Hire The Right Staff Augmentation Partner: The Ultimate Guide
Businesses face new challenges every day, and sometimes, it’s hard to keep up with them all – especially if you’re working alone or trying to do everything yourself. That’s when hiring the right staff augmentation partner can help you out by taking off some of your workloads.
With the right partner in place, you can quickly achieve your business goals and contribute more time and energy to essential aspects of your business.
Through this in-depth guide, you will learn how to hire the right staff augmentation partner to meet your company’s specific staffing needs through a few simple yet crucial steps.
Assess Your Requirements
Whether you’re a startup or an established firm, assessing your staffing needs is essential. It will help determine how many people and skills you’ll need to staff a project.
You must evaluate your company’s staffing requirements, whether looking for front-end developers for the project duration, web analytics engineers, or accessibility specialists for a specific stage.
Determine what tasks you want them to perform, how many hours per week, and what qualifications they need.
For example, if you know that a project requires five people with JavaScript expertise, you’ll want to hire someone who can provide those skills.
Shortlist Best Potential Partners
With so many staffing agencies, knowing who is the best fit for you and your company takes time. Conduct thorough research and prepare a list of the best staff augmentation partners. Now, choose the best ones as per your requirements.
Once you’ve narrowed your list of potential partners to a shortlist, it’s time to interview them.
Once you’ve narrowed your list of potential partners to a shortlist, it’s time to interview them. Remember that this is your business, and you need someone as committed to your success as you are. Make sure to ask them about their previous experience with similar companies, what work they’re currently engaged in, and what type of clients they work with.
You need to ensure that their skills align with the job’s requirements. That’s why it is essential to spend some time interviewing your potential staff augmentation partner before making a final decision.
Suppose you are hiring a staff to work on your software project, then you may ask:
-What is your IT background and experience?
-How many resources will you be able to commit to my project?
-What skill set do you have?
-Where are you located?
-How much time can you devote to this project per week, including meetings with me and my staff?
Research The Expertise And Services Of Your Potential Partner
One of the crucial steps is to verify the expertise of a potential staffing partner. An expert vendor who can efficiently handle staffing challenges will help you build trust. Skipping this step will result in hiring unqualified staff and significant project delays.
Review and substantiate the work history and credentials of the vendor, just like when hiring a permanent employee.
Let’s see how you can verify the expertise of your staff augmentation partner:
- Assess the level of satisfaction with the services provided by previous clients.
- Review the work portfolio of your staff augmentation partner.
- Ensure that the vendor has sufficient experience in the required field.
- Read testimonials and reviews on a third-party review site like Clutch or Glassdoor.
According to the research by CompTIA Technology Trends, here are the basic skills IT managers look for when hiring the right staff augmentation partner:
Determine If They Are Suitable For Your Business
Another crucial step in hiring the right staff augmentation partner is determining whether they are best suited for your business. If not, you will want to go back and reevaluate their skillset, resume, and experience.
After determining they are a good fit for your business, you need to ensure they can provide all the essential services and skills required for your business.
A good partner has a proven track record of their services and can provide references. References are not only a better way to find out more about a potential partner, but they will also allow you to see how they work with other companies in your industry.
Analyze The Local And Global Market Reach Of Your Partner
Consider both the local and global market reach of your staff augmentation partner. Knowing where your staff augmentation partner operates will help you determine whether they are a good fit for your business.
If you have a small business in a small town, you may be better off with a partner that has more local clients. On the other hand, if your company operates globally, you may need to look for partners with international connections.
Here are a few aspects to consider when analyzing the local and global market reach:
-What is the size of their market?
-How diverse is their business?
-Are they aligned with your company’s values?
-Do they have experience in your industry?
Examine The Communication Protocols
Communication is an essential part of a strong working relationship. When working with a staff augmentation agency, it is vital to make sure that you have an established protocol for communication.
Inconsistencies in communication protocols can lead to delayed project updates, poor quality, and misunderstandings. Both parties should have a convenient mode of communication to ensure a seamless workflow. Smooth communication makes it easier to share feedback and measure progress.
Therefore, you should always look for an agency with easy-to-use and precise communication technology and protocols. In this way, you will stay connected with your potential partner and up-to-date with the work, regardless of location.
Verify The Data Security Policy Of Your Partner
Data is a valuable asset. You must verify your staff augmentation partner’s data security policy to align with your company’s expectations.
A company’s data security policy should detail how any sensitive data is handled, who has access to it, what steps are in place to protect it, and what should happen if a breach occurs. You should take a look at their Privacy Policy as well.
Your staffing agency’s responsibility is to ensure data security by signing a non-disclosure agreement and training its staff in cybersecurity.
By verifying the security standards of your staffing partner, you will be able to build exceptionally robust software engineering teams and protect your valuable data and intellectual property.
You can work with PixelCrayons, a staff augmentation company that is highly committed to establishing a secure work environment.
Assess Delivery Schedules
One of the most crucial questions to ask your staffing partner is, What are your delivery schedules? It will help you gauge how they handle project deadlines and how quickly they can respond to your needs.
A good partner can deliver a project on time without sacrificing quality. They should have a good understanding of your schedule and anticipate any possible contingencies and plan for them in advance.
You can also ask about their average turnaround time when assigned a project and how many projects they are currently working on.
Consider Time Zone & Cultural Differences Before Hiring
Right staff augmentation partners also play an essential role in the company’s success. They can help you navigate the complexities of an ever-changing marketplace and get your company to where it needs to be.
Diversity breeds unique ideas. However, before you hire a staff augmentation partner, make sure that they’re in tune with your culture and will be able to work in your time zone.
Ensure that your staffing partner’s working hours maintain the project quality. They should be able to provide you with 24/7 support regardless of operating in a different time zone and cultural boundaries.
Also Read: Is Java Dead In 2022?
Wrapping It Up
To sum it all up, there are a lot of factors to consider when looking for a staffing partner. It’s crucial to ensure that you’re selecting someone who matches your company’s skills, experience, and quality level needs. You should also find out about their culture and how they operate.
The best way to start the hiring process is by mapping your current staffing capacity and workload. Once you have this information, you can find a partner who can help fill any gaps in your workforce while also being flexible enough to grow your business.
We, at PixelCrayons offer a full suite of IT staff augmentation services. Whether you are looking for an IT staff augmentation partner to help with one position or a full-scale hiring project, we have the right resources for you.
