Scaling a business is a mammoth task, especially when dealing with the need for the right talent and skill set. According to a PWC report, the widening skill gap and acute talent shortage will cost companies upwards of $8.5 trillion by 2030 in the US alone. In a market with intensifying competition, not having access to skilled personnel can be a major bottleneck for future growth plans. When according to an article in globalnewwire.com, 53% of software development leaders are worried that hiring professionals with the required development skills is the biggest business challenge of 2022-23, it’s time to look at more innovative solutions. 

One such solution is hiring a dedicated development team to work for you on a project-to-project basis. Hiring dedicated developers give you flexible access to talent on demand without straining your budget. This guide will take you through all dos and don’ts of hiring and managing a dedicated software development team. 

Who are dedicated developers? 

Dedicated developers are outsourced skilled personnel that works for organizations on fixed deliverables. Once the deliverables get approved, the on-demand developers are disbanded. They are hired for the express purpose of aiding the development of a specific software project. They bridge the skill gaps within your organization while requiring no tax, HR, or administrative responsibilities. Your organization can save money, time, and resources to focus better on business-critical tasks. 

Dedicated programmers and developers lie somewhere in the middle between full-time and part-time employees. While they offer more flexibility and cost less than full-time employees, their dedication, skill set, and goal-based work put them above part-timers. 

Why should you hire dedicated developers? 

Companies today need to develop much faster than before without compromising quality while reducing upfront costs and boosting profitability. But this becomes increasingly difficult to achieve when labor costs account for 70% of total business expenditure, according to paycore.com.

A more agile approach is required that is best serviced by incorporating a malleable hiring strategy. Software development outsourcing to dedicated developers is the ideal solution for all stakeholders. 

When should you hire dedicated developers? 

Today, most lean startups and organizations hire dedicated offshore developers to save money, fast-track development, and get to market as quickly as possible. If you, too, want to explore the concept of a dedicated software development team, then here are the signs you should look out for:

• Your business has urgent software needs that cannot be served by existing in-house talent. 
• New development projects in the pipeline have a variable scope and unclear parameters. 
• Due to cost constraints, your IT team cannot access the latest technologies. 
• Your development timeline needs to be crunched to accelerate the time to market. 
• Your budget for the project is low, and you need to look for greater cost efficiency. 

What are the benefits of hiring dedicated offshore, nearshore, or onshore developers? 

Save time 

Companies spend almost 52 days hiring a new full-time employee as mentioned by toggl.com. Much time is wasted, from sending out advertisements and interviews to finishing paperwork. Working with an agency to onboard a team of dedicated developers takes a fraction of this time. 

Reduce costs 

Hiring offshore dedicated developers from regions with lower labor costs can directly translate into cost savings. Moreover, you can also entirely avoid the investment you’d have to otherwise pour into head hunting, training, benefits, payroll, and taxes. 

Have complete control of the project 

You can actualize your project scope and scale it when required by changing your team size quickly without any long-term commitments. Additionally, due to the flexibility offered by outsourcing talent, you retain complete control of the development goals and deliverables. 

Communicate effectively 

Most agencies that supply dedicated developers appoint a project manager to oversee all operations. Instead of wasting time tracking different resources, you can directly work with the project manager to gain complete visibility into the project development pipeline.

Enhance available skills

Dedicated developers give you access to highly skilled individuals with several years of experience. You can also handpick the talent for a specific project ensuring only the right people join your team. 

Attain faster and better development

A dedicated development team focuses on only one project at a time. Unlike freelancers or contractual workers, they continue to work on the assigned deliverables without being distracted by other opportunities. These programmers have access to the available technology, profound domain knowledge, and enough experience to ensure faster and better software development. 

Tips for hiring a dedicated development team for your next project

Explain your requirements clearly

Before you even talk to an agency or vendor to supply dedicated developers, you must clearly define your project. Your project documentation should clearly outline your goals, timeline, personnel, talent, business, user, and software requirements, along with expectations. These will allow you to build a team quickly with the exact resources you need. 

Follow a proper interview process

Before you finalize your team, conduct extensive interviews to verify their background, experience, and company fit. Don’t just rely on your vendor to pick a team for you. 

Manage the team effectively for daily updates

Even though the dedicated workers might not be full-time employees who report to you, it’s essential to maintain constant contact with the project manager. Getting regular updates and staying involved in the development is part of the process. 

Don’t forget to sign an NDA

Signing the NDA is a critical yet overlooked step. Strict new data privacy laws and guidelines require you to take responsibility for third-party actions. Having an ironclad NDA will keep your organization and customers safe. 

How much does it cost to hire dedicated developers? 

A Glassdoor report said that an average company in the US spends upwards of $4,000 to hire a new full-time employee. This prohibitively high cost can strain small and medium companies and eat into their thin profit margins. You can rest assured that hiring dedicated developers costs a fraction of that amount. 

The exact estimate will vary from region to region depending on the scope of the project, the technical expertise required, and the number of developers needed. But here’s a rough idea of what it costs to hire developers from these regions hourly. 

• India – $10-$25/hour
• Eastern Europe – $25-$50/hour
• Western Europe – $50-$150/hour
• Australia – $50-$150/hour
• USA – $50-$250/hour

Common mistakes to avoid when hiring dedicated developers 

Trying to save money by cutting corners

A dedicated development team always delivers on its promise of timely, quality work. But that is only possible if you invest in the right resources. Cutting corners and asking vendors for discounts might help you save money but will eventually affect the quality. 

Not conducting a thorough background check 

Conducting a background check of the vendor you choose and the developers you pick for your team is essential. Check the veracity of the vendor’s claims, talk to the references they provide, and look at their case studies and portfolio. 

Not hiring the right skilled personnel 

Interviewing all potential hires should be a priority. While interviewing the candidates, check their experience, expertise, cultural compatibility, and communication skills. 

Kickstart your development project by partnering with VLink to hire dedicated developers 

At VLink, we have worked with small, medium, and large organizations to deliver their projects via dedicated teams of developers, skilled programmers, and QA specialists. We provide 24/7 time zone alignment, attrition management, on-premises, cloud-native development, and a dedicated point of contact. You can also opt for a developer trial to test our development services. 

Schedule a call today to learn more about VLink and how its fully managed, dedicated teams can assist you on your next project.