How IT Staff Augmentation Can Help Scale Up Your Business

Let’s explore different ways IT staff augmentation scales up your business. As a tech company owner, you need to be agile and adaptable to stay ahead of the competition. One way to achieve this is by leveraging IT staff augmentation services.

It is a flexible staffing solution that allows companies to scale up their IT team quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. With IT staff augmentation, businesses can access a vast pool of talented IT professionals. You can pick software developers with expertise in different areas of technology. This includes niche technologies such as AI or machine learning. Moreover, this not only helps to overcome skill gaps but also provides a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to the table.

Using this hiring model you are able to add coders to your existing teams to meet your changing needs. This approach can help companies achieve their business goals faster and deliver high-quality products and services to their customers.

Signs you need to scale your software development team with IT staff augmentation

So there are a few signs that you may want to take advantage of the IT staff augmentation model to scale your business. Let’s see if you can apply any one of them to your tech company.

Influx of customers

So have you noticed that you have more and more customers? Do you feel like the number of customers grew overnight? A growing number of customers can put a bigger demand on your services. Your in-house team may not always be able to handle this challenge. Also, this influx may require you to speed up how quickly you can get your services to market.

All of this is a sign to use IT staff augmentation services. Hiring developers from a staffing vendor can help you meet the demand of additional customers. They can take on the extra workload that your internal team no longer can. Moreover, they can boost productivity simply by being another pair of hands to code. This can in turn improve your turnaround time. You may able to get your products to market faster which will help you satisfy more customers faster.

The current in-house team can’t take on more responsibilities

A common problem especially for project managers is not being able to distribute the workload evenly. They may hear from their software engineers that they are overloaded with responsibilities. Or they may notice that certain things are not done on time because there are simply not enough working hands.

Staff augmentation services can help you gain additional coders to help your project manager better manage the workload. Moreover, your in-house team will no longer feel overworked from being short-staffed. You will be able to complete projects on time due to having enough programmers to do the work.

Demand for projects that require different skills than you have available on your existing team

Another common signal that you may need staff augmentation to scale your business is when you have projects that cannot get started because you are missing certain skills. You can hire developers internally but the question is will this trend last long enough for it to be worth it?

The best way around this problem is to hire using staff augmentation services. If the trend continues you can always think about hiring someone to permanently join your internal team. But if not, staff augmentation services give you an easy out.

You cannot find the developers you are looking for in your local area

Your local market may be depleted of software developers that you need for your team. Or you may have many developers available in your local area but their skill level is not up to the standard that you are looking for.

There is a simple solution! Use a staff augmentation partner to hire the best software developers for the job. Staff augmentation expands your horizons and enables you to hire developers from anywhere in the world. You can work with a vendor who will provide you with tech talent from countries that are known for having the best developers. For example, you can 👉 hire developers from Poland 👈 to help meet your software development goals.

You are struggling to meet your deadlines

Are your full-time employees struggling to meet their deadlines due to being overloaded with work? A quick way to fix this problem and meet your deadlines is by hiring temporary coders to help increase productivity and efficiency. They can take on tasks that your internal team cannot handle thus helping you push the project forward.

Want to test out a new product development project

You may want to test out a new project or new feature but don’t want to waste internal resources. Or perhaps your internal team is just too busy to manage a new project that may or may not be successful.

You can hire temporary programmers to help build and test out a new feature or project and see what the results will be. This way you are not wasting internal resources but are still able to test out new ideas and see if this is a solution worth heading towards. If the solution is worthwhile then you can decide to dedicate internal resources for future growth or continue with augmented teams.

Not enough programmers to work on support tasks for new products & features

Often times when software companies develop a new product that attracts a bunch of new customers, they will also receive an influx of bug reports. Not all teams have enough programmers to help with these support tasks.

You may have various configurations of the same software product and numerous bugs being reported but not enough people to sit down and fix them. This is where hiring employees from a staffing vendor is helpful.

As a business owner, you can hire as many developers as you need to help with the support and maintenance of your new product. Or even with the support of a new feature that is consistently getting bug reports. This way you can continue to fix and grow your product. Temporary coders can help supplement your team in this type of scenario.

Huge developer rotation

Another common problem in the IT industry is that developers in any given company quickly change. Often times developers will stay with a company for a year maybe more and then move on. This can be problematic for long-term projects, as it usually causes standstills and delays.

A way to resolve this problem is to hire temporary developers from a staff augmentation company who will work for the duration of a certain project. And in the rare case, they do need to leave, they have replaced ASAP that way you are not inconvenienced. Plus the replacement of that developer is on the staff augmentation vendor not on you the client.

How IT Staff Augmentation Helps to Scale a Company

Let’s explore the vast ways in which IT staff augmentation services can help scale your company.

