8 Essential Tips for Using IT Staff Augmentation

Let’s delve into the world of IT staff augmentation. We will provide you with essential tips for using IT staff augmentation to make the most of this valuable resource. As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, businesses are finding themselves in need of highly skilled IT professionals to stay competitive in the digital landscape.

IT staff augmentation offers a flexible solution by allowing organizations to augment their existing teams with external experts on a temporary or project basis. In this article, we will explore key strategies and best practices that will empower you to navigate the realm of IT staff augmentation effectively.

This way you can ensure successful collaborations and maximize the benefits it brings to your business. Whether you’re a startup seeking specialized expertise or a large corporation looking to scale your IT capabilities, these tips will serve as your guide to unlocking the full potential of 👉 IT staff augmentation 👈.

What is IT staff augmentation?

IT staff augmentation services are part of the outsourcing model. This hiring solution enables companies to hire developers on a project-by-project basis. It is an efficient and effective way to hire programmers to join a development team on a temporary basis.

In IT staff augmentation, external IT professionals are typically employed by a third-party service provider. A third party such as an IT consulting firm or a staffing agency. These providers have a pool of qualified IT experts with various skills and experience levels. The client organization identifies its specific IT requirements and engages the service provider to supply the necessary resources.

IT staff augmentation provides access to a broader talent pool with specialized skills that may not be available internally. It allows 👉 companies to quickly scale their IT teams 👈 up or down as per project needs, avoiding the time-consuming process of permanent hiring. Additionally, staff augmentation can be cost-effective compared to recruiting and maintaining a full-time, in-house IT workforce.

The augmented IT staff usually works alongside the internal teams. They integrate seamlessly into the organization’s processes and collaborate closely with existing employees. They contribute their expertise, knowledge, and technical skills to enhance the company’s IT capabilities. All of this will ensure the successful completion of projects within the specified timeframe.

It’s worth noting that IT staff augmentation differs from outsourcing. In staff augmentation, external IT professionals are considered an extension of the client’s workforce. The augmented staff works under the client’s direction and management. This is the opposite of outsourcing. Outsourcing involves the entire project or a specific task being handed over to an external provider. The 👉 outsourcing company 👈 then assumes full responsibility for its execution and delivery.

When to use the staff augmentation model?

Let’s go over when you should consider using the staff augmentation model.

Fill skill gaps

The staff augmentation model can be used to fill the skill gaps that exist on your team. It can make filling employment slots easier and faster. The hiring process for staff augmentation is quick and typically strictly a formality for many customers.

Reduce hiring time

One major 👉 benefit of IT staff augmentation services 👈 is that you can hire multiple developers in as little as one week. Whereas with an in-house recruitment process typically you will only be able to hire one new developer within a 3 to 6-week period.

Hire niche skills for a limited time frame

You can also use IT staff augmentation to help you hire developers that meet a specific niche in your project. For example, you need a programmer that specializes in IoT to help build an app to manage smart homes. However, this is a one-time project, that only requires these specialized skills for 6 months. IT staff augmentation is perfectly suited for this type of scenario.

You want to be able to switch developers more easily

Software development projects can change and veer away from the initial scope. This can prove to be problematic for a company when they are missing these skills and are solely relying on recruitment to try and fill them.

As we have mentioned before traditional recruitment can be time-consuming. So if you are stuck waiting a few weeks to gain new employees due to project changes, you may encounter project delays.

However, when you partner with someone like Swyply, adding, removing, or switching developers couldn’t be easier. So first we start you with a 👉 14-day risk-free trial period 👈. At this time you test out the augmented staff you hired from us. You can see if they are what you expected if they meet your project demands, etc.

Also, throughout your project development process, you can request at any time to add more developers, switch developers and even remove developers. However, if you would like to remove a developer outside the terms of our contract, we do require a one-month notice period.

The staff augmentation model provides more flexibility which is necessary given the random changes that occur during development. Moreover, this is also a valuable trait considering the changes occurring in the tech industry.

8 essential tips for using IT staff augmentation

Let’s go over 8 essential tips for using IT staff augmentation services. These tips will make your journey with IT staff augmentation more successful. You will get more out of the staff augmentation project, by implementing these tips. Let’s dive into them below.

Know what skill gap you are looking for

Before seeking IT staff augmentation, make sure you have a clear understanding of your project requirements, including the skills, expertise, and experience levels needed. This will help you find the right candidates for your specific needs.

One of the biggest essential items that you need before using IT staff augmentation services is to know 👉 what skill gaps you are missing 👈. You, your hiring manager, or human resource managers need to know what skill gaps they need to fill your team to capacity. Unfortunately, the IT staff augmentation company cannot help you figure out that skill gap.

However, most companies will have a good idea of what skills they need. This need usually comes out from a customer. This is especially true if you are a Software House completing projects for customers. The customer will usually come to you with the desired 👉 tech stacks 👈 they want to be used on their project.

