Game Development
Jan 18th, 2024Game development is a highly specialized and profitable niche. The advent of technology in this industry enables the making of high-quality and variety of video games. Game development service through resource augmentation is one of the popular hiring methods especially among businesses whose core services are not related to game design.
Choosing between in-house and augmented teams for a particular project is crucial to getting the best result cost-effectively. Both hiring methods have their pros and cons. It all comes down to the specific requirements of the project and the budget to determine the right choice.
Which is the right choice? Learn all about the factors, and key differences between both hiring methods and how to make the right choice.
Simply put, resource augmentation means increasing the team’s capacity from outside. The hiring is not done internally by the company. Instead, the task gets delegated to a company providing staffing augmentation relevant to your requirements. There are several types of augmented hiring services. The choice depends largely on your project requirements. The following are the pros and cons associated with hiring an augmented team.
The following are the advantages associated with an augmented team for game development services:
Of all the benefits associated with hiring augmented staff, cost-effectiveness is one of the primary reasons behind the popularity of this hiring method. Such a team is hired temporarily through agencies. As a result, you need not worry about monthly salaries, insurance, or overall training of the external team. Your company needs to pay a fixed amount for the specific skills and time.
The external development team comes with specific expertise- exactly what is required. In short, if you require very specialized skills, staffing augmentation can ensure you get talents exactly as per requirement and pay cost-effectively only for those specific skills.
The digitized world has made it easier for companies to hire talents from all over the world. Irrespective of geographical boundaries, one can find the best talents with the help of resource and staff augmentation services. It is rather tricky to find the best-suited talents when recruitment is limited to a specific geographical location. However, staff augmentation lets you have access to a talent pool from all over the world. Get global experts at your service with specialized skills in in-demand technology relevant to the gaming industry. Through staff augmentation, you can hire such experts from different locations of the world at location-specific rates.
Scale the overall team size easily without going through an elaborate hiring process. When the project has a tight deadline or is larger, you may require additional manpower temporarily. Instead of searching and hiring resources directly, it is easier to outsource the task to a company with specific expertise. Such a company can provide an augmented team of as many resources as you need for the project. You can reduce the team as easily when the needs are fulfilled.
One of the key advantages of staff augmentation services is improved efficiency in executing the project. Since the hired team has specialized skills, they can execute the tasks more efficiently. Your company would have a competitive advantage over others. Simply your game project by choosing a team of game developers who have specific skills. This team will enhance the workforce not just by numbers but also in terms of skill.
Hiring an augmented team is the key to scaling the project faster. Whether you need help with specific technicalities that are part of the game project development or quicker turnaround, staff augmentation can ensure faster scaling. You need not go through an elaborate hiring process and hence you can quickly scale the team as soon as needed.
There are certain drawbacks of augmented staffing too. However, these entirely depend on the expectations of the company:
Sometimes the cultural barrier can hinder workflow as the augmented team is unfamiliar with your office’s methods of working and general work culture. To overcome such issues, an induction session can help extensively.
Occasionally clients feel apprehensive about the quality of the work of external teams and the impact on their reputation. It is perceived that since augmented teams have less liability towards the project, quality may get compromised. However, choosing an experienced and reputed game development service ought to negate the issue.
Sometimes the augmented team may work from a different location or different time zone which leads to communication problems. Establishing a proper communication channel is the key to overcoming such problems.
Often the project involves sensitive client data which you may not be comfortable sharing with an external team. However, if you hire game developers from a reputed game development outsourcing company, they will adhere to the security policies thoroughly for the sake of their reputation.
As the name suggests, the in-house team is hired directly by the company and is the internal team directly controlled by your organization. However, an in-house team is generally hired as per the skill and expertise required for the core services of the business. It comes with a set of advantages and disadvantages which are as follows:
The following are some of the advantages associated with in-house hiring:
Since the team is hired directly by the company they are given proper training and time to adapt. This results in cultural compatibility as the professionals understand well how the company functions. This, in turn, can ensure higher productivity among the professionals.
Language is occasionally a problem when working with a remote team. However, such problems are generally avoided with in-house teams which are compromised mostly with locals. As a result, communication problems can be avoided thoroughly.
