Companies are increasingly turning to outside help for their software projects due to the need to stay competitive and adapt quickly to changing market demands. This trend is driven by the shortage of specialized technological talent, the acceleration of digital transformation and the need to reduce operating costs.
In 2024, IT staff augmentation is expected to continue to grow as a preferred solution as it allows companies to access highly qualified professionals without incurring the costs and challenges associated with permanent hiring.
Additionally, trends show increasing adoption of hybrid models that combine internal teams with external talent, as well as a focus on hiring experts in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and mobile application development. These strategies allow companies to quickly scale their technological capabilities and improve their agility in an increasingly dynamic business environment.
In our blog, we will delve into the trends that will mark this 2024 in terms of the IT staff augmentation strategy.
Trends in IT staff augmentation for 2024
Spending on this service is going to increase
“The IT staff augmentation services market will record an incremental spend of approximately $81.87 billion, growing at a CAGR of 3.53% over the five-year forecast period”, SpendEdge said in an article published in PR Newswire.
This projection reflects a growing trend in which companies seek flexible and efficient solutions to meet their technological talent needs. With the increase in complexity and specialization in software projects, IT staff augmentation has become a key strategy to quickly access specific skills without the long-term commitments of direct hiring.
This modality allows companies to quickly adapt to market fluctuations and better manage costs, while maintaining their focus on innovation and product development. With significant incremental spending and steady growth, companies can anticipate increased competition for external talent, underscoring the importance of establishing strong relationships with IT staff augmentation service providers to ensure the continuity and success of their technology projects.
The demand for specialized personnel will remain on the rise
“By 2025, automation and a new division of labor between humans and machines will disrupt 85 million jobs worldwide in medium and large companies in 15 industries and 26 economies. Roles in areas such as data entry, accounting and administrative support are declining in demand as automation and digitalization increase in the workplace”, found a study by the World Economic Forum.
Given this reality, the report also noted that more than 80% of company executives are planning to digitize many of their work processes, through the use of new technologies, for which they will need specialized personnel that they can obtain through IT staff augmentation. “50% of employers expect to accelerate the automation of some functions in their companies”, they added.
Remote work is here to stay for a long time
Remote work became the new normal during and after the pandemic, as companies have known how to be more productive and take advantage of this modality.
“Remote work, once considered a temporary solution, has taken hold as a permanent fixture in the world of work. During the height of the Covid pandemic, a large portion of the global workforce was able to experience remote work, with a large percentage of them finding the model that suited their lifestyles and deciding to continue with it even after the crisis subsided. The increase in personnel plays a vital role in the remote work trend, as it helps redefine the parameters of remote and hybrid work models”, they noted in an article on the Inc. portal.
Increased demand for AI talent
In a report published by the University of Oxford in 2023, they noted that AI jobs have grown significantly over the past 7 years. “They grew 9 times globally for ‘technological AI’ jobs and 11.3 times for broader-based AI roles”, they indicated in this link.
“As more companies realize the possibilities of AI, the fight for a limited supply of qualified AI professionals will only intensify, favoring the largest and best-funded players. For smaller organizations, retraining colleagues is a viable alternative with numerous attractions and benefits”, they added in a Forbes article.
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