IT staff augmentation has become an increasingly popular solution for businesses looking to increase their capabilities without making a permanent hire. This guide will introduce IT staff augmentation, its various available types and models, their benefits and drawbacks, and how to select one suitable for your business.
What Is IT Staff Augmentation?
IT staff augmentation is a flexible staffing model that allows businesses to hire additional IT specialists on an as-needed basis for specific projects or periods without making full-time hires. Simply put, IT staff augmentation involves supplementing your current staff with temporary IT specialists.
Types of Staff Augmentation Solutions Available
There are various staff augmentation solutions available, such as:
1. Skill-Based Staff Augmentation
Skill-based staff augmentation focuses on filling specific skill gaps within an organization’s IT team, typically used to fill short-term needs that require specific expertise that the existing team may lack. If an organization needs a mobile app developed quickly and efficiently, this staff augmentation could provide valuable help. For instance, hiring an expert team in mobile app development to supplement the current IT team may help in this effort.
2. Highly-Skilled Staff Augmentation
Highly-skilled staff augmentation refers to hiring IT professionals with deep technical expertise in one particular technology or domain. This type of staff augmentation is often used for complex long-term projects requiring high technical proficiency. For instance, an organization may hire a highly-skilled staff augmentation team experienced with AI to develop an AI solution tailored to their business.
3. Commodity Staff Augmentation
Commodity staff augmentation involves hiring IT professionals with common or basic technical skills available on the market. Often used to fill lower-level roles like help desk support or data entry. For instance, organizations may hire commodity staff augmentation to manage their IT infrastructure or perform routine maintenance tasks.
4. Short-Term Staff Augmentation
Short-term staff augmentation involves hiring IT professionals for projects expected to be completed within several months or less. This form of staff augmentation is generally used for quick projects, filling gaps during busy seasons or leaves of absence, or covering temporary staff shortages such as during holidays and leaves of absence.
5. Long-Term Staff Augmentation
Long-term staff augmentation involves hiring IT professionals for projects expected to last several months or years, typically for complex, ongoing projects or to complement an organization’s existing IT team for an extended period. It is commonly employed when complex issues need addressing or when supporting complex IT teams are absent for an extended period.
How Staff Augmentation Works
Staff augmentation usually involves four steps:
Set Project Requirements: Determine what special skills and knowledge are necessary to complete this project.
Searching for IT Professionals: Utilize recruitment agencies, job boards, or social networks to locate suitable IT specialists.
Evaluate Candidates: Evaluate each candidate carefully to identify who would make the ideal fit for your project.
Hire IT Professionals: Once all candidates have been assessed, select those best suited to the project and hire them for an agreed period.
Manage IT Professionals: Provide sufficient resources and support so that IT professionals can complete the project successfully.
Benefits of IT Staff Augmentation
IT staff augmentation offers many advantages, such as:
Flexibility:
IT staff augmentation allows businesses to hire additional personnel ad hoc without making full-time hires, giving greater staffing levels flexibility while saving costs.
Access to Specialized Skills:
Businesses using IT staff augmentation can access specialized skills that may not otherwise be readily available within their organization, allowing quicker project completion times and greater efficiency overall.
Reducing Recruitment Costs:
IT staff augmentation allows businesses to reduce the recruitment and training expenses associated with full-time staff members, which saves both money and effort in hiring, training, and onboarding them.
Drawbacks of IT Staff Augmentation
IT staff augmentation also presents some drawbacks, including:
Limited Control:
IT staff augmentation involves hiring temporary workers, which limits businesses’ control over work schedules, priorities, and performance.
Communication Challenges:
Outsourcing IT staffing services can pose communication obstacles that lead to delays or miscommunication, negatively impacting project timelines and outcomes. This may cause project delays to slide past their timeline or cause project results to deteriorate altogether.
Integration Challenges:
Integrating temporary workers can be difficult if they come with different work styles or personalities, particularly if there is conflict among teams where temporary employees belong.
Selecting an Appropriate Staff Augmentation Model
Consider these key aspects to choose an effective staff augmentation model for your business.
Project Requirements:
Determine which skills and expertise are essential to completing this project.
Communication Needs:
Determine what communication requirements exist for the project and if onsite or remote workers would be more suitable.
Budget:
It is important to carefully evaluate your budget for this project and decide whether onsite or remote workers would be more cost-effective.
Timeline:
Determine whether the project can be completed within its planned timeline using onsite or remote workers.
Conclusion
IT staff augmentation offers many advantages to organizations looking to supplement their IT teams or complete specific projects. Organizations can save time and money while meeting all their IT requirements by hiring temporary IT professionals with specific skills and expertise. However, it’s essential that organizations carefully evaluate the quality of professionals they hire and select an augmentation type that matches project length and staffing needs. Contact Turnkey Tech Solutions to know more on IT Staff Augmentation
FAQ’s on Staff Augmentation Model
1. What types of IT roles can be filled through staff augmentation?
Staff augmentation services can fill almost any IT role – from developers and engineers to project managers and analysts. The key is identifying which skills and expertise your project requires before finding IT professionals with those capabilities.
2. How is staff augmentation different from outsourcing?
Outsourcing involves engaging a third-party provider to manage specific functions or processes for you; staff augmentation involves hiring temporary workers as an add-on solution to existing staff members. Outsourcing tends to be longer-term, while staff augmentation tends to be project-based solutions.
3. How can I ensure the IT professionals I hire through staff augmentation are high-quality?
Their skills and experience must be thoroughly assessed before hiring them. Working with a reputable recruitment agency that specializes in IT staffing will further help ensure you find only the top candidates.
4. What are some best practices for overseeing IT professionals hired through staff augmentation?
To ensure IT professionals hired through staff augmentation are effectively integrated into your team, providing them with clear instructions, expectations and resources is essential. Regular communication and feedback can ensure everyone stays on the same page and the project continues without issue.
5. What are the differences between staff augmentation and IT outsourcing?
Staff augmentation involves hiring temporary IT workers to supplement your current staff, while IT outsourcing involves contracting with an outside provider to manage a specific function or process. Staff augmentation tends to be more flexible and project-focused, while outsourcing offers longer-term solutions.