Top Strategies for Scaling Fast with Software Team Augmentation

Overview: Businesses may find skill shortages in the fast-paced IT scene of today that could compromise project success. This blog looks at how staff augmentation could help software development and offers advice on including talented outside developers onto your teams. Learn efficient techniques to spot areas of weakness and select suitable partners for best cooperation. Staff augmentation, taken with the correct strategy, may propel your initiatives ahead. 

You are most certainly not alone if you are a product manager dealing with a talent shortfall in your software development staff.

According to recent polls, the developer average cost per hire for an engineering job is around $4,700. (Source: SHRM) More importantly, filling these roles can average 58 days. Staffing full-time software engineers is neither cheap nor quick! (Source: Workable).

Without waiting, working with a team of experienced software engineers will enable you to rapidly provide the required knowledge to your project. Best of all, it doesn't have to bust the budget. By properly and reasonably bridging the gap, you will free yourself to concentrate on producing outcomes. 

Make sure to read on if you're trying to grow your software development staff without going broke.

What is Software Team Augmentation?

Software team augmentation is a flexible outsourcing model approach that lets companies bring in external developers to enhance their in-house team. This model helps bridge any skill gaps in the software development process. With this method, businesses can handpick team members with the exact expertise needed for their project, ensuring a tailored and efficient solution. It is perfect for companies that want to keep control over their project flow but require quick resources. 

This method provides "top tech talent" without the time commitment and costs associated with recruiting full-time staff members. Whether your team needs to rapidly build up a complete dedicated staff or only cover a skill gap on your team without long-term risk, augmentation offers the necessary tools. 

When to Use Software Staff Augmentation Services

Hiring an in-house staff may be financially taxing and time-consuming. But with software development team augmentation, you may bring in experienced remote developers or even a technical project manager to concentrate just on your project, free from the extra costs and complications of conventional staffing techniques. This makes working with a staff augmentation provider an ideal solution in various scenarios:

When you need to strengthen your team

Even if you already have in-house full-time software developers, occasionally you may need to augment the capacity of your team—particularly when introducing new products or working on challenging projects. By expanding your IT staff, you can optimize your current resources and enhance expertise precisely where it's required. 

When a tight deadline is looming

Hiring full-time software engineers takes time—often two months from the first job advertisement to onboarding. Such delays are unaffordable when you're running against time. Choosing staff augmentation will enable you to quickly access qualified experts, allowing you to meet strict deadlines regardless of the length of the contract.

When specific skills are required

Sometimes, a project demands expertise that your current team may not have. Through augmentation, you can quickly bring in developers with niche skills, whether it’s a DevOps engineer, data scientist, or a quality assurance specialist. In some cases, augmented staff can not only get the job done but also upskill your internal team in the process. 

As a stopgap while hiring full-time employees 

If you're in the process of recruiting permanent employees but need help immediately, staff augmentation is an excellent interim solution. You can bring in software engineers to cover the staffing gap, ensuring your projects stay on track while you go through the usual hiring process.

By leveraging staff augmentation, you gain flexibility, access to global talent, and the ability to scale your team efficiently—without the burdens of traditional recruitment. 

Benefits of Software Development Team Augmentation

Staff augmentation services are becoming more and more popular in today's fast-paced climate for businesses trying to create top-quality software while maintaining low prices and limited time-to-hire. The primary benefits that this approach may offer to your company are: 

Faster project staffing

Recruiting new developers takes considerable time and effort. You must create a thorough job description, post it on several sites, then wait—often for months. In addition, you have to sort among applicants, interview people, and reduce the options.

The IT staff augmentation relieves you of the hiring burden. The software development partner handles the entire process, delivering a remote dev team in just days, not months. Plus, managed services save you from dealing with administrative tasks and organizational overhead.

Access to top tech talent

Your current staff may not possess the specific knowledge your project requires. Staff augmentation then comes in handy when you can leverage external resources to close gaps and satisfy project demands. 

This approach saves the time you would usually spend teaching new employees skills and up-learning. Instead, seasoned professionals with the right skills and experience are quickly integrated into your team. All you need to do is specify the expertise you require, and a staff augmentation company will provide skilled candidates to bolster your IT workforce.

Additionally, you’re no longer limited to local talent. Staff augmentation allows you to build a global workforce, taking advantage of top developers from tech-rich regions like Eastern Europe—helping you access high-quality skills at a lower cost.

Built-in flexibility

One of the standout benefits of staff augmentation is its flexibility. You can scale or build up a full dedicated team up or down as needed. Whether you need an extended team for just a few months or an entire year, the flexibility of this model ensures you’re only bringing in extra resources when required. 

If your business priorities are expected to shift over the next year, staff augmentation gives you the agility to adjust without committing to hiring—and later letting go of—full-time employees. It’s a more adaptable and ethical approach to workforce management. 

Lower IT costs

Hiring full-time employees involves significant expenses. Beyond salaries, you’re also investing in training, providing allowances, bonuses, and additional perks to keep your team satisfied. In some cases, this is worth it, but often, the traditional hiring process is too costly for short-term or highly specialized needs.

With staff augmentation, you can cut operational costs by hiring experienced team of software developers who deliver top-quality work at a fraction of the price. This allows you to maintain high productivity and performance without overextending your IT budget. 

Risks of augmenting your team

Staff augmentation comes with specific hazards that business executives should be aware of, much like any recruiting or outsourcing strategy. Understanding these hazards is the first step in properly reducing them. Let's delve into some of the primary challenges.

