The right tight-knit team of developers can be a valuable extension of your existing workforce. Fortunately, the rise of offshoring has made it easier to build engineering teams overseas when local talent is lacking.
Assembling an offshore development team in emerging tech nations like India is becoming an increasingly popular option due to their well-educated and driven workforce. Despite this, going offshore is not always as easy as it seems due to logistical challenges and geographical distances. That's precisely where an offshore software development company comes in handy.
The right partner can also build your team on your behalf and manage all the legal and administrative tasks so that you can focus on what you do best.
This is why choosing the right offshore software development company to work with is essential. So, what should you look for when going down this route?
Aligning the recruitment process
The world is experiencing a severe shortage of skilled workers in the software development industry. If you partner with an offshore software development company, you can ensure that you get access to the very best talent.
When meeting with a potential offshore partner, they should explain their recruitment process. Try to find out how they source their candidates. Do they have a good screening process for filtering out candidates? Consider what parameters they have? Do they fit into your company's culture? You can even ask them to show examples of the teams they've built for other companies in the past.
If the company cannot showcase its successful history of building offshore teams, it's best to walk away. These questions will give you an insight into the kind of engineers you can expect to be working with. The more detailed their recruitment process, the higher the chances of hiring the top tech talent in the industry — and that's precisely what your business needs.
Building a team together
Many factors contribute to the time it takes to build a team, such as the availability of developers, the complexity of the product, and the required technical expertise.
That being said, the right offshore partner should still be able to give you a general estimate, which comes with experience. An experienced offshore software development company is aware of the industry, can quickly analyse project complexities, and knows where to source the right developers.
On the other hand, if the company is uncertain or vague about timelines, chances are that they will not deliver on time — a situation that can lead to a significant capital loss for your business.
Conveying your business needs
Selecting the right offshore software development company requires identifying your current business needs. This means aligning specific goals, metrics, and growth targets.
The right offshore partner would have already researched a fair bit about your business before the first meeting. So, find out if they know what project your company is currently working on.
Use the opportunity of getting to know your potential partner by going over the finer details, such as the team size you're looking for, skills, and other information that you think is relevant.
Taking the next steps
The right company will then prepare a proposal outlining the next steps. If they are entirely unable to identify your business needs, the chances are that they are the wrong fit for you.
Your offshore partner is literally your trusted advisor on the ground due to the geographical distance between your HQ and the new development centre. They take care of everything, from recruitment, to setting up offices, onboarding, and providing weekly or bi-monthly updates on your team's progress. All you have to do is focus on scaling your business. That’s why it’s crucial to get the right fit.