IT staff augmentation trends in 2024

With technology advancing rapidly, IT staff augmentation has become an increasingly popular way for companies to keep up with the ever-evolving landscape. IT staff augmentation trends in 2024 are looking more important than ever before.

Companies are now looking for ways to use IT staff augmentation to increase efficiency, agility, flexibility, and scalability. As IT staff augmentation continues to be a key focus for businesses, IT teams are looking for ways to make the most of their resources while remaining on the cutting edge of technology.

Using IT staff augmentation resources, companies can stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and developments, while also ensuring their IT systems are secure and reliable.

What is staff augmentation?

Staff augmentation is a specialized hiring model. It employs a temporary worker for a specified project within your organization. These staffing increases are a collaboration model by which a company can increase its own personnel. It can do so by temporarily hiring one or more outsourced IT specialist staff.

Augmented specialists become members of a team and work as usual in-house. This strategy has also been called “resource optimization” or “business enhancement”.

Why is team augmentation gaining popularity in the IT industry?

There are numerous reasons why team augmentation services are so popular in the IT industry. Some reasons include access to a global talent pool and the rise of remote work. Also, you can gain access to software engineers that have specialized skills. These skills can be in niche technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

You can have better security for your project because it remains in-house. It is not handed off completely to a third-party company. Lastly, you can use team augmentation to narrow down your permanent in-house team while still scaling your business. For more details about each of these factors, keep reading below.

Narrowing your permanent in-house team

When we look at the global economy and the current crisis that is taking hold over the world today, company owners have to be smart. They need to be clever and flexible in how they employ their tech talent.

As a company owner, you may find yourself with a limited employee budget. You may have restrictions in terms of how many software developers can be on your payroll as permanent members of your in-house staff.

Though this may cause problems in terms of not having enough working hands to complete tasks. Also, your current team may feel overworked due to the mountain-high list of responsibilities and tasks.

So you are wondering what the ideal solution is to all this. You can use a staff augmentation partner to hire developers as contingent workers on a project basis. What does this give you?

Well, you are able to have the number of programmers that you need without having them permanently on your payroll. You can complete projects on time because you are not short-staffed when hiring augmented staff. Also, your internal team is not overworked and overloaded.

Value outweighs the cost of employing a developer via staff augmentation

The tech world is changing its mindset in terms of the lengths they are willing to go through to hire a developer. More and more tech companies will consider paying a premium for top talent that adds value to their company. Long gone are the days when you pay someone very little but expect high quality. When the reality, is a poorly paid developer is likely not experienced enough to be what you need.

So here is a solution to gaining top-quality developers that add value to your company. Even if it means paying a bit more.

Use staff augmentation services. A staffing company can help you hire top software engineers that will add value to your company. However, you will most likely pay more money than with traditional recruitment. But it’s worth it.

Software developers that join your team via the staffing model are pre-vetted and tend to have more experience. They have proven programming skills that the staff augmentation provider will vouch for. So you are not hiring someone sight unseen & you get your money’s worth.

Access to developers focused on narrow niches & modern technologies

Technology is expanding into new avenues such as artificial intelligence & metalanguage. Moreover, there is a higher interest in robotic process automation and Internet of Things products. Now finding developers that can build custom software using modern technologies can be a challenge. The number of specialized and niche-focused programmers can be small. In some cases, it’s hard to find a coder who will fit your job description.

Staff augmentation can help you access developers that focus on niche technologies. Also, these developers have proven experience to back up their niche skills.

Access to global talent & rise of remote work

After the pandemic, remote work has skyrocketed in the IT industry. It has become the new normal and this gives advantages not only to employees but also employers. Employees have the luxury of being able to work for the company of their choice from anywhere around the world. Employers have the option to pick highly-talented programmers from different corners of the globe.

Staff augmentation services make hiring global talent and having a remote team of developers simple. You are not limited by geography meaning you have access to software developers from any country you’d like. They do not have to move from their place on earth and can work on your team for as long as you need.

Better project security

A pile-up of software development projects can make you wonder how to best complete them. Using your in-house team may seem like the best solution, especially in terms of security. In this case, you don’t have to worry about privacy, copyright laws, etc.

But, if your developers have too many other projects, they may not have the time to dedicate to extra work. So you may wonder what are your alternatives.

