Setting up a startup business or even running an already established business requires resources, especially expert developers. However, finding qualified and experienced developers who can deliver top-notch services that meet your business goals and objectives is a complex process. When not carefully planned, you can end up spending a lot of time and money, thus delaying product launch into the market. Of course, this often has adverse effects on the business.

Well, technology has solved the mystery of hiring expert developers. Today, you can easily access professional developers across the globe. These are teams located in countries that are basically on another continent. The benefits are vast, and challenges are inevitable. That is why this guide explores the processes of hiring overseas developers and all the insights you need to know in this case.

If you are planning to outsource expert and experienced developers from overseas, then this is your guide. What’s more, if you are setting up a startup and don’t know how you can hire professional developers who will transform your idea into reality, keep reading this guide.

Quick overview of overseas developers

Also known as offshore developers, overseas developers are professionals located in another country, i.e., offshores. In this case, a businessperson can contract overseas developers to handle their project by working remotely. They become part of your company’s team, only that they work remotely.

Benefits of hiring overseas developers

Hiring overseas developers, apart from accessing experts, has many other benefits, as outlined below:

• Access to many exert developers

With overseas hiring, you don’t need to worry about a talent shortage, just like you would face difficulties sourcing top talents within your region which is again costly in many ways. As long as your company can manage remote operations, hiring overseas developers is the real deal because you have access to global talents. Ideally, you can easily find any developer who will match your business needs without much straining.

• Reduced overhead costs

For any business, whether a startup or an established business, budgeting for operational expenses is inevitable. These overhead or operational costs can be extreme, particularly when you are working with limited resources. However, hiring overseas developers saves you from such overhead costs. Besides, you can get expert developers from a country where you will get the best services at affordable fees, compared to when you hire from your local region.

For instance, you won’t pay for rent or office space, hardware expenses, and employee benefits, among other related costs, when you hire overseas developers. You can save the extra costs to expand your business.

• Enhanced scalability

Hiring overseas enables businesses to scale the team accordingly, thus saving more resources and related costs. In this case, the business adjusts the team according to the project needs. For instance, if the project is quite complex and requires extra human resources, it is easy for businesses to add the needed developers and continue with the project development processes. Again, if most of the tasks are complete and the project is almost over, it becomes easy to scale down the team and leave only team members who are useful to the project at that specific period.

This level of scalability and flexibility enhances project continuity in any given circumstance, ensuring the end results are top-notch.

• Faster time-to-market

The product development field is quite competitive, with many businesses already adopting online solutions to streamline operations and satisfy user needs. In such a scenario, speed becomes of great value in product development as it ensues you release the product to the market faster & gain a competitive advantage.

The process of hiring overseas developers is faster and easier. You won’t waste time searching for expert developers and filtering them out to find a suitable match. What’s more, overseas hiring allows entrepreneurs to access top talents with extensive experience in the industry. They use their expertise and advanced technologies to release the product to the market faster & attract early users, thus penetrating the market easily.

• Allows you more time to focus on business needs

Managing tasks in a business and focusing on other opportunities to expand the business can be overwhelming and time-consuming. That is why hiring overseas developers simplifies business processes in many ways, allowing business owners to shift the focus to other core business values.

Once you hire overseas developers, the hired teams handle every aspect of the work, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality services. In this case, the team focuses solely on your project to ensure each phase is completed well. You, as a business owner, on the other hand, have all the time to tap into other opportunities that will see your business expand to extreme heights.

• Faster recruiting

Hiring tech experts is a complex process that, when not well planned, can take more time, thus delaying project completion.

Instead of going through all the hurdles of sourcing local or in-house developers, you can opt for overseas hiring and enjoy the streamlined process. In this case, you only need a platform and clear requirements for your project. You will find hundreds of developers who align with your business vision, ready to deliver excellent services.

• Access to experts you can’t find locally

Overseas hiring allows businesses to access advanced and skilled developers whom you cannot find locally. For instance, when your project requires specific tools and technologies, yet your tech in-house team members aren’t skilled in that area, hiring overseas developers is the real deal. You don’t need to strain and shortchange your project requirements because of a lack of talent. Hire overseas developers and have your project completed to the required standards.

• Increased productivity

Hiring overseas developers increases productivity in different ways. For instance, when you hire remote developers, you give them enough space and freedom to work their way out as long as they ensure the timely delivery of high-quality products.

What’s more, overseas remote developers are on the run to get more job offers and they plan how to deliver their best in a timely manner. In this case, they will focus majorly on your project, ensuring timely completion and delivery as they strive to build a positive brand for the online community.

The fact that overseas developers can handle your project faster without compromising the needed quality increases business productivity by enhancing rapid business growth.

• Offers regular support and maintenance

Overseas developers offer extra support and maintenance to ensure the product remains functional and viable in the market. They do this by fixing any bugs or issues, ensuring the product is highly responsive, updated, and optimized for better performance.

