Establish a Nearshore Development Team:
A Comprehensive Guide
How do you establish a nearshore development team? This might sound like a complex challenge, but with the right guidance, it can become manageable. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of building a robust nearshore development team for your tech company.
Step 1: Define Your Needs and Objectives
Before diving into the process, clearly defining your requirements and objectives is crucial. Ask yourself key questions such as: Why do we want to use nearshore developers? Do you want to work in a time and material, fixed price, or dedicated team fashion? What problem(s) do we solve with this solution? What project(s) will the nearshore developers work on?
You’ll identify the necessary technical skills and the number of team members by answering these. It also helps create internal support when you clearly explain why this approach adds value to the business.
Step 2: Select the Right Collaborative Partner
When you establish a Nearshore Development team choosing the right experienced partner is paramount. Research the market and compare multiple providers specializing in nearshore development teams. Ask your network or colleagues in the industry about their experiences. Create a shortlist of reliable parties that meet your specific needs and schedule an introduction.
Consider your nearshore location carefully. Your location choice might influence your decision for a specific collaborative partner. Assess factors like language proficiency, availability of technical knowledge, and cultural compatibility with your company culture. A good nearshore partner can seamlessly integrate a new team. Knowing what is important to you in your company culture helps them. If you don’t have a strong preference for a location a vendor can advise you on a location. Some vendor operates in multiple countries. Based on your needs, you decide together which location is most suitable.
Congrats, you have found your partner! But the real work is now just starting. Your collaborative partner will conduct the recruitment process and screen candidates based on your criteria. Quick feedback in this phase is crucial to ensure a strong first hire.
Prepare the necessary tools and infrastructure before a developer starts. This includes communication platforms, project management tools, and development environments. Ensure there is open communication between your internal team and the nearshore team. Also, pay attention to the communication with your collaboration partner as well. Especially in the beginning communication will be intensive to enable effective collaboration. (You can also read our other blog post on effective communication with remote development teams.)
Step 6: Build a Strong Team Culture
With team members working remotely, it is important to foster a strong team culture. Include the nearshore team in activities. Celebrating together and company merchandise always work wonders. It is also important to get to know one another. Organize regular virtual team-building activities and encourage informal communication to create a sense of belonging. If possible try to get your team to visit you, or go visit your team! As a partner, we at SharpMinds also advise and support in these matters.
Step 7: Monitor Progress and Provide Feedback
Regularly monitor project progress and provide timely feedback to developers. Collaborate with your partner to address any issues promptly, ensuring project objectives are met. We ensure this as a partner by working with Project Managers. They are based on location checking in on the developers well being while also checking in on the well-being of our clients. They are the problem solvers and make sure working and evaluations go smoothly.
Step 8: Optimize and scale your team
Regularly evaluate the performance of your nearshore team and adjust your collaboration as needed. Reflect on the objectives set in step one. Scale your team as your company grows. Continuously improve the efficiency of your team by adjusting processes and tools. The flexibility of nearshore teams can also be advantageous when adding a team member for a shorter period. Consider profiles such as DevOps, Cloud Engineers, Testers, and Designers.
Conclusion
Establishing a Nearshore Development Team with the help of a collaboration partner requires close collaboration, clear communication, and effective project management. Every company is different, but with these eight steps, you have a blueprint on how to start building a successful team. Curious how we can help your company with your ambition?