Hire more software developers in a shorter time frame

Staff augmentation can help you scale your business quickly because it gives you the ability to hire developers a lot faster than with traditional in-house recruitment. You do not have to wait for CVs to roll in and then spend time vetting candidates. With staff augmentation services you have pre-vetted candidates who can join your team ASAP. There is no waiting around and the interview process is more of a formality than a necessity.

Using the 👉 Swyply staff augmentation service 👈 you can hire two to three developers to join your team in as little as one week. Whereas if you use traditional recruitment you may be able to hire one or two developers in 3 to 6 weeks. The difference is huge! If you want to grow quickly, in-house recruitment is simply not going to cut it. Of course, with staff augmentation, you can hire even more developers in that time frame if your project demands it. This is not a problem either.

Wide talent pool

A big 👉 benefit of using IT staff augmentation services 👈 is the fact that you gain access to a wide talent pool. You are no longer limited by geography. As a business owner, you are able to hire software developers outside your local market.

You have more developers to choose from within the programming language that you need. Whereas in your local market, you may find yourself being really limited.

Moreover, you gain access to a wide range of tech stacks. Also, you can find programmers who specialize in niche technologies more easily as you have opened your recruitment range globally.

Staff augmentation can be used either onsite, nearshore, or offshore. Therefore, you can choose how wide that talent pool will be. But regardless of which avenue you choose, you are still able to pick a path that gives you access to more tech talent, than just your local city.

Hiring flexibility

Staff augmentation is a great solution for software development companies that need flexibility in hiring new coders. This hiring process gives you flexibility in a few ways:

1. You can switch developers if something changes within your project. Moreover, when it comes to Swyply developers, you can switch developers in the first 14 days if it’s just not the right fit. You have a 👉 risk-free trial period 👈, to see what fits best for your size.
2. You are able to hire as many developers as you need to meet your project requirements. Once, their role is done, your contract is done. They move on to a new project and a different company.
3. Your development team can be expanded or collapsed in the snap of a finger. You can hire developers on a project basis for as little as 3 months. Or you can hire coders for 6 months, 12 months, or more. It’s up to you.
4. There are no hard feelings when the contract comes to an end. When hiring a programmer using IT staff augmentation, both parties know this relationship is temporary. Whereas with hiring a permanent coder, the process of letting someone go can be uncomfortable. It can be shocking in some scenarios. Plus if you need to hire someone permanently but for only a short-term period it’s not always cost-effective.

Faster time to market

A common problem many companies have is a backlog of projects and tasks. They may need more time to finish certain tasks which can delay the time to market. This delay may occur due to the fact that your software development team is short-staffed.

You can remedy this problem by hiring remote developers from a staff augmentation company to help increase productivity. The more hands to code, the faster your project can get to market.

Cost-effective

Permanent personnel is expensive, especially for temporary jobs. Personnel augmentation helps you retain professionals temporarily without the long-term cost. It is more cost-efficient than hiring full-time employees and allows for access to quality talent in an affordable manner. You also don’t have to worry about unexpected costs such as sick leave or vacation time. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about an expensive professional development workshop that will drain your budget.

Plus the 👉 daily rate for hiring an augmented developer 👈 is predictable making it easier to budget. You know what you are going to pay and that rate does not change.

Furthermore, it is a more cost-effective solution because you only pay for the developer for as long as you need him or her. This model enables you to only pay for the developer as long as they are making you money. If they are only costing you money, then you can end the cooperation. The staff augmentation partner will pay to keep them on the bench or find them a new project.

Gain an expert software developer who is ready to work

When hiring programmers from a staff augmentation service you gain individuals who are ready to work. They are pre-vetted and proven experts in their field. These types of developers don’t need someone to take their hands and lead them through how to do their job. They are ready for the task. Moreover, if you need someone ASAP to join your team this is possible. You can add someone in 5 to 7 days with staffing augmentation. Whereas typical recruitment may have you waiting 3 to 6 weeks.

Also, you gain an expert that is not going to be a waste of money. Many companies think that hiring a junior developer is less expensive because by the hour the rate is lower. But in the long run, this option can be more expensive than hiring a developer at the mid/regular or senior level. You may be wondering how does that work? Well, let’s provide you with an example.

If you hire a junior developer and let’s say you pay him or her $30 per hour. But it takes that junior developer 50 or 60 hours to complete a task. Whereas if you were to hire a senior developer and pay him or her let’s say $70 per hour. But they can complete the same task in 15 to 18 hours. You actually save yourself a pretty chunk of change. So just because something seems less expensive doesn’t mean it is.

Gain a fresh perspective

Adding software developers via staff augmentation services to your existing team can give you a new perspective on a project.

