The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated the shift towards remote work, establishing it as the new norm for many industries. By 2025, it's predicted that 32.6 million Americans will form part of a remote development team. This trend is most prominent in the computer and IT industry, followed by marketing, accounting and finance, and medical and health sectors. The shift towards hiring a remote development team brings with it numerous advantages, such as increased productivity, cost reductions, and enhanced flexibility.

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Building Your Remote Development Team in South America

South America is an excellent destination for building your remote development team, allowing for seamless collaboration with skilled developers. The region boasts a vast pool of remote developers ready to become valuable team members in your organization. The cost of living is relatively low, which makes hiring remote developers an economically smart move. Additionally, the similar time zone to North America ensures straightforward and timely communication with your remote developer team. By hiring remote developers in South America, you can access a wealth of talent and save money. In this blog post, we will discuss the advantages of building a remote development team in South America and provide a step-by-step guide to help you hire and effectively manage the right team for your business.

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Benefits of Hiring a Remote Development Team in South America

Access to Highly Skilled Developers and Remote Software Development Teams

One of the significant benefits of building a remote development team in South America is the opportunity to access a pool of highly skilled developers and remote software development teams. As the region emerges as a global tech leader, the number of foreign companies hiring from here has increased by 156%. Particularly, remote software developers and engineers are the most sought-after professionals. This means there is a large talent pool available for companies looking to hire dedicated remote employees or dedicated remote team members at a lower cost compared to other regions.

Cost-Effective Remote Team Management

Managing a remote team in South America is cost-effective. Compared to hiring in-house developers, hiring a remote team can save your business a significant amount of money, especially if you're a North American company. The cost of living and labor in South America is lower, making it a prime consideration for businesses aiming to manage their costs and maximize their return on investment.

87% of IT companies are considering nearshore outsourcing as a cost-cutting strategy, according to a Deloitte survey. Despite salary increases for junior positions in Latin America, cost savings are still possible. Senior remote software developers can be hired in the region with monthly salaries ranging from $4,500 to $10,000.  Get more insights about salaries in the region in this blog post.

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Seamless Remote Collaboration in the Same Time-Zone

South America's favorable time zone is a great benefit for North American businesses. Companies can easily communicate with their remote team members during regular business hours, ensuring no delays in the project timeline. This advantage facilitates remote collaboration, helping businesses stay on top of their projects and ensure timely delivery within budget.

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Cultural Affinity Facilitating Remote Team Management

Finally, companies can easily manage a remote team in South America due to cultural similarities shared with North America. Many South American countries share similar cultural values and work ethics with North American countries, making it easier to establish a good working relationship with the remote team.

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These cultural similarities include direct communication style, emphasis on hard work and productivity, value for teamwork, importance of punctuality and efficiency, and professionalism. These values can help a project manager establish a good working relationship and collaborate more effectively with their remote employees in South America, aiding in achieving business objectives.

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Steps to Successfully Hire a Remote Development Team in South America

Hiring a remote software development team can seem intimidating, especially if it's your first time. However, by applying these best practices, you can guarantee the right team for your business:

• Identify your project requirements and budget - Start by defining the scope, necessary skills, and timeline of your project. This ensures that you have a precise understanding of your project requirements, allowing you to hire remote developers who can fulfill your business objectives.

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• Research and shortlist potential partners or hiring alternatives - With your project requirements and budget clearly outlined, assess various hiring alternatives like staffing, hiring contractors, or building a dedicated software development team. Look for companies with experience in similar projects and a proven track record to ensure that they have the necessary expertise to build an effective remote software engineering team.

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• Evaluate candidates based on their skills and experience - Once potential development teams are shortlisted, evaluate each team member based on their skills and experience. Look for remote software developers who've worked on similar projects and possess the skills required for your project. This step helps in identifying candidates with the expertise and experience needed to deliver a high-quality project.

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• Conduct interviews to assess communication and cultural fit - After identifying potential candidates, conduct interviews to assess their communication skills and cultural fit. This is crucial when working with a remote software development team since effective communication is key to project success.

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• Clearly define project goals and expectations - After selecting a remote worker or a team, it's important to clearly define project goals and expectations. By defining the project's scope, timeline, and deliverables, you ensure a shared understanding of the project requirements, enabling effective collaboration with your remote employee or team.

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• Establish effective communication channels and tools - To ensure successful communication with your remote team, use video conferencing software, instant messaging apps, and project management tools. These collaboration tools enable efficient interaction with your remote team, helping you stay on top of your project.

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• Set up regular check-ins and progress updates - To ensure your project is progressing as planned, schedule regular check-ins and progress updates with your remote team. This practice helps you stay informed about any issues or delays in the project timeline, allowing you to take corrective action as needed.

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• Foster a good working relationship with the team - Lastly, to ensure project success, establish a healthy working relationship with your remote team. This includes being responsive to their queries and concerns, providing feedback, and acknowledging their contributions to the project.

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Hiring Software Developers vs. Dedicated Software Development Teams

When hiring a remote software development team, companies have the option to hire individual software engineers or dedicated software development teams. While building your own team of software engineers may be suitable for some projects, hiring a dedicated software development team provides many advantages, especially if you lack the internal capacity to manage your projects.

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In this type of software outsourcing, the vendor manages your project with the help of a dedicated, skilled developer or team. Depending on the service you choose, the dedicated team can work part-time or full-time on your project.

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Conversely, hiring a team on your own allows you to maintain control and technical leadership of your project, leading to better collaboration and communication within the team. This approach results in more efficient productivity and faster project completion.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, hiring a remote development team in South America can be a cost-effective and efficient way to access highly skilled developers. The region offers many advantages, including favorable time zones, cultural affinity, and a large pool of talented professionals. By following the steps outlined in this blog post and selecting the right type of team, companies can successfully hire a development team that meets their project requirements and budget. With the right communication tools and a good working relationship, remote development teams can be just as effective as in-house teams, providing the skills and expertise needed to innovate and grow your business.

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If you want to have a better undestanding of this topic, including countries, benefits, regulations, among others, read the Essential Guide to Hiring Software Developers in South America

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If you're looking to hire a remote development team, consider South America as your destination of choice. BetterWay Devs is a top-rated partner for IT recruiting and staff augmentation in South America. Schedule a call to explore how to scale your team in a transparent and human way.

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Paula Tellez

BetterWay Devs Inbound Marketing Manager

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-tellez/

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Suggested Readings

The Impact of Inclusivity on Remote Software Development Teams

Hiring a Software Development Team in Latin America: Advantages, Challenges, and Solutions

How to Hire and Build a Strong Remote Software Development Team in 2023

The Structure, Roles, and Process of a High-Performing Development Team

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