Drive Your Business with Dedicated Offshore IT Resources for Hire

In recent years, we observe a significant software engineers shortage in the US, Canada, Australia, among other countries. In the past six months, only US employers reported about 918,000 unfilled IT jobs, resulting in businesses from different industries struggling with recruiting both Junior and Senior IT experts for their projects.

93% of business owners report the overall IT worker shortage, while 80% of companies mention that the IT skills gap affects at least one business aspect, be it employee performance (41%), customer engagement (32%), or cybersecurity (31%). And that’s when offshore IT resources on-demand come in handy.

Due to IT resources shortage, many companies are nowadays turning to hire dedicated IT teams, considering offshoring software development services as an efficient and win-win option for the business to thrive. Besides hiring dedicated programmers, businesses are also looking for offshore project managers, analytics, SEO & SMM specialists, support teams, etc. This article explores the consequences of the shortage of IT professionals and recruiting offshore IT resources as a beneficial solution to this problem.

IT Talent Outsourcing Services

When businesses do not have sufficient in-house resources, they often turn to IT talent outsourcing services. This refers to the use of external service providers to gain offshore talent to efficiently deliver IT-enabled business processes, application services and infrastructure solutions for successful business outcomes. Let’s take an in-depth look at why businesses use IT talent outsourcing:

• IT resource outsourcing gives businesses access to a larger talent pool of skilled and experienced talent.
• Talent outsourcing saves recruitment and hiring costs.
• It frees up the time of in-house staff to focus on other essential tasks. 
• Making use of IT outsourcing resources reduces the risks involved in business scaling strategy, offering businesses access to the latest technology and tools that may otherwise be too expensive to buy.
• It offers businesses access to the latest technology and tools that may otherwise be too expensive to buy.
• Outsourcing IT talent can enhance productivity if outsourced remote talent works outside of normal business hours.
• It allows businesses to be flexible during busier times without the financial commitment of hiring in-house employees.

Benefits and Pitfalls of Hiring Offshore IT Resources

Offshore resources stand for experts in the field that a company can hire to executive the project remotely. Getting a dedicated team working on your project means recruiting seasoned experts committed to working for your company with the same level of dedication and even greater expertise than an in-house team. At the same time, such an approach proves to be cost-effective, turning a problem of the IT talent shortage into a beneficial solution.

Let’s take a look at the advantages of working with offshore IT resources for large corporations, medium-sized enterprises, and startups:

• A larger talent pool. Due to the shortage of IT talents in countries such as Estonia, you get the possibility to recruit IT experts from all over the world via the offshoring method.
• Cost-effectiveness. A dedicated offshore team can cost you two to three times less than an in-house team since you don’t need to spend money on office supply, hardware, and HR resources.
• Faster software development/time to market. Dedicated teams are more result-oriented and willing to deliver the end result in a timely manner. At the same time, they keep quality over quantity, meaning you get top-notch results without any waste of time.
• Great scalability. Offshore IT teams are highly scalable, meaning you can adjust IT resources to your short- and long-term projects, new business goals, and the company’s current needs.
• Advanced reporting. You can request weekly or monthly reports on the performed work and monitor the processes 24/7 so that you could have full control over the performance of the offshore IT workers.

Besides the obvious advantages of hiring a dedicated developer talent, businesses may get subjected to some pitfalls associated with such an approach:

• Time zone difference. One of the main possible drawbacks of working with offshore IT resources is a time zone difference. However, if you have at least a three-hour overlap with your dedicated team, you can schedule online meetings and discuss the work process conveniently.
• Cultural differences. Some nationalities may have work approaches that are different from what you are used to. However, by working with Eastern European or South American teams, you can avoid issues related to cultural differences, compared to those that may arise when working with Asian or Indian experts.

However, if you prepare for such possible obstacles and manage the work correctly, you are guaranteed of avoiding miscommunication and reaping the only benefits from the fruitful cooperation.

How Your Project Can Benefit From Hiring Offshore Employees

Today, many companies outsource the processes of their business functions to enhance their operations in one way or the other. There are several major benefits connected to outsourcing. Let’s look at some of the advantages you can enjoy when you hire offshore employees. 

