Ever experienced a tech difficulty your IT team can’t handle? Tech trends change rapidly. All businesses, big or small, usually have IT issues that are out of their team’s abilities. That’s when you should augment your team with IT experts.
Hiring IT experts isn’t just about knowledge voids. It’s a strategic move to expand your team’s tech skills. It’s about bringing fresh ideas, promoting continuous learning, and powering innovation. But when should you augment your team with IT experts? And how do you do it right?
This blog is your guide. We’ll look at the signs that show you need an IT professional, how to find the right ones and the most practical ways to add them to your team.
So, let’s get started.
What is IT Staff Augmentation?
Simply said, IT augmentation is the practice of hiring highly skilled IT professionals to work on your project along with your existing team. It helps you fill the skill gap in your existing IT team or fulfill the requirement of additional resources to work on your project.
Let’s take the following examples to help us understand the meaning of IT staff augmentation.
Suppose, your team is working on a mobile app development project. The project is time-sensitive and needs to be completed within the next two months. However, you realized that your existing team is already occupied with another project. In this case, hiring full-time mobile app developers will be a costly option, and have to walk through a long recruitment process.
What if you can hire the additional resources instantly on a contract basis? This is what IT staffing solutions are.
When to Choose IT Staff Augmentation?
There are multiple scenarios when choosing staff augmentation makes sense. Here we have outlined a few of the most common reasons;
1. Skill Gap Bridging
When your current team lacks specific skills or expertise required for a project, IT staff augmentation allows you to bring in professionals with the exact skill set needed, without the long-term commitment of hiring new full-time employees.
According to a survey by BMC Software, approximately 75% of IT leaders said that the skills gap is one of the biggest challenges in helping them deliver high-quality solutions. Augmentation evolved as the most preferred method to fill the skill gap in the IT industry.
2. Scalability
During peak times or when handling larger projects, you may need to scale your team quickly. Augmentation provides the flexibility to add or remove resources as needed, helping you manage workloads effectively.
A Clutch study found that outsourcing IT services can increase project development time with the help of augmented teams.
3. Cost Efficiency
Hiring full-time employees comes with additional costs like benefits, taxes, and training. Augmented staff are often more cost-effective as they are hired for a specific period or project, reducing overall labor costs.
According to Deloitte IT staff, augmentation services help companies save up to 83% on development costs.
4. Time-Sensitive Projects
For projects with tight deadlines, you can’t afford the time it takes to recruit, hire, and onboard new employees. Augmented staff can be onboarded quickly to meet urgent project timelines.
Augmenting IT teams usually takes approximately 1-2 weeks, compared to hiring full-time professionals, which takes between 8-12 weeks. Faster onboarding ensures that professionals can start working on your project at the earliest, and ensures tight deadlines can be met.
5. Focus on Core Business
Augmenting your team allows your core team members to focus on the primary objectives and strengths of your business, while the augmented staff handles the specialized tasks.
6. Access to Global Talent
Staff augmentation gives you access to a global pool of IT experts, enabling you to find the best talent for your project, regardless of geographical limitations.
7. Reducing Workload
If your current team is overburdened, bringing in augmented staff can help distribute the workload more evenly, preventing burnout and maintaining productivity.
8. Innovation and Fresh Perspectives
New team members can bring fresh ideas and perspectives that can drive innovation and creative problem-solving within your projects.
9. Risk Mitigation
Augmented staff can help mitigate risks associated with staff turnover by providing immediate support and continuity in your projects.
10. Competitive Advantage
By augmenting your team with top IT professionals, you can stay ahead of the competition with the latest technologies and industry practices.
How to Implement IT Staff Augmentation?
Here is how to get the benefits of outsourcing your project to the fullest extent;
1. Assess Your Needs: Identifying the Skill Gap
Before getting into IT staff augmentation, take a close look at your existing team. What skills are lacking? Where do you face challenges? Consider the following aspects:
- Skill shortages: Identify areas where your current team lacks expertise. It could be anything from specialized programming languages to cloud infrastructure management.
- Project requirements: Know the certain needs of your ongoing or upcoming projects. Do you need additional front-end developers, PHP developers, or Dedicated Laravel developers?
- Workload fluctuations: Analyze workload patterns. Are there peak seasons or sudden spikes in project demands? Augmentation can help manage these fluctuations effectively.
2. Define Clear Objectives
Why are you assessing staff augmentation? Be crystal clear about your objectives:
- Project enhancement: Are you aiming to accelerate project delivery? Perhaps you’re working on a critical deadline, and augmenting your team can provide the necessary boost.
- Quality improvement: Maybe you want to enhance the quality of your software products or services. Augmented staff can bring fresh perspectives and best practices.
- Cost optimization: Cost-effectiveness is crucial. Augmentation allows you to avoid the long-term financial commitment of hiring full-time employees.
3. Select the Right Partner
Choosing the right offshore software development company is pivotal. Here’s how to do it:
- Research and due analysis: Look for reputable IT staffing agencies or consultancies. Look into their track record, client testimonials, and industry expertise.
- Industry alignment: Ensure that the partner understands your industry. Their understanding of your domain will accelerate the process.
- Talent pool: Assess the partner’s talent pool. Do they have access to diverse skill sets? Can they meet your specific requirements?
4. Source and Screen Candidates
Your partner will help you identify potential candidates. Here’s how to proceed:
- Leverage networks: Tap into your partner’s network. They can match you with skilled experts who satisfy your requirements.
- Thorough interviews: Perform rigorous interviews. Assess not only technical expertise but also cultural fit and communication skills.
- Technical assessments: Utilize coding tests, problem-solving scenarios, or practical exercises to assess candidates’ abilities.
5. Onboard Augmented Staff
Smooth onboarding sets the tone for success:
- Access and tools: Provide access to necessary tools, software licenses, and systems. Ensure that augmented staff can begin the job instantly.
- Team introduction: Introduce them to existing team members. Foster a welcoming environment.
- Communication channels: Establish clear communication channels—both formal (meetings) and informal (chat platforms).
Final Take
IT augmentation is an affordable and practical option for companies that want to extend their tech capabilities. CyanicLab differentiates itself as a foremost option for those in pursuit of IT proficiency. With a dedication to quality and a big pool of proficient professionals, CyanicLab is a go-to resource, whether you’re striving for contract-based, part-time, or full-time IT specialists. Let’s connect with us to fill your team with top IT talent.