Staff augmentation and managed IT services are two popular delivery approaches often employed by firms to meet the challenges of staffing up for a software development project, or when outsourcing essential but non-critical IT tasks to supplemental staff rather than hiring additional in-house employees.

Whenever a company makes a business decision to bring onboard some augmented staff or build a robust distributed engineering team, the very first objective should be finding a vendor that takes the time to understand their client’s specific staffing needs. A company’s outsourcing strategy is often as unique as the company itself, which means the IT staffing agency your firm eventually hires should be as flexible and resourceful as the business you operate.

The appeal, and necessity, for businesses to build and work with distributed teams is on the rise, and all indications are that this remote working trend will continue to grow. Here are 4 essential steps to recruiting augmented staff, building distributed teams, and successfully managing those teams over time.

When a software firm, a gaming company, or a corporate IT department need to cut personnel costs, accelerate project timeline, or push beyond the scope of what their in-house resources offer, they often turn to technical staffing services for help. IT service providers may suggest a variety of outsourcing engagement models, such as staff augmentation or project outsourcing, or even managed services, as ways to bring in outside talent.

Whether addressing technical gaps with your in-house staff, or searching for a rare, in-demand skill, an experienced IT staffing agency will walk you through the differences between onsite, onshore, nearshore and offshore outsourcing models, while pointing out the pros and cons along the way. And then, with more knowledge at your disposal, you can choose the approach that best fits your company’s operating needs.