By MOTIFE Insights, 12 December 2023
Companies interested in tapping into Poland's IT workforce have several staffing strategies at their disposal. These include direct hiring, working with recruitment agencies, utilizing Employer of Record (EoR) services, or setting up dedicated offshore teams (BOT). Among these, staff augmentation stands out as an approach that allows businesses to easily integrate Polish IT professionals into their existing teams, offering the flexibility and specialized skills needed to boost their tech capabilities.
Read further to:
Check out also: Krakow IT Market Report 2024
Staff augmentation is a solution when an outsourcing partner provides staff with specialized skills to complement the company’s existing team. These professionals are not just external help; they become integrated parts of the teams they join, working alongside the company's own employees. With staff augmentation, the control stays within the company. The augmented staff simply plugs into the workflow, and the company maintains ownership and oversight of the project from the inside. Staff augmentation strategy can also be referred to as team augmentation, team leasing, body leasing, or sometimes outsourcing.
Check out also: IT Staff Augmentation Services from MOTIFE
When a company is unable to hire a sufficient number of people in a short period of time. If an organization suddenly needs to scale up for a large projector to meet a tight deadline, going through the usual recruitment process can be too slow. Staff augmentation allows the company to quickly bring on board the necessary number of skilled workers to meet its urgent requirements without the delays connected with traditional hiring.
For a project that has a budget for a limited time. Sometimes a project is critical but only has funding for a certain duration. Permanent hires would be impractical and costly in such a case. With staff augmentation, the company can bring in professionals with the required expertise just for the lifespan of the project,aligning with the limited budget and avoiding ongoing labor costs.
If a company doesn’t accept B2B agreements with candidates. Some companies have policies or face regulatory constraints that prevent them from engaging with freelancers or independent contractors on a Business-to-Business (B2B) basis. Staff augmentation through a third-party provider can be a viable alternative, as the staffing agency handles the employment arrangements.
When a company doesn’t have a legal entity in Poland to hire permanent employees. Establishing a legal entity in a new country can be a complex and lengthy process. For companies wanting to operate in Poland without their own entity, staff augmentation services can provide the necessary workforce. The augmented staff are legally employed by the staff augmentation provider, which bypasses the need for the company to have its own legal entity in Poland.
If a company has a limit on the headcount. Organizations often have fixed budgets and headcount limits that make it difficult to hire additional permanent staff. Staff augmentation allows a company to add to its workforce without affecting its official headcount, as the augmented staff are technically employees of the service provider. This can be particularly advantageous for managing temporary spikes in workload or for accessing specialized skills that are only needed for short periods.
Staff augmentation benefits companies with its flexibility to adjust workforce size, access to specialized skills without long-term commitments, and cost savings by reducing overhead expenses. It simplifies administrative tasks and allows businesses to maintain control over projects, unlike full outsourcing.
Check out also: Nearshoring advisory from MOTIFE
1. Identifying the need. A company recognizes the need for additional skills or resources that are either not present in-house or are needed on a short-term basis due to increased workload or specialized project requirements.
2. Finding the talent. The company reaches out to a staffing or recruitment company that provides a well-matched talent to answer client’s needs.
3. Integration. Once a suitable candidate is selected, they are contracted to work for the company for a specified period of time. Despite being an external hire, the augmented staff member works as part of the company's team, often using the company’s tools and following its practices, just like any other employee would.
4. Management and oversight. The external staff reports to the company’s management and is integrated into the company's reporting and communication structures. The staff augmentation provider typically handles the administrative and HR aspects, while the company directs the augmented staff’s day-to-day and strategic work.
5. Completion of contract. Once the need for additional staff is met or the project concludes, the contract with the augmented staff ends, allowing the company to scale down its workforce easily.
Rapid staff augmentation. This is a quick-deployment model using personnel already employed by the outsourcing agency. It's ideal for immediate project needs, as it bypasses the lengthy hiring process, allowing companies to quickly integrate skilled workers into their teams.
Dedicated staff augmentation. This approach involves recruiting individuals specifically for a client's unique skill requirements. It's a custom recruitment process that results in a team tailored to long-term projects and specialized roles, ensuring an optimal match for the company's specific needs.
Short-term staff augmentation. This type is often used to address immediate and temporary staffing needs that may arise from unexpected situations such as employee absences, seasonal workload increases, or special short-term projects. The contract period for short-term staff augmentation can range from a few days to several months.
Long-term staff augmentation. When the need for additional staff extends beyond a few months, long-term staff augmentation can provide the necessary talent. This is common in industries with long project cycles, such as IT, where specialized skills may be required throughout the project duration.
Project-based staff augmentation. This is specifically tailored to provide skilled personnel for the duration of a project. The staff augmentation firm provides workers with the skill sets that are required for successful project completion, and once the project is over, the contract ends.
