Staff augmentation is a way companies fill the gap between the skills they have at their disposal and the skills necessary for a project’s success. If you already have an in-house team, but they lack proficiency in certain domains and technologies, you can tap into an external pool of talent and augment their capabilities as per your needs, get more done fast, and improve your bottom line.
Unlike some other engagement models, you retain complete control over the project in staff augmentation. While they typically work remotely, augmented resources are for all intents and purposes, a part of your team. When it comes to management style, organizational culture, or even work hours, the same rules apply to them as the rest of your (in-house) employees.
Despite the fact that businesses around the world are leveraging staff augmentation services to great effect, many remain skeptical of its merits. With that in mind, we’ll be taking a close look at the 5 most common staff augmentation myths and misconceptions and why you should pay them no mind. Let’s begin!
The 5 Most Common Staff Augmentation Myths
1. Staff Augmentation is More Expensive than Permanent Employment
When you go with an outsourcing partner, your bill of services encompasses the salaries of your augmented staff. As opposed to maintaining a permanent team of in-house developers, designers, and QA engineers year-round, you’re only required to pay them an hourly wage for the amount of time you’ve contracted them for.
Comparing just the hourly rates of augmented resources with the wages of permanent employees can also be misleading as these don’t paint the whole picture. Further savings become apparent when you factor in bonuses and benefits that permanent employees are typically entitled to, i.e., insurance and retirement plans, paid vacations, etc. in addition to the costs associated with training and grooming them.
2. Too Much Time is Wasted
Another common misconception when hiring offshore resource(s) is that it takes a lot of time getting them settled in and familiarizing them with your company and vice versa. All our resources are adept at acclimatizing themselves with new work environments and have the communication and collaboration skills to augment your existing staff seamlessly.
Moreover, we provide you experts with industry experience and skills in specific technologies and domains, pivotal for your project’s success. We take care of the finding and recruiting bit for you so you can make better use of your precious time.
3. The Risks Involved Outweigh the Benefits
Companies may perceive staff augmentation as risky business for a couple of reasons. Maybe they’re worried about working with a team in another country, having to relinquish control over the project, or are afraid that their staffing partner won’t be able to deliver on their promises.
We at Intagleo take your concerns seriously and take concrete steps to mitigate them. Firstly, we have a very stringent screening process and only shortlist the most talented candidates, which are forwarded to you for further evaluation. Only once you’re completely satisfied, do we hire them. Once hired, they become our permanent employees, so you don’t have to worry about them leaving mid-project.
Also, you have complete control over the project and constant communication with your hired resources throughout to ensure you get the results you expect. To further ensure that the services we provide are up to your expectations, we offer free dedicated Project Managers and Quality Assurance Engineers for all new projects for the first few months.
4. Communicating and Collaborating Virtually Just Isn’t the Same
According to a survey by APQC, face-to-face meetings and interactions are still a preferred method of collaboration in the workplace, but virtual meetings have also gained traction and shouldn’t be counted out just yet.
Most of the time, the disdain for virtual stems from the perceived lack of personal touch and higher chances of misinterpretation. While this may have been true in the past, new technologies have continually pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of distributed work, virtual collaboration, and information delivery to significantly bridge the gap between virtual and face-to-face.
Presently, there are so many effective ways (i.e., video conferencing tools, instant messaging platforms, project management software) to get in touch with each other fast, share documents and resources, and build camaraderie, regardless of where you are.
5. Data Privacy and Integrity Can’t Be Ensured
Clients are typically wary of sharing sensitive data and intellectual property with outside personnel and rightfully so. This is especially true when considering offshore resources in countries where data protection laws are non-existent or ineffective.
Having worked with many clients for extended periods, we know what it takes to ensure that all your private information, classified data, and intellectual property are safe and secure throughout our working relationship and beyond. Not only are we bound by tight, detailed contracts and NDAs, but we also enforce the highest data security and privacy standards, including access controls and firewalls, to preserve the integrity of your data. Moreover, to give you further peace of mind, we have sister concerns in the UK and US that are bound by all the data protection laws and regulations of their respective countries.
The Bottom Line!
Do your homework, and don’t let these myths and misconceptions hold you back. Staff Augmentation may be just what you need to take the next step.
Intagleo offers risk-free outsourcing services with a number of flexible engagement models to choose from. If you’d like to learn more about staff augmentation and whether it’s the right fit for your project, contact us today. We’ll be glad to assist you.