For example, Swyply developers can do more than just code your project. They can also consult with you on various technical aspects. Our experienced developers can guide you to new solutions that you may not have thought of before. Additionally, they can communicate with you or your customer on complicated technical aspects and make it easier to understand.

But can’t I get a new perspective from hiring a permanent developer?

So you may wonder what’s the difference between gaining a fresh perspective from an augmented hire vs. someone hired traditionally. Well, something that I think most business owners and managers will agree with, is that the longer someone works for you the more complacent they may become. They become comfortable in the routine of their job and may no longer offer new ideas.

Sometimes they are just too close to the project and the company to see new avenues. Moreover, unfortunately in some companies offering new ideas and sticking your head out of the sand is not always welcome. Or if your ideas are shot down constantly you may decide to not bother anymore. Lastly, traditional permanent hires may also not speak out about new ideas for fear of losing their job.

Whereas, with an augmented team member they are not as dependent on the company. While they want to work on your project, they always have other options available to them. Moreover, they are not stuck in a routine where they become complacent. Additionally, they are not as fearful as permanent staff to offer new solutions.

Heck, in some cases business owners hire augmented software developers simply to gain new ideas. They know that hiring this specific person will gain them, new customers.

Maintain control over the development process

Another reason why IT staff augmentation services can help scale your business is you still remain in control. You are able to grow your software development team, complete your project and/or explore new roads while still maintaining control over everything.

Your project manager decides how, when, and why things are done. The project is not outsourced to a third party to complete from start to finish. You are able to develop the product in-house with additional help and with your control & guidance.

Reduce hiring risks & project failures

Using software staff augmentation services to scale your business can help you minimize hiring risks. This in turn minimizes the risk of project failure. You are able to hire the right software developer the first time because they are pre-vetted. They have a proven record of technical expertise.

Pre-vetted developers have the technical knowledge to help prevent project failure. They can see any errors before they occur. Or they can quickly fix any issues that may occur during software development.

Offset developer attrition

Turnover rates in the IT industry are at an all-time high. Unfortunately, developers get bored easily and tend to jump jobs quickly. They want the ability to grow their professional skills and staying loyal to one company for a long period of time can limit their ability to do so.

You may find that developers will jump ship, even mid-project simply because they are bored with the project. This can be damaging to your timelines and bottom line. You may find that your projects are not completed on time due to the skill gap. Also, the cost of recruiting and staffing can break the bank if it’s an ongoing thing. Additionally, your internal development team including the project manager may be frustrated with the missing skills needed to push a project forward.

Staff augmentation services can help you 👉 improve software engineer retention 👈. This is because here at Swyply, it is our goal to consistently fill that employment slot for as long as you need. You are able to hire from us developers for as long as you need. And in the event that one of our developers has to leave your project, we will find a replacement ASAP. As a business owner or perhaps as a hiring manager, you do not have to worry about trying to fill this gap internally.

Moreover, many developers enjoy working on a staff augmentation basis as it allows them to change projects more frequently than if they were working in a traditional format. This way they gain the flexibility they need and you don’t have to worry about being left high and dry.

Your employer branding is safe as you scale your business

We have all seen major and even minor companies take a hit on their employer branding due to layoffs. You can have a big company such as Facebook which is known for having great employee perks, working conditions, etc. But the minute they run out of projects and have to lay off hundreds of people they run the risk of a PR nightmare.

Not having enough projects and letting people go, can be really bad for your brand. You run the risk of people not wanting to work for you. Moreover, this can lead to companies or clients not wanting to cooperate with you because they fear you won’t have enough experts to complete their project.

Staff augmentation can help you save face because any developer you hire is temporary. You can safely scale your team because this hiring model is a temporary fix to a possibly temporary situation. The developer only works for as long as you need them. If you don’t need them, then you can easily let them go. There are no hard feelings and this doesn’t reflect poorly on your company.

Moreover, if an increase in projects reappears you can always hire more developers on a project-by-project basis to take on the load. Your brand is still safe while you can expand and collapse as needed.

Take on more lucrative software development projects

Sometimes hiring additional software engineers from a staffing provider you can gain access to more lucrative or interesting projects. This is for a few reasons:

• you gain the tech stack needed to take on the project, this can be a niche technology
• your customer wants to work with you because you have this expert on board
• Swyply developers also act as consultants, so they can explain tough technical aspects to better your project.

You are not limited due to a lack of talent to take on lucrative projects. Plus augmented teams also enjoy working on lucrative projects because they are a bit more challenging which helps them grow professionally. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

You don’t have to scale your back office or human resources department

When you hire developers on a body leasing basis you don’t need to hire additional individuals to work in your human resources department. In fact, this department can remain the size it is now or become even smaller.