Find an IT staff augmentation that can provide you with the experts you need

The next key step is to find an IT staff augmentation company that works for you. Research and select a 👉 reputable staff augmentation provider 👈 with a proven track record in the IT industry. Look for companies with a strong network of skilled professionals and positive client testimonials.

When using a staffing agency to hire external professionals to build your in-house team, you need to make sure that they can fill your team’s capacity. You don’t want to be put in a position where your staffing needs can’t be met, because the company doesn’t have enough talent.

Here at Swyply, we provide customers with tools from two different sources. The first source of our talent is from our own in-house team. The next source is from over 50 partnering Software Houses. You can 👉 hire Polish developers 👈, along with other European developers on a team augmentation basis.

Communication is key

Effective communication is crucial when working with augmented IT staff. Clearly communicate your expectations, project goals, and deadlines to ensure everyone is on the same page. Use collaboration tools and maintain regular communication channels to foster effective teamwork.

Some popular tools to use when working with remote employees include:

• ClickUp
• Slack
• Asana
• Jira
• and more

These tools will help keep communication in one place and they can also help with the organizational aspects of project development. Also, encouragement from project management to use these tools and collaborate on various projects will help improve teamwork.

Some other ways to improve communication between your in-house team and the augmented team is through virtual chats. You can take advantage of Google Meets and Zoom to meet for a face-to-face chat. However, if you want to save time and you don’t feel it’s necessary to gather everyone for a chat, you can record videos. You can record videos with the help of tools such as Loom.

Have a timeline for your software development project

Assign a dedicated project manager to oversee the augmented team’s work and coordinate with your internal team. Your project manager should have a timeline for your software development project. This will help keep augmented staff and your existing team on track.

Moreover, a competent project manager can ensure smooth collaboration. Also, they can address any issues promptly, and keep the project on track. They can be a buffer between the customer and the developer. They can help ease all aspects of development and communication.

Have an onboarding process for augmented staff

When the augmented staff joins your team, provide a comprehensive onboarding process. Familiarize them with your organization’s culture, policies, and workflows. It’s essential to integrate them into your team seamlessly for effective collaboration.

Ensure that you provide the augmented staff with all the necessary project documentation, access to relevant systems and tools, and any other resources they may require to perform their tasks effectively.

Another essential part of the 👉 onboarding process 👈 is to provide temporary staff members with ongoing support during the software development process. They should feel comfortable asking questions, taking initiative, etc. The best time to make them feel comfortable enough to do these things is during your onboarding process.

Have an internal management team

In order to use the staff augmentation to hire developers, you need to have an internal management team. IT staff augmentation services can provide you with developers to supplement your existing team. Your existing workforce should consist of developers, QA testers, project managers, product owners, etc. Your project manager should lead & 👉manage your in-house team with augmented staff 👈 through the development process.

Remember that IT staff augmentation is not like project outsourcing. Project outsourcing enables you to dump your entire project on a third party to complete externally. They would complete it without your input or resources or staff. But with IT staff augmentation you are able to keep the project in-house and complete it with the use of your internal team and temporary staff.

Create a positive work environment

Treat augmented staff as valuable members of your team. Provide them with the necessary support, recognize their contributions, and create a positive work environment that encourages 👉 productivity and collaboration 👈.

Moreover, build trust with augmented staff. You can do so by maintaining transparency regarding project progress, challenges, and changes. Encourage open communication and address any concerns they may have.

Regularly assess the performance of augmented staff and provide constructive feedback. Regular performance evaluations can help address any issues promptly and ensure that the team is delivering the desired outcomes.

Evaluate & adjust as needed

Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the IT staff augmentation arrangement. If needed, make adjustments to optimize the collaboration or explore other options to meet your evolving business needs.

It is important to give consistent feedback to the developers you rented and the IT staff augmentation company. Feedback allows for refinement in the cooperation as opposed to ending the cooperation altogether.

Here at 👉 Swyply 👈, we check in with our customers at least once a month to ensure that our cooperation is heading in the right direction. This is the perfect time for our customers to address any issues, concerns, etc. Also, if at this time our customer feels they need more working hands, we can help provide that support as well.

TL;DR: Summary of essential tips for using IT staff augmentation service

Let’s summarize all the essential tips for using IT staff augmentation services. Some must-haves to put in place when using IT staff augmentation services include:

• Know what skill gap you are looking for
• Find an IT staff augmentation that can provide you with the experts you need
• Communication is key
• Have a timeline for your software development project
• Have an onboarding process for augmented staff
• Have an internal management team
• Create a positive work environment
• Evaluate & adjust as needed

Implementing these tips can help make your IT staff augmentation project a success. Moreover, it can make sure that all the moving processes and parts, move together smoothly.

Additionally, it’s worth remembering that an effective IT staff augmentation can significantly enhance your project’s success. So it’s key to invest time and effort in setting up the right processes and relationships with augmented staff.

If you want to learn more essential tips to make the process of IT staff augmentation easier, 👉 drop us a line 👈. Let’s chat about what to do when you want to hire augmented staff for your team.