How to Find a Freelance Software Developer for Your Business

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Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:43:00 +0000
Cost-efficiency, Developer-benefits, Developer-hiring-platform, Digital-marketing, Distributed-team, Find-freelance-software-develope, Freelance-websites, Hr, It-solutions, Offshoring, Remote-dev-team, Remote-developers, Small-business-owner, Software-developers, Software-engineers, Staffing, Technology-trends, Software-development

By Anton Mishchenko

In today’s highly competitive world, staying up-to-date with the latest technology trends is crucial for every small business owner, even those who don't run tech companies. For example, you may need an e-commerce portal to sell your products, a cryptocurrency wallet, or a taxi app.

Almost every industry, from retail to healthcare, turns to IT solutions because they help companies maintain a competitive edge. Of course, it’s impossible to implement tech solutions without a team of highly experienced and skilled software developers. But when you start searching for a dream team, you may find out it’s not easy to find locally.

Why is it hard to hire a dev team locally?

Tech occupation employment is expected to grow at twice the rate of overall employment over the next 10 years. The unemployment rate for tech occupations in March 2024 was 3%, while overall U.S. unemployment was 3.8%. This indicates greater demand for tech workers which may result in the lack of software developers locally.

According to Code.org, there are more than 350,000 computer science vacancies in the United States, which is far more than the annual number of qualified graduates. Therefore, many small businesses are now outsourcing remote developers from other countries because of higher availability and lower cost.

How can I work with a remote development team?

It’s possible to collaborate with software developers by using one of the following models:

Nearshoring: Both the main office and remote office are located within the same time zone.

Offshoring: Offshoring involves partial relocation of a business to a distant country in a different time zone, e.g., the United States and India or Eastern Europe. A hiring company typically collaborates with local agencies in offshore countries and brings in the developers from a pre-vetted tech talent pool.

Distributed team: There is no headquarters and remote team members are scattered all over the world.

Depending on the specifics of your business, budget, and project requirements, you can even combine these models, e.g., nearshoring + distributed team. It’s up to you to choose the way which works best for you.

Where can I find a freelance software development team?

Once you have decided to hire a remote team of software engineers, here are tips on where to find them:

Software agencies in offshore countries: The most common way to hire a remote dev team in another country is to reach out to a local software agency and have the agency handle all of the hiring and administrative questions. This option is perfect for long-term projects. The local agency already has developers working for it on a full-time basis. When a client contacts the agency and shares their requirements, the agency will start interviewing the available developers and form a team. It often happens you will never communicate with the team personally because a local project manager will act as an intermediary and handle all related issues.

Local recruiters: You can collaborate with a tech talent acquisition specialist in your country of choice and have them form a team for you. However, issues such as office location, payroll, insurance, etc. will need to be handled separately. On the other hand, local software agencies provide “all-inclusive” services, so you’ll only have to work with one entity for dealing with any issues related to hiring.

Freelance websites: If your business is a startup and you need work done quickly and at a low cost, you can try to form a team at freelance portals such as Upwork or Guru. However, you will need to study the reviews of freelancers very carefully to ensure they have the skills to meet your project requirements. There are also portals such as Toptal or Upwork Pro where you can find developers with exceptional skills, but it will cost you more.

Tech talent marketplaces: These marketplaces act like online software agencies, but unlike agencies, you can browse the profiles of potential remote employees and schedule personal interviews. You communicate with a responsible agency only after you decide to hire someone who fits your requirements.

So why hire a remote software development team?

Despite some organizational issues you may have working with a remote team, such as time zone or cultural differences, there are some undeniable benefits:

More time for your business: You may have to spend a lot of time looking for a software dev team in your local market if there's a high demand for tech talent. But with a remote team, you can save time and focus on your business instead. Also, collaborating with a local agency in an offshore country will free you from having to train new employees or deal with non-work-related tasks since the agency will handle this for you.

Cost efficiency: If you are based in the United States or Western Europe, and your remote team is coming from a distant country, their price tag may be lower than the cost of local developers. This is not because they offer lower quality work, but rather due to the lower cost of living in many countries.

Bottom line on hiring software developers

To stay on track in a highly competitive business environment, you will need to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies. To achieve this, you need a dedicated team of software developers. Due to the high demand, it may be difficult to find a team locally; however, the good news is you can hire a remote development team for your project. As a result, you’ll end up with more time to work on your business and an efficient team that delivers great work at a reasonable price.

RELATED: 7 Freelancers That Can Benefit Any Business

About the Author

Post by: Anton Mishchenko

Anton Mishchenko is CEO and co-founder at YouTeam, Y Combinator-backed marketplace which connects top product companies and tech startups with the best software engineers and development shops around the world. Anton’s area of expertise includes tech entrepreneurship and startups, business management, digital marketing, business development, product development, music and media.

Company: YouTeam

Website: www.youteam.io