• Access to more talent

If you lack official access to necessary talent, then choosing to hire IT professionals from an outsourcing company can help. Outsourcing companies offer access to skills that may be scarce in your area. By using them, you can hire the best out of the pool of talent and let them work for you remotely.

• Reduced costs

Another major advantage of working with offshore employees is lower operation costs. Hiring an IT team offshore can considerably reduce costs in utilities, equipment, infrastructures and even employee salaries. The money saved can be used for other more essential expenses.

• Wider access to resources

Apart from connecting with professionals with great skills and competencies, choosing to offshore also enables you to access resources that may not otherwise be available to you. From scarce supplies to new technology, resources that may be hard to acquire will surely be available from another company.

• Enhanced productivity

When you hire from the right company, outsourcing can improve the productivity of your team. Most outsourced teams are dedicated and work on one project at a time, ensuring work gets done on time and deadlines are met.

• Opportunity to learn

Outsourcing teams bring with them a wealth of new skills and knowledge. This allows your in-house team to learn new abilities while working together on the same project.

• Opportunity to focus on more complex tasks

Time-consuming business processes can all be outsourced, allowing you and your in-house employees to focus on more complex tasks. Ultimately, outsourcing saves valuable time for everyone.
If you’re considering to hire offshore employees, it is always recommended to use an established company with a proven track record. Based in Ukraine, Mobilunity is a reliable provider of outsourced employees to countries around the world. We have a large pool of talent and offer an effective approach to working with clients, both big and small, always aiming to meet, and often exceed, expectations.

Top 8 Best Practices for Managing Offshore Resources

Here are the 8 best practices for managing offshore resources to note:

• Be clear about your requirements and deadlines. Provide detailed instructions on the final goals of the project, expected end result, and milestones to complete. You should be on the same wavelength with your dedicated team to make sure they complete the scope of work within the timeframes.
• Explain the metrics and criteria for success. Make sure to inform the dedicated employees how you will evaluate the progress of the project and their performance. You all should keep in mind the same requirements and criteria.
• Set and stick to the work schedule. Depending on your time zones, decide on the proper work schedule that will allow your in-house and remote employees to work comfortably and, at the same time, have overlapping hours to communicate in real-time.
• Use the right software for remote work. Choose and implement the right software usage, from time tracking applications, such as Time Doctor, to the video conference tools, such as Skype or Zoom. All of the employees should use the same software for productive work.
• Take care of communication tools. To enhance fruitful communication, decide on the communication channels that will fit the corresponding purposes. For instance, reports should be sent through emails only, while discussions can be held in Skype or Discord.
• Define reporting format and frequency. Inform the offshore development team about the reports, their frequency, format, and details. This way, you will be able to monitor the performance of the team and concentrate on the key metrics.
• Encourage feedback and initiative. Taken into account the expertise of offshore IT resources and their fresh eyes on the project, encourage feedback, suggestions, and comments regarding both the final results and daily tasks. This will allow you to make the most of the knowledge and skills of your dedicated employees and build a first-class product quicker and more effectively.
• Recognize cultural specifics. Although your offshore employees may have different traditions, religious beliefs, and so on, you have to respect these aspects and come to a compromise regarding religious holidays or personal situations. It’s important to remember that now, you are one team, and you need to treat your offshore IT resources, respectively. In turn, remote workers will pay you back with commitment and dedication to your company’s needs.

Industries Interested in Hiring IT on Demand Resources

The industries that are interested in hiring dedicated offshore IT resources the most include:

The latest research showed that over 65% of startups and SMEs with fewer than 50 employees, as well as 81% of medium-sized companies with 50 to 250 workers, outsource IT resources for better efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and due to the IT specialists shortage. For example, here is a comparison of the needed vs. existing number of engineers in the US, the UK, and Germany:

• The US – 1.4m computer science-related jobs vs. 400,000 graduates in Computer Science and related fields per year;
• The UK – 26,486 live jobs vs. 15,637 graduates in Computer Science and related fields last year;
• Germany – 23,920 live jobs vs. 19,787 IT experts able to qualify for the position.

