Staff Augmentation Vs Consulting Firms For Companies

Whenever a facility is thinking about an outsourcing strategy, there are primarily two modes that come to mind: staff augmentation firms and consulting companies. The common mistake made by the public is that these two are one and the same, often mixing one up with the other. The truth is that despite having similar goals, their delivery model and methods used are different. Read on to find out more about these differences, learn which one is best for your company, and discover why more facilities are gearing towards these avenues of hiring skilled persons.

In staff augmentation, the leaders or managers of the workforce are often experts professionals in the field where they are in. This means that they are able to deliver to you the exact contract workers that you need, with the right skill set, the ability to meet your set deadline, and all in your preferred budget.

In some cases, however, companies arent looking for one firm to come in and entirely take over the project. These days, consulting firms concentrate on this very thing: putting all of their energy and time into facilities where they can set up their services (which are solutions-based). This means that upon installing their own Project Manager in the facility, they will fill up the rest of the project team using their own pool of candidates. This is the main principle behind consulting. If this is what your work system needs, then a consulting firm is the right fit for you.

However, if you prefer assistance that is only project-based for your company, then staff augmentation would fit the bill nicely. They can provide you with trainers, project managers, and analysts as well. Just let them know of your specific staffing requirements (if any) and they will take care of the rest. Soon enough, youll have your entire workforce in top shape, ready to take on projects and deliver your desired outcome on time.

Another advantage to staffing is their ability to listen to specific needs. This is because in staff augmentation, there are no bench players. Everyone is there for a specific purpose. Everyone who is there is always functioning towards a benefit. Therefore, they arent concerned about presenting to you individuals who have no expertise, training, or experience on-the-job. Instead, they will offer you contract workers who actually know what theyre doing รข people who can best fit your needs, no questions asked.

In addition, staff augmentation is a flexible option for all your logistical needs. If you demand that someone has to work from Monday through Friday, or to be on-site at all times, then the project manager will focus on providing you with candidates who will be able to do just that. This can be advantageous to you, as opposed to consulting firms which use a model wherein employees work set hours (four 10-hour days with weekends off).

If you are working with a smaller scale or an older system, staffing can also be helpful for you. Since staff augmentation custom-tailors the search and provision of a workforce for your particular requirements, they are able to present you with unique (and, often, difficult to find) skill sets. These firms often stick to specific skills and talent that they already have a strong roster for. Most times, working with consulting firms who claim that they are willing to accept unique requests only means that they are also partnering with staffing companies for their employee needs.

Staffing agencies are comprised of staffing professionals as well. These are the people who have excelled in a career of headhunting: finding people that possess tough-to-find skills and building relationships with them. More often than not, consulting firms are manned by former consultants, who can implement the system that you want but can also fall short whenever they are relied on to provide affordable and qualified skilled persons for the job that you have.