What is staff augmentation? To put it simply, staff augmentation is outsourcing work to agencies or individuals outside of your full-time team. But this widely used definition is too traditional for the developments and innovations that staff augmentation solutions have gone through. A better definition would be that staff augmentation is a customizable support and staffing structure that supplements your existing team. No longer do organizations need to hand off entire departments to teams of people on another continent with very little oversight. Modern staff augmentation is simply “outsourcing” parts of the hiring process to access some of the best US based talent. We may be getting into semantics, but it’s important to understand how staffing agencies have evolved to augmentation solutions. This is the internet after all, where nothing stays the same for long.

What are augmentation solutions?

When proposing staff augmentation as a solution to companies who have never used it, a few initial ideas come to mind; “am I going to be outsourcing work to agencies blindly and getting back low quality deliverables?” and “is this solution secure? Doesn’t it make more sense to hire full-time for skills that I need?Staff augmentation, especially in tech or SaaS/Cloud-based companies is often a well-timed solution. And timing is a big part of why augmentations are desirable. Question 1: how long is your hiring cycle from job post to onboarding? You should plan your team the same way you plan your product roadmap, what assets are you going to need to get things done on time?The main benefit to staff augmentation is finding high-quality people to execute tasks without going through a lengthy hiring process, or wooing the right candidate. The gig-economy is incredibly extensive and independent contractors often make up the most sought after talent. Some of the best technical talent out there do not like the constraints of traditional full-time employment and they prefer the flexibility that project-based work provides.

How does staff augmentation benefit my business?

When considering bringing in external additions to your workforce, it can be helpful to take a look at how you’ve sourced talent in the past. Why did you choose to do it that way? How did it serve you? What were the positives and negatives? Then take a look at your needs, and start asking some key questions:

1. Will I need the skills I’m looking for full-time, or just for select projects?
2. What level of skill do I need to get my desired results?
3. Is the work ongoing, but something that I’m okay outsourcing on a continued basis?

Augmentation is customizable. Bringing in external skills to your team can be done in a variety of ways. From one person for a single project contract, to a team of marketing professionals to consistently manage your outbounding campaigns. The best way to augment your business is the way that best works for your company’s needs.Staff augmentation also benefits your existing team. The intention isn’t to take work away from your employees, it is to take extra work off their plates or to help them do more in less time. This helps reduce burnout - especially for your valuable high-achievers, and allows your team to focus on developing within the roles you hired them to fulfill. Augmentation is especially useful for developers and project managers that already know what they’re doing and just need another pair of hands temporarily to manage the volume of tasks that increase throughout the project cycle.There’s an understanding in tech especially that teams for newer companies and startups often wear multiple hats. Augmentation supports growth and helps adapt your team to be successful throughout the different phases of growth your companies will go through - without draining resources. Staff augmentation done well will help teams maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Try staff augmentation with TECKpert

With TECKperts, staff augmentation begins with consultation. We want to get to know you, your team, your company, and your goals. Are you developing software? Are you implementing IT and Cybersecurity best practices? Are you rebranding? Scaling? Or just making the transition from an established brick and mortar business to a company with a strong online presence.Simply give us your requirements and let us present you with top tier, US based, vetted talent for your review. We’ll take on the task of getting your team setup and integrated into your projects, we’ll even make it easy to manage their output, hours, and payment solutions.Don’t limit your potential. It may seem natural to augment development teams or marketing teams specifically for large projects but again, the scope of augmenting your team is incredibly flexible. developers, designers, IT experts, usability testers, marketers, content creators, and project managers are just a few of the roles that TECKpert can fill.Building out your full-time team is exactly that, building. You assemble the right people to build a productive culture. Augmentation isn’t about breaking the wheel, it’s a solution to bring in additional support when needed.Don’t put your company into the box of traditional hiring when it comes to creating and supporting your team because that is the only way you know how to do it, and the way you have always done it. Challenge the process. Find the talent you need, and support the talent you have. TECKpert can help. Reach out to us today to get started. Additionally, we just published a 2022 Staff Augmentation White Paper. Send us an email to request your free access: info@teckpert.com