7 Factors To Consider When Choosing a Staff Augmentation Service

Sep 3

Introduction

Staff augmentation refers to the process of hiring external talent to close skills gaps and complement your organization's existing team. This strategy's appeal lies in its flexibility and reach—it allows you to hire part-time or full-time contractors from anywhere in the world through gig platforms and staffing agencies.

Many businesses, especially in the IT industry, utilize this staffing strategy for big but short-term projects to boost speed and efficiency. Meanwhile, other companies do it to cut down on manpower costs while maintaining productivity levels.

If you think your business situation fits the scenarios we've mentioned, you may want to hire companies offering staff augmentation services to help you. Wondering where to start? Read this article by Q2 HR Solutions to learn how to choose the right agency for your staffing needs.

Things To Think About Before Hiring a Staff Augmentation Company

Today, the number of companies offering staff augmentation services continues to increase as more businesses recognize the benefits of hiring highly skilled external talents. As such, expect plenty of agencies to vie for your attention.

However, note that sorting through many options can be overwhelming. To avoid decision fatigue, establish a list of criteria that can help you systematically select the best one from the bunch. How? You can start by considering these seven factors:

Company Reputation

Staff augmentation agencies must possess certifications, which gives them the legitimacy to hire talents for your company. After all, you don't want your business to get involved in illegal recruitment. A good example of a certified agency is Q2 HR Solutions' DOLE-compliant People4People.

Additionally, you must assess the agency's industry expertise. You'd want a staffing company that has worked with relevant contracts (10 successful projects is a good baseline) and whose delivery satisfied clients. Reconsider your choice if the agency you're targeting tells you it hires for the IT industry but can't show any related completed projects.

Contractor Competence

Aside from considering the staffing agency, it's equally worth your time to carefully vet the contractors the company will send you. It makes sense—even if they work outside your organization, these contractors should serve your business objectives. Naturally, you'd want to see if their skills and values align with your goals.

Insisting on getting to know the contractors is also another way to test the agency. Reputable staffers will be willing to prove they have the best talents because it will help build them up as your potential partners. If the agency is reluctant, that could be a red flag.

Service Costs

One reason for opting for staff augmentation services is to reduce hiring costs, but only if it's a business move included in your budget. Ensure you have enough resources to fund this step and regularly assess if turning to third-party companies results in higher productivity, revenues, and profits.

You should also check if the company has flexible pricing so you have more options. Consider the payment options, systems, and inclusions in each package and study which one provides the best value. Additionally, ensure the agency has no record of bad hires, as these can cost you more.

Communication Protocols

Top staff augmentation companies place high in the industry partly due to their solid business relationships, which they maintain through constant communication with their clients. Trustworthy agencies use the latest and most convenient technology to ensure you can easily reach them before, during, and after a project.

Moreover, these agencies have a clear system in place to ensure communication is directed to the right people and relevant departments, preventing hold-ups and delays in information dissemination.

Delivery Schedules

Companies offering human resource augmentation provide you with the right number of staff and ensure that those talents can deliver on time. That said, you should confirm the agency's usual project timeline and then assess if that will work with your targets.

Moreover, you should ensure that the staffing company isn't overpromising. Consult with your internal team and industry leaders about realistic delivery schedules, accounting for possible delaying factors, and then compare them with the agency's timeline. Also, establish and include thresholds in your contract to prevent projects from being pushed back.

Cultural Fit

Augmentation service providers should learn about your company culture to select contractors who best adapt to your business practices. However, your agency can only do it if it assesses your organization—if it doesn't, reconsider looking for another staffer.

It's also beneficial to clarify with your agency that you need contractors who are proficient with your language (if you're hiring overseas talents). Naturally, you'd want to work with people who can comprehend and speak with you.

Data Security

One risk of hiring external talents is that they'll have some level of access to your company's data and assets. That's why hiring an agency that strictly complies with your business's NDAs and security protocols is crucial. If you can, source feedback regarding security and privacy from the staffer's past and current clients.

You should also ask the agency how it ensures data protection for its business clients. Only hire the company if you're given a clear, structured description of its systems and processes.

Rely on Q2 HR Solutions for Your Staff Augmentation Needs

Q2 HR Solutions provides top talents to augment the existing workforce of businesses across industries, from IT to e-commerce and finance to manufacturing. Our services allow you to focus on your company's core objectives as we handle sourcing, placement, and compliance.

As a hiring solution company in the Philippines, we have an in-depth knowledge of local regulations and an extensive Filipino talent pool, ensuring that you get the best contractors our country has to offer. We are also DOLE-compliant, so rest assured you're doing legitimate business with us.

You can rely on us to boost your workforce through staff augmentation, turn-key solutions, and manpower recruitment and management. Thanks to our swift and efficient process, you can expect contractor deployment in as fast as two weeks!

Conclusion

Companies offering staff augmentation services are on the rise, owing to the growing need for businesses to finish projects faster and more efficiently and increase their workforce without high hiring costs.

If your business is in a similar situation, you should hire a staffing agency, too. Consider several factors during your selection, including the company's reputation, pricing, delivery timelines, contractors' competence and cultural fit, and data security.

You can start assessing agencies by first checking Q2 HR Solutions' staff augmentation services.

Joy Umali