The practice of outsourcing has become increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes, as it allows them to access specialized skills from external sources rather than having to hire in-house employees for these roles. This enables employees to focus on their core competencies while leveraging the expertise of others, which can be especially useful for companies that have budget restraints, lack the necessary skills, or are looking to save on labor costs.
In this article, we will discuss what staff augmentation is, the roles best suited to outsourcing, some of the benefits of this approach, and why businesses should consider using it.
The Staff Augmentation Model
One of the most common models for outsourcing is the staff augmentation model, in which a company brings in external contractors or consultants to work alongside its existing teams. This allows the company to scale its workforce up or down as needed without committing to hiring full-time employees.
Identifying the Right Roles for Staff Augmentation
Certain roles are more successful when using the staff augmentation model. These roles typically involve specialized skills or knowledge that may be difficult to find on-site or for companies looking to reduce costs and time related to employment risks.
From our ten years of experience in offering nearshoring services, Stateside has found that outsourcing and the staff augmentation model can be particularly useful for companies looking to access IT professionals with specialized skills and expertise. IT roles such as software developers, quality assurance engineers, system analysts, UX/UI designers, IT architects, DevOps engineers, network engineers, and cybersecurity specialists are often in high demand. They can be difficult to fill with in-house or local staff.
The Benefits of Nearshore Staff Augmentation
There are several benefits to outsourcing, including:
- Selecting from a wider pool of talent;
- Freeing up internal resources;
- Lowering costs; and
- Being able to customize your team depending on your business needs.
Wider Pool of Talent
One of the main benefits of outsourcing IT roles is accessing a wider pool of highly qualified professionals who can bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to your business. IT professionals with niche skills or expertise may not be available in the local job market but can be found through nearshore outsourcing or the staff augmentation model.
These professionals are typically highly skilled in their areas of expertise and have a track record of delivering results for their clients. This can be especially beneficial for businesses looking to take on complex projects or needing to bring in experts to solve specific challenges.
Freeing up Internal Resources
By bringing in external staff with specific skills, your company can solve existing issues related to this specialized skill and advance faster. This can help to reduce workload and increase efficiency within the organization. For example, suppose your company has a large project that requires specialized skills. In that case, it may be more efficient to bring in external professionals with those skills rather than trying to train your existing employees.
Lower Costs
Outsourcing and the staff augmentation model can be more cost-effective than hiring full-time employees. Companies can bring in IT professionals on a project-by-project basis rather than having to pay for their salary, benefits, and other overhead costs on an ongoing basis.
Customizing your IT Team
Another big benefit of staff augmentation is that it allows businesses to scale their workforce up or down as needed, based on the demands of their projects. This can be particularly useful for startups and small businesses that may not have the resources to hire full-time employees for every role. It is also useful for high-growth companies that must keep developing their digital platforms while managing resources.
By outsourcing technical tasks to staff augmentation professionals, businesses can take on projects they might otherwise not be able to tackle due to a lack of internal expertise.
Conclusion
Overall, outsourcing and the staff augmentation model can be valuable tools for companies who want to access specialized IT skills and expertise on a temporary or project-based basis. Companies can use these approaches to scale up or down their IT workforce as needed and access a wider pool of talent without committing to full-time hires.
At Stateside, we can help your business by providing nearshore staff augmentation services. We help you hire, retain, and manage the highest caliber of talent so that you can accelerate your tech projects and achieve your IT goals, all while working in the same language, time zone, and culture. Contact us today to find out more.
