With remote work and a global talent market, companies now have access to a larger talent pool without any location restrictions. Fast and high-quality app development, along with wide tech expertise and affordable pricing, make hiring app developers from the vast outsourcing pool a mainstream solution when there is a shortage of the right experts.
However, the abundance of choices sometimes creates confusion, triggering questions about where to find candidates, how to hire dedicated offshore developers, which hiring model to choose, and whether the wasted costs are worth it in total. In fact, 71% of CEOs surveyed by Deloitte consider the aforementioned factors the biggest external challenge to their business strategy.
This comprehensive guide simplifies the process by providing insights into the IT hiring market, highlighting when to hire offshore developers, exploring the benefits, and presenting the common hiring options available.
A Brief Look at the IT Hiring Market
Let’s start with some figures. The COVID-19 pandemic sped up numerous digital changes, emerging as one of the main reasons why 76% of IT functions are outsourced today. In this global scenario, the skills that companies seek also undergo constant changes. For instance, according to the 2023 HackerRank Developer Skills Report, there's a steady demand for specialists well-versed in Java, Python, SQL, C++, and JavaScript.
Naturally, each time changes occur, the companies that are first to adapt to them will hold the competitive advantage. In the race to stay ahead, the demand for skilled and experienced teams has reached an unprecedented high, which often necessitates substantial budgets. To address this, many businesses turn to outsourcing and hiring dedicated teams as a solution.
Many tech giants, like Google, Facebook, Slack, Netflix, and WhatsApp, are among the companies that opt for this approach and hire offshore developers instead of in-house teams. Depending on their specific needs, they are already benefiting from hiring offshore developers for additional tasks on a per-project basis.
Hire Offshore Developers: When Does It Make Sense?
When we look at why our clients hire offshore developers, two main reasons stand out. The first is their lack of technical know-how, making it hard for them to define their app needs and the development process. The second reason is the need for extra resources in growing projects where their current team lacks specific expertise. Here, we've listed more situations where hiring offshore developers is the most feasible solution.
Release time is running out
When time is short, and investors want quick results, getting things done internally requires a lot of resources – like time, money, and skilled staff. That's when hiring offshore developers becomes a rewarding experience. They can help meet deadlines and handle the pressure without straining your internal resources.
Budget is tight
Hiring offshore developers is often a more cost-effective solution compared to hiring local talent or having an in-house team. This can be great when you have financial constraints but still require high-quality development work.
For example, while hiring US or UK software developers might have higher rates ($70 to $200 per hour), it's crucial to consider the added benefits and contract-related expenses. In contrast, offshore programmers located in Eastern Europe have gained popularity not only because of their high-tech capabilities but also because of their affordable costs, which average around $50 per hour. All other expenses, such as taxes, providing necessary conditions, and contract perks, are covered by the outsourced team.
Based on Indeed, SalaryExpert
Slow time to market
If your product is taking longer than expected to reach the market, offshore developers can give it a boost. Their expertise helps speed up the development process, allowing for a quicker product launch.
It's not just about speed, though. Offshore developers can also maintain quality while delivering faster results. Their diverse experience and exposure to various clients worldwide contribute to innovative problem-solving and up-to-date solutions, ensuring a refined and modern end product.
Lack of necessary specialists nearby
When your digital product is under development, you might be required to use specific technologies in your business area. At this moment, it’s important that you don't let the lack of needed expertise in your area or higher salaries disrupt your ongoing operations because the solution is right behind you.
Offshore developers provide access to a wider range of expertise. For instance, as per the latest McKinsey report, such trendy technologies as AI, cloud, edge computing, immersive reality, or Web3I, which might be rare or relatively costly in your region, can be more accessible through offshore development teams in regions like Eastern Europe.
Not enough time for the business itself
Software development involves many intricate details and nuances that an entrepreneur can't always handle. From coding languages to architectural decisions, user experience design to system integrations, the intricacies demand specialized knowledge and expertise. In turn, business owners should focus on the big picture instead of getting lost in app specifics. Hiring an app developer enables them to delegate development tasks, freeing up their focus on core business activities and more valuable tasks.
Benefits of Hiring Offshore Developers
Hire offshore developers to tap into a global talent pool, opening up a world of unique skills and insights to tailor your projects. This option is cost-effective, reducing substantial overheads related to local salaries and infrastructure. Offshore developers offer scalable and flexible teams, leading to quick project completion while optimizing productivity. This outsourcing model enables you to focus on core business operations, reducing overall project risks.
Lower costs
The goal of any company is to increase revenue while minimizing costs, so it is not surprising that many entrepreneurs outsource development tasks to offshore programmers. You may ask – what makes it more economical?
Here are three main aspects to consider:
- You save on varying economic conditions and more favorable wage levels in different countries.
- You save on office rent and equipment costs that an in-house team would require.
- You save on recruitment and staff training if you turn to an outsourcing agency that takes on that responsibility.
Quick hires
The global talent pool and remote work not only benefit companies but also job seekers. With more job options available and reduced costs when changing jobs, this leads to quicker hiring processes, as developers are more enthusiastic about accepting offers and exploring fresh experiences.
