Tech Staff Augmentation: The Dos and Don'ts

Due to the rise in competition, and the shortage of Tech talent, businesses are mostly on the lookout for professional IT experts. Therefore, IT staff augmentation companies and outsourcing services have made it easier for businesses to get access to remote IT teams.  

So, if you are looking forward to connecting with an IT staff augmentation company, here are some dos and don’ts that you must consider before saying yes to them. Explore below. 

The Do’s of Tech Staff Augmentation

Evaluate the Drawbacks and Benefits of Staff Augmentation 

While IT staff augmentation has become a very common practice, it might not be suitable for everybody. So, I would highly recommend you to make an evaluation of the cons and pros of IT staff augmentation, by asking yourself: 

• Does my project need short-term or long-term support? 
• Will I be able to keep a keen eye on remote workers, (who are handling critical aspects of a project)? 
• Does it fit my budget? 

It is important to consider the length of your project because most of the time IT staffing works best for short-term project, for instance for a short IT project it is best to go for software development staff augmentation, but for long-term projects it might get a bit challenging.  

Secondly, unless you connect with a highly reliable and professional IT staff company, like Aciano Technologies, it is best to keep an eye out, since the outsourcing team will have some important data of your project, which could get lost or misused.  

Lastly, while IT staff augmentation is known for its budget-friendliness, you are still advised to make some budget calculations and compare it with the cost of permanent hiring before signing up for it. 

Choose the Right IT Staff Augmentation Company

Finding a trustworthy IT staff augmentation company must be your top priority. Company with a good name will certainly deliver you with your desired results, meet deadlines and carry your project data with responsibility and care. Thus, always check their portfolio, reviews and industry experience first.  

Compare Nearshore vs Offshore Options

Many businesses contemplate on whether to for nearshore or offshore IT staffing companies when creating remote IT teams, and so should you. Weight the benefits and drawbacks of both options on the same scale and then align them with your needs, budget and demand.  

Here are a few generic consideration you should make: 

• Time zone 
• Cultural differences 
• Language 
• Cost 

Align Staff Augmentation with Business Goals

Make sure that you are not solely filling temporary gaps with the help of staff augmentation. Leverage it in a way that your long-term objectives are also benefitted. For instance, consulting staff augmentation can sketch you a comprehensive guide or strategy to take your business forward, while software development staff augmentation can help you make product launches quicker.  

Understand Staff Augmentation vs Outsourcing

Don’t mistake IT staff augmentation for outsourcing. While a lot of individuals may use them in the same context, these two are slightly distinguished from one another. Staff augmentation means to add experts into your workflow, whereas outsourcing refers to handing your projects entirely to the outsourcing team.  

The Don’ts of Tech Staff Augmentation 

Don’t Ignore the Risks of IT Staffing

As you begin IT staff augmentation, here are some risks you should keep an eye out for: 

• Not meeting expectations: There is a chance that when you augment IT staff, they may not turn out to be up to your standard, not delivering the required results in the assigned project. Hence, review their work first.       
• Not adjusting with your work environment:  If you hire offshore team, there are high chances that they might not fit in with your company’s environment and culture.  
• Communication barriers: communication is very important for the success of your project. But, if due to the difference in time zone, or language, communication is not done clearly, the outcome of project may be affected. 
• Security concerns: Sharing sensitive business data with external staff increases the risk of breaches. 
• Sudden departure: The augmented staff might leave mid-way of a project, which can create issues for you.   

Don’t Skip Proper Onboarding of Remote IT Teams

Many businesses don’t treat augmented staff the same as permanent employees—in terms of assigning tasks, which can lead to low productivity. Hence, clarify your remote IT team of their responsibilities, give them access to tools and express your project expectations from them.  

By onboarding your remote IT team properly, you make sure that they understand how everything operates in your company and adjust to the work culture here with more convenience.  

Don’t Rush into an IT Staff Augmentation Company 

Understand that each IT staff augmentation company offers different experts, skills and quality. Therefore, don’t sign up for a company hastily without properly digging into them and their services. Go through their experience, work and reviews—also try to reach out to any of the previous businesses they have collaborated with.  

Don’t Rely on Staff Augmentation Alone 

Staff augmentation shouldn’t be your only strategy to succeed. Look into every project yourself and keep your research going, so that you are not over dependent on you augmented team which can limit the growth of your internal team.  

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Team Collaboration

Team collaboration is one of the most underrated elements of success in projects. However, this element can often rust when neglected. Since the augmented staff is foreign to your employees, culture and company environment, it is challenging for them to adjust accordingly, often leading to disagreements. Therefore, introduce them properly to your internal team, explain how everything functions here and keep the gates of communication open.  

FAQs   

How does IT staff augmentation work? 

IT staff augmentation refers to the practice of hiring external IT experts to help you with projects. For this, you can reach out to IT staffing companies, who will provide you with skilled IT professionals. This is most suitable for short-term projects or for businesses who are not interested in hiring full-time employees. 

Is IT staff augmentation important? 

Due to shortage in IT experts, IT staff augmentation has become very important for businesses now. It helps them with deal with the tech part of their business while they can focus on other strategies, while keeping the cost low and meeting deadlines.  

What are the types of staff augmentation? 

There are many types of staff augmentation. For instance, remote staff augmentation, hybrid staff augmentation, on-shore staff augmentation, near-shore staff augmentation and offshore staff augmentation.  


IT staff augmentation is becoming more common every day. So, if you are also seeking to collaborate with an IT staffing company consider the above dos and don’ts, to make your approach correct. For any further queries, get connected with us immediately.