IT Staff Augmentation Onboarding – A Step-by-Step Guide to Success

If you’ve landed on this page, you know IT staff augmentation is taking the business world by storm. And with up to 30% of important roles occupied by unqualified employees, it’s no wonder that’s the case.

But there’s more to staff augmentation than just finding the right specialist. An efficient onboarding process can make all the difference in how quickly augmented resources find their footing in your team.

Sound complicated? This guide will make it look easy.

What is IT Staff Augmentation and How Does It Benefit Your Business?

Put simply, IT staff augmentation involves hiring temporary specialists from a third-party business to give your team a boost. Working under your management, these specialists can close skill gaps and bulk up your workforce to meet project objectives.

With staff augmentation, you can skip the hassle and expense of the traditional hiring process. An IT staff augmentation company will match you with the resources you need on short notice.

These benefits make it an attractive prospect for any business –

• Lower Cost – Compared to permanent hires, augmented staff are a pocket-friendly solution. Your vendor will cover their recruitment fees, taxes, and benefits. Depending on the region, offshore companies may even have lower labor costs.
• Better Productivity – Unlike freelancers or outsourced teams, augmented staff are completely devoted to your team and project. Under your supervision, their performance can be managed and bolstered in real time.
• Flexibility – IT staff augmentation opens the door to quick, flexible scaling. Through hiring supplementary workers, you can respond immediately to unexpected workloads without signing up for long-term commitments.
• Global Talent – When you’re not limited by your local talent pool, the world is your oyster. Casting a wider net gives you a better chance of finding the exact specialist your project needs.
• Fresh Perspective – Augmented resources are not just an extra set of hands. With a skillset handpicked for your project, they bring innovative, relevant ideas to the table.

Why is Onboarding Augmented Resources Important?

An effective onboarding process can increase productivity by over 70%. While that’s a huge boost for permanent employees, it’s essential for temporary ones.

With IT staff augmentation, there’s no time to waste. Your augmented staff will be diving straight into a complex role alongside an existing team. Here’s how onboarding helps them (and you) stay afloat.

Integrating into Company Culture

To fulfill your project’s vision, augmented staff must understand your company’s values, practices, and methodology. Think of your company culture as a member of your team. New hires will be working with it closely, so it deserves a dedicated introduction.

When augmented staff are familiar with the building blocks of your company, collaboration becomes much smoother.

Getting Up to Speed

What better time to brief augmented staff on the project’s ins and outs than when they’re just getting started?

Well-planned onboarding includes everything your staff needs to know, including the project scope, goals, objectives, deliverables, and overall expectations. With a detailed roadmap of the process, augmented staff have a better picture of where they fit into the team.

Building Relationships

Though IT staff augmentation is designed for short-term partnerships, familiarity and trust pave the way for efficient teamwork.

Onboarding allows all parties to lay the groundwork for their relationship before swinging into action. This early team bonding eases the integration process and encourages lasting relationships.

Securing Legal Protection

There are always legal and security risks associated with hiring external staff. Your contract is your shield – it not only protects your intellectual property but also guarantees you’re getting your money’s worth.

A careful onboarding process reduces those risks by double-checking all contractual clauses, responsibilities, and rights. This will ensure you have a leg to stand on in the case of a legal dispute.

6 Strategies to Onboard Augmented Resources Perfectly

Now you may be wondering what good onboarding looks like. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. These six onboarding strategies will help you get the most out of IT staff augmentation.

1) Make the transition smoother with clear and respectful communication.

IT staff augmentation companies can be based anywhere in the world. If you’re hiring offshore resources, you should expect to be met with unfamiliar values, norms, and expectations.

Identifying and understanding your differences early on will allow you to work around cultural barriers respectfully. But be open about what augmented staff can expect from your cultural environment, too. A good relationship is founded on mutual adaptation.

2) Establish a non-disclosure agreement to protect sensitive company data.

Augmented staff can’t work on your projects without access to company data. But handing over sensitive information to an unfamiliar third party can be daunting – that’s why you need an NDA.

Your contract should include carefully worded confidentiality clauses that protect your data and assets. If you can, invest in a lawyer to help you weed out any ambiguities or loopholes.

3) Bring augmented staff into your team’s workflow.

While IT staff augmentation relies on collaboration, temporary hires don’t have long to settle in and learn the ropes.

So, it’s important to set aside time for a crash course. These four steps will start your partnership off on the right foot –

1. Introduce augmented staff to your team and the roles within the team.
2. Schedule orientation meetings to discuss company culture, workflow, and the project.
3. Familiarize augmented staff with your company’s tools and tech stack.
4. Involve them in the project’s planning and decision-making phases.

4) Use a project management tool to set objectives and offer resources.

Don’t let your augmented staff get lost in a chaotic word-of-mouth project management system. When bringing in temporary resources, accessibility is key.

Project management tools like Trello and Asana make it infinitely easier to keep everyone on the same page. With tasks, resources, and progress tracking all in one place, augmented staff can meet objectives much more efficiently.

5) Set up a buddy system to offer augmented staff dedicated support.

A mentor or “buddy” is a teammate who can guide augmented staff when the project manager is unavailable. The ideal buddy should be an experienced teammate with good communication skills and a clear scope of “buddy” duties.

Playing the part of an information vendor, buddies ensure an open channel for advice, support, and feedback. This way, your augmented resources are never left on the backburner when they need guidance.

6) Schedule check-ins to track performance and provide regular feedback.

Once your augmented resources have begun working on the project, they can join your team’s regular meetings. But as their commitment is short-term, they may need more frequent check-ins than the rest of your team.

Be specific about how and when you will discuss performance, issues, and feedback. Weekly one-on-ones, for example, are an effective way to stay in the loop.

Still Hunting for the Right Resources?

DPL’s IT staff augmentation services are just a word away.

Over two decades of industry experience have given us a competitive edge in delivering quality and innovation. Whatever your project needs, we have experts who will fit right in.

Fill out the form below to access the tech talent your team needs for its next big win.