Most engineering managers know what a staffing shortage looks like. A project gets approved, the schedule is set, and your team has no room for the work. What is less clear is when outside help is the right answer and what kind of help you should look for.
I wrote this guide to help you make that call. I looked at what separates a strong provider from a weak one: how they screen people, how fast they fill a role, who employs the person on your site, and whether the firm understands your type of work. Those points shaped the advice below.
By the end, you will know the signs that you need engineering staff augmentation, how to compare providers, and why I think Eichleay belongs on your list.
What Staff Augmentation Means
Staff augmentation adds qualified people to your team for a set period. They work under your direction, follow your processes, and report to your leads. You keep control of the project. The provider handles recruiting, screening, and employment.
The roles can cover engineering, design, construction, and project management. You might need one person for three months or a full team on your site for two years. The model works for both.
This differs from hiring a consulting firm to own a scope of work. With augmentation, you manage the work and the added people help you do it.
Signs You Need It
Look at your current projects and check for these signs:
- A project start date is close, and you have no engineer free to lead the design.
- Your team has the skills but not the hours, and overtime is becoming normal.
- You need a skill your staff does not have, such as piping design or instrumentation and controls, for one project only.
- A key person left, and the hiring process will take months.
- Your workload rises and falls, and a full-time hire does not make sense for the peak.
- A fast-track schedule leaves no time for a long search.
- You want to try a person in a role before you offer a permanent job.
If two or three of these fit your situation, outside help deserves a serious look.
When Hiring Is the Better Choice
I do not want you to use augmentation for every problem. If the need is steady and will last for years, a permanent hire is usually the better choice. You build knowledge inside your company, and your cost per hour is lower over time.
Augmentation fits best when the need has an end date, requires a special skill, or must be met faster than a normal search allows. Some providers offer contract-to-hire or direct hire as well, which gives you a way to test the fit before you commit.
What to Look for in a Provider
Not every provider is the same. Use these questions to compare them:
1. How do they screen candidates? A resume check is not enough. The best providers have technical experts review the person’s skills.
2. Do they understand your industry? A person who has worked on process, power, or manufacturing projects will need less time to start.
3. How fast can they fill a role? Ask about their candidate database and their network of past employees.
4. Who employs the person? Staff who receive benefits and a career path tend to stay longer, which protects your project from turnover.
5. Can they grow with you? If you start with one role and need ten, the provider should be able to support that.
6. What is their safety record? A person on your site represents both companies.
Why Eichleay Is Worth Your Attention
Eichleay is an industrial engineering firm that delivers engineering, procurement, and construction management services. They also offer engineering and construction staff augmentation, and several parts of their background address the questions above.
They Vet for Skill and Fit
Eichleay does not rely on recruiters alone. Candidates are reviewed by recruiters and by technical experts inside the wider company, so a placement fits your technical needs and your team culture. A live candidate database and an active alumni network help shorten the time it takes to fill a role.
Placed Staff Are Their Employees
Every person they place is a full Eichleay employee with benefits, career advancement, and professional development. The company is recognized as a Great Place to Work. Its employee retention rate is 94 percent, and average tenure is about ten years. For you, that points to a steady workforce and less risk of a mid-project exit.
The Range Is Wide
Their staff augmentation covers administrative support, architecture, constructability planning, construction management, engineering and design, field engineering, health and safety, procurement, project controls, project engineering, project management, and scheduling and planning. Engagements can be short-term, long-term, contract-to-hire, or direct hire. You can ask for a single role or a fully managed on-site team.
They Know Industrial Work
The firm has been active in project delivery for 150 years, starting in 1875, and it remains 100 percent family owned. Today they complete about 300 projects a year for clients in process, power, and manufacturing. Their markets include energy and chemical, life sciences, food and beverage, mining and metals, and advanced manufacturing. About 91 percent of their business comes from repeat clients, which tells me their customers return after the first project.
Safety Is a Core Value
Eichleay companies have logged zero OSHA recordable or lost workday cases since 2014, and their current Experience Modification Rate is 0.67. If someone from a provider will work on your site, this record matters.
Local Support
They serve the western United States from offices in Billings, Montana; Ferndale, Washington; Larkspur, California; and Orange, California. If your projects are in that region, you get a provider with local market knowledge who can respond quickly.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
- What is your average time to fill a role like mine?
- Who will review the candidate’s technical skills?
- What happens if the person is not a good fit?
- Can the engagement change from contract to permanent?
- How do you handle safety training and site rules?
- Can you add more people if my scope grows?
Clear, direct answers tell you a lot about how the provider will act once the work starts.
How to Decide
Start with your schedule and your skill needs. Write down the roles, the length of time, and the tasks the person will own. Then check whether a permanent hire can meet that need in time. If it cannot, choose a provider that screens well, employs its people directly, and knows your industry.
Staff augmentation works best when you treat it as a planned tool and not a last-minute fix. Plan early, define the role clearly, and pick a partner with a strong record. Based on the points above, Eichleay is a sound choice to include in that comparison.