How to Hire Dedicated Developers: A Step-by-Step Guide

These days many companies are expanding their horizons beyond traditional staff hiring by capitalizing on the opportunity to bring in offshore development teams. Indeed, why not seize the chance to develop a product with minimum costs and hassles? This strategic approach lets companies engage developers at lower rates while also avoiding an administrative burden and additional expenses on fringe benefits, training, workplace maintenance, and others. This way companies also may not restrict themselves to the local job market only but tap into the global talent pool in order to find the best specialists that perfectly meet their requirements. Additionally, this staff hiring model takes less time compared to the traditional one, and we all know that in the dynamic business landscape, time often stands as the linchpin between success and failure.

If now you find yourself wondering why you haven’t given it a shot yet, you are definitely on the right track. The decision to hire dedicated developers is usually a game-changer for a business in case you approach it properly and without a fuss. Our guide can assist you with this by outlining the key steps to take and facets to consider.

Step 1: Analyze Your Requirements and Needs

Before starting an active search you must clearly understand what to search for. Therefore, we strongly recommend initiating the hiring process by conducting a thorough examination of your requirements. In this regard, take into account the following aspects:

Your Goals: Check whether you have set clear project objectives. You and all engaged specialists should utterly understand what specific objectives they need to achieve.

Tech Stack and Project Scope: If your project is at its outset, determine the technologies you want to leverage and the project scope, encompassing key and nice-to-have app features.

Existing Team: Assess your current in-house staff and specify any skills or talents you intend to complement via the engagement of offshore programmers.

Needed Skill Sets: Clearly outline the skill sets you're seeking in offshore developers, aligning them with the tasks you plan to delegate to them and the deliverables you expect from them.

Industry Knowledge: Decide whether deep industry knowledge is a crucial factor for you. If you possess a strong understanding of industry standards, trends, challenges, and requirements, you may need task-focused individuals. However, if you and your internal team lack industry expertise, you may find it more reasonable to hire developers who have already dealt with similar projects. These experts can actively participate in the decision-making process, providing guidance within all nuances of software development in your niche.

Budget and Timeframe: Estimate your budget and deadlines to understand how many offshore experts you need and how many you can actually afford.

So it is not wise to rush headfirst into hiring offshore developers. Before that, you must take some time to thoroughly analyze your current state of affairs and reveal your exact hiring needs.

Step 2: Study Key Offshore Development Destinations

If you operate in a state with a high-income economy like the USA, Canada, the UK, or Australia, you must consider countries with lower-middle-income economies for hiring offshore developers. Actually, this is the primary factor enabling you to considerably cut down expenses on software development.

Here, we present several offshore development destinations that have traditionally been among the most popular choices:

Latin America: Such countries as Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil stand as absolute leaders in IT outsourcing within the region. More recently, Chile has also emerged as a strong contender. An extensive talent pool and the minimum time difference with the USA and Canada make this region particularly appealing for IT outsourcing. Still, we must admit that rates in Latin America are higher compared to ones in other regions described below.

Eastern Europe: This region provides a multitude of developers experienced in diverse technologies and programming languages. Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia are IT outsourcing leaders here. Excellent services at competitive prices are the key reason to choose Eastern Europe. There is also a good chance of having overlapping working hours unless you are based in Australia or the West Coast of the USA.

South Asia: Noteworthy players in this region are China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. Still, India is considered to be an absolute leader. It is worth mentioning that South Asia boasts the world’s largest IT talent pool, with India alone offering more than 5 million software engineers. So definitely there are many options you can choose from. The local rates will please you as well. However, when considering South Asia for outsourcing, it's crucial to be selective as far too often the professional level of local specialists is significantly lower than in other regions.

Africa: Certain African countries, including South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and Kenya, are emerging as viable destinations for IT outsourcing. The primary advantage here is the lowest in the world software development rates. However, it's important to recognize that the overall number of software engineers remains limited, resulting in fewer options. Additionally, factors such as poor local infrastructure and significant cultural differences should be taken into account.

When choosing between various offshore development destinations, you should take into consideration a number of facets including, rates, time difference, talent availability, and cultural fit. These considerations will play a pivotal role in choosing the ideal destination for your outsourcing needs.

