What Is The Best Staff Augmentation Service?

TL;DR

• Staff augmentation allows you to beef up your team with external staff without the costs of hiring them as full-time employees.
• It’s less expensive and time-consuming compared to traditional hiring.
• You need staff augmentation if: you don’t have a huge recruitment budget, you want full control over your project while managing external staff, or you want a flexible team size. 
• ReactSquad and BairesDev are two of the best staff augmentation services for startups.
• ReactSquad offers a 7-day free trial, fast matching service, and experienced developers.
• BairesDev also has experienced developers across many tech stacks. 

You’ve secured funding, and your business plan is watertight, but one crucial piece is missing —a complete development team. You must find clients to generate revenue ASAP, so you need all hands on deck to launch a functional product quickly. That’s when building your engineering team through staff augmentation comes in.

In this article, we look at two options: BairesDev and ReactSquad. We will analyze both platforms and help you find the staff augmentation service that delivers the best bang for your buck.

What is Staff Augmentation?

Staff Augmentation is a hiring strategy in which you beef up your team with temporary staff from a third party. Startups prefer this model because it’s less expensive and time-consuming than other hiring methods.

Check out our article for a deep dive into staff augmentation and how it works.

Why Is Staff Augmentation Better Than Hiring Freelance Developers?

Staff augmentation lets you create the perfect team for your project. This way, you can find the skills you need and easily add them to your team. It also allows you to grow or shrink your team as needed.

Unlike freelancers who might need training and can leave mid-project, augmented staff become part of your team. They understand your company culture and how you work, keeping things consistent. Another downside of hiring freelancers is your time searching through duds before finding a gem. 

When Do You Need A Staff Augmentation Service?

Your startup will need staff augmentation if:

• You need a specific skill set to complete a project, but not enough to justify a full-time hire. 
• You have a temporary workload spike that your current team can’t handle. Staff augmentation provides extra muscle to meet deadlines without overloading your existing staff.

• You want to still have control over your project. Since the external staff is an extension of your team, they take instructions from you, not their agency. This allows you to manage every aspect of the project. 
• Your project is unpredictable and may need quick changes in team size. Staff augmentation allows you to scale your team up or down as needed.
• You want to foster knowledge sharing and a unified approach to a project. Staff augmentation integrates skilled individuals into your team. This improves collaboration, making the project run more smoothly.

How To Choose The Right Staff Augmentation Service

Choosing the right staff augmentation service isn’t like picking a cereal brand at the mall. You need to be strategic before making a decision. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Expertise Match: Research the company’s experience in your industry and talent pool. Do they have a proven track record of providing qualified professionals with the specific skills you need? 
2. Communication & Culture: How well does the company communicate? Do their values align with yours? Clear communication and a good fit with your company culture allow smooth collaboration.
3. Selection Process: Research their vetting process for potential hires. Look for a company with a strict selection process that ensures the quality of its talent pool.
4. Cost & Contracts: Get clear pricing structures and understand all fees involved. Review contracts carefully. Pay attention to terms like engagement length, termination clauses, and guarantees.
5. Client Testimonials & References: If possible, seek out reviews and case studies from past clients. Request references to get firsthand insights into the agency’s service and the quality of staff it provides.

Best Staff Augmentation Services for US Startups

#1 ReactSquad

ReactSquad is a top developer agency that provides React engineers for fast-growing startups. The company recruits expert and vetted developers skilled in React.js, Node.js, JavaScript, TypeScript, and similar technologies. They match you with engineers who fit your team culture and get started in less than 48 hours. 

You get the following benefits:

• Time zone overlap with US and EU time zones
• Transparent pricing. Rates start from just $75/hour
• Flexible payment structure; pay upfront or monthly
• 7-day free trial with no-risk replacement guarantees
• Qualified and trained engineers at half the price of US-based developers
• Get matched with a developer and start shipping code in less than a week. 

#2 BairesDev

BairesDev is an outstaffing agency that provides tech talent from South America and the Caribbean to startups. It claims to have the “top 1% of South American talent” on its books. 

Here’s what BairesDev offers:

• Experience across many industries
• Time zone overlap with US and EU time zones
• Access to vetted and experienced developers

BairesDev vs ReactSquad: Which is Better?

Price

ReactSquad’s prices are transparent, starting from $75 per hour. BairesDev’s pricing isn’t as transparent, as we couldn’t find their fees anywhere online. You have to call them for a custom quote. 

Free trial

BairesDev doesn’t offer a free trial to customers. ReactSquad, on the other hand, has a 7-day no-risk free trial. If you’re unsatisfied with the developer, they will replace them or issue you a refund.

Click to get started with ReactSquad and try a developer at no cost to you. 

Time to fully integrate into the team

With ReactSquad, you can be matched with a developer to start shipping code in as little as 24 hours. At BairesDev, it can take up to two weeks from the first reachout to onboarding the staff. 

Tech stack

ReactSquad’s tech stack: React, Node.js, Next.js, Remix, TailwindCSS, Redux, JavaScript, TypeScript.

BairesDev’s tech stack: Python, .NET, Java, Ruby, PHP, Golang, Angular and more. 

Hiring/vetting process

ReactSquad:

• ReactSquad reviews resumes, screening for experience and skill set.
• Devs are screened for proactive communication and proficiency in English.
• Candidates take a 90-minute live coding challenge held by a lead developer.
• Culture interview conducted by the CEO.
• Final deep technical interview by the CTO.
• Successful candidates are fully employed by ReactSquad.

BairesDev:

• Applicants undergo an online test.
• Candidates are interviewed for professionalism, adaptability, and communication skills.
• Candidates take a written test to examine creativity and problem-solving skills
• Promising candidates undergo a technical interview held by in-house experts.
• Successful candidates are employed by BairesDev.

Skill/Experience level of developers

ReactSquad’s developers have a minimum of 6 years of experience. BairesDev’s developers have an average of 9 years of experience. 

Our Verdict

ReactSquad offers a more specialized team with guaranteed React expertise and fast deployment through their streamlined matching process. You also get a risk-free trial and transparent pricing. While BairesDev boasts more experience, their broader tech stack and slower onboarding might not be ideal if you need a React-focused project completed quickly.

On that note, we recommend ReactSquad. You can get started by scheduling a call today.