In the aftermath of layoffs, surviving engineering teams are left in a landscape of looming deadlines while short-handed. The inability to bolster headcount due to financial restraints can exacerbate the strain on existing resources.
In 2024, 168 tech companies laid off 42,324 employees. Notable companies cutting their hardware divisions include Apple, Meta, and various EV companies. Though workers directly involved in building, or servicing core products are less likely to face layoffs, engineers accounted for 5% of those affected.
Companies that have experienced their own Reduction In Force (RIF) typically see the workload intensify, deadlines loom ever closer, and the pressure to deliver mounts. Rushed timelines and stretched resources can compromise the quality of work. Without adequate support, engineering teams may struggle to maintain the high standards expected of their brand.
How to get to the finish line with limited manpower and budgets:
1. Outsourcing to an engineering consulting firm
Outsourcing aspects of the R&D process to an engineering consulting firm can add much needed resources to your project and control cost at the same time. Typically, engineering consulting firms will be able to offer conceptual product development, industrial design, detailed design, documentation, and prototyping. They can take on the entire project or only a portion. Best of all, they will assign a dedicated team to your project, resources you do not have, to ensure deliverables and timelines are met.
2. Engage engineers on a consulting or S.O.W. arrangement
The basic premise is the engagement is on a project-based basis. Scope of Work arrangements are guided by a Statement of Work, list of deliverables, a schedule of milestones and completion, and a budgetary quotation. Similarly, using an engineering consultant enables you to define the project, due dates, and not-to-exceed budgets. Either route allows short-handed engineering groups to add much needed horsepower in order to meet deadlines – without having to add headcount.
3. Bringing in traditional contract/contract-to-hire talents
Engaging engineers on a contractual basis provides companies with the flexibility to adapt to fluctuating business demands without expanding their permanent workforce. This strategy effectively fills skill gaps for project-specific needs or during periods of heightened activity. Alternatively, contract-to-hire arrangements offer the opportunity for companies to evaluate an engineer’s performance and cultural fit before extending a permanent job offer.
A specialized staffing firm, such as SoloPoint Solutions, offers comprehensive engineering resources across R&D product development, NPI, Manufacturing and Operations. By leveraging professionals sourced through SoloPoint, companies gain access to skilled engineers on-demand, allowing for flexible workforce scaling. This can help address shortages in manpower in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
To explore some cost-saving engineering solutions, connect with SoloPoint Solutions today: