How to Find the Best Remote Software Developers

All businesses need to work smarter, not harder, to secure IT, and software developers post Covid-19. In a 2020 report by Forbes, IT and software developers are in short supply.

Outsourcing to third parties can solve the IT talent shortfall for many businesses but not usually for startups. A lack of systems, investment and other challenges has resulted in startups needing to think outside the box, and one solution is to hire remote IT workers.

The resource pool for, say, software developers is a lot larger when your startup can hire globally. Your location may be in New York, while your remote software developers reside in various locations worldwide.

Hiring Remote Software Developers

To find remote software developers, consider the following tips.

Technical Skillsets and Experience

Needless to say, your main priority should be on the skillset of developers.

Multiple programming languages are used for software development, so different engineers build their expertise in different languages. You must have a clear objective in mind about what technical skillsets you are looking for when hiring developers.

Experience and expertise is another important factor. For example, there’s a vast difference between merely knowing JavaScript and being really good at it. Developers who have a strong portfolio and have demonstrated their ability and experience working on relevant projects should be at the top of your consideration list.

Ensure that your search is focused on software engineers who have worked on projects similar to your startup’s requirements.

Culture and Communication Skills

When you’re hiring remote developers, as long as they are working for you, they become a part of your team and represent your company and its values. So their ethics and work culture must resonate with that of your organization.

The next important factor is communication skills. Even the best and most talented developers are of little value if you can’t communicate clearly with them. Communication barriers only disrupt the workflow and lead to unnecessary confusion. So the team or individuals you wish to hire must be fluent in English (or in any other common language).

Location and Time Zones

It’s always better to outsource developers from countries that are closer to your time zone. A significant difference in time zone means that you have to make extra effort to establish communications at all times. It’s also common for issues and problems to arise during a project.

If you and the outsourced development team operate on different timelines, there will be a lack of hours to collaborate using Zoom for video chat or Monday or Microsoft Teams for workflow collaboration.

Prioritize your search in nearby locations with less time zone difference, so your in-house team has more hours in the day to sync with the remote workers.

What To Pay Remote Software Developers

Research standard rates of developers in different regions.

A recent report lists the average hourly rates of software developers in various regions.

If we look at the rates in specific countries, some of the best outsourcing countries with cost-efficient tech talent include Ukraine ($37/hr), Malaysia ($30/hr), and South Africa ($40/hr).

Cost in itself is not the sole deciding factor, so you need to consider it along with other factors we’ve already discussed like talent and expertise, time zones, culture, and communication.

However, developers with similar skill sets and experience can have different rates in different locations, so you must be aware of popular software outsourcing destinations’ rates.

Expectation and Delivery

Once you get in touch with potential remote developers, you need to have an exact conversation with them to clarify your expectations. Some essential things to discuss are:

• The estimated budget of the project (and negotiations, if necessary)
• Timeline for project completion (by when you expect it to be completed, and if the outsourcing developers agree they can deliver)
• Specifications of the project (what you want the final product to look like, and how the developers plan to deliver accordingly)

Clarifying these things before hiring will ensure that both you and them are on the same page, which is essential for the project’s collaboration and smooth completion.

How and Where to Find Remote Software Engineers

There are three leading platforms and methods to find remote software engineers, whether you are looking for a full-fledged development team or individual developers:

Outsourcing To Development Companies

The most common option is to get in touch with software development companies directly. The benefit of outsourcing to companies is that they have their own well-established, experienced team of developers, most often led by qualified project managers.

With an entire team of developers working on the project, you can expect timely completion and can also upscale the project if required. But remember that with software development outsourcing companies, you get what you pay for, so the better the services, the higher the costs.

Outsourcing To Freelancers

Another platform to quickly find remote developers and engineers is freelancing sites such as Upwork and Freelancer. Talented individuals from different categories and with various skillsets make themselves available for hire on such sites.

The benefits of hiring freelancers are that they are easier to find, and freelancing platforms let you narrow down your search to find the perfect match for the talent you need.

Freelancers also have their own rates, and some of them are open to negotiations, so you might be able to find the right talent for lower costs. And it’s not going to cost you as much as hiring a team.

On the other hand, there are also some downsides to hiring freelancers. It becomes difficult to verify their credibility.

Remote Contractor Sites

You can also find software developers on remote contractor sites and online job listing platforms. On such platforms, developers upload their CVs, portfolios and offer their services. You can either post a job/project listing or directly contact developers on the site after checking their profiles.

The main benefit is that usually, these marketplaces offer vetted developers so that you can be sure of their quality. They can also find and deliver the needed tech experts in a few days, so you save your time searching.

Summary

Post Covid-19 hiring IT people is not any easy then pre-pandemic.

For startups, they can make gains by hiring remote workers to fulfil their IT and software development requirements.

They need to plan and prepare well, including checking references for actual work completed satisfactory and prioritizing location, time zones, cost, and expectations.