How To Hire The Best Offshore Software Developers

How To Hire The Best Offshore Software Developers

This article explores how to hire the best offshore software developers and the benefits.

Organizations hire offshore developers for several reasons but mainly cost-benefit and expertise.

In 2021, IT spending on enterprise software is expected to amount to around 517 billion U.S. dollars worldwide. Include consumer digital products to the stat, and you’ll see why software development is more in demand.

The cost benefits have prompted more companies to employ offshore development teams.

Software developer services are becoming a most sought-after IT resource. Hiring offshore developers is more or less a way to cut costs or seek different expertise worldwide. 

Overall, most companies operating in countries with high operation costs hire offshore development teams to manage expenses. 

But aside from being only a cost-effective measure, offshore software developers offer much more value to their clients. 

For one, if you choose to hire offshore developers, you cut the barriers of the software development business at speed. 

When you hire offshore development teams, you get to focus your effort on your relevant proficiencies.

We’ll cover:

1. What Does It Mean to Hire Offshore Developers or Hire Offshore Development Team?
2. How Do You Hire Offshore Software Developers?
3. Things To Know Before You Hire Offshore Development Team
4. Best Practices For Working With Offshore Developers
5. What Is An Advantage Of Offshore Outsourcing?

What Does It Mean To Hire Offshore Developers or Have Offshore Development Team?

Offshore and outsourcing are sometimes used interchangeably, but they mean slightly different things. Outsourcing is when companies hire external software developers or software development teams for specific jobs or services. 

Companies can outsource software developers within the country, but it becomes offshore if you hire outside the country. To hire offshore developers means arranging with foreign software developers tasks.

Hiring an offshore development team means moving the relevant operations to developers overseas where talents are available at affordable cost.

And a company can use offshore development without outsourcing to a third party. They do this by formally establishing an in-house team overseas.

When you hire offshore developers, you get a high measure of reliability and expertise. It’s also a time-saving and cost-saving choice to make, as we will detail later on. First, how do you hire offshore developers.

How Do You Hire Offshore Software Developers?

Once you’ve decided to streamline your software development activities, the next thing you’d want to do is to hire offshore developers or hire offshore development teams. 

You would want to narrow down your search location or area when on the lookout. 

First, figure out some of the top countries to hire offshore development teams and consider how qualified and affordable they are. 

If you’ve got a list of teams or individual developers to choose from, the following steps are how to hire offshore developers.

#1. Conduct An Interview

The first step to hire offshore developers is to interview to assess the potential developer’s proficiency thoroughly.

The interview will most likely be by video or voice call. You can prepare a list of questions around selected topics beforehand to ask developers you’re considering.

#2. Set Clear and Doable Goals and Do an Overview Afterwards

Setting clear, specific, and doable goals is another way to hire the best offshore software developers. Give the candidates particular tasks that you want them to work on.

In clear terms, let the candidates know the expectations and goals they are to achieve from the tasks. Though their skills as software developers are the primary yardstick, you need to hire offshore development teams.

However, there are still more attributes to help you with choosing the best. Find out and assess the pros and cons of each person or team and its members.

You should also look out for personal traits, experience, additional soft skills, and overall competency and attitude to work. These attributes will make it easier to know who fits the bill more as you seek to hire offshore developers.

#3. Carry Out Technical Screening

The next thing to do after specifying goals and objectives for the candidates will be to carry out a technical screening to evaluate their qualifications and see if they fit the project requirements.

One way to do this is to evaluate their technical knowledge and skills. Besides, you can also judge how concise and precise they are on the job.

#4. Give Candidates A Reason To Work For You

To attract the best minds when you want to hire offshore developers, you need to make sure you’re equally of a reputable standard. What makes your company different and unique? 

How best can your project your company to attract the best offshore talents to work for you? These questions are essential because offshore software development is a highly coveted service. 

This makes finding the best out of a highly competitive labor market can be a challenge. In addition to searching for the best, companies should work towards attracting the best.

A software developer with top-notch expertise will figure out how good a choice working for you will be to them. And this is not based on financial reasons alone, as the allure to work with advanced tech and innovative companies can be hard to pass.

So you need to figure out what your company’s selling point is that will likely attract quality candidates when you hire offshore developers. 

#5. Final Interview

After giving the candidates a reason to work for you and carrying out technical screenings, you need to conduct a further and final interview. In this stage, you get to meet and interview the more suitable and qualified software developers.

You need to make some evaluations and find answers to some critical questions before you decide to hire offshore development teams. Although some may consider them tedious or unnecessary, it is better to have too much information than less.

You need to find out from the remaining candidates(s) if they’re capable of keeping track of their performance objectively. How anxious are they about working offshore, and do they consider themselves objective-driven?

Hearing their assessment of themselves will give a sense of their overall personality. 

Also, you need to find out how well your developers work with strict deadlines. Are they flexible workers?

Questions like these may reveal a couple of weaknesses or strengths of the selected candidates. In all, the final interview should seek to evaluate the candidate’s overall suitability as you seek to hire offshore developers.

