Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring Offshore Software Developers

Expanding your dev team to include offshore software developers?

Don't make these common mistakes.

There are so many advantages to outsourcing your software development to offshore software developers. Managers are able to find highly qualified professionals to fill in the gaps where they need while keeping development costs down. Project managers are then allowed to focus on their core competence rather than spending unnecessary time going over development details. When hiring offshore software developers, many companies make the same mistakes. These errors contribute to both loss of time as well as money. Figuring out these common mistakes ahead of time can help you, as a project manager, to avoid these losses and keep your work on track.

1. Have a Clear Project Vision

When talking with offshore software developers, you need to have your project goals lined up and thoroughly explained so the prospective hires can demonstrate their competencies when it comes to completing their tasks. Let them know--as best you are allowed-- the project’s intricacies you plan on accomplishing as well as the end goal. Make sure they understand both aspects and feel comfortable asking questions up front so you can avoid any troubles.

2. Problems with Communication

Communication is crucial when it comes to offshore developers-- many a project has fallen through because of lack of communication. Pay attention to potential developers’ respond time, communications channels, and how well they receive and execute directions. Hiring developers that are initially patchy with communication will only cause you bigger problems down the road.

3. Mismatched Cultures

When it comes to hiring offshore, there is always the problem of discrepancies between your culture and that of your developers’. Communication is so much much than simply knowing the same language. There are idioms, gestures, customs, and behavior norms that can get in the way. One way to help prevent this is by hiring nearshore developers. Nearshore developers are located in countries close to your own; for instance, a project manager in the United States may hire nearshore developers in San Jose, Costa Rica. The cultures share more similarities and there are fewer chances for discrepancy.

Recently, we wrote a blog that outlined the various types of outsourcing. We went into quite a bit of detail as to why we, at Number8, choose to outsource nearshore software developers instead of onshore or offshore. However, that is not the best practice for every company. For companies that do opt to hire offshore developers instead of onshore or nearshore, it should help to avoid the common mistakes outlined above.

At Number8, we help companies connect with the best offshore software developers in countries like Costa Rica and Honduras. We believe hiring nearshore developers helps prevent a lot of the common problems managers come by when building their offshore development team. f you’re interested in learning more about Number8 and what we do, give us a call at 502-212-0978, or check out our information page here!