In the hiring process, employers now have more alternatives at their disposal, as opposed to the conventional in-house or outsourcing models. The contemporary work environment has progressed to incorporate a distributed workforce, with personnel undertaking their duties from various locations, other than the workplace. This has facilitated companies to achieve a more flexible and diversified workforce, and allowed staff to work remotely more frequently.
With the rise of digital collaboration platforms, the competition for skilled employees has become more intense. Software engineers are particularly sought after. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for software engineers are expected to grow by 22% between 2012 and 2022. Automatic, the company that developed WordPress, has opted for a completely remote workforce in order to meet its staffing requirements.
Despite the many potential benefits of remote work, there is often reluctance to embrace novel concepts. People generally believe that physical proximity strengthens work relations and promotes collaboration, as a result, many software companies now require their engineers to be ‘co-located’ in a single geographic area.
Before deciding whether to adopt a decentralized method for development, it is essential to evaluate whether it will be advantageous for a specific project. Factors to consider include the project’s size, complexity, the quantity of available resources, and the desired deadline for completion. Additionally, comparing the benefits and drawbacks of a decentralized approach to more conventional development methodologies can assist in making a informed decision for the organization.
Instances when decentralized programming is unsuitable.
Swift responses. Tasks that require hourly or daily delivery may be arduous for teams that are dispersed across regions to fulfil.
The absence of a unifying foundation can impede the effectiveness of decentralized development. To achieve successful results, an organization must establish certain structures, resources, and procedures. A 2009 investigation of Microsoft’s software developers underscored the significance of management tools, well-defined protocols, and the synchronization of distributed team members. All of these components were vital to the success of a remote workforce.
Considering the difficulty in accurately evaluating the skills of remote personnel, it’s crucial that we extensively scrutinize potential candidates. Unfortunately, this can be a time-intensive process, and it might be tempting to forgo the examination procedure to reduce costs. However, this can prove to be a mistaken measure as the effort required for onboarding, managing, and addressing issues with the personnel could exceed the initial cost savings.
Instances when utilizing a decentralized development process is sensible.
Gaining access to the most exceptional talent is crucial to the success of a business. Although the quality of offshore developers can be erratic, it is essential to bear in mind that exceptional individuals can be discovered all over the world. As a shrewd business proprietor, it is important not to restrict yourself to only recruiting from the local talent pool; with the appropriate resources, you can tap into a significantly broader pool of skilled personnel.
The scarcity of competent personnel is increasingly prevalent. During my tenure at 2U, an educational technology company that partners with universities to deliver online degree programs, we struggled to locate novice Salesforce engineers, even for salaries that exceeded standard expectations. Despite the growing demand for these professionals, there is still a considerable dearth of skilled programmers. Organizations can either wait for the situation to improve or actively search for the human resources they require, utilizing any available means.
To prepare for the future, organizations of all sizes must identify ways to cultivate a pool of qualified candidates from around the world. At Works, we acknowledge this challenge and have undertaken measures to provide our clients with access to the finest available talent. To this end, we have invested in employee development programs in some of the most promising markets globally. By acting now, we are helping to secure our clients’ access to a skilled workforce for years to come.
As the demand for qualified Information Technology (IT) specialists consistently outstrips the supply, salaries for software developers in the United States are increasing. However, businesses seeking to recruit these highly-skilled personnel may still discover cost-effective alternatives by adopting remote employment. This tactic might allow employers to engage competent engineers at a lower cost than they would have paid otherwise.
Impact sourcing has been demonstrated to deliver a positive social impact, providing steady income opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, having a diverse workforce offers several business benefits. In a study conducted by the Centre for Talent Innovation in December 2022, workplaces with greater diversity were found to have higher levels of innovative problem-solving abilities. This highlights the fact that businesses that prioritize diversity stand to benefit from increased productivity and innovation.
If you are considering embracing decentralized development, the aforementioned criteria should serve as an adequate starting point for your evaluation.
