What is staff augmentation and how it works?

The software development industry is one of the fastestgrowing industries in the world. It deals with the creation of softwareapplications and services for businesses and users. According to the SoftwareProducts Global Market Report 2021, the value of global software developmentmarket was $930.93 billion in 2020 and will reach to $1493.07 billion by 2025.

Despite the fact that the most important asset is humanresources, the industry is unevenly developed around the world. The mainregions are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Among them,North America is the leader and accounts for 40% of the total market. Theprices for IT specialists are also higher here.

There are a large number of companies on the market.Generally, business accurately plans the number of people needed for the work.However, sometimes the situation changes in such a way that there is an urgent need to find employees to meet the company's needs. Staff augmentation will help you with this task.‍

What is staff augmentation and how it works?

The staff augmentation meaning is the temporary use of outside personnel. It is a remote work model that allows you to find a company that provides outsourcing services and hire qualified external professionals so that you can manage them for a short or longer period of time. You will be offered candidates that meet the requirements to fill the needed positions in your company, if necessary.Usually these candidates are from regions where salaries are much lower, but their skills and competencies are high. It is important to note that this is not just an expansion of a staff but the involvement of other employees, as needed for a certain period of time.In other words, this method makes it possible to quickly find employees for a specific project when their number is insufficient. What is staff augmentation in IT? Companies in this field are provided with employees such as software developers, project managers, system administrators, business analysts, designers, DevOps specialists, etc. when outsourcing is needed.‍

When it is a good choice?

1. You are already working on a project with your software development team, but you lack new ideas and suggestions. Moreover, your country does not have enough specialists that you need. Adding resources and personnel for the period of time you need will help you increase the productivity of your team many times over. Saving time and money, you will be completely satisfied with the final result.
2. If you need experts to help you solve tasks that you cannot handle, resource and staff augmentation company will help you hire a temporary worker for the quick execution or implementation of the project. Staff augmentation meaning in solving this problem is significant.
3. You are already working with a staffing firm, but their working model does not suit you. Close internal and external team cooperation and work efficiency are important for you. You want to manage the work of temporary employees independently and need more communication with them. Because of remote work, it is important for you that all employees feel as part of the team.

Benefits of staff augmentation

Increases the work capacity

Developers you hired from such companies give their full attention and concentration to only one project. The work is focused on necessary task and all your ideas, details and aspects are taken into account.

Flexibility

Unlike traditional hiring, you can scale your project the way you want. You are not responsible for human resources and can fire, replace or hire as many people as you need.

Lower costs

The staff augmentation meaning in cost reduction is that you only expenses are employees’ salaries. This company takes care of all the organizational issues and costs associated with renting an office or buying equipment, and takes care of the rest by itself. Besides, you do not have to make regular salary payments and worry about taxes, sick leave or vacation, as would be the case with traditional employment.

Challenges of staff augmentation

In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary to realize that the development of software involves a high level of risk. Therefore, it is better to prepare well before starting the work to avoid common problems. Once you have started your work with temporary employees, you need to know how to behave. Successful cooperation and a friendly team are important criteria to avoid misunderstandings within the team. You must be sure that you will be able to solve certain problems when they arise.

Challenge 1

Search for professional experts

Finding IT professionals with necessary skills, sufficient experience and knowledge base is a major problem today. The market is full of software development companies, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the right one for you. Remember that when looking for resource and staff augmentation company, the most important things to pay attention at are the hourly rates and the reputation of the company.

Solution

Finding the right company can be quite difficult, but it is realistic. First, choose the location that best suits you. Select several companies and familiarize yourself with the technologies they work with. And finally, check the company's customer reviews and history.

Challenge 2

Share Knowledge

To avoid organizational losses, it is extremely important to consolidate all the acquired knowledge at the beginning of the work, so as not to lose anything while working on the project and to bring the expertise to the end.

Solution

The company should not only provide you with new knowledge, but also share it with your employees. Organize regular team meetings and conduct technical documentation to maximize efficiency.

Challenge 3

Legal issues

Working in IT is very responsible. If you work with resource and staff augmentation company you need a detailed contract. This is necessary so that no problems occur during the work process, such as unforeseen additional projects, compromised data security, etc.

Solution

The following items should be included in the contract prior to the start of the collaboration:

• Payment and invoicing terms;
• Guidelines for the use of data;
• Privacy rules;
• Time frame for scaling up;
• Responsibilities of both parties;
• Contractual penalties in case of unilateral termination of the contract;
• Applicable law for interactive contracts, etc.

About US

We provide services for IT companies. We are ready to help you to meet your business needs. Our team of experienced professionals can provide you with resources to make you achieve your goals faster. We also offer solutions that would be better for your company and can be tailored to your specific requirements. We guarantee the best value for your money.

FAQ:

What roles can be filled through staff augmentation?

It can be used to fill a variety of roles, including IT, engineering, marketing, and administrative roles.

What is staff augmentation compared with outsourcing?

Staff augmentation involves hiring external personnel to supplement an organization's existing workforce, while outsourcing involves hiring an external organization to take on a specific task or project.

How can organizations ensure successful staff augmentation?

Organizations can ensure successful procedure by clearly defining roles and expectations, establishing clear communication channels, and providing appropriate training and support.