The talent shortage doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. “54% of global IT organizations reported that talent shortage was holding them back.” On December 22, 2023, Forbes reported, “More companies are embracing on-demand talent.” In fact, “90% of business leaders view (on-demand talent) as somewhat or very important to their competitive advantage.”
As a result, companies large and small are increasingly forced to create a mosaic of vendors to meet these demands. Nearshoring IT talent has emerged as less as a must-have and more as a want-to-have in their go-forward strategy. A part of this new thinking comes from viewing nearshoring from a different perspective, one that celebrates cultural alignment, real-time collaboration, and the value of varying backgrounds and perspectives.
In other words, nearshoring is no longer viewed as a stopgap. Now, it is seen as a differentiator. However, to capitalize on that differentiation, you must understand two integral pieces to leverage an effective nearshoring strategy. First, acknowledging that Latin America is made up of a disparate set of cultures—and by embracing that diversity—teams can far exceed expectations. Second, a nearshoring approach varies wildly from firm to firm, so understanding the agility and flexibility in the offering recommended is key.
What remains constant is the expectations for a top contributor – relevant skills, culture and time zone alignment, a thirst for knowledge, a self-driven nature, and an innovative mentality. Having the right software development consultants can propel your organization to greater heights in addition to fulfilling your skill deficiencies.
In 2024, businesses will proactively search for ways to bring on nearshore talent rather than reactively waiting until it’s an absolute necessity.
Innovation and flexibility reign supreme every year in business but perhaps even more so in 2024. Customized software solutions are what every organization strives for. They want software tailored precisely to their needs in order to accelerate time to market and introduce needle-moving operational efficiencies. The custom software development market is already on the move. In the U.S., it is projected to grow by 19.3% between now and 2030. Developers with a myriad of skills and experiences have the capabilities companies want, as they can develop customized software that drives bottom-line improvements.
A combination of alignment and slight misalignment are going to be key factors this year in the software development field. Let me explain. You want your nearshore talent to be closely aligned in terms of culture, skills, and work ideology. This helps ensure you have temporary team members that will gel with your existing team and share a similar work ethic and belief system. These calibrations can create working synergies, accelerated timelines, and smooth development.
On the other hand, a little variance in the areas of experience, methodology, personal/professional background, and development strategy can help shake up the apple cart and bring in some new thinking and approaches that can help a stagnant development organization kickstart its innovation and productivity. Think about it. Bringing on versatile outside talent with a little different experience can infuse fresh ideas and an outward-looking perspective. This can breathe new life into your development efforts and drive significant competitive differentiation beyond what your internal team may be able to produce on their own.
This year, businesses will start viewing these modest variances as an advantage rather than a hindrance.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the aligned characteristics and modest variances to look for when engaging a nearshore talent firm.
Slight differences in experience, regulatory environment, socioeconomics, budget constraints, etc. can add a whole new dimension to your development team. Look at it like a new member of a sports team who speaks the same language but comes from a different country. This player can bring new techniques that can help you win games.
The nearshore firm you work for needs to not only have the right talent but also be constantly enhancing skill sets. Technologies, regulations, data structures, testing procedures, and algorithms are constantly evolving. You want software development professionals who are both currently artisans in their craft but who are reinvesting in the latest trends and techniques.
Some nearshore solutions providers pride themselves on continuous learning, while others may not. Be sure to find out how your potential partner views ongoing skills training and learning. This should not feel like an exercise that is separate from their day-to-day activities. Your partner should be helping develop your teams and bring a voice to best practices. Developers who are up to speed on the latest trends and innovations can provide enhanced value to your business, while those who are not can slow down progress.
Videoconferencing solutions, professional web cameras and headphones/microphones can mitigate the impact of geographical distances between your in-house and external talent. Many of today’s software development teams operate virtually any way. Bringing on extra, remote nearshore talent won’t impact your workflow. It will, however, extend and enhance your team and its capabilities, production, and skills.
Nearshoring is becoming a competitive advantage amidst the ongoing software development talent shortage. What was once viewed as a stopgap is now considered an effective, proactive business strategy.
By embracing the right nearshore partner, amongst many other benefits, you should be able to:
When considering your next nearshore talent decisions, remember to consider the characteristics and parameters that are most important while also considering the advantages a little variance can bring. Modest differences in background, skills, regulatory environments, etc. can bring newfound innovation, approaches, and methodologies to your organization that may give your business the jumpstart and upward trajectory it desperately needs.
When it comes to nearshore development talent, alignment may be critical, but a little variance can bring the secret sauce you need to leapfrog your competition.
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