IT Staff Augmentation as an Answer to Your Next Project
Today, most businesses are benefiting immensely from IT staff augmentation, as it enables them to accomplish complex projects with top-notch technical staff from all parts of the world.
Did you know that big-tech companies including Microsoft and Apple outstaff the majority of their projects to Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine? The country is estimated to have over 210 000 IT professionals and engineers as of 2021 and approximately 20,000 young minds joining the industry every year. It doesn’t come as a surprise that PWC ranks Ukraine as the 5th world’s largest IT exporter estimated at $4.5B.
What is IT Staff Augmentation?
It refers to a staffing model or human resource technique whereby a company with gaps in its staff seeks the service of a secondary company to provide the necessary human capital. Some of the benefits of IT staff augmentation services include the acquisition of a highly-skilled talent that enables them to meet their short-term and long-term objectives. Also, the approach helps in filling for teams on extended leave, gaps in the skills force, and to accomplish specific technical projects within a short time frame.
Often the model of staff augmentation is confused with that of outsourcing. However, these two are different. The staff augmentation model is more preferred over outsourcing services as the hiring company is able to retain control of their IT departments. The approach has now become more common than ever with the pandemic as organizations constantly embrace the idea of remote teams in managing their business processes.
In most cases, organizations with IT departments have gaps in their professionals. The application of staff augmentation would help resolve the problems especially in regions facing a shortage of IT skilled specialists. With their needs in mind, the business is then able to define the kind of staff they require and acquire these remote teams onshore or offshore with the help of the service provider. As we are about to discover, this model is quickly gaining popularity due to the flexibility it offers among other benefits.
There are different types of IT staff augmentation services depending on your needs including the length of service required, the type and level of skill required, and the type of product and service.
Benefits of IT Staff Augmentation
Offers Flexibility
Staff augmentation model in IT allows the necessary flexibility needed for businesses as they embrace certain changes to counter competition such as shifts in demand. The traditional staffing approaches were more rigid and such changes came with financial implications. When faced with certain technical projects, organizations can easily acquire the professionals they need for the duration of the project.
Provides Highly Skilled Teams
The hiring company gains access to convenient short-term or long-term highly skilled talent. Due to the professionalism involved in staff augmentation, the output is always high quality, and organizations are able to stay at par with competition despite their sizes.
Also, staff augmentation is convenient as it offers a wider talent pool from which companies are able to hire the professionals they require for specific projects. The staff hired through the augmentation approach have higher levels of experience from working with different global organizations including your competitors, which could be of huge benefit to your firm. For this reason, they are more likely to bring in new innovations and ideas giving you a competitive edge.
Increased Efficiency
With the correct teams in place, organizational performance is improved. Unlike in other models, staff augmentation enables businesses to manage and closely coordinate their teams. The professionals hired in this model are aligned with the company objectives and work in collaboration with the rest of the teams in meeting the set goals. As a result, the operations run more smoothly which makes it easier to accomplish the set targets.
Reduced Costs
Hiring in-house teams can be very costly for the employer. With the staff augmentation model, an organization is able to acquire the talent they require for the necessary projects and duration. This model has made it possible for SMEs to provide goods and services and compete at the same level of quality as other large companies.
In some cases, businesses result in training their staff on the new technology so as to have them work on certain projects, which comes at a cost. However, with staff augmentation, you can identify their needs and get the best-suited professionals for these roles.
Quicker Turnaround
Businesses that employ this model are in a position to access highly specialized teams that provide the necessary service for the quick turnaround of their projects. 62% of companies in favour of alternative employment believe that having these staff aboard enables them to complete their projects faster. This is because these organizations have access to the right skill set for the necessary time frames. For instance, staff augmentation can help you rush to launch new products or services ahead of their competitors.
Business Control
In staff augmentation, enterprises are able to retain control of all their operational processes. Consequently, it counters one of the greatest fears in IT outsourcing. The staff hired using this model are fully under the management of the institution and are more aligned to the organizational culture and practices. These professionals also adhere to the same code of conduct as the rest of the organization, which makes it easier to control and streamline management functions.
Professionals acquired through staff augmentation are also unbiased and oriented to the company’s objectives. As a result, their performance is more reliable as compared to outsourcing services.
Brings Aboard Fresh Skills and Ideas
A lot of organizations are suffering from employing the same tact and mindset over time. Staff augmentation brings forth new talent with new ideas that would advance your projects. Also, staff that have overstayed in an organization hold a fixed mindset and culture of carrying out their duties. New people joining your team can break these bad cultures which might be coming in the way of business progress. Besides, IT is one of the most dynamic industries, whereby without innovation it would be difficult for an organization to sustain its projects.
Access to Offshore Talent
Businesses that embrace this staffing model have access to a large pool of professionals globally, as the world faces a shortage of 40M software development professionals. Staff augmentation service providing companies also provide the necessary support to ensure smooth operation. As a result, the businesses can effectively acquire the talent they desire from a different time zone.
Recruitment processes are tedious and time-consuming. Firms are, therefore, able to save on time and other resourcing by hiring the service of a staff augmentation company. Since this augmentation process is much faster, it is best suited to replace staff who suddenly leave the organization in the midst of time-sensitive projects.
The Impact of the Pandemic on IT Staff Augmentation
Covid pandemic brought forth a lot of changes in the world of business as the disease demanded less physical interaction among other socioeconomic implications. Both companies and employees are now appreciating the benefits that come with the alternative of working remotely. The staff augmentation model has also become more effective than ever.
Out of necessity, we have seen the development and advancement of IT staff augmentation trends and a drastic increase in the number of remote IT teams. Today’s businesses are no longer engaging in the traditional staffing techniques (50% of IT professionals are working remotely).
Also, a lot of companies are facing post-pandemic problems that can be resolved through this model. A lot of specialists had to leave work suddenly due to Covid related problems, and as a result, most institutions are running low on staff with some having unmet goals and unfinished projects. In the US, it is estimated that 4M people are leaving work every month, also dubbed as ‘the great resignation’ since the outbreak.
Additionally, the uncertainty of the pandemic had a huge impact on the economy. Most businesses are now aware of how to take advantage of IT staff augmentation and are continually engaging the workforce for specific essential projects. As they do so, they also have an advantage of the emerging trends in IT staff augmentation.
Summary
Covid pandemic has also been a major eye-opener to the importance of IT staff augmentation and today more businesses are adopting it more than ever. Always constantly evolving, IT departments are experiencing the most impact from the global talent shortage. Leverage the insights provided in this article to get one step ahead of developer scarcity and set yourself up for success.
