Offshore software development gives you access to a large pool of tech talent, allowing you to move your project forward faster and at a lower cost. Choosing the wrong outsourced development team, on the other hand, can result in unnecessary costs, project delays, and a subpar final product.We'll walk you through the process of hiring a fantastic outsourced development team.
Top 17 Sites to Hire an Outsourced Development Team (2024)
Check out this quick summary on where to hire an outsourced development team.
| Rank | Site | Price Range | Quality Rating | What we liked | What we didn't like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High | 5/5 | Top-quality outsourced developers | Not affordable for everybody | |
| 2 | Medium | 5/5 | Candidates in less than 48 hours | Permanent basis hires only | |
| 3 | Low to Medium | 4.5/5 | No intermediaries, direct to developer | Significant variance in prices for outsourced development | |
| 4 | Medium to High | 4/5 | Very experienced outsourced developer teams | Few candidataes in certain niches | |
| 5 | Low to High | 4/5 | Good technical teams | Little industry-specific expertise | |
| 6 |
|
Low to High | 4/5 | Solid reputation | Mostly startup jobs |
| 7 | Low to High | 4.25/5 | Full management of projects, including invoicing, escrow and payment | Freelancers only | |
| 8 | Low to High | 4/5 | Available in over 60 countries | Access to resumes requires monthly subscription | |
| 9 | Low to High | 3.5/5 | Jobs promoted to 3000 partners for 30 days | United States only, some regions under represented | |
| 10 | Low to High | 4.5/5 | Vetted expert outsourced development teams | No freelancers | |
| 11 | Low to High | 3.5/5 | 1+ million resumes | No vetting | |
| 12 | Low to High | 3.5/5 | Reposting if not satisfied | No candidate matching | |
| 13 | Low to High | 3/5 | Indexes jobs from 3rd party sites automatically | Syndication of existing posted jobs only | |
| 14 | Low to High | 3/5 | 350,000+ people | Remote jobs only | |
| 15 | Low to High | 3.5/5 | Free job posting, cheapest outsourced developers | No vetting, need to run trials | |
| 16 |
|
Medium to High | 3.5/5 | Managed project option | Expensive options |
| 17 |
|
Low to High | 4/5 | Free job posting | Vetting is on you |
How to find the best outsourced development team
Finding an outsourced development team can be daunting at first, thanks to the vast array of options available in software outsourcing.
Find A Top Development Team from Toptal
The best tech talent is in high demand. It takes effort to find a dedicated team that is available within a reasonable timeframe.
Before you start, you should have a rough idea of your budget, the project's end goal, and the timeline for completing it. This puts you in a great position to find your remote development team.
Here are some tips on how to find good outsourced development teams:
Referrals (recommendations) from people you know. If you know anyone who has worked with software development outsourcing before, you should reach out to them. This is especially true if their company is in the same industry as yours.
Google. Paid and organic results can both be beneficial, paid because it means the company is making money, organic because they are clearly successful. Try typing in a few terms related to your software development needs and seeing which companies mention them. This way, you can learn more about software development services and see if their portfolio of completed projects matches your concept.
Listings for software development outsourcing. There are several company directories that can assist you in finding outsourced development firms. Sites such as the above, for example, attract millions of monthly visitors looking for a business partner. They allow you to narrow down your search results by service type, company size, hour rate range, industry experience, and company location.
Using the internet to find a software development. Contacting software companies and asking if they have experience with your particular niche is a good idea. The best software development companies will provide you with an information package that includes case studies, which may be enough to persuade you to proceed. Case studies can help you find the most promising software development company.
TIP: Rather than large software outsourcing firms with multiple layers of management, look for smaller software development houses with a good track record.
These layers can also cause other issues in the development process, such as poor communication and delays, as well as overspending on the budget.
What to look for in outsourced development teams
There are a few things to keep in mind as you go through the process of making your shortlist.
Concentrate on your achievements
Outsourcing software development is a great way to compensate for a lack of internal resources. In fact, the bare minimum you can do here is come up with a concept and a rough outline of how you want the final product to look.
This is particularly important for startups developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), which is used to ensure that your idea works for your end-users in the way you envisioned.
It can also assist you in ensuring that your project concept can be completed within the budget and timeframe you have set.
The MVP will provide you with a lot of validated user feedback that you can use with your outsourced team to improve the product further.
The outsourcing company should be able to help you throughout the entire planning process. Wireframing, cost estimation, UX and UI design sketches, and software development are all part of this process.
TIP: Outsourcing companies can handle everything from project planning to cost estimation to wireframing to UI/UX design to software development.
Good outsourcing development teams can create an effective project plan for any project.
Experienced engineering leader
An outsourced development team is built around a high-performing leader who brings in technical capabilities and selects the right technology talent for the job.
Throughout the entire process, the development team's leader will be your primary contact. You may also want to speak with individual software developers and QA engineers when necessary.
However, having a single team member to speak with means that you have a single point of contact for any questions or concerns you may have.
It's easy to feel confident that you and the outsourced team are on the same page when you're all involved in software development planning. However, there may be team members who aren't go for the planning aspects. It is far more effective to have an engineering leader discuss the plan with other team members on a daily basis than to speak with each team member individually.
There are dedicated development tracks to ensure that they have a talent pool for the Engineering Leader position.
Their Engineering Leaders not only manage the technology and team, but also work on all levels to ensure your long-term success. They might be able to join your design team and contribute to the product development process, for example.