You may think about outsourcing parts of your projects to a third-party company to do the project for you from A to Z.

Along the same lines, you may decide to pay a software development firm to do the entire project for you as a service.

However, with these options, the project is out of your hands and out of your control. So you run the risk of security issues, data leaking and valuable information disappearing.

There is one more alternative that is much safer. Hire and use team-augmented staff to complete additional work. The project remains in-house and you give augmented developers access only to aspects of the project that are necessary to do their job.

Also, there is no issue when you sign a non-disclosure agreement to prevent data leaks and maintain security standards.

4 trends of IT staff augmentation for the year 2024

There are four major market trends to look out for in the year 2024 when it comes to business growth & hiring employees. Using staffing services may help you navigate and manage these staff augmentation trends. Check out how.

Staff augmentation trend #1: Business adaptability is a must

For the year 2024, your business needs to be more adaptable. This is due to the global crisis and potential employee pressures. You need to be able to keep your business going despite the recession that is being caused due to the aftermath of COVID-19 and now the war.

Some companies turn to lay off permanent full-time employees. While also downsizing their businesses to stay afloat. Now, this may not be the best solution because you lose customers, lose projects and lose revenue.

A good way to keep your business flexible is to use a hiring model like staff augmentation. You gain valuable tech talent when you need it to keep projects going. Also, you have a steady cash flow to continue running your business.

Staff augmentation trend #2: The flexibility of scaling your business

You need to be able to keep your business going by being able to scale your business. You may need the flexibility to expand or collapse your development team as the market demands.

A popular 👉 goal of staff augmentation 👈 is to help tech business scale their teams at a much faster rate than other solutions available on the market.

Staffing augmentation provides more flexibility for growing your teams. It may be a better option than more traditional hiring or using outsourcing services. When you hire augmented remote teams that are a seamless extension of your internal team. They can also take part in your company’s daily tasks and operational activities.

Staff augmentation trend #3: Ongoing talent shortage

There is a talent shortage of good developers across the globe including in Europe and North America. You may have project requirements that demand specific technical skills and struggle to find them in the local market or using traditional hiring.

You can use staff augmentation services to find tech talent outside your local talent pool from various countries. Moreover, you can hire coders much faster using this model. Lastly, you gain access to niche talent.

Staff augmentation trend #4: Company culture & integration

Companies from various industries all around the world are starting to put more emphasis on three things. The first is company culture, the second is employee integration, and lastly soft skills.

The nice thing is most employees when looking to work somewhere want to feel like part of the team. They want to be part of a company that has a positive, friendly & welcoming atmosphere.

Now, even with remote work, external developers who are working on a staff augmentation basis still want to be part of the team. They want to integrate with your internal team using various tools. Some tools include Slack, Zoom, Google Meets, etc. All these make cooperation & communication easier. Above all, you can integrate all team members in-office, remotely, or other.

Scenarios of when you should turn to IT staffing

Here are just four scenarios of when you should turn to IT staffing to help extend your internal team with remote workers.

Scenario #1: When you want to scale your team

Are you looking to grow your team? Do you also want the flexibility to expand and collapse your team based on market trends? Staff augmentation services can help you with this scenario.

The staff augmentation model enables you to hire developers on a temporary basis for as long as you need. Also, you can switch coders or add new ones when your project needs it. You are able to hire additional employees when the IT market demands it, while also having the freedom to condense your team when you need it.

Scenario #2: Need innovative ideas

So, let’s be honest the longer you look at a project at a certain point you run out of innovative ideas. Your existing in-house team may also suffer from running out of new ideas. In some cases, they got used to a routine that stomped out their creativity. Lastly, they may feel too dependent on their employer in order to contribute new innovative ideas.

The only way to break the cycle is by introducing fresh blood to the mix. You may decide to hire a new developer using traditional recruitment. They will supply you with new ideas for a little while until they fall into a routine. Perhaps they will no longer feel comfortable doing so for fear of overstepping boundaries.

A creative solution to this problem is hiring staff through augmentation services. You can hire programmers to fill your skill gaps and get new ideas. The programmer that you hire through staff augmentation feels less dependent on you. So they can feel more comfortable giving fresh ideas.

