IT Staff Augmentation: What It Is and How It Works?

IT staff augmentation is the term used in how businesses use outsourcing in order to meet their technical requirements and to improve their staff structure during the process.

 

If you are familiar with the words in your vocabulary, working out the meaning of IT staff augmentation could not be as difficult. “Augment” means to grow or increase the size of something. It is the person who will fix your devices every restart is required and when turning the device off or on doesn’t work.

 

In truth, it’s the gist of it. If you happen to be the sole person in charge of the company’s process for enhancing staff this isn’t enough. The idea of cutting corners is not an alternative.

 

IT specialists with full-time jobs are difficult to come by as per 68 percent of HR specialists in a survey from 2016 by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The tech business is frequently lacking.

 

In this way, IT staff expansion could be a crucial element in managing your business efficiently.

 

The augmentation of IT staff might be the solution you require to fill those gaps within your company. 

 

Read on to find out the definition of staff augmentation and how it is implemented!

What Is Staff Augmentation?

Staff augmentation is a method of meeting business demands through the extraction of specialized skill sets by outsourcing.

 

The most common notion of outsourcing is when a high-powered company hires unpaid employees located in the Far East because they don’t wish to pay their local employees fair wages.

 

While this is certainly the case in certain situations outsourcing is often more than what’s seen on the surface. It’s for instance, it’s normal for small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMBs) to outsource their IT requirements. This is due to the fact that SMBs typically don’t have the capacity to hire everyone they require outright.

 

But, it does not mean that the company ignores its employees. In reality, small-sized firms and new businesses tend to be extremely close-knit. It’s not the case that responsibility is primarily in the upper rungs of the ladder and managers are often able to insist that staff members aren’t considered to be a burden.

 

However, SMBs often suffer from an insufficient amount of resources. One reason is that most startups don’t have the money to build physical infrastructures for their servers or databases, which makes cloud technology an effective solution.

 

However, even if cloud technology is working well, almost every business requires experts to oversee the information technology (IT) department because computers are the mainstay of all processes.

 

In this stage, the IT staff augmentation process is a possibility. By outsourcing, companies are able to recruit new members to their staff for a short or extended time.

The Pros and Cons of IT Staff Augmentation

Although IT staff augmentation may seem appealing in the abstract however, there are a number of aspects to take into consideration before employing IT staff augmentation in your company. This article will highlight the positive and bad aspects of IT staff augmenting.

Pros of IT Staff Augmentation

The advantages of IT staff augmentation are what you’re looking for initially. But there are a few methods that IT staff augmentation can benefit you that aren’t immediately obvious So pay close attention.

1. Guaranteed Talent

A partner in IT outsourcing by nature is able to meet your company’s requirements. Staff augmentation in IT ensures that your new employees can seamlessly adapt to any setting you require them to be in to boost the efficiency of your team.

 

This means that they can help stabilize processes that are experiencing bottlenecks because of needing more staff or resources. You can walk away with a feeling of being content with the efficiency of the IT team to increase their capacity.

2. Hiring Efficiency

IT staffing increases usually rely on an outsourcing company that has certified and trained IT experts available upon request. Their whole job is meeting the goals the client has set regardless of who the client is.

 

Finding IT assistance by this method is more efficient than searching hundreds of job boards and sorting out candidates on your own.

 

The cost of recruiting employees is expensive and can add up to around $4000 for each hire with almost a month and a half of a vacant position. By boosting IT staff and augmentation, you not only reduce time but also save you also save money.

3. Increased Flexibility

The reality that there are many different euphemisms for the simple firing of someone indicates that there’s some deep reason behind it all. It’s because losing your job isn’t enjoyable and anyone in the opposite position probably hasn’t had the best time too.

 

But during economic downturns, for instance, that of the Great Recession between 2007 and 2009 or the coronavirus recession which began in 2020 mass cuts are not uncommon. When businesses are simply going under, sustaining personnel numbers is a huge issue.

 

If you do, however, allocate an amount of your staff to be always temporary, through staff augmentation in IT it will prevent the unexpected from affecting those of the permanent employees and temporary staff will be able to find another job by utilizing their own agency.

 

Because of this flexibility, companies can expand and reduce their workforce when appropriate, as needed. In general, the company can be more steady, and you’ll be accountable for the support of your employees.

Cons of IT Staff Augmentation

Once you’ve mastered the benefits of IT staffing It’s up to you to determine if these negatives are a deal-breaker or minor inconveniences.

1. Quality Risk

Although outsourced teams are typically experts with high qualifications There are still a few issues that arise with the augmentation of IT staff.

 

If, for instance, your computer project demands a significant amount of context and augmented staff members, getting them familiar with the project may be a daunting task.

 

Sometimes, hiring an employee with a passion for the job could be efficient in this way. It is essential to have a good rapport with them.

2. Time Delays

In the same way, the time frame for completing deadlines can be a problem. Making new employees comfortable with the project may take a considerable amount of time. However, it is not a choice in the event that a successful result is your goal.