This is because they will not have extra responsibilities involved with hiring, recruiting, and staffing new hires. Also, they do not need to waste time and internal resources on hiring a developer that is not up to the standards the company needs.

This entire burden is taken on by the staff augmentation vendor. The vendor can provide you with developers that are of higher quality and are not burning up your time or budget. Also, switching developers is easier in case something changes or is not right. And this aspect is also handled by the vendor. Thus alleviating your human resource department.

When is it useful to use IT staff augmentation to scale your team?

There are a few scenarios where using IT staff augmentation services to scale your business is more useful than other 👉 team extension models 👈. You may want to use the staff augmentation model when you want:

• to hire developers for a specific project or time period
• to explore a new avenue for your business
• survive the economic downturn

Let’s explore these three scenarios in more detail below.

When you need tech talent for a specific project or time period

IT staff augmentation services can be really helpful if you are looking to hire a developer on a contract basis for a specific project. Both parties are aware of the fact that this partnership is temporary.

Here at Swyply, our developers can work on a project for a minimum of 3 months. But we love long-term projects that last 6 months, 12 months, 15 months, etc. The contract and cooperation are tailored in such a way as to allow you to meet your business objectives.

Moreover, another example where staff augmentation can help is if you need a specific 👉 tech stack 👈 for a specific period of time. Let’s say you need a front-end developer who specializes in React to help create a beautiful user interface for your web application. But you only need him or her for this one project, because your permanent developer is on sick leave. You can absolutely borrow a developer from a service provider in this type of situation.

Another example is if you have a team of front-end developers but require a back-end developer to help complete a mobile app development project. You can rent developers from a staff augmentation company in this scenario for the duration of the project.

One final example is if you need to switch developers mid-project. Let’s say you first need a front-end developer that specializes in Vue but after 6 months, you will need a backend developer that is familiar with PHP. You will need this back-end developer for 9 months. A staff augmentation partner can help you in this scenario much better than relying on in-house recruitment.

When you are trying to start a new avenue in your business

Starting a new avenue in your business may be best tested with a limited number of team members. You can use a staff augmentation provider to gain temporary programmers to help explore new software development projects.

This way you are not investing too much time, money, or internal resources to see if a new route is beneficial. If your new idea turns out to be successful, you can then decide what to do next. However, if it’s not as profitable as you originally thought, you didn’t over-invest in something that flopped.

When you are trying to survive the economic downturn

Many businesses will turn to 👉 IT staff augmentation services to survive the recession 👈. This staffing solution can help you hire new team members while mitigating budget restrictions, permanent hire restrictions, etc.

IT staff augmentation can help you scale your business up and down. You can expand and collapse your team as you need it. When you hire developers using staff augmentation, it’s easier to let them go if the market changes and you no longer have a need for them. Moreover, you can add developers when you have more projects to better handle the workload.

Why is Swyply the best choice for successful team scaleup through IT team augmentation?

There are a number of reasons why you should choose Swyply for your staff augmentation services to scale your business. First of all, Swyply has access to developers from two different sources. The first one is we can rent out developers from our in-house team. The second is we borrow developers from one of our 50+ partnering Software Houses. This gives our customers plenty of talent to choose from. Moreover, we can guarantee to find a developer to best suit your business needs.

Moreover, we have a rigorous 👉 recruitment process 👈 to pre-vet our candidates. Not all staff augmentation companies do this and so you may not be entirely sure what caliber of talent you will receive. Also, we require that our developers have a minimum of 3 years of experience in a given tech stack. Additionally, they have a minimum B2 level English to make communication easy.

Lastly, as we briefly mentioned somewhere above, we offer all our customers a 14-day trial period. During this time you get to test out our developer(s). If you are unhappy after this two-week period, you don’t have to pay a cent. In addition during this risk-free trial, you have the ability to switch developers if something is not right. Or if something in your project changes.

TL;DR: Summary of how to scale fast with IT staff augmentation services

Here’s a quick debrief on the different ways staff augmentation can help you scale your business. You can

• hire more software developers in a shorter time frame
• access a wider talent pool
• have more hiring flexibility
• achieve a faster time to market
• be more cost-effective
• gain an expert software developer who is ready to work
• gain a fresh perspective
• maintain control over the development process
• reduce hiring risks & project failures
• offset developer attrition
• safeguard your employer’s branding
• take on more lucrative software development projects
• avoid scaling your back office or human resources department

Staff augmentation services are a great option if you are:

1. looking to hire tech talent for a specific project or time period
2. trying to start a new avenue in your business
3. you are trying to survive the economic downturn

Are you convinced that you need IT staff augmentation to scale your business? Or perhaps you have more questions about whether this is the right option for your tech firm? Either way, 👉 drop us a line 👈, and let’s chat.