If we consider an offshore app development company, the situation is even better. Such companies may already have all the required staff on board, minimizing recruiting, onboarding, and training time. Additionally, all administrative tasks, payroll, and employment perks are managed by the offshore provider.
Diverse ideas and innovation
As a rule of thumb, experienced offshore developers work with numerous clients from various regions and industries. Hence, they have lots of tools in their problem-solving toolbox. Their long history in the market and past work allow them to bring diverse thinking and approaches, leading to more innovative solutions and a wider perspective on solving problems.
Dedicated focus
"Dedicated focus" means offshore dedicated developers focus only on your project (surely - depending on the contract type). They don't work on many projects at once, so they can focus better on getting your job done well and on time. This experience can be quite similar to working with your in-house team, where the developers give your project their full attention, ensuring a similar level of dedication and quality in the work they deliver.
Faster time to market
Being quicker to market is the key to standing out from your competitors. If your product takes too long to develop, your competitors may steal the chance to launch their solution before you.
Instead, dedicated development teams have a focus on your project, and everything happens much quicker, so you release a solution on time. This also streamlines communication and makes fixing problems, adding new features and all the other steps happen faster. Plus, it gives you more freedom to handle any issue whenever you need to, as you can quickly scale your team up or down.
3 Common Options to Hire Offshore Developers
There are lots of ways to build a team for software development. The decision always depends on whether you have enough resources, hiring competencies, and what your project goals are in general because the scope of the task may help you pinpoint the most optimal option. Let's check out each one and see their good and bad points that might help you decide.
Hire app developers in-house
When choosing to hire developers for your existing in-house team, you should always remember one thing - you should do and pay for everything a government requires from you.
On the one hand, you'll need recruiters or HR staff to interview and train new hires or have your recruiting background to find the best match.
On the other hand, you'll have to handle office rent, buy equipment, tackle legal matters, and manage employee benefits, pay, and time off.
This only works if you have a large budget and a steady source of funding.
Hire app developers on a freelance basis
Upwork and Fiverr are the most popular and accessible platforms for anyone looking to hire freelance developers – self-employed professionals who take on tasks as they appear.
The good part is that they can charge less for their services, and you do not need to pay for contract perks, vacation, taxes, and other expenses. You have a job, and they do it. This arrangement can be a good fit if you have a budget of up to $10,000.
However, hiring freelancers means that you will need to handle the hiring, onboarding, and work management yourself or hire someone to do it for you. There are no guarantees of proper commitment or the quality of the finished work. Additionally, freelancers may lack the expertise and competencies of larger outsourced firms.
Hire offshore developers as a dedicated software development team
Outsourcing companies provide fully staffed offshore development teams you can team up with globally on favorable terms. This option is also popular because it reduces your hiring, firing, and managerial responsibilities.
Importantly, you don’t need to hire a whole team. Instead, you can add specific experts to your in-house team. This route might be more budget-friendly than hiring in-house experts and provides a higher level of confidence in their qualifications compared to freelancers.
Furthermore, offshore development teams operating on an outsourced basis are flexible. You can easily scale the team size and composition up or down, resulting in long-term resource savings.
As an added benefit, you do not have to pay for office rent or benefits as required by employment agreements. The outsourcing company handles all of that.
How to Hire Offshore Developers?
A well-polished resume doesn't always show if the candidate is right for the job. That's why it's essential to check a few things before hiring app developers, and the way you do it is equally important. Let's explore specific steps that will help you to hire offshore developers and find the perfect match to get jobs done as you expect.
Step 1: Outline your needs
When you hire app developers, it's critical to understand what you need, want, and expect to achieve at the project's end. These initial inputs will help you achieve the expected value, ensuring that the developers or the entire team you hire understand the direction for progress.
So, make sure you write down your requirements to the last detail. Clearly defining your requirements, including the functions you want, helps identify the skills your future candidates should have and the technology needed for the job.
Don't worry if you find this difficult. You can contact an outsourcing company that can ask you suggestive questions to help you figure it out.
Step 2: Research the market
In theory, there are a lot of ways to find and hire offshore developers. Among them, asking your colleagues for references is the most time-efficient practice as it eliminates the need to screen through countless resumes. However, this option assumes that you already have a network of useful contacts.
Another simple yet effective way is to perform a Google search with specific criteria, such as "hire app developers to develop a custom eСommerce app." This allows you to pinpoint your development needs and easily identify top-rated companies that specialize in your requirements.
Alternatively, you can research dedicated hiring platforms to find the information you need. For example:
- Use Upwork to connect with freelancers. Many companies prefer this platform for outsourcing development jobs due to its user-friendly interface for posting job requirements, reviewing proposals, and managing payments. Keep in mind that you will be required to pay a certain percentage of the rate to this platform.
- Browse through Dribbble and Behance platforms, which have a high concentration of skilled app developers and designers. One advantage of these platforms is the ability to view real works and past projects of designers or developers who consistently showcase their work.
- Search on Clutch and GoodFirms to find reputable outsourcing agencies that provide offshore software development teams on an hourly or project-based basis. These B2B platforms are excellent for filtering searches and validating company information by reviewing previous clients' testimonials and proof of skills.
