How to get the best staff augmentation fit for your business
Staff augmentation is a flexible, adaptable business model that allows you to add skilled and specialized members of staff into your workforce for a defined period. Instead of spending time recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding staff, augmentation allows you to make use of people with the requisite skills to deal with a specific project or piece of work without inheriting the overheads of an expanded permanent employee base, and there are some well-defined benefits of staff augmentation to be considered.
To realize the maximum benefits of the augmentation model, however, it’s crucial that you work with a provider who understands your requirements and can provide the right people for the job. Our tips for choosing the right staff augmentation provider will help you identify the correct fit for you and your business.
Be clear about your exact requirements
To be sure that a provider can deliver exactly the staff you need for the specific project or task, it’s critical that you define the ‘ask’ as tightly as possible. This is particularly important for technical roles, where a high level of expertise is needed to deliver the task.
Be as specific as possible: what software is involved? What level of technical know-how do you need to supplement your in-house staff? How long is the project likely to run for? What are the reporting lines? Once you’ve answered these questions for yourself, use them as a scoping exercise for potential providers. Assess their offer against your requirements to ascertain the best fit.
Look for experts in your sector
When you introduce staff into your business using the augmentation model, you want them to be able to hit the ground running. Of course, this means that they should have the technical expertise that you need, but it can also mean that they already understand the industry and context within which you work.
Choosing a provider who has an excellent reputation in your specific sector is a smart move. They will likely come with a network of contacts that they can draw on to find the best, most appropriate staff for your needs. You won’t have to spend a lot of time bringing them up to speed with industry-specific issues, and you’ll feel like you’ve gained a valuable additional resource within your team. Listen for recommendations from other businesses who have used a similar service, or look for organizations with a staff augmentation wing with a great reputation in your sector. They are likely to easily understand your requirements, and provide you with staff who integrate neatly into your team.
Choose a provider who communicates
If the parameters of a project change, there may be a revised ask of the staff placed within your organization, or you may want to discuss the need for additional staff, bespoke training etc.
It’s therefore vital that your augmentation provider is available for discussions with you on an ongoing basis. A healthy cadence of communication will allow you to hold timely, targeted conversations about your requirements.
Ask any potential provider to clarify their position regarding ongoing communications to ensure that you choose one that will work alongside you as a partnership rather than treating your relationship as a one-time interaction.
Look for a staff augmentation provider that prioritizes training
For a staff augmentation relationship to be as successful as possible, the team members you receive need to have up-to-date skills and knowledge and feel supported by the provider partner.
Ask potential providers to explain their process for finding, training, and developing staff. Do they thoroughly test knowledge and experience at an interview? Do they provide ongoing training to their placed staff? Are they committed to continuous professional development? The importance of training should not be underestimated, and the answers to these questions should guide you towards a provider that sees the value in learning and who will bring benefits to your project.
The benefits of choosing the right staff augmentation provider are clear
Selecting the right staff augmentation provider for your needs can bring substantial cost benefits to your business in terms of the savings achieved from not having to engage your own internal recruitment and training processes. Working through these steps to find the right provider for you can therefore pay dividends.
DRMcNatty is dedicated to finding you the right team members for your requirements. We take the time to understand your needs and provide well-trained, knowledgeable staff who will integrate seamlessly with your in-house resources. Our industry experts can help you with all aspects of program management, project management, and project controls, so get in touch today to discuss the ways that our augmentation service can help move your business forward.
