Last Updated on 2024-10-29
Have you been thinking about hiring software developers in the Philippines? You know the secret not everyone else knows then! People hire offshore developers from all over the world. However, most entrepreneurs donโt realize that the Philippines is the hidden gem and perhaps the best place to do offshore development.
Why the Philippines?
For starters, most people in the Philippines speak English as their second language. English is used everywhere on street signs, advertisements, TV, etc. English is also the official business language of the Philippines.
Communication is very important when it comes to building a successful software team. So starting with a strong foundation is recommended. With that, you will find that most software professionals in the country are fluent in both written and spoken English.
In addition to high levels of English language skills, the overall culture is quite Western. The Philippines was, long ago, a colony of Spain and then the United States. The majority of the country is Catholic. They love American movies and music.
We can help you hire developers in the Philippines!
We started Full Scale to help solve the shortage of available, talented software engineers in most countries. We help our clients build software development teams that provide dedicated service for long-term teams.
Our Founders started the company by building teams for their own companies. (GigaBook & Stackify). This occurred after realizing how pronounced the talent shortage is when it comes to software developers, testers, and project leaders. After creating streamlined processes aimed to help any company succeed with remote development teams, they knew that other software and technology companies would need and want the same.
How to Hire Developers in the Philippines
There are smart, talented people everywhere. However, being able to assess that talent is a bit of a challenge. The video shown below tells you how Full Scale has assessed thousands of applicants over the years. This is done through a series of technical assessments but also looks at more than a person’s ability to write code.
How to Hire Freelance Developers in the Philippines
There are a few ways to find freelancers. First, you have to figure out if you are looking for someone to do a very small project (days) or to hire more long-term (months).
Short-Term Projects
There are lots of developers who do little side jobs or maybe even make a business out of doing small projects. But those arenโt the same people that would be 100% dedicated to your project for months.
You can find developers on sites like Upwork. If you have a really small project, this is probably your best bet. You can post a job and get multiple people to bid on it. You can also read reviews which are really helpful.
Long-Term Projects
Hiring full-time freelance developers is a little harder than just searching online marketplaces. If you are hiring this person for long-term needs, it is more important to make sure they are good to work within multiple ways. That includes strong technical skills, good communication, etc. It is like hiring any full-time employee
One thing you need to also consider is that the best available software developers usually aren’t working as freelancers. Being a freelancer means you also have to constantly be looking for your next gig, and there is certainly a lot of uncertainty around that. That’s why most top software professionals are usually working in full-time jobs and places like Full Scale.
Things to Consider When Hiring Freelance Developers
Can You Trust Them?
Probably the biggest problem is that you really have no idea who this person is. You have to put a lot of trust in them. You need to give them access to your code, databases, etc. If they disappear, you have no one to contact to figure out what is going on.
Hiring Them is a Lot of Work!
Just like hiring any employee, it can be a lot of work recruiting, screening, interviewing, doing background checks, and everything else you need to do when hiring an employee. This is even more difficult when the person is all the way around the world.
Infrastructure Challenges
The first thing you need to realize is that the Philippines, and many other places in Asia, do not have the same infrastructure that countries like the United States and others have. Blackouts and internet problems are a common occurrence in the Philippines.
If your employees are working out of their homes, especially outside larger cities, they are likely to have some problems with power and internet from time to time.
In-Person vs Remote Team
If you hire 2-3 freelancers and they all work at home, you will miss out on them being able to work side-by-side in an office somewhere. Tools like Slack, Skype, and others make it possible, but there is still something about working side-by-side with someone that helps share knowledge and foster team building.
Missing Employee Benefits
Just like in the US and other places, freelancers also donโt get important employee benefits. Your Filipino employees really want HMO health insurance and other benefits you probably canโt provide. The lack of benefits can make it hard to find top talent.
Hiring Freelancers isn’t Scalable
Freelancers are a good solution if you have a small project or you arenโt sure how long you will keep them working on your project. If you want to build a team of developers and use them long-term, there are a ton of advantages to using an offshore development company.
