When a startup reaches a certain level of success, it must decide whether to expand its IT staff or outsource the work to an independent contractor. Both options necessitate additional investment. At the same time, startup owners nowadays require a team of specialists in various fields at their disposal. It is important for owners to make an informed decision. The right option can potentially save these startups a lot of money, but the wrong decision can also cost them a lot of money. The best solution is to consider augmenting the IT team as a viable option.
The same is true for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs frequently lack the funds to support a fully staffed IT department. It becomes costly and taxing for businesses to hire new employees and provide formal training. As an SME, you need a trusted IT partner who will not only help you complete a project, but also add value to it. Without a fully-staffed and competent IT department, your company will be unable to meet the needs of customers.
There are numerous advantages to using staff augmentation–whether you need software developed, a website made, or any other tech-related task. In this blog article, we will explore them and demonstrate why your company should consider outsourcing IT teams rather than recruiting everyone within.
What is IT staff augmentation
IT staff augmentation, as the name implies, concentrates solely on IT talent. It is a flexible outsourcing model that allows businesses to supplement their existing teams with the skilled professionals they need to achieve their business goals.The augmented team is often assembled based on the project’s requirements and the team’s skill set. When done properly, it is the easiest and fastest way to expedite the deliverables of a current development team. The outsourcing model combines the advantages of hiring a member of an internal team with the flexibility and cost-efficiency of a typical offshore outsourcing. The outsourced staff can also handle management and coordination, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.
The basic goal of IT staff augmentation is to quickly find a team that can make up for the gap in skills and knowledge of an organisation. Technically, staff augmentation is similar to assisting your team without hiring extra members. By increasing your workforce, you avoid having to deal with HR and administrative employment difficulties. Instead, the augmented team’s outsourcing partner will take care of all of these issues.
Staff augmentation might be full-time or part-time. For example, you could just hire a team of experts to make up for the competency gap. In other cases, an augmented team can completely replace the existing employees.
Benefits of staff augmentation
- Reduced costs
Staff augmentation enables IT businesses to reduce expenses at various levels. You won’t have to spend money on recruiting, office space, equipment purchase, taxes, employee benefits or anything else. Because augmentation staff are selected for their competence in a particular field, it also helps to reduce the cost of training permanent staff. If you don’t require someone full-time, you can sign a contract with your staff augmentation source to get the specific staff you need for the requisite period.
- Access to the talent pool
IT staff augmentation vendors typically have a diverse set of IT expertise on their team, such as front and back-end developers, network engineers, cybersecurity experts, UI/UX designers, and so on. Working with an IT staff augmentation partner offers you instant access to all of this talent on an as-needed basis at a cheap cost.
You also get a very focused and unbiased workforce as the augmented staff are dedicated to complete specific projects and meet deadlines while approaching their tasks with focus and accuracy. Their primary goal is to ensure the success of the projects assigned to them. The existence of external talent also allows you to gain direct access to a global pool of competent IT experts.
- Increased flexibility
One of the primary advantages of staff augmentation is that it allows companies to hire employees based on short-term needs and projects. Companies with this flexibility have a competitive edge since they are less vulnerable to economic downturns. On the other hand, companies that are unable to adapt to the changing market conditions will fail. Staff augmentation allows companies to be more responsive. In addition, startups can grow and scale down depending on their current needs. Flexible IT staffing enables companies to extend their operations on a trial, project-specific basis without committing to a full-time workforce. As a result, they are not bound to employees who will not be needed for many months.
- Higher productivity
By engaging an external talent pool, you can increase productivity and reduce project delays. Team augmentation specialists are accustomed to working in a fast-paced atmosphere. They will prioritise key tasks and devote as much time as is required to complete them before the deadline. Their extensive knowledge enables them to anticipate errors and share issues and risks with you before you set the release date.
Alternatively, staff augmentation ensures that your team is completely focused on your project. Because project-based outsourcing teams may operate on multiple projects at the same time, your augmented team’s efficiency may be higher than having an in-house team.
How to succeed with team augmentation
Companies that have successfully integrated staff augmentation into their business model understand how to leverage the skills of remote IT specialists. If done correctly, the IT Staff Augmentation model can have a positive impact on your company as well. Here are a few things to consider in order to properly implement the model:
- Set clear expectations.
Whether you’re hiring directly, through a recruitment agency, or through team augmentation, you must understand what you, your team, and your company anticipate from the new IT staff. What skills, characteristics, and attitudes must they possess in order to add value to your product? Are they aligned with your core values and work culture? This will help to ensure that there is no misunderstanding about their roles and responsibilities.
- Select the right talent.
Take your time to select the best talent pool. Not all IT staffing agencies are created equal, and you should choose one that thoroughly vets their talents. By correctly sourcing your personnel, you can ensure that your employees are prepared for the task at hand. Check to see if the IT staffing firm has an excellent track record of offering highly qualified personnel and keeping their promises. When you find them, the partner is no longer just a gap-filler; they are a partner in your success, which is exactly what you want.
- Ensure clear communication.
It is critical to have transparent and seamless communication between the augmented staff and the company in order to meet the required project goals. Your team must be aware of the vision, mission, and project requirements. You need to ensure that you establish an effective process to allow for open communication. Clear communication helps make sure that you are not wasting your resources. It is important to improve communication during the development cycle so that everyone can adhere to decisions and effectively contribute to ongoing projects. Allow team members to ask questions and provide feedback throughout the process to create a cohesive team environment.
- Form a long-term partnership.
Building a long-term relationship with a staffing partner enables you to scale up your workforce on large projects. The time and effort you spend sharing vital information about your business, building trust, and integrating them into your environment, workflow, and culture can be utilised in future projects. After that, you can scale back down so that your own teams can handle the workflow. Having access to these on-demand staffing services allows you to save the time and resources required to onboard new team members whenever you have an IT project that demands special attention.
Staff Augmentation with Creativ Digital
Creativ Digital is ready to help you achieve your business goals with our topnotch IT talent and team augmentation experience. Whether you need staffing services to develop your website or mobile app, or overhaul your complete IT recruiting strategy, Creativ Digital can support your business with the right technology solutions. Our Sydney-based team of IT specialists becomes an extension of your team. Each team member is carefully chosen based on the expertise and requirements you need.
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