff augmentation supplies tech resources to companies and charges them for the time and material investments.
- Turnkey Project Model: This is one of the most popular models for IT firms and tech giants, requiring the least hassle. It firms specify their requirements and budget to the IT staff augmentation agency, and the agency supplies talent accordingly.Â
- Dedicated Developer model: This is another popular model of hiring remote talent, especially for long-term projects. Firms can hire dedicated developers as per their needs and skill set requirement. The IT firm is charged based on the number of developers they hire.
- Custom Hiring model: Not every project requires the same skillset and expertise. Every project has specific requirements, which might arise at any time during the project length.Â
With this model, an IT firm can hire experts for specific aspects of the project, like testing and editing, maintenance of the project, etc.Â
How to leverage staff augmentation for maximum benefits?
- Setting clear expectations: Having a clear plan and an idea of the outcome is necessary to avoid miscommunication. Not communicating your requirements may result in problems with your hired resources. If you communicate clearly what you require, you will achieve better results.
- Setting a time for communication: A problem with hiring remote talent is the difference in time zones. When the expert you have hired is in a different time zone, it might get tricky to communicate directly. So, to avoid this problem, make sure to set up a common time according to your and your employee’s convenience and communicate with him.
- Specify roles and workflow: Setting clear roles is essential for productivity and building trust among your in-house and remote employees. Once you have defined roles, proceed to define the workflow. Whether in-house or remote, every employee should be aware of the next step.
- Be ready to accept changes: While your in-house employees work within a specified time frame, you have to offer some flexibility to the remote professionals you have hired for the project.Â
Allowing them flexibility might mean greater productivity and efficiency. So, accept the changes and the suggestions your remote team provides.
Are You Looking for IT Staff Augmentation Services?
IT Staff augmentation for software companies is a cost-effective way to hire talented individuals with specific expertise without taking the risk of a full-scale investment. It is an excellent way for companies to increase their outreach and expand their business.
Not only companies but skilled individuals also greatly benefit from staff augmentation. Millennials have the opportunity to work with big tech firms from the comfort of their homes. It also gives employment opportunities to millions of individuals who are experts in their fields.            Â
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