Using A Philippines Offshore Development Company
If you are looking to really scale your development team in the Philippines, using an offshore development company is your best bet. That’s what we do at Full Scale and we do it quickly and affordably. We are also able to give you added layers of protection and assurance when it comes to your intellectual property.
Here are some advantages and benefits associated with using a company like Full Scale to build a team of expert programmers, testers, and leaders.
Turn-Key Solution
Letโs be honest, hiring people can be a huge pain in the neck. The good news is, you tell us what kind of skill sets you are looking for and we go find them for you. Need a full-stack PHP developer with React experience? No problem.
We handle all of the recruiting, screening, interviews, etc. We even do background checks.
We also provide all the infrastructure, equipment, internet, and everything else needed to be successful. We even take care of all the HR junk nobody wants to do.
You just tell us what you are looking for in a developer, then they show up and write code. If you donโt like them, no problem, we will find someone else! It is almost magic.
Work with Someone You Can Trust
Letโs be honest, trusting random freelancers who work halfway across the world takes a leap of faith. By working with an offshore development company, you have an entire company that you can trust, or at the very least, hold accountable.
Full Scale was started by 2 serial entrepreneurs in the U.S. who needed to build their own development teams in the Philippines. Full Scaleโs services have to work for us, and we stand behind it to make sure it works for you.
Full Scaleโs executive team is located in Kansas City.
All Full Scale employees must pass a background check and are required to sign employment contracts. These contracts cover things like confidentiality, IP assignment, non-compete, and non-solicitation. Our Filipino corporation has full recourse with our (your) employees if anything should ever occur.
Scale Up & Down
We have a lot of developers on staff and we are always hiring. It is easy for us to work with you to quickly scale your team up or perhaps even scale it down. Your team will all work together in the same office. They will eat free lunch together every day.
Leverage Part-Time Expertise & Resources
At Full Scale, we do more than help you build a software development team. We also have resources available for QA, graphics design, content writing, digital marketing, and much more.
The good news is you can take advantage of those resources on an ad hoc basis. That is an amazing benefit that you definitely donโt get with freelancers.
Retaining Your Talent
Our number one job is to find talented software developers in the Philippines and keep them. A lot of companies treat offshore developers like cattle and make them work in what practically looks like a call center. Some of them are forced to share desks and even computers. Yuck. That is the opposite of what everyone wants.
At Full Scale, we treat our employees like racehorses. It starts with paying them very competitively and probably a little over the market rate. We provide them with a very nice office environment, a dedicated workspace, excellent computers, and additional office perks.
We want the work environment to be a little more like working in Silicon Valley. We also provide free meals, snacks, drinks, parking (or transportation allowance), and even a free, weekly massage.
Finding and hiring dedicated developers is hard. It is our goal to keep them and minimize turnover that could affect your company and team.
Summary
Software developers are very hard to find these days in the US, UK, Australia, and many other places around the world. The economy is booming and there just isnโt enough talent to be found.
Freelancers are a good solution if you have a really small and quick project. If you are looking to build a long-term team of developers, Full Scale can help!
The Philippines is an excellent place to build an offshore development team. The owners of Full Scale have been hiring developers in the Philippines since 2009.
Matt Watson is a serial tech entrepreneur who has started four companies and had a nine-figure exit. He was the founder and CTO of VinSolutions, the #1 CRM software used in today’s automotive industry. He has over twenty years of experience working as a tech CTO and building cutting-edge SaaS solutions.
As the CEO of Full Scale, he has helped over 100 tech companies build their software services and development teams. Full Scale specializes in helping tech companies grow by augmenting their in-house teams with software development talent from the Philippines.
Matt hosts Startup Hustle, a top podcast about entrepreneurship with over 6 million downloads. He has a wealth of knowledge about startups and business from his personal experience and from interviewing hundreds of other entrepreneurs.