Businesses often face sudden spikes in technical workload or skill gaps that internal teams can’t cover on their own. To solve this issue, organizations turn to IT staff augmentation to maintain momentum and stay competitive without disrupting their existing workflow.
In this article, we’ll break down what IT staff augmentation is, how it works, how to implement it successfully, and more.
What Is Staff Augmentation?
Staff augmentation is a hiring model where organizations hire staff to work alongside full-time employees to bridge skill gaps and increase output, typically on a per-project basis. This form of IT outsourcing is valued at nearly $300 billion in 2023 and projected to reach approximately $850 billion by 2031, according to Verified Market Research.
Like other hiring models, staff augmentation allows businesses to hire external teams without the commitment of a long-term employees. And though contracts are still involved, they’re typically flexible.
IT staff augmentation providers like Tangonet Solutions are one of the best ways to gain access to a pool of talented professionals with the exact skills, tools, and expertise needed to support different projects. Tangonet has a roster of talented full stack developers, data specialists, automation engineers and DevOps specialists. This makes scaling up easy.
How Does IT Staff Augmentation Work?
Here’s how IT staff augmentation works:
- Identifying Staffing Needs
The first step to IT Staff Augmentation is to identify staffing needs.
Businesses assess their current project requirements, timelines, and resource gaps, as well as the specific skills, experience levels, and roles needed to complete the project.
For example, if a company is developing a new software application, it might need additional project managers, quality assurance testers, or software developers.
- Sourcing the Right Talent for the Project
Once a company identifies its staffing needs, the next step is to source the right talent. This step is both the easiest and most difficult part of staff augmentation; easy because there are hundreds, if not thousands, of options to choose from, and difficult because organizations must sift through those options to find the candidate that will yield the best results.
Tangonet’s staff augmentation program takes the challenge out of this step. We’ll work with businesses to determine the scope of the project and the talent they need, and match them with the best possible talent based on their requirements.
Another method of sourcing talent is to browse through freelancing platforms that cater to IT professionals, like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal. But since freelancers work for themselves, it can be difficult to guarantee their availability, consistency, or commitment.
Hiring freelancers may be more budget-friendly than consulting a staffing agency. Businesses just need to ensure they hire a freelancer who is a certified professional and can deliver their requirements.
One of the challenges with hiring directly from a freelancing platform is businesses don’t know what they don’t know. Tangonet has over 70 years of combined experience with helping businesses solve their technology problems. This expertise allows us to ask the right questions, select the right candidates and usher your business through unforeseen challenges.
Onboarding and Integrating Augmented Staff
After selecting the right talent, businesses provide the new hire with the necessary tools, resources, and information to get started.
Some teams use their own tools and resources to get the job done, so if the focus is only on the results they produce, this can work in the business’s favor.
But if the project requires strict security protocols, proprietary software, or integration with the in-house team, it’s necessary to standardize the tools and systems used. They should be given access to relevant documentation, communication channels, project timelines, key team members, and any other resources that can help complete the job.
It’s also important to familiarize them with the organization’s culture, policies, and procedures. Clear expectations about workflows and performance metrics should be set from day one so that they can deliver results that meet the standards.
Whatever the case, it’s important that the client have a strong IT project management culture and structure, preferably one with experience in the integration of external and internal teams, to the extent that team integration is a necessary aspect of the engagement .
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Types of IT Staff Augmentation Models
IT staff augmentation comes in three basic models:
On-Demand Staff Augmentation
On-demand staff augmentation is ideal for short-term needs or urgent tasks. It allows you to bring professionals on short notice to handle spikes in workload, provide support during tight deadlines, or cover for absent team members.
This model works particularly well in fast-paced environments where the ability to scale up or down rapidly is crucial.
Skill-Based Augmentation
As the name suggests, skill-based augmentation involves hiring professionals who possess specific skills that aren’t readily available within your organization.
This model is suitable for projects that require specialized expertise, such as advanced programming languages, AI or ML focused projects, data analytics, or cybersecurity.
You can also use the hire as a way to transfer knowledge to your team or set up a space so you can integrate new technology into your project.
Project-Based Augmentation
Project-based augmentation is used when an organization needs a dedicated external team or individual to work on an entire project from start to finish.
This model ensures that the talent you’ve hired is available for the entire project lifecycle, from planning and development to testing and deployment. Once the project is complete, it’s up to you whether you want to hire the individual for another project or finalize their contract.
When Should You Consider IT Staff Augmentation?
IT staff augmentation can be used as a strategic tool to support your business through different phases of growth and development. Here are some scenarios where staff augmentation is especially valuable:
Managing Sudden Workload Spikes
One of the primary reasons businesses turn to IT staff augmentation is to manage sudden increases in workload.