No wonder that businesses that want to hire dedicated resources in the UK, US, and Germany, besides other countries, turn to offshore IT resources and the benefits they provide.

What Tech Resources Are in the Highest Demand?

Among the popular engineering specialties are the following:

• PHP (26.4%)
• JavaScript (67.8%)
• Java (41.1%)
• C++ (23.5%)
• Kotlin (6.4%)
• Unity (11.3%)
• DevOps (11.8%)
• Software architect (62.4%)
• Network/cloud administrator (2.8%)
• Data analyst (5.7%)
• AI architect (16.4%)

The shortage of IT workers forces the companies that need the IT experts mentioned above and beyond opt for offshoring the required expertise and services. However, more and more businesses agree that it comes beneficial to find IT professionals offshore, and 9 of 19 companies stick to this collaborative approach for long, subsequently forming long-term working relations with the same service provider.

Top 6 Countries for Hiring Offshore Resources

The top 6 countries that American, Canadian, Australian businesses, among others, choose to offshore dedicated resources include Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, India, the Philippines, and Mexico. Let’s compare the rates of hiring dedicated software developers in these countries:

• Ukraine – $25,084
• Poland – $33,354
• Bulgaria – $32,661
• India – $11,100
• The Philippines – $14,628
• Mexico – $24,505

In terms of quality of work, convenient communication, and affordability of resources, dedicated Ukrainian specialists are the top pick for companies from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany, and other countries. So, if you wonder where and how to find tech resources, turn your attention to offshore programming services in Ukraine.

Global Offshore Resources: 3 Ways to Hire IT Experts

There are three main ways a company can deal with IT professionals shortage on the local market, that is, hiring freelance experts, project-based outsourcing, and nearshoring. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each approach:

      1. Freelance.

• Pros: It is the cheapest option that businesses use for delegating some particular tasks or one-time projects. It is easy to find a freelance IT expert on the global market, and the job will be done quickly and effectively.
• Cons: This method won’t work for long-term cooperation, and it may be challenging to find a reliable worker that will stick to the deadlines and instructions and, thus, will provide the exact quality work you need.

      2. Project-based outsourcing.

• Pros: Outsourcing allows for delegating the whole project development to a team working remotely. It is beneficial for one-time large-scale projects when you need seasoned experts to work on your task.
• Cons: Such specialists may work on several projects simultaneously, meaning you can’t guarantee they put all the effort into your task. By outsourcing your project development, you will get the results needed, but there’s often an issue of the quality of work.

      3. Nearshoring.

• Pros: It is the most reliable and secure option, as you hire not just experts but dedicated IT specialists working as a part of your team. Thus, you get a devoted team working fully remotely but concentrated on your project only, being involved in the working process, and striving to achieve the best result. Moreover, you will be able to communicate with each dedicated expert during the project development to ensure the highest quality of the final result.
• Cons: As with the outsourcing model, you may face some communication difficulties and time zone differences. A nearshoring resources partner gives you full control of team and project so if you lack technical expertise, the latter might be challenging.

Mobilunity as a Reliable Company to Hire Dedicated Resources

Mobilunity is one of the best Ukrainian IT companies to hire dedicated resources. Our experienced recruiters know how to find well-qualified tech resources specifically for your project’s needs and form a dedicated team that will allow you to reach your business goals, get the most out of software development services, and solve the IT expert shortage problem. Here are the benefits of opting for Mobilunity’s IT team augmentation services:

• 14+ years on the nearshoring IT resources market
• 20+ dedicated team already working on the projects
• A large pool of Ukrainian IT experts to consider
• You can fully manage an offshore team, scale it, schedule online meetings, and set up report routine
• Cost-effectiveness of the dedicated resources provided

If you want to hire dedicated resources from a reliable services provider,  Mobilunity is ready to help you with this request. Feel free to contact us now!

Written by:

Anastasia Stefanuk

Market Researcher

Disclaimer: All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.