Highly skilled experts. When a company requires someone with advanced or niche skills for a specific task or project, highly skilled experts are brought on board. These individuals are often seasoned professionals in the field of IT.
Offshore staff augmentation. This involves hiring staff from countries other than where the company is located, often to take advantage of lower labor costs or to access a larger talent pool. The offshore staff can work remotely or at the company's offshore facilities.
Influence staff selection. Ensure you have a say in choosing the staff. This control helps in aligning the team's skills and experience with your project requirement.
Integrate the team into your organization. Make efforts to integrate the augmented staff into your organization, fostering a sense of belonging and teamwork.
Consider training investments and 'buy out' options. Be aware that the investment in training augmented staff might be lost if they leave after the project. To mitigate this, ensure a 'buy out' option is available to hire the best team members into your company after a certain period.
Analyze cost structure. Examine the provider's pricing to ensure it fits your budget and project objectives. Stay alert for any hidden costs or fees that could affect the overall cost efficiency of the staff augmentation service.
Start small. If feasible, initiate a trial project to evaluate the provider’s compatibility and performance. This can serve as a risk mitigation strategy before you commit to a full-scale operation.
Check out also: IT Staff Augmentation Services from MOTIFE
With its strong reputation in the tech industry, Poland offers a unique combination of a large, skilled workforce, global recognition, quality talent and strategic location. Let’s explore the factors that make Poland one of the most attractive IT staff augmentation destinations.
Tech talent central hub. At the heart of Central Europe, Poland distinguishes itself as an IT powerhouse, home to the largest IT talent pool in the region. Housing over 360 000 software engineers and IT professionals, coupled with a steady annual stream of 16 000 ICT graduates from its higher education institutions, Poland is primed for technology-driven endeavors. This breadth of skilled professionals is an attractive proposition for businesses seeking to enhance their staffing with highly competent individuals.
Global recognition of talent. Polish IT specialists have earned their stripes on the global stage, with impressive placements in renowned rankings from Hackerrank and StackOverflow. This international acclaim is not just a testament to their skills but also a beacon for organizations worldwide looking to staff their projects with proven experts from Poland.
Quality of talent over cost. As the cost differences in the global IT market become less pronounced, Poland continues to offer a sweet spot of affordability and high-quality talent. The preference for Poland is increasingly based on the superior expertise of its IT workforce, ensuring that companies investing in the region get excellent value for their expenditure.
Strategic location for business. Poland enjoys a prime position in Europe's core, making it a strategic choice for entities with a European operational scope. Its geographical advantage facilitates easy interaction across the continent and aligns well with the workday across multiple time zones. Such a strategic location is bolstered by Poland's status as a member of the EU and NATO, providing a secure and stable backdrop for international business ventures.
Krakow: a vibrant tech hub. Beyond its historical allure, Krakow stands out as a thriving center for tech innovation. It boasts a thriving IT market with over 55 000 specialists and showcases a vigorous annual growth rate, underlining its appeal for global enterprises aiming to access Poland's concentrated pool of technological talent. Krakow's embrace of international business further cements its position as a prominent player within Poland's IT landscape.
Check out also: Krakow IT Market Report 2024
A FinTech company, listed on a major US stock exchange and offering an advanced trading platform to consumers worldwide, needed to expand their software engineering function.
The aim was clear: to enhance the company's engineering team with senior-level expertise to further the development and scaling of their platform. The complexity of international recruitment necessitated an alternate approach to staffing.
In response to this challenge, the company entered into a partnership with MOTIFE and chose staff augmentation service as a solution. This move allowed the company to quickly recruit over ten seniors . NET Developers, ensuring a fit both technically and culturally with the company's ethos.
This approach to staff augmentation proved to be highly effective over the past two years, substantially facilitating the company's platform development efforts. The engagement of seasoned developers through the augmentation service played a critical role in the company's ability to innovate and scale efficiently, maintaining its competitive stance in the bustling FinTech marketplace.
With over 6 years' experience and 300+ IT engineers recruited, MOTIFE has become the trusted partner of international technology companies established in Poland. We specialize in finding the perfect match of expertise for specific project requirements. Our focus is to foster long-term partnerships, ensuring that our engineers fill a technical need but also match well with your company culture.
As part of our IT Staff Augmentation services, we offer scalable solutions that adapt to clients’ projects size, and quality candidates with vetted technical skills across all major engineering functions and technology stacks.
Check out also: IT Staff Augmentation Services from MOTIFE
Learn more about what international companies have achieved with their Krakow tech labs by downloading our Krakow IT Market Report 2024
If you are interested in setting up your own engineering hub in Poland, contact us at MOTIFE to learn more.
If you are looking for interesting job opportunities in tech companies in Poland, check out open roles at motife.com/jobs.
Explore essential data on Poland's tech landscape.
View all job offers
Download the report
Read the full client story
