IT Outstaffing Partner – 5 Questions to Help You Choose The Best

According to Deloitte’s Global Outsourcing Survey, more than 75% of executives said they would outsource IT services. But what is IT Outstaffing and why does every business eventually opt for it? IT outstaffing is a hiring model in which businesses can recruit IT specialists through outstaffing firms to work exclusively on their projects.

While the professionals become an extension of their in-house team, the outstaffing provider retains control over the employment and management processes. This hiring model has been growing more and more popular in the IT sector, with a combined revenue of over 460 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 for different IT outsourcing segments.

Selecting the right outstaffing partner helps you ensure that the people you recruit for your projects are qualified, skilled, and reliable professionals. Everything starts right there at the root, the second you send your first request to the outstaffing firm. Therefore, this step is the most important one in the entire chain.

My name is Alex and I have worked in outstaffing for over 8 years: at Code2day, I provide reliable professionals for various projects and purposes for businesses of all sizes. In this article, I will provide the main questions one should ask when you want to outstaff your team of IT developers, of course, relying on Code2day’s own unique experience.

1. Question 1: What is Their Expertise and Industry Experience?

The first step is to find an outstaffing company that works exactly within the sphere or tool you’re looking for professionals in: Odoo, .Net, Java, Python, etc. When choosing an outstaffing partner, assess their previous experience and general knowledge of the industry they work in. This can be done by a simple conversation, in which you detect how well the outstaffing partner understands your requirements for a candidate.

Several months ago, Code2day was working with a US-based fintech startup that was looking for a specialist to tackle the scalability issues of its app, particularly in handling large transaction volumes. After a set of detailed conversations with the client and interviews with potential candidates, we managed to help the company outstaff an experienced DevOps engineer with required AWS certifications from Romania. Prior to getting an offer, the specialist had worked in various similar startups across Europe and the States, therefore, he managed to help the company restructure its cloud architecture and reduce downtime by over 40% like it was a breeze.

Without adequate experience in finding candidates for similar projects, an outstaff company like Code2day wouldn’t have managed to handpick the most fitting talent to tackle the client’s issue. The experience in candidate testing, including their professional certifications (such as the AWS Certified Solutions Architect), portfolio, client references, technical skills, and all other ratings and recommendations, particularly on platforms like Clutch and LinkedIn, helps Code2day promptly react to the client’s demands and get back to them with the best candidate possible. In particular, in such fields of technical knowledge as:

Odoo

Code2day actively works with oustaffing integrators and consultants for Odoo, an open-source ERP and CRM. One of our latest projects involved oustaffing Jan, an Odoo expert from Krakow, Poland, for the task of configuring Odoo modules so they match the client’s business purposes and needs. Along with Jan, Code2day outstaffed an Odoo consultant who curated the Odoo integration process for the company and provided basic training to the team. This consistent approach helped the company integrate Odoo’s ERP promptly, naturally, and without disturbing the existing business processes.

.Net

.Net developers are crucial for providing a robust backend for various projects: therefore, Code2day has a rich history of oustaffing these professionals for businesses. Recently, we worked with a fintech platform for managing personal finances: their team had expertise in UI/UX design but lacked backend development experience. Alex, a .Net developer outsourced by Code2day, collaborated with the design team on the platform’s API. Within six months, Alex delivered a robust backend, and the company managed to successfully launch its MVP.

Python

Python developers are extremely valued by companies that require strong data engineering skills. For one of our latest clients, healthcare company, Code2day outsourced a team of experienced Python developers, required to provide custom software development solutions to our client. Over 90% of the employees outstaffed by Code2day stayed on our clients senior tech team for more than 6 months, showing an excellent retention rate.

Java

Several experts on the team oustaffed for the US-based company by Code2day were Java developers. These top talents helped the company handle large-scale applications by designing highly scalable systems that can adapt to growing user bases. In addition, Java experts were indispensable in creating a backend capable of managing millions of customer records without performance issues. When outsourcing Java experts on our customer’s request, Code2day ran technical evaluations of each candidate and provided them with test tasks to properly assess their skills.

Code2day will help you find best senior professionals we outstaff Odoo Integrators/Consultants, Odoo Developers, frontend, backend, machine learning, DevOps, JavaScript, Python, SQL, C++, C#/.NET, and Java developers for businesses from different niches and for various project types.

2. Question 2: Can They Provide References and Case Studies?

The next valuable metric you must look at whenever choosing IT partners is their experience and previous case studies. A platform you’re aiming to connect with must list and describe its previous successful projects in all detail, highlighting the reasons why it should be trusted over other plausible solutions. References from previous clients can answer this question best.

One of the most significant projects on Code2day’s portfolio is outstaffing IT experts for Cider, a custom software development company. Specializing in ERP and CRM development, web performance optimization, and process automation, the company needed to extend its in-house team using an outsourcing solution. With Code2day, Cider managed to hire over 35 specialists and build its own senior tech team with an 80% retention rate.

