Author: Bhasker Andhavarapu

You’ve just gotten the go-ahead to move on a potentially lucrative new project. However, as a hiring manager, you’re in a challenging position. You’re tasked with assembling one of the best software development teams your company has ever seen. And they need to be productive right out of the gate! It’s an assignment that has you wondering: what makes one team successful and efficient, while another team struggles to get the job done?

When dealing with staff augmentation contracts, you need to work with a qualified attorney who can clearly articulate the terms of the relationships the contracts codify. Temporary onsite tech staff can be privy to sensitive data, processes and technology. So you must protect your intellectual property, proprietary technology and company interests as a whole.

Just a few years ago, there was a major disparity between the average pay rate for IT professionals in the U.S. and other parts of the world, such as India. This economic environment made it possible for many companies to outsource their tech projects to overseas companies for a price that was significantly less than what they would pay local talent.

With an estimated 20 million software developers worldwide (as of 2017) and over 250 programming languages and countless specialties, it’s easy to see how difficult it could be for a hiring manager to find the right person for the job.

Companies usually hesitate to share information about their developers’ demographics, but it’s clear that diverse, multifaceted and multicultural teams tend to be more successful. In fact, McKinsey researchers found that the most diverse companies were 35% more likely to surpass industry medians and averages in terms of performance.

The blended workforce is the workforce of today, particularly in the tech industry. Forbes reported that as of November 2016, 93% of companies had a blended staff of contractors/freelancers, temporary talent and permanent, long-term employees. This has resulted in a renewed focus on the importance of employee integration, which is essential for maximizing productivity.

A 2014 IDC study revealed that there were 18.5 million developers worldwide, with about 11 million considered professionals and 7.5 million calling themselves hobbyists. Now, three years later, there are millions more. Evans Data Corporation pegged 2017’s figure at 21 million, though many speculate that the actual number could be much larger. What’s more, there are over 250 programming languages, with new languages being developed on a continual basis.

Are you maintaining a local focus for your recruiting efforts? If so, you could be missing out on the many benefits that are associated with hiring the best person for the position—regardless of their location. In fact, there’s a good chance that you’re reducing your prospective talent pool from millions to just a dozen or less. As of late 2016, there were about 12 million mobile developers worldwide, with that figure expected to rise to 14 million in 2020. However, the local developer population in any given location may be quite limited. When compared to the global population, local candidates’ collective skill set may pale by comparison.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – or HIPAA – is one of the most common healthcare technology concerns due to the strict and far-reaching nature of these regulations.

So you’ve crafted a job description, and you’re receiving a flood of software developer resumes. Nearly all seem to have great qualifications in a range of different areas. You’re just not sure which qualifications are essential for your exact tech project. All you know is that you absolutely cannot hire the wrong developer because you know that this carries a tremendous cost, both in money and morale. Zappos CEO once said that bad hires had cost the business an estimated $100 million, while a prominent recruiter estimates the average cost of onboarding alone at $240,000 per person.

On average, there are five open job positions for every one software developer in search of a position, which means that finding a developer is a very difficult task. Finding the perfect developer? Well, that’s even more challenging! In fact, in the United States, the average timeframe for finding a developer — any developer — is 35 days; that is, if you’re not selective. This 35-day time frame seems to apply to a typical developer for any run-of-the-mill project. But most companies have projects that require specific expertise, requiring a far more selective vetting process. Therefore, it’s conceivable that your search could take weeks longer. That just won’t cut it if you’ve got a fast-approaching deadline. And many companies don’t need a permanent employee; they may only require the developer for a single project. Many businesses consider temporary staffing services, but some have concerns that there may be a lag in terms of ramp-up time and actual productivity from an otherwise unknown talent.

You’ve heard the scary stats and figures surrounding IT and tech projects. You know that on average, the typical tech project sees a 45 percent cost overrun, while taking 7 percent longer than expected. And at the end of the day, the average project delivers 56 percent less value than originally anticipated.

iTech was founded in 2003 to transform the IT staffing services industry in the United States. We offer end-to-end IT solutions and the quality of our staffing services is well-represented by our 95% customer retention rate. To deliver the greatest value, our technology experts work to recruit the best candidates for your short-term or long-term tech needs.

You’ve just been alerted that two of your lead developers — a married couple with a brand new baby boy — will be taking a two-month leave. What’s more, one of your other developers recently left the company and you haven’t had time to backfill that position and today a huge development project got dropped on in your lap. It was a project that you just couldn’t decline. Completing the job with a full staff would be challenging; completing it without several key players will be near-impossible.

You’ve just received a very disappointing report from your HR head: your newest developer just quit. And really, it’s not unexpected news because this individual just wasn’t pulling his weight. But what’s odd is that this developer was incredibly qualified, with an Ivy league education, years of relevant experience, a killer resume, a broad skill set, and glowing references. In theory, this person should have been the ideal fit! You even went out of your way to ensure that your company met his salary and benefits requirements. So what gives? How could the “perfect” person turn out to be so wrong?

Your business has just landed a huge account. It’s an incredible project that could deliver a major boost to your company’s image. But there’s a big problem: one of your lead developers is on maternity leave, another two just recently retired and your most versatile developer has taken a six-week leave of absence. This has left your development team stretched very thin and now you’re faced with the time-consuming and costly task of finding some temporary employees. You simply cannot drop the ball on this new project.

Your software project started out on a smooth path, with a reasonable budget and timeline, but over time, things changed. The scope evolved in some dramatic ways, so now the budget and timeline no longer suit the original endeavor. This is what sits at the core of scope creep. It’s a stealthy process that tends to go unnoticed. Even more frustrating: it could have been avoided in the first place. But to prevent scope creep, it’s vital that you understand its primary causes. Only then can you implement measures that will streamline operations, while preventing uncontrolled shifts impacting nearly every aspect of your project.