Seasonal demands, unexpected market opportunities, or tight client deadlines can overwhelm even the most well-established and capable internal teams.
Instead of pushing internal teams to their limit and risking burnout, organizations can hire extra hands during a busy period and release them when the demand subsides.
Overcoming Resource Constraints
Sometimes, you simply don’t have the in-house skills or capacity to complete a project on time or within scope.
Rather than delaying progress or hastily training existing teams on a new model or software at a moment’s notice, you can hire external teams to fill the gaps without disrupting your existing workflow or the added costs associated with full-time employment.
Augmented team providers may also have existing software that you need only for the duration of the current project, saving you the cost and hassle of purchasing, licensing, or maintaining these tools long-term.
Building Long-Term Dedicated Teams
While it’s true that many organizations turn to IT staff augmentation to fill positions temporarily, it can also be used as a way to build long-term dedicated teams.
Instead of hiring and training new employees for your business, it’s often more efficient to offer full-time positions to individuals who have previously worked on your projects and delivered satisfactory results.
This way, organizations reduce the risk of hiring people who don’t fit the team’s culture, environment, and work requirements. Organizations are already aware of the employee’s qualifications, methodology, and work practices and have already concluded that they’re fit for the job and are willing to hire them for long-term work.
Benefits of IT Staff Augmentation
Now that we’ve discussed the reasons why organizations turn to IT staff augmentation, let’s discuss the benefits of doing so:
Access to Specialized Skills and Expertise
IT staff augmentation lets organizations tap into global talent with highly specialized skills.
Organizations can access professionals with niche skills like DevOps, AI/ML, or cloud architecture, or fill critical knowledge gaps without lengthy recruitment processes.
It’s a good way to stay competitive, as outsourcing staff are often up-to-date with the latest technology and methodologies.
Cost-Effective Solutions
IT staff augmentation is often more budget-friendly than traditional hiring methods. Augmented staff often work on a per-project or time-bound basis, so organizations don’t need to worry about long-term salary commitments, benefits packages, insurance, paid leave, or other overhead costs typical of full-time employees. This is particularly true when you’re dealing with nearshore or offshore talent. Tangonet hires predominately from Argentina (nearshore) based on our founder’s immense experience working in Argentina, with Argentine based developers, since 1992.
Organizations don’t need to invest time or money in extensive training, as the staff brought in already come with the exact skills required for a specific project. There’s also the fact that augmented teams often work remotely, reducing office space requirements.
Organizations pay for the expertise they need, for as long as they need. When that need disappears, organizations can simply let the augmented staff go without worrying about severance packages and other legalities associated with terminating a full-time employee.
Scalability and Flexibility
Staff augmentation lets organizations scale their team up or down based on project requirements. It’s also a good way to test new business directions with minimal risk.
For example, a business may hire augmented staff as a way to enter a different market, test new technology, or add a new service without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time employees. A great example of this is doing a Proof of Concept or Prototyping new application, AI or data solutions. An external team can be stood up quickly to help determine the feasibility of the solution with minimal disruption to internal staff and ongoing priorities.
If it works, organizations can decide whether to keep outsourcing staff or bring in new hires to implement the service on a larger scale.
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Common Challenges in IT Staff Augmentation
As with most outsourcing services, IT staff augmentation comes with its own challenges. These include:
Communication & Cultural Barriers
Hiring international or remote talent comes with the risk of differences in time zones, communication styles, and workplace cultures, which can result in misunderstandings or schedule misalignments.
This can be negated by hiring nearshore outsourcing rather than offshore, as the nearshore outsourcing model hires staff in a geographically aligned country where there will be a timezone difference of only one to three hours..
Quality Control & Security Risks
The reality of hiring external employees is that there are also risks related to quality assurance and data security. If proper protocols aren’t in place, sensitive data could be exposed or misused.
The best way to mitigate this is to ask augmented staff to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and familiarize them with your company’s security protocols before handing over the project. Working with an outsourcing agency can help mitigate the risk, as there is another layer of local accountability. NDAs provide a formal framework for the protection of information, but there are also technical tools, such as private VPNs and Virtual Desktops that can be deployed to ensure that the external teams are working in a data-secured environment.
Addressing Technical Gaps
It isn’t uncommon for freelancers or augmented staff to advertise their skills in their resumes, only for the organization in question to find that their expertise isn’t as deep or relevant as expected.
A reliable way to reduce this risk is to hire staff from a staff augmentation company like Tangonet Solutions, as they often provide guarantees to ensure the work is completed as required and expected.
