Staff Augmentation / IT Outsourcing
Senior engineers, embedded in your team.
Frontend, backend, QA, DevOps, data and AI profiles who join your standups, your tools and your codebase: productive from the first sprint, backed by guarantees that make the risk ours.
Which model fits
One specialist to
a full product team.
Same guarantees in every model. What changes is who leads, and how much of the delivery we own.
1-3 people
Individual experts
Team
Specialists inside your existing team
Led by
Your leads: they report to you
For
A skill gap, a feature to accelerate, extra capacity
4-12 people
Most chosen
Dedicated team
Team
Cross-functional: front, back, QA, DevOps
Led by
STEPS-led delivery, in agile sprints
For
A product to build, a long-term partnership
PM + design + dev + QA
Full product team
Team
Complete squad, technical leadership included
Led by
STEPS, end to end on the roadmap
For
A new product, an innovation initiative
Compare the models
Staff augmentation,
dedicated team or outsourcing?
IT staff augmentation adds engineers to your team, under your management. It is one of three ways to work with an external partner, and the right one depends on who steers the work.
| Staff augmentation | Dedicated team | Project outsourcing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who manages the work | You | Shared: your product owner, our tech lead | The provider |
| Size | 1 to 5 engineers | A full squad | Scoped to the project |
| Flexibility | Add or release people month by month | Stable team, long term | Fixed scope and budget |
| Best for | A skill gap or a delivery peak | A product that needs its own team | A defined product with clear specifications |
| With STEPS | Individual experts | Dedicated team | Full product team |
Most clients start with one or two engineers and grow into a dedicated team once the collaboration is proven.
Roles & expertise
The profiles
on our bench.
Frontend engineers
Interfaces built for real users and complex workflows, inside your design system.
React · Angular · Vue · Next.js · TypeScript
Backend engineers
Business logic, APIs and integrations that hold under production load.
Node.js · Python · Java · .NET · Go
QA engineers
Functional, regression and automated testing, embedded in your sprints.
Cypress · Playwright · Selenium · API testing
DevOps engineers
Pipelines, environments and infrastructure that ship reliably.
CI/CD · Docker · Kubernetes · Cloud infra
Data engineers
Pipelines and warehouses that turn scattered sources into usable data.
Python · Spark · Airflow · Warehousing
AI/ML engineers
Models and LLM applications, from experiment to monitored production.
ML models · LLM apps · MLOps
UI/UX designers
Research, flows and interfaces, working inside your product team.
User research · Design systems · Figma
Tech leads & architects
Architecture decisions, code quality and mentoring for the team around them.
System design · Code review · Mentoring
Senior profiles, vetted by our own engineers: you interview the actual people before anything starts.
The process
From request
to running team.
We move fast. Most teams are up and running within 2-3 weeks.
Day 1
Discovery call
We understand your project, technical requirements, team culture, and working style.
Days 2-5
Candidate selection
We shortlist pre-vetted candidates matching your requirements. You receive profiles with relevant experience.
Days 5-10
Your interviews
You interview candidates directly. Technical assessments if you want them. You choose who joins.
Days 10-14
Onboarding
Access setup, tool configuration, process alignment. Smooth integration with your existing workflows.
Week 3+
Delivery begins
Your extended team is productive. Regular check-ins and ongoing support from STEPS.
Our guarantees
Risk-free
engagement.
We stand behind our talent. These guarantees protect your investment.
2-week trial period
Not satisfied in the first two weeks? We replace them at no additional cost. No questions asked.
Replacement guarantee
If someone leaves or underperforms, we provide a replacement within 5 business days.
IP protection
All work belongs to you. Full IP transfer, NDA coverage, and confidentiality agreements.
Budget
What shapes the cost
of staff augmentation.
The cost of IT staff augmentation depends on four things, and you see the figure before you interview anyone:
- Seniority. Mid-level, senior or lead profiles.
- Skills. Frontend, backend, QA, DevOps, data, AI or UI/UX, and how rare the stack is.
- Team size. One expert or several engineers on the same project.
- Duration. A few months to cover a peak, or a long-term extension of your team.
You pay a fixed monthly amount per engineer. Recruitment, equipment, training and replacement are included.
Why Tunisia
Nearshore engineers,
in your time zone.
Tunisia is one of the best nearshore locations for European and African companies: engineering schools that train thousands of developers each year, a GMT+1 time zone, and a culture of working in French, English and Arabic.
- Permanent employees. Every STEPS engineer is on a permanent contract with us, not a freelancer.
- Senior by default. Our bench covers .NET, Angular, Next.js, NestJS, Java, QA automation, DevOps, data and AI.
- Led when you need it. Pair the team with a CTO as a Service for architecture and delivery leadership.
Our engineers work on platforms used by Afreximbank and the PAPSS network. See our case studies.
How we work
Seamless integration
with your team.
Our people become part of your team, not a separate entity.
Communication
- Work in your Slack, Teams, or communication tool
- Daily standups with your team
- Direct access to developers
- French, English, or Arabic: your choice
Tools & process
- Work in your Jira, Linear, Asana, or tool of choice
- Follow your development process and sprint cadence
- Use your Git workflow and code review practices
- Integrate with your CI/CD pipeline
Visibility & reporting
- Full transparency on hours and progress
- Weekly summary reports
- Monthly review meetings
- Real-time access to all work and code
Quality assurance
- Code reviews by senior STEPS engineers
- Architectural oversight on request
- Performance monitoring
- Regular 1-on-1s and feedback loops
FAQ
IT staff augmentation: your questions
What is IT staff augmentation?
IT staff augmentation is a model where an external company provides engineers who join your team, your tools and your rituals, under your management. You add skills or capacity without recruiting, and you can scale up or down month by month.
What is the difference between staff augmentation and outsourcing?
With staff augmentation, you manage the engineers and own the delivery. With outsourcing, the provider manages the team and commits to a scope. A dedicated team sits in between, with a shared lead.
How quickly can STEPS engineers join our team?
Usually within 2 to 3 weeks: a discovery call, a shortlist of profiles, your interviews, then onboarding.
How much does IT staff augmentation cost?
It depends on seniority, skills, team size and duration. You get a fixed monthly amount per engineer before the interviews, with recruitment, equipment and replacement included.
Do we interview the engineers?
Yes. You interview every shortlisted engineer and choose who joins your team.
What happens if an engineer is not the right fit?
Every engagement starts with a 2-week trial. After that, we replace an engineer within 5 working days if needed, at no extra cost.
Who owns the code and the intellectual property?
You do. Contracts include full intellectual property transfer and confidentiality clauses, and engineers work in your repositories.
Which time zone and languages do your engineers work in?
Our engineers are based in Tunisia (GMT+1) and work in French and English, and Arabic when needed.