Pros and Cons of Staff Augmentation in 2024

Ever wondered why your competitor’s project was delivered so much faster? It could very well be their secret weapon: staff augmentation. This model is a popular alternative to permanent hiring or classic outsourcing. But what are the benefits of this alternative? In this guide, we’ll review them all (as well as the limitations, by the way) to help you decide whether this model fits you or not.

What is IT Staff Augmentation?

Imagine you’re gearing up for a big software project and realize you need a few extra hands — or maybe a specific skill set that your current team lacks. Instead of hiring full-time or outsourcing the project, you choose software staff augmentation. This means you temporarily bring in external professionals to work alongside your existing team. They are integrated into your team for the project duration. Your team gets a temporary super boost with exactly what’s needed, without the long-term commitment or the disconnection often associated with traditional outsourcing.

Benefits of IT Staff Augmentation

Now, let’s discuss the pros and cons of staff augmentation. We’ll begin with the former as these are more substantial.

Immediate Access to Skills

The most striking benefit of staff augmentation is the ability to instantly plug skill gaps with expert professionals. Need a developer familiar with the latest programming framework? Or perhaps a data scientist who can pivot your analytics? The augmentation approach allows you to swiftly onboard these experts and get your project moving without the typical hiring delays.

Only Pay for What You Need

With augmented staff, financial efficiency comes front and center. You hire for the project, for the duration you need, with no long-term financial obligations. This means no unnecessary salaries during downtime, no additional benefits to dispense — it’s all about getting the job done within budget.

Maintain Full Control

Unlike outsourcing where you might hand over the reins of a project, staff augmentation keeps you in the driver’s seat. The augmented personnel work under your command and according to your company’s standards. This ensures that the final output aligns perfectly with your expectations and integrates with other project components.

Access Not Only Skills but Also Tools and Tech

Augmented professionals bring with them their expertise, that’s obvious. But sometimes, it doesn’t stop there. Some of them may also bring their tools and technologies.

This can be particularly advantageous when you need access to specialized software or platforms that are otherwise too expensive or complex to acquire temporarily. And even if you have the money to buy the tech, you’d need to spend more resources to teach your team to work with it. It’s thus more cost-effective to have an expert with the required skillset and tools join your team for a while.

Cons of IT Staff Augmentation

Every recruitment approach has its downsides. If we are here to give a full review of the staff augmentation’s pros and cons, it’s time to focus on the latter.

Integration into the Team

Integrating temporary staff can sometimes be challenging, especially if there are significant cultural or operational differences. To mitigate this, it’s important to have strong onboarding processes. Plus, you need to ensure that both your core team and the augmented staff are aligned in their goals and working methods.

Tip: Create a “cultural buddy” system where a member of your core team is assigned to each augmented staff member. This buddy can help the new member understand the workplace culture, clarify work processes, and act as a go-to person for any queries.

Communication

Effective communication can sometimes falter if not managed well with augmented staff. Differences in time zones, languages, or just the virtual nature of interactions can complicate clear and timely communication. Regular check-ins and using the right project management tools can help bridge these gaps.

Tip: Use collaboration tools that support real-time communication and project management like Slack for quick chats, Zoom for daily stand-ups, and Trello for task tracking.

Motivation

Keeping augmented staff motivated can be tricky, especially when they are not immersed in the company culture or vested in the long-term goals of the company. This is why it’s so crucial to treat them as part of the team and involve them in team activities to foster a sense of belonging and commitment.

Tip: Offer performance-based incentives that are aligned with project milestones.

Security/Confidentiality Risks

Bringing external professionals into your projects can pose risks in terms of security and confidentiality. Rigorous NDAs and strict security protocols are essential to safeguard sensitive information and ensure that your business’s (and clients’ !) data remains secure.

Tip: Implement tiered access to sensitive data. Use secure, encrypted platforms for all project communications and file sharing. Conduct regular security training and briefings for all team members, including augmented staff.

Final Thoughts

All in all, staff augmentation is a flexible cost-effective way to enhance your team’s capabilities and meet project demands swiftly. However, it’s not without challenges. Whether this approach is right for you may depend on your specific situation. Most importantly, you now know what to expect and how to manage it effectively to turn this staffing strategy into a powerful asset for your organization.