Step by step hiring overseas developers

Once you make up your mind to hire overseas developers, you can be sure you are heading in the right direction. However, you need to plan and follow the procedure below to ensure the process turns out successful:

• Define your business requirements

Before you think of hiring overseas developers, think of what your business needs. This includes factors such as the type of project at hand, the country you need to hire from, and how you will collaborate. For instance, you may need developers with experience in backend development tools and technologies, or you may need full-stack developers who are flexible enough to integrate different tools and technologies to complete your project.

As for the country you need to hire for, think of the limiting factors such as different time zones and different cultural practices. Again, define if you will need a long-term partnership or just for a specified timeline. Most importantly, figure out if you will complete your payments through time & materials or a fixed price engagement model, depending on your budget and project flexibility.

Once you define all these, you will have laid a basic foundation for hiring overseas developers.

• Start the research process

With the detailed business requirements in place, you can now begin the search process. While it may sound like a complex process trying to source developers from another country. However, you don’t need to worry because there are many platforms where you can source expert developers and get all their details, enabling you to choose the right candidate in the end.

Below are some of the platforms you can search and find the right developer for your project:

• Freelance websites

These are online platforms connecting those seeking remote workers and freelancers who are ready to work remotely. There are several freelancing platforms where you can research and find your next developers. Aalpha, Toptal, Guru, and Upwork are examples of platforms from where you can easily get skilled and expert developers who will complete your project successfully. While hiring freelancers can be less expensive, managing freelancers can be quite complex. Again, you may not be sure to expect the best quality in the end.

• Digital publications

These are platforms owned by expert developers. Though such platforms, you can review the developer’s approach to different projects by reading through their blogs and developer insights on emerging trends and technologies in the product development space.

Aalpha Information Systems India is a good example of a website offering product development services across the world.

When choosing developers by reviewing websites, you need to verify language proficiency and cultural & time zone compatibility.

• Review platforms

GoodFirms, Wadline, and Clutch are top examples of review platforms where you can find top developers and their overall ratings in terms of expertise, past client reviews, and examples of projects they have handled previously.

With review platforms, you don’t need to spend hours searching for the ideal teaching team. Simply visit the platforms and select your preferred candidates.

• Shortlist successful candidates

After a thorough analysis, you can now shortlist qualified developers who meet your project requirements and budgets. Have several developers on your list for easy screening in the next steps.

• Conduct the first interview, then select qualified developers

At this point, you have a number of qualified developers who can complete your project. However, you need to filter out and remain with the most qualified candidate. This means conducting interviews to learn more about developers, including their work ethics, cultural concerns, expertise, product development best practices, and past projects.

Make sure the final candidate understands your unique project requirements; otherwise, you risk getting an incomplete or substandard project. Don’t forget about delivery timelines, too, depending on your business needs.

Complete this phase by settling on the final candidate suitable to handle your project.

• Signing a contract

After you settle with the final candidate, don’t begin the collaboration immediately. Make sure you sign relevant contracts and paper works to safeguard your project’s confidentiality and to ensure your contract meets the legal requirements.

• Onboarding and using project management tools

After sighing contracts, you can now hire and onboard your overseas developers to start handling the project. You can track and monitor your project’s progress using advanced project management tools, give feedback and suggestions where necessary, and finally, keep active and open communication.

Challenges of hiring overseas developers and solution

While hiring overseas developers comes with many benefits, there are challenges that can’t go unmentioned. Some of these challenges that you should know include the following:

• Time zone differences

Hiring overseas developers means hiring a team working in different time zones from your local time zones. This can impact project continuity, especially during scheduled meetings. What’s more, it becomes challenging to share timely updates or project requirements, especially when they are urgent.

Solution: discuss matters of time zones and availability of both parties when the project is already on. Having a project manager in place will also simplify the complexity of time zone differences. A project manager, in this case, will monitor and ensure all processes are in order.

• Communication challenges

Communication barriers are a major challenge when it comes to hiring overseas developers. Difficulty in communication affects the project processes, from planning to development and maintenance. Minus proper communication, no project will succeed in this case.

Solution: make sure you screen soft skills too, during the interview. It is possible to get overseas developers who are experts in specific technologies but lack language fluency as they can only converse in their native language. Soft skills will help you evaluate the ease of communication with the selected overseas developers.

• Legal concerns

Different countries have different labor laws and guidelines. This can affect the process of hiring developers from a specific country, even when the project is already on.

Solution: take time to research labor laws and rules when hiring overseas developers. Still, you can opt for overseas developers located in counties that follow international labor rules and guidelines to be on the safe side.

• Quality control

Sometimes, you might never be sure of the quality to expect when dealing with overseas developers. Developers from overseas may have different overviews in terms of quality, and this may not align with your business needs.