Step 3: Select a Trustworthy Offshore Partner

After identifying a suitable global offshore development destination, the next pivotal step is to begin your search for a trustworthy IT outsourcing partner in that region. Most destinations have an abundance of companies offering IT outsourcing services. So be ready to do some legwork meticulously analyzing and studying potential candidates. Here are several critical aspects to consider during your partner selection process:

Experience: Make sure that a potential partner can provide developers proficient in your particular technology stack. Profound domain knowledge is also always a plus.

Track record: Before making a choice evaluate the professional level of an offshore partner. Their portfolio may serve as a great source of information by demonstrating the projects that the company has worked on and its particular contribution to them.

Reputation: It goes without saying that it is paramount to stay away from IT outsourcing companies with notorious reputations. In order not to get your fingers burnt check the company’s ratings on reputable platforms as well as go through client feedback to know whether a partnership with the company has let its clients achieve their goals. Also, do not hesitate to ask for references for further assurance.

Clear communication: Efficient communication is an essential element of success particularly when it comes to remote collaboration. Ensure that a chosen partner and their team possess a strong command of the English language. Additionally, they should be open to communication and flexible in utilizing the communication channels that you prefer.

Security: Proactively ascertain whether your potential partner adheres to essential security standards and is willing to implement additional security measures if deemed necessary for your project's protection.

Scalability: Assess the partner's capacity for scalability in case your project evolves or expands. A flexible partner should adapt to your changing needs.

Legal Framework: Collaborate with legal counsel to review and negotiate contracts and agreements, ensuring that they protect your interests and outline clear terms of engagement.

By diligently assessing potential offshore partners against these criteria, you can raise the possibility of forging a successful and long-lasting partnership. Always keep in mind that collaboration with a dependable partner is critical for achieving your objectives.

Step 4: Define Your Hiring Strategy

We would like to emphasize that there are several models for hiring dedicated offshore developers. Therefore, depending on your necessities, you have the choice of three options:

Staff augmentation: If you opt for this model, an outsourcing company supplies you with the specialists you need, and they seamlessly integrate into your existing team, filling in knowledge or skill gaps, and helping you address growing workloads and meet tight deadlines. Outsourced specialists closely cooperate with your in-house team serving as its efficient extension. It is important to note that you or your representatives manage them directly as they work with regard to your workflows and follow your corporate policies.

Dedicated development team: Your outsourcing company assembles a cross-functional development team for you, but both of you share accountability for project outcomes. A dedicated development team is exclusively committed to your project while functioning independently from your in-house team. An assigned PM, often outsourced as well, supervises its daily activities and workflows. This project manager regularly reports to you and conducts routine meetings with you. Right from the outset, you should discuss and approve with your partner the size and composition of a team, a project scope, deliverables, timeframes, and SLAs

Project-based model: You just provide your outsourcing company with your specs, and it handles and leads your project on its own, delivering the software solution you need within an agreed timeframe. While you have minimal control over the process of software development, your PM may maintain close communication with the offshore development team to let you stay informed about the project's progress.

Carefully assess your unique needs and objectives to decide which hiring strategy fits best. By choosing the appropriate model, you set the stage for a thriving collaboration with your offshore development team.

Step 5: Craft a Detailed Job Description

It's common for many companies to provide rough job descriptions, but a detailed job description is a critical tool that aids your outsourcing partner in selecting the most suitable specialists for you. To find a specialist who perfectly matches your requirements, invest time in creating a comprehensive job description.

Begin with a concise introduction that highlights your company's mission and values. Then move to the scope and objectives of your project and its significance within your company or the industry as a whole. Also, clearly articulate the role of an offshore developer within your project and the impact they'll make.

The most crucial part of any job description is the required technical skills. Specify the tools and frameworks that are essential for the role. Define the level of experience required, whether it's entry-level, mid-level, or senior. List any specific qualifications, certifications, or degrees that are prerequisites for the position.

Additionally, highlight the importance of soft skills such as sociability, flexibility, creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork, and express your commitment to nurturing a collaborative work environment.

