Staff augmentation in IT
IT staff augmentation has seen a sharp increase in popularity as remote work becomes the new and normal way of working.
In general terms, staff augmentation is about ‘’augmenting’’ or expanding your team and talent. IT staff augmentation is an outsourcing recruitment strategy that aims to hire skilled IT professionals to cover positions for a hiring company. These positions can be covered on a temporary or permanent basis, especially for short and long-term projects that have a fixed timeline.
You may already have a good grasp as to what IT staff augmentation means or, this could be your first time coming across the term as you look for new, better ways to grow your business, fill in your staff’s talent gaps, and get your projects off the ground faster.
IT staff augmentation is a great way to expand your IT team while making the best use of your resources at the same time. Here, we discuss 4 benefits of using staff augmentation to expand your IT team to get the results you need.
4 benefits of using staff augmentation to expand your IT team
One of the most attractive benefits for companies using IT staff augmentation services is overall cost-effectiveness. Client companies are able to hire augmented staff on a temporary or ‘’per-project’’ basis resulting in a significant decrease in expenditure. Staff augmentation gives companies the option of not having to go the traditional or, in-house, hiring route. They save costs by not having to cover traditional human resource expenses such as monthly payroll, onboarding, bonuses, taxes, medical benefits, training, and HR management.
When client companies hire a staff augmentation provider, costs such as office space rental fees, resources, and equipment maintenance costs are covered by the service provider.
Staff augmentation options, such as nearshore software development, also offer the added benefit of being able to hire skilled talent beyond borders at a lower cost than they would have to pay locally.
Another benefit of IT staff augmentation is that it helps companies find, hire, onboard and work with talent faster, and with less friction. Finding the right talent has become an increasing challenge recently as the workforce becomes more demanding when it comes to the job and benefits being offered. The Great Resignation has placed added stress on companies and hiring managers as they look to find the right talent and also people who are happy to simply accept the job and compensation package they are able to offer.
IT staff augmentation lifts the burden off companies’ shoulders as it opens the door for an easier talent search and hiring process. Some companies might find it difficult to find the right talent locally due to geographical, cultural, demographic, and a wide range of other reasons.
Staff augmentation enables vendors and service providers to source talent abroad. For example, US companies are now looking to Latin America to find qualified, experienced talent. Latin America boasts a large population of skilled and available IT professionals that are willing to work on temporary projects.
When considering the legal process of hiring involved, staff augmentation enables companies to hire and onboard talent at a much faster pace. Contrary to hiring full-time, in-house, or local staff members, there is less paperwork involved meaning projects can get started sooner.
Companies benefit greatly from IT staff augmentation because of the speed at which they can access and work with the right talent. Plus, unlike a few decades ago, our ever-changing global and digital world means that companies are not only competing locally but internationally, too.
With IT staff augmentation, companies can incorporate global experts that are skilled and experienced with in-demand tools and technologies. No longer are companies restricted to sourcing and hiring local talent and this opens up doors to new opportunities and a larger talent pool worldwide.
Having access to talent beyond your own country’s border increases the probability of hiring professionals who match your requirements and needs, exactly when you need them. Some companies don’t have time to wait around or invest in lengthy hiring processes and this is where IT staff augmentation comes into full force.
The fourth benefit of using staff augmentation to expand your IT team is workforce flexibility. Workforce flexibility in IT staff augmentation is cheaper because companies are able to hire a team to only work for a specific duration of time.
Hiring companies can decide when to hire their workforce, whether to grow the team or, reduce the number of staff members working on a project at any given time. Permanent or full-time recruitment restricts the ability to leverage new talents which results in longer and more expensive hiring cycles. With IT staff augmentation, companies can hire the best professionals to work on specific projects for a specific time. Companies don’t have to make any long-term commitments as they would have to if they were to hire local, full-time professionals.
About Icalia Labs
Icalia Labs is a world-class nearshore software product firm enabling businesses to translate their digital strategies into tangible value. With a customer-centric design and an engineering culture, the firm guides its clients through an agile framework to acquire new digital capabilities and fortify their innovation-to-market mindset.
Icalia Labs delivers value through a frictionless software environment, assembling the right people, products, and processes into the mix. We have grown our team all across the Americas, leveraging economies of scale to achieve more in less time while providing better solutions.
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