 

The time required to train and onboard could delay your plan and the added task may be particularly difficult for new employees who aren’t in place for a long time.

 

Certain business owners discover that the cost of management for IT staff growth is not worth the expense.

3. Long-Term Dependencies

Dependence on third-party services is not viable. In certain ways, it can be detrimental to your own business by using external resources to reach an objective.

 

While you’re in charge of your company’s IT project, in the end, the outsourcing company is under the control of your employees. If anything unexpected happens to your staff members or the outsourcing partner they’ll be at risk.

 

In the short run, it makes a lot of sense for small businesses and new businesses to make use of IT staff augmentation in order to get their feet firmly on the ground. In the long run, however, your company is likely to be in a position to able to manage the resources it owns.

 

It is best to have a strategy in place to expand your business internally. In the long run, you’ll benefit from it.

The 3 Types of IT Staff Augmentation

The staff augmentation strategy you select for your company will differ based on your specific requirements. There are three main types of staff augmentations that are skill-based, commodity, and highly skilled.

1. Commodity

Staff augmentation via commodity is not a requirement for specific skills. The conditions for this augmenting model are more the urgency of acquiring certain skills rather than focusing on them.

 

Thus, this kind of staff expansion could include manual work as well as factory work or retail sales, among other things.

2. Skill-Based

Staff augmentation based on skill requires no way surprising some expertise. But, the ability required for this type of staff augmentation isn’t challenging.

 

Data entry or typing for clerical jobs are only a few examples of what an augmentation in staffing based on skills could appear like.

3. Highly-Skilled

Not least, there’s the possibility of a highly-skilled staff increase. It is just that this is the kind of staff augmentation that you require.

 

Outsourced partners with high-skilled are employed in fields such as IT and the development of software. The training and experience required in these fields are crucial and IT staffing increases make an excuse for mistakes in these fields.

How To Augment Your Team Successfully?

There are many steps to follow to increase the effectiveness of your team. Similar to the scientific method in the scientific process, the IT enhancement process should be precise and careful.

1. Identify the Problem

The first step is to must identify the issue. You should ask yourself questions such as “What does my business need?” or “What is my business lacking?”

 

It is also possible to ask your staff members to provide suggestions. Of all the employees, they are the most knowledgeable about the areas where your company performs well and fails.

2. Specify Your Needs

After you’ve identified your issue you will be able to describe your needs in a variety of ways. All of which are vital. 

Here are some of the various demands you must define:

• Do you wish your staff augmentations to be either long-term or short-term?
• Does your staff augmentation product high-skilled, skill-based, or skill-based?
• How many people are you looking for in IT staff?

3. Research Staff Augmentation Agencies

Examine the IT market for staff augmentation before selecting the outsourcing company. Find out what you are looking for and use that as the start of all of your searches.

 

Don’t settle for the cheapest price. The cost should be fair but remember that you will get what you get for your money.

 

Outsourcing offshore and onshore has different advantages and drawbacks. Consider both the advantages and disadvantages, and take a shrewd choice.

 

In the final analysis, it’s an open-ended exchange dependent on what your business requires at the moment.

4. Narrow Down Your Choices

Examine and, if you are able, test your candidate’s abilities. Additionally, you need to ensure that the new employees possess the necessary soft skills to be productive members of your team.

 

Call the prospective providers and ensure there’s an excellent rapport. You don’t want to work with one who isn’t able to work with other people.

5. Negotiate With Your Chosen Partner

A sort of negotiation should occur to enable you to understand all the specifics of the contract you signed with the IT staff augmentation company.

 

Do not be influenced by those you work with. Be sure to be open about what you would like to achieve however, you must also be objective regarding your demands.

6. Sign a Contract

You can then make sure you cross your ‘t’s and put your I’s. Make sure you sign the John Hancock on a mutually acceptable agreement with your IT personnel as well as your augmentation partner.

When Is Staff Augmentation Recommended?

IT staff recommendation is suggested for those who wish to have the most beneficial of both. The standard model of outsourcing the majority of people know is to outsource your entire business to what might seem like a foreign and foreign company.

 

With staff augmentation, you and your business leaders will be able to get acquainted with the people you’re working with, as the agencies that specialize in IT staff augmentation and possibly other kinds of highly-skilled staff enhancement will provide you with several skilled experts at a time that will surely integrate seamlessly with your team and your projects.

 

Due to this flexibility, the concept of hiring experts is a lot less time-consuming in the case of IT staff to augment your staff. It could also be an interim solution to address any ongoing issues.

Conclusion

Enhancing IT staff is a complex well-oiled procedure that can be the answer to the many questions you’ve had regarding getting your business up and running or getting your small-scale business off the right foot.

 

If you are looking for highly skilled IT staff to increase your productivity, Brisk Logic is the location to search.

 

Brisk Logic developers have carved out a distinct segment within the IT sector. They aren’t directly involved with the computer’s machinery. But, they are able to create the necessary application for your company to go to the next step.