What is Resource Augmentation? How Does it Work?

Time and again, companies need extra hands to fill in the gaps in their organization, sometimes, to carry out a major project, and always for a short term. Various models can be adopted to close these talent gaps, one of the most popular and sought after is resource augmentation.

Some important factors to consider in resource augmentation services are that the employer oversees the management of the project and the team, with full control over the developmental process as well. The staffing company will help guide you through the process ending with onboarding of the selected candidates and continued support beyond this to ensure that they thrive in the new environment and continue to contribute in a meaningful manner, as promised.

Resource Augmentation Meaning

Resource augmentation services, in the context of HR, is the outsourcing of manpower, based on a skill requirement, or for the completion of a project, for a limited period. Depending on the complexity of a project, you add employees to your existing team, who have a specific skill set, to help execute certain tasks effectively.

So, essentially, resource augmentation is when you hire professionals “as a service”, for a short period as an extension of your in-house team, with the assistance of a staffing agency.

When Do You Need Resource Augmentation?
You need resource augmentation services when there are talent gaps in the teams in your organization, the time to market that you have targeted is very short, or when you are asked to work on a niche project. The last case especially is a strong one for resource augmentation, as bringing in experts to your current team with relevant experience is necessary even before you can get a head start in a short time.

What are the Benefits of Resource Augmentation Services?

1. Flexibility

Companies can easily adjust to short term needs without bringing about drastic changes in the way their people work or the way the organization itself functions or what it aspires for.

2. Scalability

Gives organizations the freedom to handle larger projects that require a lot more resources, without having to hire any by themselves, beginning with the recruiters who will help with the job.

3. Cost efficiency

Helps avoid expenses associated with hiring permanent employees, such as privileged leaves, travel allowances and other reimbursements.

4. Access to specialized skills

Get people with specialized skills on board, who can help you navigate the difficulties you face in each project by making use of technologies you never knew could work.

5. Faster time to market

Get projects done much faster, with the right talent, and spend the rest of the time reviewing the product or solution, for a better user experience.

6. Access to global talent

You can hire solution experts from anywhere in the world with resource augmentation. And this gives you access to incredible talent, because every part of the world is evolving in its own way and that industry experience and skillset may prove very valuable for you.

How Does Resource Augmentation Work?

The basic resource augmentation process can be explained in 4 simple steps:

1. Identification of specific requirements

Before we start looking for resources to expand the team in-house, we would need some information from you such as the abilities, experience or any qualifications of the individuals you wish to recruit. Also, you would need to share information such as how many individuals you are planning to add to your team in resource augmentation.

2. Search strategy

Once the candidate/team augmentation requirements are shared, a search strategy is formulated by the staffing company, which then begins the process of actively look for additional resources for the team. The staffing company also decides what channels to use and who will be involved in the search and interview stages of the resource augmentation service.

3. Onboarding

Once the selection process is over, then begins the onboarding of each candidate. Each company’s vibe and culture are different from the next, and the new joiners will need support to settle in and most importantly to catch up on work. A staffing company will ensure that this stage of the resource augmentation process also happens without any problems.

4. Ongoing staff support

Once the new resources are onboarded and have settled in, they may have issues with the workplace or even lack clarity on the terms of the contract. We take feedback and suggestions from both the augmented resources as well as the employer, building a strong and healthy relationship between them for the remainder of the contract period.

Who Can Benefit from Resource Augmentation?

Any organization without any limits or expectations in terms of size or industry can benefit from resource augmentation. The businesses that will benefit the most are organizations looking to diversify their businesses, businesses who handle a large volume of jobs, and startups who are looking for talent.

Other medium-sized or large organizations who are trying to stay compliant as per government or the compliance requirement issued by industry regulatory bodies will also benefit from resource augmentation. The possibilities are endless. Talk to a staffing company to understand how they can improve your productivity and drastically reduce your time to market for a solution with resource augmentation.

Conclusion

Resource augmentation can mean different things, such as augmentation of infrastructure, hardware etc. but in the realm of HR, it is another term for staff augmentation. Staff augmentation can help add the best individuals to your team in very little time, ensuring that the projects you are working on are completed on time, and with complete correctness. Are you looking for a resource/staff augmentation partner? Alp Consulting, with consulting experience of more than a decade, are the people to talk to for your resource augmentation needs. When are you talking to us?

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