Scenario #3: When you are struggling to find the right IT professional

Finding high-quality software engineers can be a struggle. This is especially true in a market that is saturated with average or below-average tech talent. You may find yourself recruiting for a developer position for weeks on end. Only to find yourself disappointed in your new hire.

Staff augmentation companies can help you find the skilled resources you need quickly. In most companies, they have internal teams of pre-vetted & ready to go developers at a moment’s notice.

Here at Swyply we can provide you with the right IT professionals in as little as one week. This greatly beats the traditional hiring model, where you might get a software engineer to join your team after 3 to 6 weeks.

Scenario #4: When you want to take your team to the next level

If you are looking to expand your team into new avenues or perhaps looking to give them a much-needed boost, new employees may be the answer.

You can hire pre-vetted programmers with proven experience via staff augmentation. These developers once onboarded onto your internal team can provide the skills you are missing. Moreover, they can help you tackle projects that you may not have been able to grab before.

Common misconceptions of IT staff augmentation services

There are many misconceptions about IT staff augmentation services. Two of the biggest ones include that it’s cost-saving and there is no onboarding for the new hire.

It’s cost-saving

Using staff augmentation services is more cost-effective than cost-saving. When you are looking to hire skilled coders from an IT staff augmentation company, you may find yourself paying more money to start.

You are paying more money for a programmer using staff augmentation because you are not covering typical employee costs.

The staff augmentation provider typically covers those costs. They will pay for things like health insurance, taxes, laptops, sick leave & vacation leave. They may also cover costs such as employee perks, training, etc.

However, you gain specialized software developers quickly. Also, they are on your team only as long as you need them. You do not have to pay to keep them on the bench once the project is complete.

No onboarding

This is probably one of the 👉 biggest myths about staff augmentation services, 👈 that you do not have onboard augmented staff. The fact is you have to onboard them just like you would any new hire.

But, the onboarding process of someone coming in from a staffing provider is typically accelerated. You only introduce them to those aspects that are key to their work.

Pros of staff augmentation

Check out some advantages of using IT staff augmentation services.

Keep your team flexible

Team augmentation enables you to keep your development team flexible. For example, if you have a team of back-end developers you can hire a front-end developer to complete the user interface for an application.

Another example is being able to hire a mobile app developer for 9 months to develop an iOS application and after that, you will no longer need him or her.

Reduce workplace attrition

Staff augmentation is a great way to avoid constant employee resignations. Developers hired via the staff augmentation model are committed to the contract. They will carry out the project from start to finish. In the rare circumstances that a developer cannot continue with the project. The staff augmentation provider will replace them with someone similar.

Flexible contracts

When you hire a developer from a staff augmentation partner. You usually have a lot more flexibility than with permanent employees. The developer is hired on a contract basis and only works for as long as you need him or her. Here at Swyply, we lend out our software engineers for a minimum of 3 months.

Staff augmentation vs Managed services

Staff augmentation is a staffing solution that is best for companies that need to grow steadily. It provides the company with the flexibility to scale and grow with its needs by providing temporary employees.

This is a good option if you need specialized skills or if you have a project that requires more staff than your company has available at the moment.

Managed services, on the other hand, are a more stable option for companies that are looking for a more permanent staffing solution. It offers long-term stability and can be customized to fit different business needs.

TL:DR: Summary of staff augmentation trends for 2024

The top four staff augmentation trends to look out for in 2024 include:

• Keeping your business adaptable to withstand the crisis caused by global circumstances.
• Have the flexibility to scale your team by adding, switching, or removing developers based on market demands.
• Combat the talent shortage that exists throughout North America and Europe
• Keep in mind how important company culture, integration, and soft skills are in a post-pandemic world.

You can keep your business adaptable and flexible by hiring remote developers via staff augmentation. You can keep developers for as long as you need without making them permanent staff. Also, once you no longer need them, you do not have to pay to keep them on the bench.

Using a staff augmentation provider you can gain access to a global talent pool of IT experts quickly. Lastly, you are hiring pre-vetted software engineers so you have the peace of mind of knowing that they are the right fit. They will not only fit in with their technical skills but also into your company culture.

Are you intrigued? Are you considering IT staff augmentation as an answer to your next project? 👉 Drop us a line 👈 and let’s have a free no-obligation chat.