Whether you’re launching an app development project, initiating a cloud migration project, or simply struggling under the weight of an ongoing strategy, staff augmentation services can be an ideal way to supplement your existing team with the skills necessary to make progress. Working with staff augmentation can be a quick and cost-effective solution.
Three Types of Staff Augmentation Positions
Core Augmentation
This involves a contractor that works on your site and acts as an ongoing part of your team. The role is defined by contract and is a best fit when a project is predictable, with little fluctuations in staff augmentation needs.
Functional Augmentation
This is the hiring of staff augmentation services for a specific project requirement. It generally has a finite duration.
Temporary Augmentation
This is a short-term solution to address a talent shortage for a project or until a permanent hire can be made.
These different types of staff augmentation are based simply on the needs of your project, but staff augmentation offers some clear benefits in all its forms.
Benefits of Staff Augmentation
Cost
This is the most important and noticeable benefit of staff augmentation services. You get the talent and skills needed on a project without paying the salary and benefits of an employee, as well as the associated overhead, such as office space and equipment. There are also hidden costs to hiring, such as recruitment, onboarding, and training.
Efficiency
Particularly in time-sensitive projects, outsourcing offers a clear advantage. Rather than waiting for a new employee to be trained and brought up to speed on a project, a highly-trained specialist brings readily-available skills and immediately applies them to your project.
Flexibility
Whether you are working with a tight budget or you have a variable demand to your IT department, staff augmentation gives you the ability to scale up or down in the level of services you receive.
Expertise
When you outsource from staff augmentation services, look for a provider that explicitly states the skills and certifications of its staff. This not only helps your project move forward, but it also exposes your in-house staff to new skill possibilities and improves employee satisfaction because your projects are not getting bogged down by a skills gap.
Control
Your project has a limited timeline and budget. Staff augmentation gives you a high level of control over how resources are allocated to different aspects of the project, allowing you to gain efficiencies and focus resources where they are most needed.
Of course, these benefits are not universal, and it’s possible to end up with project delays because of a bad match with a staff augmentation services provider. How do you avoid a misstep?
Having a clearly-defined project with measurable goals, timeline, and budget is a prerequisite of staff augmentation. In addition, you should obtain detailed information from the service provider about costs. Most importantly, don’t ever outsource accountability. The project is yours, and you should never assume that a contractor will feel the same weight of a deadline or budget that your organization does.
When it’s time to initiate a new project, staff augmentation services can be a great way to close the skills gap and complete your objectives on time. Contact us at Proper Connections for assistance in completing your team.