Things To Know Before You Hire Offshore Development Team

Before you hire offshore development teams, you need to nail down some essential candidate’s overall suitability details. Here are the top things you should know before you hire offshore developers:

#1. Make A Budget Plan

Budgets are crucial planning tools for any business endeavor, and when it comes to hiring offshore developers, it’s no different. Working with a budget is a smart way to avoid some financial pitfalls when you’re hiring offshore.

For this reason, you need to specify the amount of the capital outlay that goes into the recruitment process. There should also be a budget to define the payment range that your chosen offshore development’s remuneration won’t exceed.

#2. Specify The Goals Of The Company or Business

The next thing you need to specify before hiring offshore developers is our business or company’s goal. This information is both for you and the potential offshore developer you will hire.

You need to define the goals of your business clearly and communicate them to the potential offshore developer. State the problem or issues that you expect to solve and tell them the primary purpose of the product.

You could also set workable deadlines you hope to achieve these goals. Also, break the goals and expectations into smaller ones, so they don’t appear tedious.

#3. Gather Knowledge Of The Offshore Location

Lots of countries are prolific in software development. You need to collect information about these offshore locations to help you make informed decisions.

Some occasions are more advantaged than others, and such advantage could significantly affect the quality of work. So you may need to shortlist those that have an advantage in terms of physical proximity to your business.

But you also should consider locations with closer time zones and culture to you than others. Also, collect information about the price and quality ratio.

#4. Evaluation Of Project’s Skill Set

Another thing to know before you hire offshore developers is the skill set that your current and future projects may require. This aspect is beneficial when you interview potential candidates.

Specify the roles you want, the skills the developer should have, their technology stack expertise. Evaluation of the project’s needed skill set helps you select the best and more suitable candidates for the project.

Best Practices For Working With Offshore Developers

If you’re already running a development team within your company, you already know the challenges of maintaining it. And with offshore developers, there are some unique obstacles.

When you hire offshore development teams, you don’t have to invest in IT gadgets or train the developers. You select from a vast pool of highly talented and skilled developers that will deliver quality software.

To keep things running smoothly from your location, here are some best practices you need to maintain:

#1. Overcommunication Is Key

Overcommunication is vital when working with a remote team of software developers, especially regarding achieving goals and quality content. It is easy for some of the team members to be left uninformed about essential details.

Such miscommunication can ruin the success of a project. This is why it is essential to over-communicate as much to the in-house staff and the hired offshore developers.

Some companies and businesses might make the mistake of only communicating with the offshore team once a week. It helps them understand what you require from them when engaging them more often. 

Try not only to track their progress on the project but also to give them feedback on their work and offer advice and criticism when necessary.

#2. Make Your Communication Simplified

In trying to over-communicate, you must try to make your communication as simplified as possible. There is a high chance that your offshore development team won’t be as fluent as you are in your language.

This is why you need to make your communication as simplified as possible to get your messages and instructions across. Limit your cultural references, vocabulary, and usage of metaphors that they may find baffling. 

When giving directions, get straight to the point and be clear and concise with your written instructions. In all, aim to make your communication as simple as you can afford to and ask if they understand.

#3. Share The Vision For Your Product With Them

Another best practice for working with offshore developers is sharing the full vision for your product with them. Most recruiters just assign simple work parts or aspects to offshore developers, leaving out the complete picture.

Sometimes sharing your vision for the project may be all your hired offshore developers need to understand your goals better. It could also be essential to them delivering quality content as well.

Although some offshore developers may not request it, sharing your vision helps their decision-making on the project. From the inception of the project up to its deployment, make them understand what the goals are.

#4. Have Multiple Resource Persons And Work Items In Their Queue

This is practically a way to make sure your hired offshore developers get the necessary help and keep working when they get stuck. Having multiple resource persons with the same level of information and instruction about the project boosts productivity and speed.

For instance, if there are business logic questions that need answering, absence of specific requirements, or compilation issues. These are some issues that may leave your offshore developer stuck in the middle of a project.

However, if you have multiple resource persons, they can help clarify the teams’ issues. Besides, having several work items in their queue means focusing their attention on other tasks when they get stuck.

#5. Find A Way Around The Difference In Time Zones

Working with a hired offshore developer has a few challenges and the vast difference in time zones is one of them. While you’re getting up in the morning and assigning tasks, your offshore software developer may just be getting to bed after staying up.

The time difference could be as much as 13 hours or more between you and your hired offshore development team. This is why you need to find a way around the gap in time zones so that productivity and communication aren’t harmed.

A way to do this to overlap work schedules to accommodate question and answer sessions, video meetings, and scrum. Once you find a way around the difference in time zones, you can shift your work hours to your advantage.

While your in-house team is asleep, your offshore developers are getting the work done. More compensation could even make your offshore developers move their work schedules to a more convenient time of your day.

#6. Make Use of Video Conferencing Tools

Yes, the meetings and scrums on Slack or over the phone are great, but video conferencing is unmatched. Video interactions can significantly affect team-building positively and add the human element that other means of communication lack.