TIP: Hire a technology expert or Interim CTO with a proven track record. From your end, he will assist you with project management.
The Software Development Process
We can learn more about the software development process now that you have a better idea of what to expect and how the outsourced team will work.
Having a proven software development team structure put in place will make the entire process seamless and efficient while being able to tackle challenges that prop up along the way.
A project management methodology, such as Scrum agile methodology, should be used by your software development team.
Choose a software development outsourcing company that follows an agile software development process that emphasizes adaptive planning, early delivery, and project updates.
This will keep you informed about what's going on at any point during the project's development, ,and course-correct whenever necessary, before it is too late.
TIP: Custom software development often necessitates a significant amount of time, effort, and money.
Communication that works
Software development is a complicated process, and communication issues will come up at every stage, from defining requirements to working out stakeholder and user feedback.
Good project coordination results in great outcomes in all key aspects: cost, time, and quality require project management tools, collaboration tools, and proper communication skills.
Make certain that the offshore software development team you hire has a good communication system in place for your software development project.
Every project manager understands that in agile software development, there is no such thing as too much communication.
To ensure a successful project, we recommend establishing as many communication channels with the remote team as possible.
How to evaluate an outsourced development team
Working with an outsourced software development team will prove to be an investment, so don't be too conservative with your spending.
It's especially true if an outsourcing firm offers you a low estimate to entice you in, only to later raise the price or lower the quality. You require a trustworthy outsourcing partner with skilled engineering teams.
Check their portfolio and experience in your domain
The first and most important step is to look carefully at the outsourcing development team's portfolio to see if it matches your requirements.
Check out who the outsourced team has previously worked with and the types of projects they've completed. This is useful for a variety of reasons.
- Check to see if they've completed any projects that are similar to your product concept.
- Determine the outsourced team's level of experience.
- Confirm the maturity of project management and whether they are capable of handling the scope of your project.
This isn't to say that businesses with a diverse customer base and portfolio are the best fit for your needs. The most important thing is that the outsourcing partner has worked with your business processes before.
If a software development company claims to have done something similar to what you're looking for but won't share any details, that's a red flag.
Due to non-disclosure agreements, outsourcing companies may not always be able to share their previous projects.
They should, however, be able to give you a broad overview of their previous projects, including how they were developed and how they benefit clients.
Interview the vendor
It's important to have a more in-depth conversation with them after you've seen their portfolio and want to learn more. There's no harm in interviewing two or three outsourcing companies at this point because you're not committing to anything.
PRO TIP: The software development contract is a legally binding document that spells out the terms and conditions of your partnership with an offshore software development company.
Share your product vision (visually)
It's time to talk business if you feel like you've given your preferred vendor a thorough interview and they're continuing to impress you.
Remember that communicating your product to developers is critical, as the better understanding they have of it, the better they will be able to assist and take things to the next level with innovation.
You'll need to define your project's definition of success. What should it be able to do, and how should it make people feel when they use it? What should the profit margin be? What should it resemble?
If you don't know the answers to these questions right now, make sure you do before sharing your product vision.
Demonstrate to the vendor what the customer journey should look like, from the moment they start using the product to achieving their objectives.
Your software developers will be able to make this process as enjoyable and efficient as possible, leaving your customers eager to return for more.
Select a business that will treat you as a partner
Finally, look for a company that fits your culture — one that sees you as a partner, not just a client. Startups are labors of love that necessitate collaboration and vision, and you'll need a software developer who shares and understands your enthusiasm and can help you realise your vision.
Working with a smaller company will increase the chances of them seeing you as a partner and levelling the playing field.
A culture that is aligned in this way promotes collaboration and a shared vision, both of which have numerous advantages. Consider the vendor to be a member of your team, and if they're worth their salt, they should reciprocate.
This will also allow them to better understand your business needs, as well as provide post-development support and product enhancements. If you need assistance later, they'll be more accountable once everything is finished.
You should be able to tell that your future partner is doing their best (and succeeding) to understand your needs throughout the stages we've listed so far. If they can't, things will take a lot longer, become more expensive, and the product's overall quality will suffer.
PRO TIP: The more inquiries they make, the better. If your partner wants to make sure they're on the same page as you about the business requirements, pay attention.
Engage quality tech professionals
Ideally you would want to work with companies that has experience in your field.
Look for characteristics such as:
- Many years of experience developing custom software for startups and small businesses.
- Design thinking that is motivated by results.
- Design Workshops can help you clarify your business idea and build a better product in less time.
- Engineers with a business mindset.
- Engineers who recognize the importance of achieving bottom-line results from technology initiatives.
Wrapping up
The software development project teams differ from one outsourcing company to the next. When hiring the best-outsourced development team, it's critical to follow a thorough process, such as the ones we've just described. Repeat the process of weighing your options. If it turns out that none of the people you initially chose are suitable for the job, go back to the drawing board and start looking for new outsourcing vendors.
Outsourced Development Team FAQs
What are the most effective methods for locating and hiring software developers?
The top options for hiring outsourced software developers and outsourced software development firms using a talent marketplace. This offers the best value proposition when compared to hiring a full team through an agency.
Is it a good idea to outsource software development?
Yes, hiring third-party software developers can provide your team with the technical expertise they need to complete mission-critical projects or perform routine maintenance. External contractors, on the other hand, come with their own set of risks.
Which is the best software development talent market?
The best talent marketplaces for software development are:
- Toptal
- Gun.io
- Upwork
- Gigster
- Hired
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