Many firms have been considering the benefits of a staff augmentation model for their company, but there is much more to this decision than just making it. The research process behind any such model will be vastly different from that of a traditional staffing agency or hiring firm and will require careful consideration before committing to anything. This article discusses what you need to know about the research process before deciding on using an augmentation model.
What is the staff augmentation model?
Staff augmentation is a staffing model that allows firms to hire temporary workers on an as-needed basis.
Staff augmentation is different from hiring an in-house IT worker through a traditional staffing agency or firm because the additional team members are not employees, and they do not work in permanent positions with benefits, such as 401K’s. Staff who work for these companies will never be given titles at the company; instead, they will each be assigned a role for the project.
Compared to traditional outsourcing, staff augmentation is a more affordable option that doesn’t require firms to invest in full teams.
The benefits of this type of staffing
Flexibility: Staff augmentation is an employment model in which temporary workers are hired on-demand, which can be beneficial for companies that need more workforce at one time than another
Alignment with needs: instead of investing in team members who may not be needed, marketers and agencies are able to fill gaps when they arise. This results in lower risk.
Affordability: there is no need to hire full teams or invest in long term benefits for staff members.
Increased talent pool: companies can hire the best person for the job at any given time, which increases their talent pool.
More efficient hiring: the process is simply quicker.
Potential to grow: hiring on-demand means that employees can be used as needed, which increases their potential of being hired again by a company.
Drawbacks to this model
Development of a talent pool: it is difficult to find skilled candidates on-demand. There may also be issues with consistency in the quality of work done by new employees because they are not able to fully integrate into your company culture.
Unexpected costs: there can often be hidden fees and commissions that come up when working with these freelancers.
Management issues: having other people on the team who do not work for your company can create some issues when it comes to how they are managed.
Onboarding process: there are often issues with onboarding because it takes more time to integrate new employees into your company, which can cause them to feel isolated or confused.
How to research for staff augmentation personnel?
To ensure that you hire just the right person for your company, you should do some research on the type of person that will fit well with your organisation.
Define your needs
Assessing the requirements for your business is crucial when it comes to finding the right people. What type of experience do you need? What are your budget and time constraints? What is the scope of the project?
This is an instrumental step and should be done prior to starting any project.
Establish a budget
The cost of the project will determine how much you should be willing to spend on headcount.
Budgeting is a crucial part of any organisation, as it can often dictate what type of staffing package would work well with your needs.
Know where to look
Figuring out the best way to find the right people for your project is vital. There are a few different options to consider, such as:
LinkedIn – provides detailed profiles that can give you an idea of what type of person they might be and their skillsets.
Freelancer – there are tons of freelancers there ready to help you out with any task. Just be sure to read the user reviews and feedback to ensure they are reliable.
Upwork – similarly to Freelancer, Upwork has lots of experts willing to do your bidding.
Skillset – this website is dedicated solely to finding professionals that specialise in the skills you need for a project and provides detailed profiles with reviews from previous clients, as well as availability.
Regardless of where you choose to find these people, make sure they have experience doing what it is that you need.
Do background checks
By looking into past projects, you can get an idea of what type of person they might be and their skillsets.
Check if the freelancer is registered with a reputable company or organisation such as Freelancers Union, for example.
Investigating their GitHub profile and other public activity on the internet can yield a lot of information about their skillset, previous projects, work habits etc.
Make sure that the culture matches
Company culture is currently one of the top priorities of businesses. Ensuring that the culture of the freelancer matches your company can make a huge difference in how successful they are and if you will want to keep them on as an employee.
Interviewing
Finding out about their work ethic can be done by extensive interviewing. Interviews are crucial because it is a way to find out if they are the right fit for your company.
Conclusion
Staff augmentation can be beneficial for many companies, as it can help you solve temporary staffing needs.
It is essential to be very clear with them what your expectations are, so there are no misunderstandings in communication during the process. On top of that, sufficient research needs to be done so that you don’t wind up with a freelancer who doesn’t work well with your company. All that considered, it can be an excellent way to supplement your company.