Looking for real numbers, statistics, and client recommendations is vital when picking an outsourcing partner for cost-effective development. Make sure to verify the company’s portfolio and study its previous cases while paying particular attention to what the clients themselves say about their experience with this outstaffing partner. Cider, for instance, even provided video feedback detailing its fruitful collaboration with Code2day.

3. Question 3: What is Their Communication Process and Outstaff Process?

A good remote outstaffing partner must know how to communicate both with clients and potential candidates. For this, they can use a variety of project management tools or methodologies, such as Agile, which brings the communication process to the highest level of effectiveness by breaking it into smaller manageable pieces, often known as sprints, instead of delivering the entire solution in one batch.

The entire outstaffing model must be built to be as simple, comprehensible, and painless as possible both for the client and its future oustaffed employees. In its outstaffing model, Code2day curates the hiring process using the Agile methodology:

• Checking the database. Once we receive a request from the client, we dig into our own database of experts first before exploring external sources of talents;
• Candidate testing. After we handpick an adequate number of qualified candidates, we evaluate each one by conducting two mandatory interviews: one with an HR and another – with our in-house tech specialist;
• Individual evaluation and reporting. Then, we study the expert’s portfolio and previous involvement in similar projects in all detail, describing the advantages and potential downsides of every candidate in a separate document that gets sent to the client for review;
• Final decision. Finally, the client assesses the results of our research and makes an offer to the candidate who suits their project needs best.

Similarly, the outstaff team of Code2day handles payroll and similar administrative aspects on the client’s behalf: since our goal is to make every employee stay with their employer for as long as possible and improve their business processes, we fully take over the salary management and any extra training to ensure that the expert naturally integrates into the team.

4. Question 4: How Do They Ensure Quality Control and Performance Monitoring?

In IT outstaffing, quality control measures and regular monitoring of performance are paramount for ensuring the integrity of the process. A good software development oustaffing partner will approach candidate testing in several phases:

• Verify their portfolio, experience, and recommendations;
• Test their hard skills by running a test task relevant to the client’s project;
• Test their soft skills by conducting an HR-led interview;
• In the case of foreign candidates, test their English skills for effective communication.

Recently, we worked with a logistics company that needed an Odoo developer to customize modules for inventory management and fleet tracking. We reviewed our database of Odoo developers and shortlisted three candidates with experience in ERP customization and logistics industry projects.

During the initial screening, all of them demonstrated strong Odoo and Python skills and experience with logistics-specific modules like Inventory, Fleet, and Accounting, as well as excellent English communication skills, critical for working with international clients.

Each of the candidates was given a technical task to complete within a day, in which they had to customize the Odoo inventory module to include automatic email notifications for low stock, a dashboard showing real-time stock levels and reorder suggestions, and integration with external shipping providers for tracking. Two out of three candidates demonstrated excellent skills in working with Odoo Studio and modifying Python scripts, and therefore, were given an offer.

The testing process also includes evaluating the soft skills of the candidates by setting up a simulated client meeting where each candidate explains the process behind the test task, answers technical and general questions, and discusses potential improvements they could bring to the project. After ensuring that the candidate has adequate hard and soft skills required for the job, the client is ready to accept them to the team.

5. Question 5: What Are Their Pricing Models and Contract Terms?

Of course, other important metrics to verify before working with an outstaffing partner are their pricing model, contract terms, and general policies. The most common pricing models for an IT outstaffing company are hourly rates and project-based pricing.

With Code2day, it is also possible to choose a monthly pricing model: we calculate service prices depending on the candidates’ professional level (Junior, Middle, or Senior) and offer either hourly or monthly rates. Here is a short breakdown of different pricing models that are the most popular for IT oustaffing firms:

It is also crucial that your outstaffing partner is transparent about their pricing and other contract terms and that they state the exact price on their website even prior to engaging with you. For instance, at Code2day, when we provide you with staff augmentation services we add our fee to the final rate that you will pay for the specific talent. So, if you outstaff senior developers with us, you will need to pay approximately $10,000/month with all Code2day’s fees included.

The example of Code2day demonstrates the importance of picking an outstaffing firm with an explicit budget for every hired professional so that there are no hidden costs or other unpleasant surprises that might occur during or after post-recruitment. Of course, a good outsourcing firm must also be open to negotiation when it comes to choosing the most favorable terms for both parties.

Conclusion

All in all, IT outstaffing services can be an effective recruitment solution for all kinds of businesses, especially those that want to speed up and automate the hiring process without curating all the processes manually.

The right IT outstaffing partner will conduct the hiring process promptly, while also catering to all your project needs. Remember to follow the points we discussed today during your due diligence check to ensure successful and productive IT partnerships with outsourcing firms, or simply turn to Code2Day and get your hiring issues resolved right away!