IT staff augmentation that actually fits
Add dedicated engineers to your existing team, nearshore from Central America. They use your tools, your Jira, your Slack, your standards. Monthly billing. Ramp-up in 2–3 weeks.
What staff augmentation means at Pliret
Staff augmentation is the simplest nearshore engagement model: you need an engineer with a specific skill, we find and onboard that engineer, you manage them like any internal team member. No complex contracts, no managed-team overhead, no project scope lock-in.
The engineer:
- Works full-time on your project (40 hours/week, no multi-tenancy)
- Uses your tools (your GitHub, your Jira, your Slack, your Figma)
- Reports to your team lead or manager
- Attends your stand-ups, planning, retro, 1:1s
- Follows your code review, QA, and deployment standards
Pliret stays in the background: we handle payroll, taxes, benefits, equipment, HR issues. You see a single monthly invoice in USD. If the engagement doesn't work, we replace the engineer or end the engagement — no severance, no legal entanglement.
When staff augmentation makes sense
Choose staff augmentation when:
- You have a clear role to fill and a hiring manager who can lead the engineer
- You want control over day-to-day work and standards
- You need to scale fast without opening a legal entity abroad
- You're testing nearshore before committing to a larger team
- Your project has evolving scope and you want flexibility (easier to adjust team composition than renegotiate SOWs)
Choose dedicated managed teams instead when: the project is greenfield and you want Pliret to own delivery, or when you need an entire pod (eng + lead + QA + DM) that comes pre-assembled.
From spec to onboarding
- Discovery call (30 min): we understand the role, stack, seniority, nice-to-haves, how fast you need it, budget band.
- Candidate sourcing (3–7 days): we search our pool and do active sourcing. We assess technical skill with a short code challenge or past-work review, and English fluency with a native evaluator.
- Shortlist (3–5 candidates): you receive a comparison document with CVs, test results, English level, availability, and rate.
- Your interviews: we coordinate interviews with your team. Usually 2–3 rounds: technical, culture, final.
- Offer and signing: we close the compensation package, sign the engagement letter with you, and sign the labor contract with the engineer.
- Onboarding (week 1): engineer sets up tools, meets your team, starts contributing on real work by day 3–5.
Total elapsed time: 2–3 weeks for common stacks, 4–6 for niche or senior roles.
Roles we cover
Any technology role, nearshore from Central America and Mexico:
- Full Stack Developer / Engineer
- Backend Developer / Engineer
- Frontend Developer / Engineer
- Mobile Developer / Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Software Architect
- AI / Machine Learning Engineer
- Data Engineer
- Data Scientist
- DevOps Engineer
- Cloud Engineer
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- Database Engineer / DBA
- QA Automation Engineer
- Business / Systems Analyst
- IT Project Manager
- Product Manager / Product Owner
- ERP / CRM Specialist
- UX/UI Designer
- Systems Administrator / IT Support
Frequently asked questions
What's the monthly cost?
Depends on seniority, stack, and country of hire. Mid-level engineers in El Salvador or Guatemala cost less than senior engineers from Costa Rica or Mexico (where cost of living is higher). All-in cost (engineer compensation + Pliret fee) typically runs 50–70% below equivalent US fully loaded cost. Specific quote available on request.
Can we interview candidates first?
Yes, always. We present a shortlist, you choose who to interview, and the hiring decision is yours. We won't push a candidate — if nobody in the shortlist works, we go find more.
What if the engineer doesn't perform?
Replacement at no cost within the first 90 days. After that, standard notice periods apply but we work with you to transition and backfill with another candidate from our pool.
Can we hire them away from Pliret later?
Yes, with a transparent conversion fee after a minimum engagement period. Many clients eventually open local entities and absorb the team. We don't block that — we help structure it.
Who provides the laptop?
By default Pliret provides. If your security policy requires a managed company laptop, we can accept yours and ship it to the engineer (we handle customs for shipped equipment to Central American countries).