Video conferencing helps the team know and understand themselves better. It is easier to spot moods and human emotions crucial to a project’s progress from a video call.

And such moods could be key to a positive attitude to work. Besides, with some video conferencing tools, communications can be simplified.

What Is An Advantage Of Offshore Outsourcing?

Getting a dedicated team as well as a talented one is the dream of most top companies. This process to hire offshore developers can be a challenging and crucial responsibility. 

This is why IT companies consider hiring offshore software developers as a valuable decision for many reasons. 

Here are some benefits and advantage to companies who employ offshore developers or hire offshore development teams:

#1. It Is A Cheaper Alternative When Working On Tight Budget

One significant benefit you get when you hire offshore developers is that it is a cost-effective measure if you’re on a tight budget. Both for small and medium-scale firms, in-house software developers can prove to be quite expensive. 

The cost of maintaining, paying, and training a permanent software developer might be too much for your budget. But with the option to hire offshore developers, you get access to a pool of talented developers with inexpensive service.

#2. It Helps Reduce Liabilities

Software development requires many resources and time to make sure the process delivers quality and error-free content. Besides, it needs focus and attention paid to the goals and expectations of the project.

Some of the best software that offers you these resources can be sourced offshore. Although they may be sourced locally, most companies or even start-ups will consider the extra costs as liabilities.

So a better alternative is to hire offshore development teams. That way, you can reduce liability to the barest minimum and use your resources on other relevant tasks.

#3. Helps Businesses Scale-Up Easier

In addition to reducing liabilities, the decision to hire offshore developers is a strategic way to help your company scale up. Hiring a permanent, in-house development team may prove detrimental to any scaling strategy.

As you hire offshore developers, you help your business scale up efficiently with talented professionals to help you grow.

As well as getting and paying for their expertise on software development, some may offer engagement and marketing advice.

All of these measures can help grow and sustain your business’ competitiveness.

#4. Hire Offshore Developers To Hasten Development Time

In the world of software development, money and people and time are two vital resources. More companies looking to get an edge in today’s market hire offshore developers to reduce their time to market.

This is very crucial because of how it helps leverage chances and possibilities as they open. Hiring an in-house software development team will take many resources and time spent conducting the interview process.

But with the best offshore software developers, you will accelerate development time without sacrificing quality.

#5. Access To Top Technologies and Resources

Newer and much valuable technologies are changing the way businesses and industries are used to operating. Foreign countries that champion such innovations have an abundance of the workforce in that area of technology.

Technologies like blockchain, AI, natural language processing are changing the way industries conduct business. And most offshore developers are experts in multiple resources that may help transform the software development landscape.

#6. Offshore Development Team Adds Quality To Existing In-house Team

One way to supplement an average or inexperienced in-house development team isn’t to add more staff but to hire offshore developers. Having lesser innovation and quality could prove a stumbling block to increased business scaling. 

You need to give clients and users valuable output and services while steering the business forward. 

And if you find out you have diminished quality and lack innovation, you may need to hire offshore development teams.

#7. When You Hire Offshore Developers, You Get True Flexibility

Companies want flexibility when hiring offshore developers because they are cheaper, flexible, and work on contracts, an alternative to permanent, in-house developers.

As soon as the project ends, the contract between you and an offshore software developer ends. This gives you the choice of deciding to work with them again or not.

Besides, some projects may require a different software development approach. Hiring an offshore developer gives you the flexibility to choose a specific skill set for a particular project.

Also, it allows you to work on multiple projects with different levels of experience and expertise relevant to the project.

#8. Great For Short Projects

If your company works on lots of short projects, you know that it can be costly to hire and maintain a permanent, in-house team. And if the company is working on a tight budget or is just starting up, then full-time workers may be too expensive.

The decision to hire offshore developers is excellent for short projects because of offshore hiring’s contractual nature. You get to hire offshore developers per project, and you have the flexibility to change your choice of offshore developers too.

#9. Offshore Developers Give Opportunity To Newer Projects and Incentives

When you hire offshore developers, you give your company the room and opportunity to receive newer projects and incentives. A significant help towards this is the cost-effective nature of offshore development teams.

With them in your service, you can channel attention and resources like time and money saved into other ideas. And you do this without having to sacrifice quality or the success of one project for the other.

In essence, when you hire offshore developers, you save space, technology, or resources that permanent staff would use to do the job.

Conclusion

Working with a tight budget, short project, and time constraints mean that you need to hire offshore software development teams. Full-time and permanent developers will prove expensive even for small and medium-sized companies to maintain.

But with a cheaper alternative like outsourcing to offshore developers, cut cost. Besides, companies also get to choose from a talented pool of developers eager to work.

Working in different time zones also means that you can be as flexible as you can afford to be on your projects. So whether you run a start-up or are looking to cut cost, there are a ton of platforms to source for and hire IT Outsourcing Companies.

In the long-term, the decision to hire offshore development teams will prove profitable and sustainable to the company and help it stay competitive.

If you have a project for an offshore team, make sure to contact us for a full guide.