Staff augmentation is a popular strategy for companies looking to quickly scale their teams, bring in specialized skills, or meet tight deadlines. However, despite its many advantages, the process can sometimes feel overwhelming. For companies unfamiliar with this approach, the transition can raise several concerns:

• Will the cultures of the hiring company and the service provider align?
• What happens if there’s a conflict or misunderstanding?
• Will I need to invest a significant amount of time managing these engineers?

These are all valid questions, and the answers lie in careful planning and execution. With the right approach, staff augmentation can seamlessly integrate into your business, bringing numerous benefits like increased flexibility, access to top talent, and the ability to respond quickly to market demands. Let’s dive into the steps necessary to make your staff augmentation strategy successful from the outset.

First Things First: Choose a Proven Partner

The foundation of a successful staff augmentation strategy is choosing the right partner. This decision is crucial because the partner you select will provide the engineers who will become an extension of your team. Therefore, it’s essential to choose a partner with a proven track record.

At Zarego, our track record is not just a claim; it’s a documented history of success that is publicly available for review on platforms like Clutch or GoodFirms. Here, you can see firsthand what our clients have to say about our services, the quality of our work, and our ability to integrate seamlessly into their operations.

When evaluating potential partners, look for companies with experience in your industry, a strong positive reputation, and verified testimonials. It’s also beneficial to choose a partner who has worked on projects similar to yours, as this ensures they understand the specific challenges and requirements of your business. By selecting a company with a demonstrated history of success, you minimize the risk of complications and increase the likelihood of a smooth integration.

Selection is Key

After choosing the right company, the next step is selecting the right engineers. This step is critical because even the best company cannot guarantee success if the engineers they provide do not fit your specific needs.

Collaboration with your HR department is vital at this stage. Ensure they have all the necessary information to select the most suitable candidates. This includes not only technical skills but also an understanding of your company culture, communication style, and any other soft skills that might be important.

Clearly differentiate between the “must-haves” and the “nice-to-haves” in terms of skills and experience. This clarity will help the staffing company find candidates who not only meet your technical requirements but also align with your company culture and project goals.

Validation

Once the candidates are presented, it’s time for validation. This process can vary depending on your company’s culture and usual practices for vetting engineers. Some companies prefer to conduct technical challenges or coding tests, while others might opt for interviews with technical leaders or team members. Regardless of the method, it’s essential that the validation process is as rigorous as it would be for hiring a full-time employee.

In some cases, especially if you have an established relationship with the provider, there may already be a level of trust that allows you to streamline this process. If the provider has consistently presented profiles that meet your standards, you may feel comfortable relying on their judgment to some extent. This trust is invaluable, as it can significantly speed up the hiring process and reduce the workload on your internal team.

Onboarding: Setting Up for Success

Onboarding is a critical phase in the staff augmentation process. It’s where your new team members are integrated into your project and where they begin to contribute to your company’s success. A well-executed onboarding process ensures that these new team members are productive as quickly as possible, while a poorly executed one can lead to delays, confusion, and even failure.

The first step in onboarding is providing new team members with all the tools and access they need to succeed. This includes credentials, accounts, and access to the platforms and tools used throughout the project. At Zarego, we understand the importance of a smooth onboarding process, which is why we provide a detailed welcome document that outlines all the necessary steps, including who to contact for different needs.

For example:

• Tool: Slack
• Action: Send an email to accounts@zarego.com requesting access
• Responsible: Tony Andreotti (Network Administrator)
• Explanation: Slack is the primary communication tool for the company. If you don’t have an account, use your corporate email to contact one of the administrators and request access.

This level of detail helps prevent delays and ensures that new team members can begin contributing to the project as soon as possible.

Documentation

Another important aspect of onboarding is documentation. Providing new team members with detailed documentation of the project, including its goals, timelines, key stakeholders, and any existing code or systems, is essential. This documentation should also include any company policies or procedures they need to follow, as well as information on who to contact for help with specific issues.

It’s crucial to ensure that you do not share information that only applies to your full-time employees but not to contractors working for third-party companies. This might include sensitive technical details like handling keys or credentials that you don’t want to share with external personnel, as well as cultural practices within your company. For instance, if your company has a tradition of gathering for drinks on Friday evenings, this might not apply to external contractors, and it’s important to set the right expectations for everyone.

To streamline this process, consider creating a checklist or onboarding guide that new team members can follow. This guide should include all the steps they need to complete, from setting up their workspace to understanding the project’s goals and deadlines. By providing this information upfront, you can reduce the number of questions and interruptions during the onboarding process, allowing new team members to focus on getting up to speed.

Setting Expectations and Metrics

Once your new team members are onboarded and have everything they need, it’s time to set expectations and metrics for success. This step is crucial because it ensures that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

Start by discussing the project’s goals and timelines with the new team members. Make sure they understand what is expected of them and how their work will contribute to the overall success of the project. This is also a good time to discuss any specific challenges or obstacles they might face and how these will be addressed.

Next, establish metrics to measure their performance. These metrics should be realistic and achievable, taking into account the fact that new team members will need some time to get up to speed. In most projects, there are benchmarks, such as 20 to 30 story points per week, that engineers are expected to achieve once fully integrated. While there will always be exceptions—illness, vacations, or simply an off week—these should be outliers rather than the norm.

By setting clear expectations and metrics from the start, you can help new team members understand what is expected of them and how their performance will be measured. This clarity can reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings or conflicts down the road and help ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, the key to successful staff augmentation lies in choosing the right partner, selecting the right engineers, and ensuring they are set up for success from the start. At Zarego, we pride ourselves on our ability to integrate quickly and efficiently with our clients’ teams. We understand that time is money, and our streamlined processes ensure that your augmented staff can hit the ground running, minimizing disruption and maximizing productivity.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your staff augmentation strategy is successful and that your new team members contribute to the success of your projects from day one. Whether you’re looking to scale your team quickly, bring in specialized skills, or meet tight deadlines, staff augmentation can provide the flexibility and expertise you need—provided it’s done right.