Businesses in North America, especially SMEs or startups on a budget, often encounter the problem of costly developer services in their geographic location. Developers in Canada and the USA charge high fees because of these countries’ high living standards and taxes. Thus, a company wishing to create an app or a web resource typically faces a huge bill from local companies and freelancers.
We recommend considering nearshore outsourcing if you need a digital product but can’t afford paying that much for it. For example, Argentina is one of the preferred outsourcing locations for businesses in North America. It has all features of an ideal outsourcing destination due to many qualified coders, extensive governmental investment in IT education, and a cultural and language fit with North America.
Don’t take the headhunting process light-heartedly; there is always a certain degree of risk in dealing with outsourced providers. Here’s everything you need to know about finding and recruiting skilled Argentina developers for your next software project.
Why Argentina?
Argentina has many skilled coders and a well-developed IT infrastructure. Thus, by choosing this outsourcing destination, you reap the following benefits.
#1 Negligible Time Zone Differences
If you work in the EST time zone, partnering with Argentinian coders will be hassle-free. Argentina is only 1-2 hours ahead of the EST time, so your in-house team will share many office hours with the outsourced team. This time zone overlap is beneficial for better communication, productive collaboration, and quicker feedback.
#2 A Cultural Fit
Latin Americans are very similar to North Americans in terms of cultural values, attitude to work, and corporate culture. Besides, the overwhelming majority of coders are proficient in English. Thus, you can partner with Argentinians without worries about a clash of cultures and poor understanding; dealing with them is much easier and more pleasant.
#3 Ever-Expanding IT Industry
Argentina is a country heavily investing in the development of its IT industry, which helped it become a prominent tech hub in the region. The Argentinian IT sector is dynamic and innovative, with many skilled coders joining the workforce every year. The state has also established a strong educational system nurturing tech talent, giving the country a new wave of seasoned programming graduates every year.
#4 Diverse Coding Talent
Argentine currently offers a huge talent pool of 130,000+ coders, and the number grows every year as more people join tech schools and colleges. The programmers living in Argentina are proficient in all prominent programming technologies, including C, AI, JavaScript, UI/UX design, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and blockchain, among others.
#5 Cost Savings
Needless to say, the rates of Argentinian coders are way lower than those of Canadian, American, and West European programmers of the same qualification and seniority level. For example, hiring a junior coder in Argentina will cost you $2,500-3,000 on average, while an American coder of the same level will typically charge around $7,000 per month. The same goes for middle-level and senior-level coders, whose rates are 2-3 times higher in North America compared to Argentina.
Where To Look For Coders?
Now that you know it’s great to look for coders in Argentina, let’s talk about the most popular recruitment methods. To date, the safest and quickest headhunting channels are:
- IT outsourcing companies. This method is the least problematic for companies wishing to find a coder or a team with a specific tech stack, embarking on the project as fast as possible. Such companies charge a fee for the team’s maintenance, but they manage all the legal and administrative hassle for you. Thus, you conveniently get a well-functioning team in the IT outsourcer’s office, working exclusively on your project.
- Job boards. This option suits those who need coders for one-time project work or want to establish a long-term collaboration with skilled coders without the involvement of third parties. Using job boards like Buscojobs, un Mejor Empleo, or Bumeran may seem overwhelming for you, as you need to get the Argentinian fiscal number and post your job offering in Spanish. Still, it’s a great point of contact with Argentinian coders where you can find seasoned professionals and negotiate reasonable fees with them directly.
- Freelancer platforms. Labor marketplaces and freelance platforms are also a great resource for companies wishing to recruit Argentinian coders directly. However, you need to keep in mind that many platforms ban direct communication between freelancers and employers. So, you will need to pay a fee to the platform and conduct all communication with the coder via the platform, which is often inconvenient for large-scale software development projects.
Hiring Tips
As you might already understand, hiring an Argentinian coder with the needed tech stack is a good idea regarding cost, overlapping work time, and cultural fit. You may spend some extra time to find good experts, but this investment quickly pays off. The final tips for avoiding scams and landing a perfect job candidate are as follows:
- If you need a coder for a short-term project, contact a nearshore outsourcing firm to get one. It will be quicker and cheaper than going through headhunting on your own.
- Those who work with Latin American companies can ask for referrals. It’s more reassuring to partner with coders who did a good job for your business contacts rather than start a new partnership.
- Look for individual coders and hire them for long-term partnerships. Such experts are a rare find in the market, so building a sustainable direct partnership is valuable in terms of cost savings and stability.
- Use social media as a recruitment tool. Argentinians are active on social media. So, finding a great expert via a social network can be easier than doing that on a job board.
Good luck in your headhunting endeavor!