By crafting a detailed job description, you not only improve your prospects of finding a specialist who fulfills your criteria but also pave the way for more effective and harmonious cooperation with your offshore developers.

Step 6: Screen and Interview Candidates

While diligent outsourcing companies make every effort to present you with the most appropriate candidates, ultimately, you have the best understanding of your unique needs and requirements. Therefore, we recommend you carefully review all profiles paying particular attention to technical skills, qualifications, experience, past projects, and any relevant certifications. This way you can shortlist potential candidates. The next step is having one-on-one interviews with favorites. Complete a list of technical questions and prepare a live coding task to assess the technical proficiency of candidates. Direct communication will also help you evaluate their soft skills, cultural fit, and mastery of language.

By carrying out thorough interviews, you can confidently select offshore developers who not only possess the necessary technical skills but also demonstrate the necessary soft skills and cultural alignment.

Step 7: Onboard and Collaborate

As a perfect match has been found, and all bureaucracy issues have been settled, you need to swiftly integrate an offshore developer into your internal team. Here's how to ensure a smooth onboarding process:

• Plainly convey your expectations to the new hires to prevent possible misinterpretations.
• In advance give them access to all tools they need to use and provide instructions on the development environment setup.
• Arrange a team meeting to introduce your new offshore developers and clarify their roles and duties to the rest of your team.
• Provide your offshore developers with access to project documentation and inform them of the current project status.
• Specify preferable communication channels and set reporting frequencies.
• Make sure that all team meetings are scheduled with regard to time difference.

Step 8: Manage Your Remote Development Team

As you might guess, compared to an in-house team, appropriate management of an offshore development team requires much more effort from you. Here's how you can effectively manage and lead it:

• Introduce a well-structured project management approach with clear task allocation, defined timelines, and milestones.
• Leverage modern project management tools to foster seamless team collaboration and progress tracking.
• Assign a dedicated PM to control your remote team's work and ensure complete alignment with project goals.
• Conduct regular performance reviews to assess both individual and team progress.
• Provide constructive criticism so that offshore developers can understand what they need to improve to contribute more effectively.
• Acknowledge and reward the team's outstanding performance and significant achievements to fuel their motivation and raise morale.
• Develop a communication plan that accommodates time differences, ensuring that critical meetings and discussions are scheduled at convenient times for all team members.
• Nurture open and clear communication between in-house and outsourced staff.

By following the above-listed recommendations, you can improve team productivity and ensure close collaboration. Your commitment to effective management is paramount for achieving your project objectives.

Step 9: Build Strong Working Relationships

To ensure tremendous project success you must establish strong relationships and efficient communication with your offshore development team. Here are some useful pieces of advice on how to achieve this:

Cultivate a Positive Work Culture: It is pivotal to build a work environment that promotes close collaboration and inclusivity, where every team member, whether in-house or offshore, feels valued. Also, promote transparent communication, trust, and mutual respect within your team.

Facilitate Regular Meetings: Schedule regular online meetings to facilitate discussions, brainstorming sessions, and project updates with team members from different locations. Make sure every team member has an opportunity to voice their opinions and contribute to conversations.

Hold Team-Building Activities: Organize online team-building activities like online games, virtual team challenges, or collaborative projects that strengthen team bonds. If possible, consider inviting your offshore team to take part in your usual in-house team-building events at least once a year.

Proactively Address All Concerns and Resolve Conflicts: Encourage team members to communicate openly about any challenges or concerns they may encounter. Establish a supportive environment for discussions and assist in finding mutually beneficial solutions when conflicts arise.

By nurturing these close working relationships, you can enhance collaboration, boost team morale, and effectively overcome challenges, ultimately contributing to the resounding success of your project.

Conclusion

The engagement of offshore dedicated developers provides businesses with an abundance of significant benefits. Cost reduction, time efficiency, and flexibility are the most notable ones. Still, in order not to make a mess of things, one should follow a structured approach that involves taking several sequential steps.

In our comprehensive guide, we have outlined these steps and provided helpful insights into the crucial aspects to consider before, during, and after hiring offshore developers. So use it to make informed decisions and gain desired results.