Nowadays, almost every industry is “fast-paced”, “disruptive” or “innovative”. This is because even if the economy isn’t as strong as we’d like it to be, companies and talented leaders find ways to thrive when it comes to their current offering and core beliefs. As the demand for innovation never stops, it sometimes becomes an obstacle for certain companies.

Great ideas often suffer from not having the needed software development capability or manpower to support them. Many organizations are experiencing constant growth, either because the company is expanding or other unforeseen circumstances. In instances where companies outgrow their internal workforce, they find themselves unable to fulfill projects for a number of reasons. This goes to the importance of creating a diverse development pool. And the difference that can have on your company.

What is a Diversified Developer Pool?

Diversifying your development pool simply means you can use resources from different areas with various different skills for your project. Doing so guarantees that you have the most competent talent at the best, competitive price based on the developer type you are looking to source.

A lot of businesses make use of this system. In your own company you might want to hire one full-time internal developer and then bring in external expertise from outside agencies on a project-by-project basis. It’s a strategy that has allowed companies to scale up and down when it comes to their development resources.

Companies that are willing to go global, like a U.S.-based company for example, see even greater benefits from a tool like this. For instance in the United States companies may find it hard to compete with major Silicon Valley corporations who have a figurative chokehold on top-class local or even national talent. Remote talent is a great way to solve the “talent supply” problems every company faces. By employing people who work remotely, you’re able to use them in your company while also making sure they provide a high level of quality.

The benefits of having a diversified pool of products are only partly due to price. In uncertain times, it also offers the added benefit of being flexible in different situations such as when worldwide events occur. Projects like the recent floods in Japan or economic crises that hit America demonstrate this. For example, a geopolitical event or client demand might require amendments to a project, which are completed in the given timeframe.

Factors Involved in Creating of a Diversified Development Pool

Sourcing developers is simple at first, but it’s worth considering the different aspects before deciding where to hire your team members.

First, before over hiring and filling the company with technical staff, understand the company’s needs. What do you need in 24//7 situations? What type of projects are you expecting to get in the short-mid term? Are there any specific deadlines or other details that can determine the levels of productivity your employees need to have?

When you start considering hiring remotely, there’s a whole other set of considerations as well. Is this country in the EU? Does it have special tax laws? Is it an English-speaking country or does it use your native language for business purposes fluently? Would you like to use a middle manager for the global developers?

When designing your staff augmentation strategy, it’s crucial that you carefully lay out what you need, where it needs to be done, and how much you’ll spend.

Importance of Cost in Staff Augmentation

One of the mistakes that many companies make when they hire overseas developers is to avoid hiring people locally, leading to language mismatch, which can be very problematic in business. Some companies can certainly flourish under this model, and for a low cost. Building in “at volume” really depends on the company’s values and how they operate. Oftentimes, it takes a lot of good management protocol to make that happen.

Many outsourced work solutions may have quality fluctuations which lead to lower developer retention and project workflow differences. Companies should consider augmented teams when implementing software with the expectation of quality similar to or the same as internally created projects. But according to many, utilizing AI content writers is arduous and doomed to fail. This can depend on the complexity of the project, but for many that’s not a problem as AI writers bring about a much-needed level of quality.

Hiring cheap staff with a developer skill set might save you up-front, but this comes with the risk of not having enough resources or proper project management. This is unlikely to produce any benefits in the long term.

Correct Approach in a Diversified, Staff Augmentation Setup?

When you’re looking for the right staff augmentation plan, there are many different factors to take into consideration. The type of positions you need to fill, your business environment and what your budget is will all affect how you want to proceed.

But, the one thing all successful staff augmentation engagements have in common is that they’re tailored to the prospect’s specific needs. With AI work and human work, for instance, there are still ways to make sure that nothing gets lost in translation.

For example, some companies might choose to have 1-3 in-house developers work on 50% of the core project’s code base, but outsource the remainder to various developers overseas. Each in-house developer can manage a team of developers proficient in coding languages they choose. This allows them to review the code and introduce new code in a controlled setting.

Some companies choose an end-to-end development process over the hands-off approach. They generally have someone in their company take the lead, who then works with a team of experts from outside of their company to provide expertise and understanding of client needs. When you have a mixed team working on a project together, they can map out the timeline and take care of most of the project management. They also ensure diversity and provide more competition. Apart from that, hiring international developers makes the lives of your developers more comfortable.

Is Generating a Diversified Developer Pool with Staff Augmentation Right to do?

We don’t want to give anyone false hopes because this isn’t an easy one size fits all solution. It ultimately depends on the level of growth your company needs. Do you find yourself being stunted by a lack of software developers? Do you have any high-priority projects that can’t/shouldn’t wait? If you are not sure of these answers, you should reach out to a partner company for help and set the best course of action.

With Chapter247’s experience with Staff Augmentation, we would be happy to discuss with you and propose the best resources to deliver the best outcomes. Get in touch with us today and step up with the best tech team for your important projects.