Hiring Remote Developers: Pros and Cons
Businesses spend billions of dollars annually on software outsourcing services to help them grow and improve. However, hiring remote developers, like any other process, has its own set of considerations. Knowing these and the mistakes to avoid will ensure your business development process gets off to a good start.
The Benefits of Hiring Remote Developers
You have access to the best talent on the planet.
The most significant benefit of hiring remote developers is that you are not limited to local talent. You can search far and wide for the best match for your project without worrying about whether or not they are willing to relocate.
Boost Diversity
Workplace diversity promotes innovation and productivity. This diversity is not limited to gender and ethnicity but also cultural background, education, etc. When you broaden your recruiting pool to include people who do not live within commuting distance of your office, you gain access to a broader range of experiences from which your company can benefit.
Get the most for your money
The cost of hiring a dedicated team that works remotely rather than in-house is another advantage. High-quality services are not cheap, but by hiring remote developers, you avoid providing them with office space, computers, and other amenities, which helps reduce costs. As a result, outsourcing is a great option for all businesses, including larger corporations that do not want to maintain their in-house team.
Reduce HR’s workload
If you decide to create your in-house development team, your HR department can expect months of additional work. Recruitment, interviews, background checks, onboarding, and other activities will consume a significant amount of their time. This process is already taken care of when you use an outsourcing company’s dedicated team services.
Begin immediately
It can take months to assemble an in-house team ready to begin working on your project. On the other hand, a remote technical team can get up and running much more quickly. You could start seeing results in months or even weeks, depending on your project.
The disadvantages of hiring remote developers
Consistency
Putting together an in-house team takes time. Finding the right people is difficult, and starting a new project takes months. On the other hand, an in-house team has a significant advantage: consistency. You know who your team is and what you’re going to get. When you use an outsourcing company, you are taking a risk.
Solution: Do your due diligence when researching outsourcing companies. A thorough discovery stage before development indicates that your preferred outsourcing company will successfully turn your idea into reality. Hold on to a dependable outsourcing partner who can consistently deliver good results!
Differences in time zones
Regarding IT outsourcing, your partner could be in a different world than you. Depending on the time zone difference, urgent issues may have to wait hours before your team begins their workday.
Solution: With a time difference of only an hour or two, Western European companies can easily outsource to experienced developers in Eastern Europe. This is a minor distinction. The time difference can be quite significant for businesses in the United States. However, being forewarned is being forearmed; with proper project management, even a 10-hour difference can become insignificant. A professional project manager will help a business maximize its benefits by, among other things, providing essential leadership and keeping track of tasks, deadlines, and scope.
Language distinctions
The primary language in technology is English. However, if you hire globally, there is a risk that the best developers you can find will lack the necessary linguistic skills to communicate with you effectively.
Solution: Before deciding on a remote technical team, interview a representative and whoever will be in charge of communication in your company. Use this time to get to know the people you’ll be working with and see if you’ll be able to communicate effectively. Be aware that there are significant global differences in English education. You will have a better chance of finding a great outsourcing company if you look in countries with a large supply of English-speaking developers, such as Vietnam.
Not understanding your product
When working with an outsourcing team, remember that no one knows your product better than you. While an in-house team may require a refresher to ensure that everyone is up to speed, a remote technical team begins from scratch.
Solution: It is not simply a matter of being able to explain your product to those who are unfamiliar with it. You also want the outsourcing company to take an active interest in your product and ask questions until they fully understand your business needs. This will aid in the smooth operation of the project discovery phase. Ideally, you should select a firm that has successfully implemented similar projects for other businesses. This ensures they are already familiar with what you are likely to require.
Management
It can be intimidating if you’ve never managed a remote technical team. You may be concerned that your developers are not making the best use of their time or have misunderstood your previous instructions.
Solution: Depending on the scope of your project, you might want to hire a project manager to ensure everything goes smoothly. You can also schedule regular and brief status meetings. This is an excellent time to inquire not only about how things are going but also if the team is experiencing any difficulties that require assistance. Assure them that they can always contact you if they need to. Finally, let the results determine whether your team can handle independence.
Conduct your research thoroughly
A low price can be enticing, but in the end, you want quality service with excellent results. This means that you should prioritize dependability over all else.
When comparing developers, don’t just look at their available case studies. Also, look into what other people say about them on sites like Clutch. Check Glassdoor to see if any of their employees have left reviews. There are no better reviews than negative reviews here, and the best reviews are those that provide feedback to the company. If you’re unsure where to begin your search, the top offshore software development companies of 2022 list is a good place to begin.
Is there a job posting for the company you want to work for? Examine them and see what qualities they seek in their employees. Communication is critical in remote collaborations, so soft skills should be prioritized.
Hiring remote developers for your company
If you are considering hiring remote developers to help you with your technical challenges, or if you need more advice, please contact us! Bestarion is delighted to help you on your digital journey.