Enjoy better control and supervision of the team when they are in-house. You can easily supervise the internal team and ensure more involvement in the project. Get a balanced team which is much easier to control and ensure their commitment to the project.
The internal team is bound by contract to maintain confidentiality about the projects and clients. It is easier to enforce security and overall data protection when you are working with in-house teams.
In-house hiring also comes with certain disadvantages in the long run:
Without a doubt, in-house hiring is significantly costly in the long run. The extensive hiring process along with hidden and visible costs can get expensive. There are additional costs of hiring in-house such as paid leaves, medical insurance, and so on. All these are easily avoided with staffing augmentation.
Your company is entirely responsible for the well-being and work process of the team. You are also responsible for upskilling the entire team for the sake of the company’s growth. Training, courses and even coming up with insurance and other perks for the team becomes the responsibility of the organization.
The hiring process can go on for months, especially if you are unable to find a suitable professional to hire for the team. This means, that when there is an urgent requirement for a project, it can get delayed indefinitely.
It is crucial to choose between resource augmentation services and an in-house team for the project. It can also be a combination of both types of teams. To make an informed decision, there are several important factors to be considered, which are as follows:
One of the major factors to consider is the stature of the project. When the magnitude of the project is complex and large, the workforce must be scaled accordingly. In case the in-house team is not big enough to handle the project, staff augmentation can become the solution. It works best especially if your business generally does not get such large projects frequently. Also, if your company does not have the infrastructure or expertise to handle large-scale gaming projects, the augmented team can come to the rescue. It is a temporary fix provided the project needs to be executed in a limited period.
The project duration plays a crucial role in determining the type of team suitable for the project. Occasionally when there is a tight deadline for the project, it is wiser to scale the team through staff augmentation to get the project completed in time. On the other hand, when the project is complex and long-term, an in-house team is the better solution. This is because the hiring cost of the augmented team can be comparatively expensive when the project gets dragged on for years.
Occasionally, the game project may need very specific technology and skill which is not there among the in-house professionals. This is when resource augmentation services are useful. You can quickly find a suitable professional with the necessary expertise without much hassle. In-house hiring for such specific expertise is a feasible option only when it is required for a longer period. However, it can take a long time to hire such professionals. On the other hand, the augmented team is easier to hire as the outsourcing company already has them on their full-time payroll.
Game development requires specific tools, software, infrastructure, and technology. However, if your core business is not game development, investing in such tools and software or professionals skilled in using them is unnecessary. This is where a game development company offering staff augmentation services can help you out. Execute the game project with the help of the augmented team who not only have the necessary expertise but also access to tools and technology needed for the project. It would be significantly more cost-effective than investing in premium subscriptions for the entire set of tools.
The budget plays a crucial role in determining the suitable hiring process for the team. Have a realistic budget for the workforce and analyze which would be the ideal hiring method as per the budget. At the same time, keep in mind not to compromise on the service quality.
The right choice entirely depends on your requirements and budget. If you do not have a budget constraint, in-house hiring can work well for your project. However, it is a long-drawn process and a long-term commitment. If you need the extra manpower faster and for specific projects only, in-house hiring would not be the ideal choice in the long run. This is where resource and staff augmentation works in your favor.
The staff augmentation service from a reputed game development outsourcing company is a cost-effective way to scale the team at times of need. The additional members would be temporarily added to the team for specific projects and you can discontinue the association as required without much hassle. Furthermore, they can bring very specific skills to the table without you needing to provide training. It is also a very cost-effective solution, especially if it is a large-scale project with a tight deadline.
Most businesses these days look for alternate hiring processes that would be cost-effective without compromising the quality of the services. Staff augmentation and outsourcing are suitable ways to expand the team without taking the liability of additional professionals. You get the benefit of their expertise without taking responsibility for their payroll, insurance, and other additional costs. The key is to choose a reliable and reputed mobile game development service or any game developer, for that matter.
Juego Studios is one of the top game development companies offering staff augmentation services globally. With offices in the USA, UK, UAE, and India, we can provide full-cycle game development solutions using the latest technology and skills.
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