As your business grows, you might need to hire a software development company. While this task is often daunting, there are effective ways to find the right partner to answer your software development needs. Here’s how.

The rate at which technological advancement move in recent years is unprecedented. Business transactions are increasingly shifting gears to adjust to a digital economy. Hence, businesses need an online presence to be on top of things.

This is the reason why there’s a growing demand for top-level software developers. Hiring the right software expert gives a company an edge to bring its digital presence front and center.

However, small businesses and startups oftentimes lack the in-house resources to hire software developers. Doing it the traditional way may deplete their budget and spread themselves too thin. So, what’s an alternative to finding and hiring world-class talents that won’t make a huge dent in their business resources?

Entrepreneurs can hire a software development company that specializes in their software development needs. Their role includes researching, planning, and executing a client’s project requirements. They work with codes and wireframes, developing software products that solve users’ problems.

These projects may involve creating custom software that your company will use or one that will be commercially available to consumers. Whatever your project goals are, make sure that your software development company has the skills and experience to facilitate them. Here are steps we recommend for you to hire top-notch companies to build your software.

How to Choose the Right Software Development Company

These are a few key things to consider before you outsource to a premier software development company.

Define project requirements

To start with, make sure you fully understand your goal for this software project. What specific problems will your software product solve? How much will this project cost? What will be the roles and responsibilities of the developers? Are there any special tools and skills you need to expedite this project?

Defining your requirements will bring clarity and foundation before working with a software development team. Also, you need to be thoroughly aware of the software you aim to develop.

Familiarize the features, functionalities, and user flows. Once you are upfront with the product you want to build, it becomes a little easier to narrow down a software company with the expertise you need. There are different types of software development companies. It can be an:

• Onshore development company – you hire software developers in the same country or location.
• Nearshore development company – a software development firm located in nearby countries. For example, A US-based client hires a software team in Canada or Mexico.
• Offshore development company – a client can relocate their software development processes to a foreign location, say, a US company offshoring to the Philippines.

If you’re thinking about whether you should hire nearshore or an offshore software team, we wrote an article about this topic in full detail.

Start the search

If you’re clear on the type of software development company that matches your requirements, it’s time to start hunting. These are the different places you can find:

Search engines

This is the most common place to start when searching for a remote development team. Searching on Google using keywords will filter your search. Try using keywords such as “software development company Kansas City.”

Another way is to enter your target keyword, for example, software outsourcing company, and Google will automatically provide suggested results as you type.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is mostly popular among recruitment specialists to find potential candidates. However, it’s still a treasure trove to find a software company to partner with.

On the search bar, you can filter either for Jobs, Posts, Companies, Schools, etc. In this case, you can choose Companies to find a list of companies that offer the software services you need. You can visit their About page for an overview of their company, geographic location, number of employees, specialties, and many more.

Filtering for Groups will link to organizations and LinkedIn users with similar interests and goals. Members can engage in any content relevant to the group. Additionally, potential candidates and clients may discover and reach out to one another through this place.

Freelance Sites

Hiring a freelancer can also be a cost-effective option if you need someone on a contractual, short, or long-term basis. Freelance sites such as Toptal and Upwork can match you to potential candidates from around the world.

Independent professionals and agencies may work on one-time or ongoing projects. On the other hand, clients can scale their workforce based on their budget and work set-up.

Ask around

Almost everything is now done digitally but simply asking people still works to this day. Ask family members and friends through offline or social sites for their recommendations. Request for references or feedback on past software development companies they have worked with. Check out their portfolio to see if they meet the level of quality you’re looking for.

Tech-related events

If there are tech events in your area, visit them and talk to other people. Who knows your ideal software development company just happens to be at this place, too? Get each other’s contacts and maybe reconnect at a later time.

The connection may not always end up in partnerships, but they may come in handy in your future recruitment needs.

Choose Prudently

The success of your software will depend largely on the quality of output from your software outsourcing company. When choosing a service provider, reading feedback and testimonials may not cut it. We suggest digging deeper into some of their past projects. Browse on the websites, apps, and other programs they have developed.

Look for these features:

• The aesthetic appeal of their web design
• If it’s easy and convenient for users to navigate around
• It works and responds seamlessly on mobile devices
• If the software loads quickly with minimal to no bugs or issues

Efficiently Manage Offshore Teams

Once your remote software development team collaborates with the in-house team, it’s important to establish consistency and equality. Both teams need to follow the same level of quality and productivity for their output. Ensure that everyone understands their roles and that they do their best regardless of the position. Be sure to check out our blog post dedicated to the top 10 tips for managing offshore teams.

One of the biggest roadblocks to hiring a remote software development company is communication. Language and cultural differences may create a layer of a barrier to effective communication with the main team. To avoid this, insist on hiring developers who can speak and write English or any language you and your team understand. Also, your employment policy should protect and respect each other’s cultural differences.

Lastly, build trust among team members. We know this can be challenging, especially working with an offshore team. More often than not, clients may never meet offshore employees at all. This might compromise the trust between the employer and the employees. To avoid this, make the effort to build personal rapport, invest in regular team communication, and establish a development culture that promotes trust and respect.

Find a Software Company that Truly Understands your Needs

As an owner of a startup or large enterprise, you’ll find that outsourcing is a great choice to save money and accelerate your software development projects.

Hiring a software development company allows you access to a wide pool of expert software talents at an affordable investment. So, the real challenge right now would be finding a dedicated software development team that you can rely on.

By following these recommendations, you’ll narrow down your search and find the best partner in no time! Whether it’s for a website or a mobile app, you can bank on our experience and skills to get your project from point A to B.

At Full Scale, we only match our clients to world-class software developers to ensure that your business goals are met at the unrivaled quality you deserve.

Talk to us if you’re ready to move your software business in the right direction.