Whenever I need something to be done outside of my expertise, I’m either tempted to do it myself or ask my friends and acquaintances who are more or less competent in the required domain to help me. Usually, I don’t like the results and regret spending time, effort, and money unwisely. Is it familiar to you?
Here’s the lesson I’ve learned. The best way to address the issue is to entrust it into the hands of qualified professionals. It will cost you more than rewarding someone from your social circle yet you will get the desired outcome.
Wise entrepreneurs know that their job is to make their business successful and not doing everything on their own. What’s more, software development isn’t a skill everyone can master, therefore entrepreneurs opt for hiring software engineers either in-house or through IT team augmentation.
Nowadays, more and more companies choose IT staff augmentation services. It’s one of the outsourcing models allowing finding and recruiting the team of talents for specific project needs.
You may ask: “Why should I choose a staff augmentation business plan?”
I have an answer: “It solves two issues we’ve talked about in the beginning. You work with experts and you don’t have to deal with outrageous prices.”
Now, let’s see how the software team augmentation works and when it’s best to use it.
Staff augmentation process flow
Generally, the IT staff augmentation process consists of three basic steps (which nonetheless change according to the project requirements and the company’s preferences).
Step 1. Identifying talent gaps
You have project specifications ready. You know exactly how your project should function. Now, you have to identify skill gaps. By the way, you don’t have to be an expert to find out what specialist you need. Set up a call with the vendor you want to work with and tell them your requirements. Along with the relevant software engineers, they will suggest your technology stack suitable for your project.
If you already know who you need, or have run an in-depth analysis to identify talent shortage, then simply provide this information to your vendor.
Companies, as well as situations, vary a lot — you may need a whole development team to extend your company, or you may need several engineers to enhance your existing team of developers.
You may also want to create job descriptions, conduct interviews with candidates to choose those who match your requirements.
Step 2. Onboarding and work integration
After settling terms and conditions signing contracts and NDAs integrate your new team members into your company. Introduce them with your in-house team, run training if necessary, let them become familiar with technical concepts, and plunge into the working environment.
Step 3. Managing the process
The last stage will last as long as you are going to cooperate with an augmented team. Live and learn, as an old saying says. Continuous learning and analysis of the value your new team brings to your project will help you to motivate your employees and show you if your investments are justified. Don’t forget about management and roles that have been defined from the beginning.
Most of the clients manage their augmented staff on their own, however, there are instances of hiring in-house or outsourced project managers. It’s necessary for bigger teams that cannot be easily managed.
When it’s best to use IT staff augmentation model
The popularity of IT staff augmentation services is tremendous. However, before you join all those successful companies benefiting from software outsourcing, identify if your case is really the case when it’s best to use IT team augmentation.
First, if you have an in-house team but want to extend it.
One of the amazing benefits of the staff augmentation model is that it allows reducing costs. Whenever you feel that it’s time to build another software engineers’ department or scale the team you already have — outsourcing is a great option. You don’t have to provide office space, pay for the insurance or other perks, and promise sky-high salaries. With the staff augmentation model, many of those things get eliminated.
Second, if you need experts with a certain technical skill set.
There are multiple software development companies all over the world, can you imagine how huge is the worldwide talent pool? If you need a developer specializing in certain technology, you’ll definitely find one.
Third, you need flexibility.
With an in-house team approach, it’s impossible to hire an engineer for one task or one day, whereas with a staff augmentation model you can easily change members of your team according to the project requirements.
Fourth, there are no qualified developers in your local area
You may have both, desire and money to create a larger in-house team, however, you may struggle with hiring engineers skilled in specific programming languages. If it’s about you, then it’s best to find an outsourcing or software team augmentation company that will fill the required talent gap.
What’s your next step?
Needless to say that by choosing a technology staff augmentation model you reduce the recruitment time, have more control over the workflow, and spend less money.
If situations described in this blog portray your today’s situation, start looking for an outsourcing vendor today and you won’t regret it. inVerita will be glad to accompany you in this process and find your talents that will help your business grow!