• Miscommunication is one of the most common risks in a staff augmentation arrangement. This might happen when expectations differ—maybe you are anticipating more than the supplier is ready to offer. To avoid this, ensure that you accurately record and agree upon all expectations before proceeding.

• Cultural differences or the development team's distant nature could cause daily communication problems. Give top priority to selecting engineers with outstanding soft skills and make sure that, using Slack, the whole team—including the project manager—can work well together.

• One should also take unexpected costs into account. Unforeseen hidden fees may emerge. To avoid this, do your research ahead of time; probe the pricing strategy and learn exactly what the service entails. Moreover, a thorough contract that precisely lists all expenses and deliveries helps you avoid surprises. In this way, you can prepare ahead of time and reduce the likelihood of unexpected project costs.

• Vendor influence for staff augmentation, depending too much on one vendor might result in a single point of failure or a bottleneck. To help with this, think about using a multi-sourced strategy whereby you distribute the risk by working with several vendors.

Planning for knowledge transfer from the start can also help you to guarantee that you have access to necessary material when needed, therefore avoiding depending just on the availability of the vendor for assistance.

How to Succeed with Staff Augmentation

To successfully implement the IT Staff Augmentation model and boost your business operations, it's important to approach the process strategically. Done right, this model can close talent gaps, improve project outcomes, and build long-term partnerships with your augmentation partner. Here are some key factors to consider:

Identify Your Team's Skill Gap

Every team requires a certain level of skill set. First of all, you should know what your internal team lacks before starting staff augmentation. Direct observations, questionnaires, and interviews all help to do this. 

Consult your IT managers, go over forthcoming priorities, and evaluate your team's present competency against the skills required within the next three to nine months. After determining the lack of knowledge, consider whether it represents a temporary or permanent void. 

Short-term gaps could occur during a software upgrade or a digital transformation project, for instance; long-term gaps might keep your team from doing basic business chores. Staff augmentation can efficiently fill these gaps, independent of the length of time. 

Before contacting possible partners, consider both long-term and short-term skill requirements. Given the large talent pool, it is critical to be clear about the specific abilities you require. 

Select the appropriate partner

Choosing the correct staff augmentation partner is really vital. Depending on the person you deal with, your encounter might be straightforward or difficult. 

Here's what to search for in a partner: 

Look for a provider whose business style fits your own. If you run a laid-back, creative business, for example, you might not want to deal with a strict, corporate-oriented supplier. Video chats can help you assess cultural fit. 

• Make sure new team members are compatible with your existing team, considering both technical abilities and soft skills. 

• Remember, staff augmentation services vary. Some businesses need a dedicated team with their own project manager, while others prefer a single developer to integrate into their in-house processes. Find a company that fits your exact requirements. 

Pro tip: Always review a potential vendor's case studies, references, and qualifications. Early on, homework will help you avoid problems down the road.

Try Multisourcing 

Working with several providers for the same service under a multisourced approach improves quality and offers cost effectiveness. It also lets you evaluate several suppliers to choose which one best fits long-term cooperation.  

Key benefits of multisourcing include: 

• Increased competition: By having multiple suppliers, you encourage competition, which can lower costs. 

• Risk reduction: Relying on several vendors reduces the risk of depending on just one. 

• Greater flexibility: More flexible delivery plans and payment arrangements are helpful here. 

Pro tip: Try first dealing with two vendors; then, choose the one that shows to be a superior long-term partner.

Make Remote Developer Members of the Local Team 

Working with remote developers will force you to change your management style and purposefully create close ties. Maintaining internal and remote teams on the same page depends on regular communication. 

During virtual meetings, create time for personal conversations. Encourage remote developers to share their hobbies and interests alongside project updates. Finding common ground helps build stronger team connections. 

Pro tip: Though it takes more than just informal talks to establish a feeling of belonging, it's a terrific place to start and may let remote developers feel like a valuable member of the team. 

Ensure Clear Communication 

Project success depends on effective communication, which also helps your bottom line. Every team member must be aware of the project goal, requirements, and development method. Enhancing communication throughout the development cycle ensures everyone can contribute effectively. 

Pro tip: Set clear communication expectations with your project managers and team leaders to ensure a consistent flow of information. 

Embrace Tools and Technology

Provide your staff with tools for teamwork such as Slack, Asana, Jira, Trello, or Basecamp to guarantee success. These tools track progress, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and simplify project management. Good technological application can help to avoid misunderstandings and increase operational effectiveness. 

Pro tip: Never undervalue these instruments' ability to promote long-term project development and flawless cooperation. 

Staff Augmentation Services with Clarion Technologies

With Clarion’s staff augmentation services, your in-house development team seamlessly integrates with our skilled professionals. We take the time to select each team member based on your specific needs and expertise. They become fully immersed in your project, ensuring they align with your company culture while working toward your strategic objectives. 

• Clarion has top 1% talent vetted through unique grading system. 

• 100% data security 

• Agile development methodology 

• Easy ramp up and ramp down 

• With full-time developer, get a free part-time supervisor, auditor, and service delivery manager 

• Get a 2-week free trial

Ready to elevate your software development efforts? Partner with Clarion Technologies to access top-tier talent through our staff augmentation services. Let us help you bridge skill gaps and accelerate project success while maintaining your unique company culture.

Contact us today to discuss how we can tailor our solutions to meet your specific needs!