Step 3: Contact developers or companies
This is the point where you talk about your project with the companies you've chosen. Your initial impression decides if you want to continue with them.
You can ask for a price estimate, see how the team communicates, and get an overall feel for this interaction. Also, connecting with potential candidates helps you check if they're ready for your project, what cooperation terms are best for them, and how well they understand the industry you work in, among other details.
We recommend using live communication (like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype) for this purpose, where you can additionally ask basic questions about candidates’ workflow, experience, and motivations to decide your next steps. Afterward, you can filter and pick 1-3 candidates for further consideration.
Step 4: Protect your confidentiality if needed
Your project idea is incredibly valuable and should be protected. One way to do this is by using a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before sharing details with potential partners. An NDA ensures the outsourcing vendor keeps your information confidential, covering ideas, features, technologies, and project-related details—a common practice in the IT industry.
Step 5: Ask questions to see if the candidate is a good fit
At this step, you have an opportunity to stop your search with one candidate. In the case of hiring app developers, there are some “determining” questions you cannot leave unanswered to make your outsourcing experience positive. For example, make sure to ask about:
- Technology stack. Ask about technologies and tools developers are proficient in. The more projects they have worked on using these technologies, the better. Always remember, you don't just need a “role model” developer but one with expertise in the specific technologies required for your project.
- Development approach. As many developer teams on the market, so many approaches exist to organize and manage their work. The goal is to choose one that will help you set deadlines for various milestones and determine when to expect the results. Plus, you should understand how the process will look like, what delivery methods are used, what actions are taken if risks come up, etc.
- List of optional services. When looking for a developer, it's crucial to be aware of what you are paying for, including the specific sub-services they offer. Some offshore programmers may only provide coding and programming, while others may offer additional services such as project management, troubleshooting, and maintenance. Failing to check this information may lead to unexpected costs or paying for services you didn't require.
- Company’s corporate culture. It's important to assess if developers share the same values and corporate culture as your organization. This can significantly impact the outcome of the collaboration. For example, some companies may have a traditional managerial style where employees have limited input in the decision-making process, while others emphasize teamwork and encourage contributions from everyone regardless of job titles.
- Communication style. Remote work, along with time zone differences, are still bottlenecks for many. It's essential to talk about it early on, ensure clear communication, choose specific tools convenient for both, and set work and call times for the developers.
- Hidden costs. Forewarned is forearmed. Unexpected costs down the road are always frustrating. Ensure the team or developer you're communicating with has a transparent pricing structure with specified scopes of work and potential charges.
Step 6: Finalize legal nuances and welcome a team on board
This step is all about tying up legal loose ends and officially bringing the team on board. Ensuring the correct legal documents are finalized is crucial—it serves as your safety net, offering peace of mind and assurance in the form of contractual guarantees.
We recommend taking into account the following aspects of a contract for successful cooperation:
- A detailed description of the services provided
- Key goals, responsibilities, and scope of work
- Timelines, costs, and payment details
- Terms of contract termination
- Agreement duration
- Confidentiality and disclosure consequences
- Acceptance criteria
Why Hire Offshore Developers at ElifTech?
In the world of software development, managing the right team can make or break your project. The rise of offshore software development has made it easier for businesses to scale up effectively and affordably. Among various offshore development companies, ElifTech stands out as an industry leader. Why? Let’s dive in.
Global Talent at Your Disposal
ElifTech taps into diverse global talent, bringing a fresh perspective to your projects and ensuring your access to a wide range of technical expertise. By hiring offshore developers at ElifTech, you are not bound by geographical restrictions and can find just the right match for your project’s specific needs.
Cost-Effective and Scalable
Hiring developers for short-term projects in-house can be expensive and time-consuming. ElifTech offers a cost-effective solution where you can hire skilled developers as per the needs of your project. We adapt to your needs with various flexible staffing models, including team extension or dedicated team model with FP or T&M contracts.
Quality Assurance
ElifTech’s offshore developers follow rigorous protocols to ensure the quality of their deliverables. They are familiar with modern testing methodologies and use advanced technologies to build robust software solutions. Plus, regular code reviews and performance checks ensure the continual improvement of your application.
Communication Ease
There’s a myth that communication can be a barrier when hiring offshore teams. However, ElifTech dismisses this by fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration. Their project management tools and practices ensure transparency, timely updates, and seamless interaction, no matter where in the world you are located.
Enhanced Productivity
ElifTech’s offshore teams are capable of working across different time zones and schedules. This allows your project to be worked on around the clock, increasing productivity and reducing the time to market for your application.
A Dedicated Team
ElifTech offers a dedicated team model, ensuring that every team member is committed to your project. This model allows the offshore developers to familiarize themselves with your company culture, business objectives, and project needs to ensure an alignment of goals, leading to successful project completion.
Final Say
Hiring offshore developers at ElifTech enables you to leverage a global talent pool, cut down costs, ensure high-quality deliverables, and accelerate your development schedule. Contact us to find out how to hire offshore developers and how we can help transform your product idea into tangible results.