Nearshore Software Developers: When to Consider Them

There is a talent shortage in the software development sector, and it has started to become a problem for many companies.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for software engineers is going to grow by as much as 29% by 2029. This number is dramatically higher compared to the 4% average growth rate for demand in other occupations.

As the demand for skilled engineers continues to grow, enterprises from various industries are beginning to delve into hiring nearshore software development talent to meet their needs.

What Is Nearshore Software Development Talent?

Nearshore software development talent is a pool of qualified remote software engineers located in countries with the same or similar timezone as your company.

Why Hiring Nearshore Software Development Talent Is Advantageous

When it comes to hiring software engineers, nearshoring can expand a company’s opportunity to acquire talent with the right skills and expertise, to be more cost-efficient, and—especially when working with an experienced staffing agency—to save precious time. 

When to Consider Hiring Nearshore Software Engineers

Let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of utilizing a nearshore outsourcing approach for your company’s hiring needs. If you’re in need of high-quality talent and the following benefits resonate with you, then the time to consider hiring nearshore software engineers is now:

Timely Communication

As mentioned above, hiring nearshore software engineers means acquiring talent with timezone parity or similarity. This ensures timely communication throughout the day.

With little to no time difference, most businesses can have a larger window of collaboration when compared to hiring offshore software engineers in the eastern hemisphere. Timezone alignment or overlap allows you to clarify any concerns and resolve issues with your entire software development team in real-time.

A bonus: Being able to almost instantly communicate with your engineers also can save on payroll expenses. It is easy to lose out on paid time when waiting for a response from offshore teammates. This is unlikely to be the case with nearshore teammates.

In addition, many companies hire nearshore software engineers who not only have alignment or overlap in timezone but also in language. This leads us to another important benefit of hiring nearshore talent.

Effective Communication

Tapping into the nearshore software development talent pool aims to fulfill the needs of a company looking for software engineers with certain skill sets, like Python or React Native programming. However, speaking English is another skill set held by many nearshore engineers, which helps ensure effective communication, a vital key to the success of any software development team.

Business Continuity

Expanding a company’s search for talent geographically can expedite the hiring process by providing access to a larger pool of qualified candidates. The quicker you find the right software engineer, the better you are able to maintain continuity in your business.

Business Travel Time and Cost Savings

With nearshore software engineers on your team, the distance between you and your remote team members is often within the path of direct flights. Besides being able to save time and money on air travel, flying directly to and from meetings at nearby locations also can mean cutting down on hotel stays, car rentals, and other related business travel expenses.

Where to Find Nearshore Software Engineering Talent

In addition to knowing when to consider hiring nearshore software engineers, you also need to know where to find them.

The concept behind a nearshoring approach to hiring is to acquire remote workers who live in neighboring countries. For companies within the United States, this often means dealing with talent in places found within the western hemisphere, such as Latin America.

Beyond taking into account geography, you must also take into account the complexities associated with hiring internationally. Labor laws, holidays, and paid-time-off expectations may differ in your remote new hire's country of residence.

It is sensible to find and partner with an experienced staffing agency that will run thorough international background checks and ensure the legal, accounting/payroll, and tax compliance documentation your company needs is in place. (Note: When you hire through BetterEngineer, we take care of this for you!)

Getting help from a staffing agency that is knowledgeable not only about the kind of software engineering talent you require but also about the international hiring process can save you valuable time and effort.

But before you decide to pursue hiring nearshore software engineers with the help of a staffing agency, you should first carefully consider if doing so is the right choice for your business. Evaluate your company’s talent needs, timeline, and budget. If you find that your company needs to hire high-quality software engineers and needs to do so quickly and cost-effectively, then a nearshoring hiring approach could be right for you.

If so, we invite you to get in touch with a specialized recruiter at BetterEngineer today to help you with your software engineering staffing needs.