A Comprehensive Guide on Hiring Offshore Software Developers for Your Project

Outsourcing software development projects is not only a strategic business decision but also a need of the hour in today’s competitive scenario. As a low-cost and reliable alternative to in-house hiring, outsourcing can improve the profitability of your business and enable you to strengthen footprints in different regions of the world. When you hire offshore software developers, you can also leverage the benefits of time zone difference and a talented workforce.

There is no exaggeration in mentioning that the demand to hire offshore software developers is increasing with every passing day, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made this option even more popular and viable amid lockdowns and WFH conditions.

Hiring offshore software developers can enhance the value of your business in the year 2021 and beyond. Let’s understand every aspect of outsourcing your software project to offshore developers. Semaphore will start with the importance of hiring offshore developers and make a handy list of necessary aspects to consider while hiring an offshore software development team. 

Importance of Hiring Offshore Developers for Your Project 

Deloitte’s global outsourcing survey has revealed that around 72% of the companies prefer outsourcing their software development project to in-house development. Sounds interesting? Let’s dig deep into the key reasons for this trend.

• Cost-effective Option- Startups, SMEs, and even established enterprises want to get their projects done in a cost-efficient way while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines. If they hire offshore software developers then they can address both these objectives while saving bucks. It is possible as you do not need to pay for overhead costs including payroll, insurance benefits, and office rent in outsourcing. What’s more, the hourly rates of software developers are lower in offshore countries than that in the US and European countries.
• Time-zone Advantage-  Suppose your company’s headquarter is in the US, and you outsource the project to an Indian company, you can get a time-zone advantage of around 12 hours. It means that your team of developers works on your project even when your office is closed for a day in the US. Simply put, you can focus more on your software development project and save time while maintaining productivity. This is a crucial factor to survive and thrive in a highly competitive age.
• Higher Flexibility- This is one of the biggest benefits of hiring an offshore software development team. You can scale up or down the size of the team as per your project requirements and budget. A reputed and reliable offshore development partner facilitates you to choose your team of developers and offers flexibility to make changes in the technology stack in line with the project scope. Startups and SMEs find this benefit highly useful because it helps them save bucks without compromising on the performance of the software or a customized business solution.

Also Read- Key Things to Keep in Mind while Hiring Team of Dedicated Developers

• Diverse Pool of Talent- It is another noteworthy benefit of outsourcing. When you opt for hiring offshore software developers, chances are high that you can hire dedicated and skilled developers from Asia who can work exclusively on your project. In a way, you can hire and retain a talented workforce for your project without spending a small fortune through outsourcing.

All you need to define objectives for software development and make a complete roadmap before shortlisting outsourcing partners. It is also better to research market trends and check out your budget while making a software development strategy. You can consult a reputed ODC (Offshore Development Center) to make an informed decision or ask your peers who have already outsourced software development projects. Let’s have a list of major aspects to consider while hiring experienced offshore software developers. Key Factors to Consider before Hiring Offshore Software Developers

• Check previous records or portfolio Nowadays, it is easy to check the records of previous work or go through portfolios of various companies online. You can also check the developer’s profile on LinkedIn and ask for showing their previous work.
• Know outsourcing partner’s workflow You can find out how your outsourcing partner interacts with other clients and strives for meeting deadlines. It is also beneficial to understand their resource allocation pattern and overall workflow because it will help you know their flexibility and scalability. You should opt for a 360-degree software development provider to get all services under one roof.
• Ask for hiring models While staying away from a fixed-price model, you can ask for other hiring models and hourly rates of developers. You can also discuss on scaling up or down your team as per the project needs with your outsourcing partner before assigning the project.
• Interview developers You can interview developers to get highly talented and dedicated professionals to work on your project. It can also enable you to know the developer’s communication skills and domain expertise, which is beneficial during the development phase.
• Get a robust project management tool Gone are the days when the company management sent long-thread emails while keeping various executives in the loop. Today, robust project management tools including Trello, Slack, and Jira are available and most offshore software development companies use these tools to keep their clients updated with the project status in real-time.
• Focus on communication When you outsource a project to an offshore development company, communication remains the key to success for your project. Whether you run a startup or own an SME, it is imperative to communicate with your developer team regularly related to the progress and stages of your project. You can remain proactive and try to work on the next day’s task to ensure that everything is going as per your plan.

Concluding Lines We do hope that this comprehensive guide on hiring offshore developers will help you make the decision quickly for your upcoming software development project. Do you want to know more about our ODC (Offshore Development Center)? Do you want to discuss the outsourcing model for your business? Let’s connect! Simply drop us a line at info@semaphore-software.com, and we’ll get back to you with all answers to your questions and a complete outsourcing roadmap.