Helpful Tips to Manage Offshore Teams with Time Zone Differences!

TechTips & Tricks

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Hiring a developer seems to be a daunting task. But with the right tips, it becomes quite easier. Right now more and more people are hiring offshore teams. This is so because offshore developers are quite flexible and so the problem arises when it is to hire one.

But still, if you are willing to hire an offshore developer or someone who can help you out in managing the offshore team then you should follow some tips. Now the question is what Tips to follow. Well here is the answer.

Why offshore developers?

Before moving towards the steps or we can say the guide it is necessary to understand why you should go for the offshore developer. Well, offshore developers are highly scalable. They can help you out in making the tasks easier. They are the ones who are not in your country but can serve you with the best services.

Tips to follow for managing offshore developers:

Here are the tips that you should follow or say the steps to manage the team, so, let’s take a look.

Come up with a strategic vision:

The first tip to deal with an offshore software development company is to come up with a strategic vision. This vision must comprise all the goals you want to follow and other aspects. There is a chance that you may take more than usual time to come up with the strategy but this will be worth it. When it is about discussing with the offshore developer you can let them know that this is your vision and they need to work according to the same. If the developer is okay to work with the same vision, finalize them. If not, then be on a search hunt again!

Come up with a clear roadmap:

Now that you know the developer is ready to work with your vision, this is the time for you to prepare a roadmap. This roadmap is all about how you want to move ahead with the project and what is your expectation for it. The soon you decide this is the roadmap to follow, the sooner you will be able to decide the date of completion of the project.

If there is no clarity regarding the timeline in which you need the project, it may turn out to be a waste of time. So yes, before finalizing anything, have a clear thought in your mind regarding the deadlines and other factors important for project completion.

Choose a proper communication strategy:

With offshore developers, the major problem arises when it is to choosing the mode of communication. Sometimes due to improper modes of communication, a lot of hassle takes place. Thus, before initiating the project, have a clear idea about the mode of communication people are choosing. This will help you to decide how to manage things and when you can connect with the developers to make updates on the project.

There is a chance for communication. A little adjustment with time is required, but that will be worth it. This is so because, with this little adjustment, you will have the best talent in your team. But this needs to be confirmed by both sides. The offshore developer and you as a client must be ready to communicate at the set time. In case none of them is not agreeing, keeping track of updates on the project turns out to be difficult.

Always operate with proper communication methods at right time:

There are times when you are in an urgent need to communicate and at that time it is important to have a convenient way. Just try to figure out the best-suited way so that you can communicate with the team effectively and in case there is any last-minute change needed to be done the same can be done accordingly. For sure there will be no problem if things have been considered with all the transparency and keeping all emergency situations into consideration.

Time zone visualization is important:

In some cases, it happens that the difference in time zone is very much like in IST and EST and so on. It is important that you are considering time accordingly because if you do not keep in consideration this difference, there is a chance you may end up hiring someone who is good. But the timing is costing a lot. Thus, to avoid the same hassle it is advisable to do the research properly and then only hire the developer. If there is any room for doubt, rectify it with them and then start with things.

Be ready to work with a flexible schedule:

Flexibility is a must to adapt whenever it is about working with offshore developers. Some offshore developers are quite strict with their schedules so it is important for a client to work accordingly. There might be some cases where you are not able to adjust, in that case always ready for the backups.

In case you feel like things need to get managed right away, try to keep things over the mail and mail the details accordingly. Sometimes, the mail system also turns out to be effective in making things work accordingly.

Take a regular report of what the project is up to:

Set up a time when you will be able to know whether the project is following the same roadmap as your design or not. It is up to you how you wish to take the update. Either you can take the update regularly weekly or bi-weekly. Match the mentioned report with the roadmap you have created to know whether or not it is going on as you wanted.

Conclusion:

Hiring an offshore developer seems to be an easy task but it is not. As a client, you need to follow all the different tips that can be helpful in making things better. In this article, we have shared some best of the best tips with you so that you can simply move ahead and get services from them. If you have any additional questions ask about it to keep things at ease.