Offshore development is a great way to save costs, access a larger talent pool, and scale your business faster. However, hiring offshore developers can also be a challenging and time-consuming process, especially if you don’t have a clear strategy and plan. In this article, we will show you how to hire offshore developers in 4 days, using a proven method that will help you find the best candidates, test their skills, and onboard them smoothly.
Some of the challenges of hiring offshore developers are:
You should also define your expectations from the offshore developers, such as:
What are offshore developers?
Offshore developers are software engineers who work remotely from a different country or region than the client or employer. Offshore development, a type of outsourcing, seeks to cut expenses, tap into worldwide talent, and hasten project completion. Some of the benefits of hiring offshore developers are:- Lower labor costs and operational expenses
- Access to a larger and more diverse pool of skilled developers
- Ability to scale up or down the team size as needed
- Flexibility in working hours and time zones
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Communication and cultural barriers
- Quality and security issues
- Legal and regulatory compliance
- Project management and coordination
- Trust and accountability
Steps to hire an Offshore Developer
Step 1: Define Your Project Requirements and Expectations
The first step of hiring offshore developers is to define your project requirements and expectations. This will help you narrow down your search and find the most suitable candidates for your project. Some of the questions you should ask yourself are:- What is the goal and scope of your project?
- What are the main features and functionalities you need?
- What are the technical specifications and design requirements of your project?
- What are the security and compliance standards you need to follow?
- How much time and budget do you have for your project?
- How do you measure the success and quality of your project?
- What skills and experience do they need to have?
- What level of communication and collaboration do you expect from them?
- What tools and platforms do you use or prefer to use?
- How do you manage and monitor their work and progress?
Step 2: Find and Shortlist Offshore Developers
The second step of hiring offshore developers is to find and shortlist them. There are various sources and platforms where you can find offshore developers, such as:- Online marketplaces and platforms, such as Toptal, Freelancer, or Turing, where you can post your project and get proposals from qualified offshore developers.
- Online communities and forums, such as Stack Overflow, Reddit, or Quora, where you can ask for recommendations and referrals from other developers and users.
- Social media and professional networks, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, where you can search for offshore developers by keywords, location, skills, or experience.
- Local events and meetups, such as Meetup, Eventbrite, or Hackathons, where you can network and connect with offshore developers in person.
Step 3: Evaluate and Test Offshore Developers
The third step of hiring offshore developers is to evaluate and test their skills and abilities. You can do this by conducting interviews, assigning tasks, and reviewing code samples. Some of the methods and tools you can use are:- Interviews: You can conduct interviews with offshore developers via phone, video call, or in person. You should ask them about their background, experience, projects, skills, and tools. You should also ask them technical and behavioral questions to assess their knowledge, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.
- Tasks: You can assign tasks or mini-projects to offshore developers to see how they work on real-world scenarios. You should give them clear instructions, expectations, and deadlines. You should also provide them with feedback and guidance along the way.
- Code samples: You can review code samples or GitHub repositories of offshore developers to see how they write, structure, and document their code. You should look for code quality, readability, maintainability, and security.
Step 4: Negotiate and Hire Offshore Developers
The fourth and final step of hiring offshore developers is to negotiate and hire them. You should consider the following factors when negotiating with offshore developers:- Rates: You should agree on the rates and payment methods of offshore developers. You can choose to pay them hourly, weekly, monthly, or per project, depending on your preference and budget. You should also consider the currency, taxes, and fees involved.
- Scope: You should define the scope and deliverables of your project, including the features, functionalities, milestones, and deadlines. You should also specify the change management and quality assurance processes.
- Communication: You should establish the communication channels and frequency of your collaboration with offshore developers. You should also decide on the tools and platforms you will use, such as Slack, Zoom, or Trello.
- Ownership: You should clarify the ownership and intellectual property rights of your project and its assets. You should also sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and a non-compete agreement (NCA) if necessary.