Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by AlexJames
Outsourced IT staff members play a crucial role in IT projects that need more hands. However, it is important to choose the right IT staff augmentation services that fit your business needs.
IT staff augmentation is a flexible and valuable outsourcing strategy that enables enterprises to hire additional tech talent in their team, either on a permanent or temporary basis. Many companies occasionally need IT professionals having the capability to bring something new to the table. Such as a unique educational background, specialized skill set, or extensive training in a specific field. When you need to complete a project or there’s a need for a new perspective for business growth, you can seek out an IT staff augmentation vendor.
Things To Look for In an IT Staff Augmentation Vendor
It is essential not to rush the process of choosing an IT staff augmentation vendor. Before making the final decision, you need to take time and do proper research on different available options.
Review Vendor’s Portfolio
Before comparing IT staff augmentation vendors, you need to review their portfolios. There are many established IT staff augmentation vendors having extensive portfolios offering a wide range of information.
Such information can help you in making a decision, such as domains of expertise, case studies, customer testimonials, and other similar projects completed by the vendor in the past. The portfolio of a vendor offers a more in-depth view of what the vendor is capable of and why you should hire them for IT staff augmentation services.
Look For Employment Records of The IT Staff
You need to look at the employment records of the IT staff recommended by the vendor. Most IT staff augmentation vendors have an enriched pool of highly qualified and talented individuals with a diverse range of skillset, training, and educational backgrounds. Look at the previous projects the particular candidates contributed to in the past.
You need to check the nature and amount of contribution of the person and whether the contribution relates to the type of work that your business is looking for. You can easily narrow down potential candidates by looking at the IT staff records and eliminating the ones who fit the preferred criteria of your business.
Cost Isn’t the Determining Factor
While hiring outsourcing, companies mostly prefer the pricing. No doubt it is critical to consider cost when you’re hiring a new vendor, but the cost must not be the determining factor. It is crucial to remember that cost and pricing don’t necessarily equate to the quality of the service you expect to receive.
You can find a high-end specialist offering services at a reasonable cost and a lower-end specialist charging higher prices for their work. For this reason, you must carefully examine the past work history and overall performance of IT professionals.
Flexibility
As there are so many options out there, businesses consider what sets different vendors apart. There are some IT staff augmentation vendors offering unique features that others don’t include. Ideally, an enterprise opts for a vendor that is willing to adapt according to the needs of the customers and is highly flexible.
The vendor must be willing to work with the business to make sure that both parties are satisfied. For instance, it can give a customer a ‘bulk discount’ who hires multiple resources from it. IT professionals need to be flexible in their work habits. As there can be times when professionals need to perform other tasks or travel throughout the duration of a project or a job role.
Following are the things businesses must note when choosing IT staff augmentation services:
- Strong Resumes
- Demonstrated Technical Standards
- Bios Provided
- Industry Related Experience
- Years of Experience
- Previous Work Examples
- Interviews Allowed
- Great Project Management
Red Flags to Hiring IT Staff Augmentation Services
Apart from looking for some good qualities in a potential IT staff augmentation vendor, there are some red flags too that you need to consider.
Interview Potential Candidates
A vendor needs to allow businesses to interview potential candidates for their projects. Businesses normally want to know their chosen IT professionals before making a financial decision, and a simple interview is the most effective way to accomplish this goal. If a vendor refuses to allow interviewing its candidates, move on to a more flexible vendor.
No Previous Client Work
Another clear red flag is that the IT staff augmentation services provider doesn’t have any previous client work. A vendor can provide you with a worker claiming to be a senior developer. But in reality, the person might be new to the company or still in school. The lack of skills and experience becomes apparent at the beginning of the job, which results in wastage of resources and time.
Before choosing a vendor, always do proper research to ensure that their professional team has bios detailing their work history and experience in the industry.
Vendor’s Reputation
Always consider the reputation of the vendor. If the company has been operational for some time, it must have an online presence, and others in the industry must be familiar with them.
If no one in the industry has ever heard about them or the vendor has a bad reputation. In that case, the best option is to move on to a more experienced and qualified vendor who is established as a leader in the industry.
Work Ethics
To talk about what is staff augmentation? we can say that businesses typically prefer to work with vendors who have transparent and honest work ethics that they can trust easily. The vendor needs to have the capability of problem-solving and team management. A good vendor always engages in discussions and communicates regarding the requirements of the business.
Conclusion
It is not an easy decision to add new members to your team, including the augmented staff. However, it can bring a positive difference in your business’s ability to complete its project goals within budget and on time. Finding the right IT staff augmentation services is crucial to make sure that the new members of your team have the proper experience and skills to do the job as expected.
One such vendor is Xavor Corporation. Xavor is a flexible enterprise and offers the resources that your business needs to reach its prime objectives.
