IT staff augmentation just makes sense when you need an employee with specific skills right now but don’t want to hire someone for the long term or go through the entire search-and-hire process. To enjoy the most benefits this type of staffing solution can offer your organization, here’s what to do.
Know what you need
With this type of staffing, you are looking for someone with the skills you desire, but they also need to be able to fit within your existing internal team and your company’s culture. Let your staffing provider know how things work and feel in your company so they can match you with a person who will fit right in. This will help eliminate the chance of any problems or serious friction within your IT team, which can hurt productivity and the project overall.
Work with the right IT staff augmentation services provider
Just about every successful team is built on transparency and trust. Therefore, you want a good relationship with the supplier of your augmented staff, and this includes transparent people, contracts and pricing. Finding the right supplier will go beyond just liking what you hear the first time you speak to them on the phone; sometimes “you get what you pay for” turns out to be very true.
You are looking for a provider who communicates well, is clear in all that they do–including all of the pricing and contract terms–and provides the staffing you need in accordance with their estimated delivery timeline. If you find you are having trouble getting in touch with your provider, receiving the right staff or understanding any of the contract terms in your arrangement with them, it’s likely time to look for another provider.
Have ways to measure success
An augmented IT staff member who is not fitting the bill will not do much for your project or your organization. Define your key performance indicators (KPI) for each augmented staff member so you know that you have the right person in the right place and that your team is being efficient and productive.
While your exact KPIs will vary depending on your business, your project and your goals, there are some general things you can consider reviewing. Does the employee have good attendance, and are their skills what you were looking for? What does the contract state for the augmented employee’s work expectations, and are they delivering? When you compare the weekly progress of your project, does it align with the original project plans and deliverables?
Staff augmentation in your IT department can provide several benefits, from filling in a much-needed role to even improving the workflow and productivity of your current team. However, to actually enjoy all of the advantages this staffing solution can bring to your workplace, you’ll need to ensure you have strategies in place first.
