Staff Augmentation vs. Consulting: What’s the Big Difference?

Introduction

The world of business is changing. As more companies move to a virtual, remote workforce, the lines between traditional employees and contractors are blurring. When you consider the fact that a full 40% of the American workforce is now made up of independent contractors and freelancers, it’s not surprising that many businesses are using them to supplement their teams. 

But how do you choose between staffing solutions and consulting? And what do they mean for your business? Let’s take a closer look at what these differences Between Staff Augmentation and Consulting mean for your organization and how they can help your company succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape. 

What is Staff Augmentation?

Staff augmentation, also known as “flexible staffing” or “temporary staffing,” is a strategy for temporarily adding skilled resources to your workforce. It differs from consulting because it’s not long-term and is not focused on solving problems with strategic thinking or process improvements.

Staff augmentation refers to a situation when an organization hires a third-party vendor to provide temporary help with specific tasks such as system integration or developing new products rather than hiring permanent employees or using contractors.

The main advantage of the staff augmentation model is that it allows organizations to quickly ramp up their workforces without having to commit themselves long-term by hiring full-time workers. 

Staff augmentation programs can also be very cost-effective; depending on the nature of your project(s), you could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by outsourcing instead of hiring in-house! 

What is Consulting?

Consultants are hired for a specific project, and they’re usually not employed by the client company. While some consultants work as employees of other firms and then moonlight on projects for their clients (think: lawyers who have a day job at one law firm but also do freelance work for another), consultants are sometimes completely independent contractors. 

In general, consulting is defined as “the practice of providing professional advice or services to clients in return for payment.” Consultants provide specialized expertise that can be hard to find within an organization, or they may fill in gaps where there is no internal resource with the right skill set. 

Key Differences Between Staff Augmentation and Consulting

Staff augmentation and consulting are two different ways to get the same things. The main difference between them is that a staff augmentation company will hire employees on a long-term basis, while a consulting company will hire contractors who work with clients on an as-needed basis. However, there are other differences worth considering as well. 

1. Staff augmentation is when you’re hiring professionals for a temporary, short-term project. Consulting is when you’re hiring professionals for a longer-term, more permanent position. 

2. Staff augmentation can be done with local or hire remote employees while consulting is typically done with local employees only.

3. Staff augmentation is almost always less expensive than consulting because the work can be done by freelancers, who usually charge less per hour than certified consultants do. Consulting can be less expensive than staff augmentation because it’s more likely to result in long-term relationships between your company and the consultant(s).

4. Staff augmentation is often used as a way to test out new hires before making them full-time employees; consulting is usually used as a way to get advice from experts without the need to employ them full-time (and without needing them to relocate).

5. Staff augmentation typically uses one or two people on a project; consulting usually involves more than one person working together on multiple projects at once (and possibly for multiple clients). 

Top 3 Benefits of Staff Augmentation Services 

Staff augmentation services are a great way to get the help you need without having to hire full-time employees. The benefits of staff augmentation include:

1. Flexibility

Staff augmentation services are flexible, meaning you can scale up or down depending on your needs. This means that you don’t need to commit to hiring someone full-time if their role is only temporary.

2. Cost-effective

Depending on the provider, staff augmentation services can be more cost-effective than hiring an employee full-time. 

3. Expertise

Staff augmentation providers typically have experts in a variety of areas who can help your company as needed. 

Top 3 Benefits of Consulting Services

When you’re looking for a IT consulting service, there are several benefits that you’re likely to see. Consulting services offer several benefits for individuals and businesses alike, including

1. Improved efficiency

Consulting services help improve the efficiency of your business by allowing you to focus on what matters most in your business. They can help with everything from improving productivity to streamlining processes. 

2. Increased success

Consulting services can also help you achieve success by helping you make better decisions and understand how best to achieve your goals.

3. Greater insight into your business

Consulting services enable you to gain greater insight into your business, which helps you identify areas where improvements can be made.  

Staff Augmentation or Consulting: Which is Better?

Consulting and staffing services can be a tricky business. The two services have many similarities, but there are also some key differences you need to consider before making any decisions. Below we’ll discuss which is right for your business requirements! 

Staff augmentation is when you hire a third-party service provider to take over the job duties of an existing employee. You have full control over the hiring process and pay only for time worked (or hours billed), but you don’t have any say in how the work is done.

Consulting, on the other hand, involves hiring an outside firm to provide services for a specific project or task. Consultants are more likely to be able to handle complex projects with multiple moving parts and varying timelines than staffing agencies are but they’re also more expensive.

The key is knowing which option will work best for your business goals and budget so that you can make an informed decision about how best to manage your employees’ workloads and responsibilities!

Conclusion:

It’s important to understand differences Between Staff Augmentation and Consulting both options when seeking outside expertise. Consulting and augmentation services have many similarities, but they also have distinct differences that may affect your business more than you think. The best way to decide which one is right for your company is by reviewing your specific needs, budget and goals.