Comparing Staff Augmentation to Other Sourcing Models
Staff augmentation is one of the many hiring models that businesses can use to boost productivity and fill skill gaps in their companies. Here’s how they compare to other hiring models:
Staff Augmentation vs. Outsourcing
Staff augmentation involves adding external professionals to your internal team on a temporary or project-specific basis.
Meanwhile, outsourcing involves handing over an entire project or function to an external vendor. The vendor is responsible for managing the team, setting timelines, and delivering results with minimal oversight from your end.
Tangonet offers both models – staff augmentation and agile teams (outsourcing).
Staff Augmentation vs. Consulting
Staff augmentation involves hiring hands-on support for your team’s day-to-day activities.
On the other hand, consulting involves hiring external experts to provide advice, recommendations, and solutions to specific business problems.
Consultants don’t do the work for you; they merely tell you how and what to do to achieve your goals more effectively and efficiently.
Implementing IT Staff Augmentation Successfully
To get the most value from IT staff augmentation, follow these steps:
Step 1: Define Project Requirements
Identify your project needs, including the scope of work, timelines, deliverables, and the specific skills or experience required. Ask yourself:
- What are the project’s objectives?
- Which roles or skill sets are missing from your current team?
- How long will you need external support?
- Do I have the right IT and project management structure in place?
Step 2: Choose the Right Provider
Look for a provider that has a proven track record, positive client feedback, and a rigorous vetting process. It’s also a good idea to search for a provider that specializes in your industry so you can access experts who are well-versed in tech and business strategies within that field.
Step 3: Streamline Onboarding
Once you’ve selected your augmented staff, provide them access to all the necessary tools, systems, and documentation they need to help you with your project. Introduce them to the team, explain their roles, and your expectations so they’re fully aware of their responsibilities.
Step 4: Monitor & Optimize Performance
Augmented staff should be held to the same performance standards as your internal team, if not more. Regularly track their progress and provide relevant feedback throughout their time with the organization. If relevant, set key performance indicators (KPIs) and quality assurance metrics to ensure they’re delivering what you’ve hired them to do.
“Tangonet has a very unique team integration model which we’ve used over the past 6+ years to help grow our business and to deliver highly innovative solutions to several of our clients. We will continue to work with them in the future. As our business evolves, we are confident they will adapt and provide the right solutions to meet our diverse technical team needs.”
Bill Fistori
CEO of BossNine Technologies, Systems Integrator/Managed Services Provider
5 Misconceptions About IT Staff Augmentation
Here are some of the most common misconceptions about IT staff augmentation:
1. Hiring augmented staff is too risky and doesn’t provide high-quality work.
When sourced properly, augmented staff can deliver results that are on par with or even exceed full-time employees.
2. Staff augmentation is more expensive than hiring full-time staff.
This is possible, depending on the skillsets required. Hourly rates for augmented staff might be higher, but you’ll only pay for the hours worked without the additional costs associated with full-time hires, such as benefits, office space, and equipment.
3. Staff augmentations have no long-term benefits.
While it’s true that most organizations hire augmented staff to support temporary projects or fill in gaps, it can also offer long-term advantages when used strategically.
Specifically, staff augmentation is a great way to find reliable talent. Instead of searching for long-term employees through employment websites and individually reviewing their resumes, organizations can turn to those who have already delivered exceptional results on previous projects.
4. IT staff augmentation is only suitable for large-scale companies.
IT staff augmentation is suitable for businesses of all sizes, including startups and small businesses. It allows companies to access specialized talent without the high costs of full-time hiring and implement new technologies they might not have in-house. This flexibility can be a strategic advantage.
5. Hiring augmented staff puts your data privacy and integrity at risk.
Reputable staff augmentation providers follow strict confidentiality agreements, data protection protocols, and industry standards to ensure your information remains secure.
With proper contracts, NDAs, VDIs and Infosec Policies, Practices,and the proper access controls in place, working with augmented staff is no more risky than working with any external partner – or even internal staff.
Why Choose Tangonet Solutions for IT Staff Augmentation?
If you’re looking to hire augmented staff, there’s no better partner than Tangonet Solutions. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Specialized expertise: Professionals who are skilled in data analytics, AI, machine learning, and cloud/DevOps, making us well-suited for complex technical projects.
- Nearshore location: Our experts are based in nearshore regions like Argentina, helping close cultural gaps and keeping time zones in sync for easier teamwork.
- Personalized IT staff augmentation: Instead of pulling from a generic talent pool, Tangonet Solutions evaluates your specific goals, tech environment, and project scope to match you with professionals who meet the technical criteria and align with your workflow and team dynamics.
Contact us today to discuss your needs, project scope, and challenges so we can pair you with the right team and deliver results that exceed your expectations.