Solution: conduct comprehensive research and verify the developer’s potential to deliver high-quality work. Check developer experience and academic qualifications.

• Economic & political stability

Yes, you can hire the best and most experienced developers for your project from another country. However, political and economic situations can change instantly, leading to instability in the whole country. This can lead to project stagnation. Economic impact, on the other hand, can lead to hiked development costs, which can impact your budget, especially when you are working with a fixed budget.

Solution: Do a thorough analysis of specific countries you intent to hire overseas developers from. Most importantly, sign contracts that cover payment terms in case of economic instability in the overseas developer’s country.

• Limited control over the project

Once you hire overseas developers, the chances of having direct control over project progress become limited. The team handles the project following their planned schedules and only delivers once the project is over.

Solution: Put in place a proper project management plan to have an overview of the entire process and progress through a project manager.

• Data security & privacy

Data security and privacy is a major concern when you hire overseas developers. There are different forms of data security, including ransomware, weak passwords, and using public WIFI. You might not be in control of how the overseas developers are handling data security, and this can impact your project negatively if no proper security measures are put in place.

Solution: scrutinize the developers thoroughly and ask them more interview questions, especially measures they take to safeguard your data.

Most importantly, sign NDAs to safeguard the confidential details of your project once you share them with overseas developers.

• Missed deadlines

When you hire overseas developers, you can be guaranteed to meet the needed deadlines. When the project is delayed for too long, it means increasing time-to-market, which will slow down product acceptance by the target users.

Some of the reasons why a project can be delayed when working with overseas developers include lack of transparency, poor communication, unclear job requirements, unrealistic deadlines, and lack of enough resources.

Solution: make sure you communicate project requirements in a timely manner, decide on clear and accessible communication channels & communication patterns, choose developers with adequate resources to complete your project, and most importantly, set realistic deadlines.

Factors to consider when hiring overseas developers

Hiring overseas developers is a task on its own that, if not well-planned, can fail. That is why you must factor in the following elements before settling on your preferred overseas developers:

• Geographical location

Choose overseas developers from a region then can access the needed resources to complete your project swiftly. Good internet access is one example of the requirements for connecting and communicating frequently with the overseas team.

Again, don’t forget to factor in the cultural impact. The overseas developers you select should be able to resonate with your business dealings. For instance, you cannot hire developers to develop a gambling platform, yet their cultural norms and beliefs go against gambling.

Most importantly, choose overseas developers from a country with English proficiency. At least, English is an international business language connecting businesses in this case.

• Cost concerns

When you think of hiring overseas developers, you must think of the budget. Of course, the services delivered will come at a cost, depending on the country you hire from.

Go for overseas developers who will offer quality services at a cost-effective charge. You need to balance between quality and cost-effectiveness. Don’t go for cheaper services, but compromise the quality of the work. Again, going for extreme costs doesn’t guarantee better results. Do research and analyze to select the best.

• Industry-specific expertise

Choose overseas developers who are proficient in your industry. Healthcare project development has different industry requirements compared to educational projects. So, when choosing overseas developers, make sure then understand the guidelines of specific industries. Do this by checking their past project and portfolios.

Conclusion

Hiring overseas developers is a viable approach for businesses that want to get quality services at reduced costs and can scale the teams effectively. The process of hiring and onboarding overseas developers is simple as long as you plan beforehand. Simply define what your project needs are, do extensive research, shortlist the candidates, do interviews as you eliminate, sign contracts, and onboard the overseas teams. The process is that simple.

Yes, you will meet several challenges along the way. Simply take the measures described in this guide including signing contracts to safeguard your project details, putting in place streamlined communication measures and channels, and doing a thorough screening process to ensure you choose experienced and highly skilled overseas developers for your project.

Hiring overseas developers FAQs

Which countries can I hire overseas developers from?

There are many overseas countries offering top-notch product development services. South Asia, for instance, is known to deliver high-quality development services. Countries like India, China, the Philippines, and South Korea from South Asia have a wide talent pool when it comes to software development services.

However, Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Romania are some of the underrated countries offering top-notch product development services.

What is the cost of hiring overseas developers?

The costs of hiring overseas developers vary depending on the country or region you are sourcing from. Some countries have higher living standards, while some have moderate living standards, thus impacting the costs of hiring overseas developers.

Again, the rates differ based on the developer’s English proficiency, experience, and expertise in the specific industry. Other factors like the type and complexity of the project, engagement model, and number of developers also impact the costs of hiring overseas developers.

With this said the hourly rates of hiring overseas developers can range from $30 to $200 or even more depending on the aforementioned factors.

What should I look for when hiring overseas developers?

Before you hire overseas developers, think of time zone differences, cultural concerns, communication issues, budget, and expertise based on your project needs.

Back to You!

Looking to hire overseas developers for your next project at affordable rates? Connect with us and receive a free quotation!