IT outstaffing has become a standard practice for companies experiencing a shortage of developers. Outstaffing IT staff allows you to quickly close a vacancy without spending months on a staff search, and at first glance saves the budget. However, practice shows that the reckless use of outstaffing without taking into account a number of critical factors often leads to a result worse than the initial position. A specialist brought in through an outstaffing provider of a low category can simulate work, substitute an incompetent performer, or leave the project at a critical moment, leaving the team without a key element with a semi-finished system architecture.
The quality of candidate selection from providers: why a resume is not a guarantee
The outstaffing provider promises to provide a developer of the required level in a short time. However, the selection process within a provider often differs significantly in terms of rigor from full-time hiring, since the provider is motivated to close the application as soon as possible to receive payment.
Why does the standard selection process for providers create risks?:
- Prioritize speed over quality. The provider receives payment from the moment the specialist starts working, so the pressure to close the application quickly often outweighs the thoroughness of the assessment.
- Overestimating the skill level. A resume polished by a provider may contain projects to which the candidate had minimal involvement, or a skill level significantly different from the real one.
- Lack of testing. Many providers do not conduct technical interviews or test assignments to verify the level of competence before sending a candidate to the customer.
- A bench model of work.
- Some providers work according to the "bench" scheme — candidates are waiting for a vacancy, and their expertise may be uncharacteristic for your project.
- Replacement of a specialist without notice. The provider can change the designated developer without consulting the customer, which breaks the dynamics of the team.
An interesting fact: a survey of customer companies showed that 42% of them faced a situation where the level of the IT outstaffer involved significantly differed from the stated one - on average, it took 3-4 weeks to identify the problem.
Integration of the outstaffer into the team and development processes
The developer who came through outstaffing is not legally an employee of the client company. This creates a specific dynamic in the team: different levels of motivation, a different degree of responsibility for the result, and potential isolation from the corporate culture, which significantly affects productivity.
The problems of integrating outstaffers
