A guide to hiring Offshore React Developers

React is one of the most popular libraries for web development. Due to its popularity, companies are always on the lookout for good React developers. This can make finding the right talent within your region challenging.

That’s why companies are hiring React developers from offshore countries like Nepal, India, and Vietnam. Hiring developers offshore can be a highly effective approach to development – when you know what you’re doing. To help you get it right, here’s our guide to hiring offshore React developers.

An introduction to React development

React is a popular JavaScript UI development library used for building user interfaces. It was developed by Facebook and has become popular due to its flexibility, scalability, and ease of use. 

React developers build components for applications that enable faster and more efficient development. React also uses a virtual DOM (Document Object Model) that helps improve the performance of the user interface (UI).

Offshore React development is when a company hires React developers located in a  different country or region to develop their application. Here’s how it usually works:

• A proper development plan needs to be put in place, including the choice of libraries and frameworks. React has evolved a lot since its introduction, so it’s important to decide if developers are working in React or constituent frameworks like Next. 

• Before jumping into reusable components, there has to be a standard in place for development. That’s because, with offshore hiring, different people have different development preferences, which can vary from region to region. 

• Choice of libraries should be a team decision. There’s no right answer! As a project grows, there also needs to be space for future decision-making. Key questions to consider include: how do you want to manage ‘state’? Do you need Redux? Do you use React Query, RTK Query, or another package? 

• Before development begins, it’s vital to set up clear communication channels to address language barriers and any scheduling discrepancies. When these things are set, scrum events can help the team stay in sync.

• Development typically begins with static designs, imitating mock-ups, and wireframes. Functionality is then developed alongside the backend, closely followed by robust test patterns.

Where to hire React developers

Based on your requirements, you can either hire individual React developers or an entire React development team. As mentioned before, for both cases, you will have options to hire onshore and offshore. Here’s where to hire, with pros and cons:

Freelance platforms

Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr allow you to browse a pool of freelance React developers and select the best fit for your needs.

In-house hiring

Hiring React developers as full-time employees gives you tighter control over the candidate selection process and your team, especially when you have ongoing development needs.

Offshore software development companies

Offshore software development companies supply React developers with the relevant skills and experience for your project. They often work remotely. 

Onshore development companies

Onshore development companies are located in the same country or region as their client and provide React development services. 

7 tips for hiring offshore React developers

Decided to hire React developers offshore? Time to start the hiring process! To get the best results, take a strategic approach. Here are 7 tips for getting it right:

1️⃣ Define your project requirements first

Clearly define your project requirements, including the scope, timeline, and budget. Do you need one developer or an entire team? This will help you communicate your needs.

2️⃣ Choose a reputable React development company

Carefully research development companies. Choose one with a good reputation and a track record of success. Identify companies with relevant React experience and ask to see samples from past projects. Look into the similar projects that the companies have done earlier, if possible talk to previous clients as well.

3️⃣ Evaluate the skills of potential React developers

Look for React developers with relevant skills and experience. Ask to see examples of their previous work and get them to complete a coding test.

4️⃣ Communicate clearly

Ensure you set up clear communication channels, expectations, and provide regular feedback. Use video conferencing and instant messaging tools to stay in touch.

5️⃣ Establish a project management process

Establish a project management process that includes regular check-ins and progress updates. Project management tools will help to keep the React project on track.

6️⃣ Consider cultural differences

Take time to understand your offshore React developers’ culture and communication style.  Be flexible and patient, and be aware that cultural differences can have an impact.

7️⃣ Protect your intellectual property

Whoever you’re working with, make sure you have a contract in place that includes provisions for intellectual property (IP) protection. Consider using tools like Git or Bitbucket to control access to your code.

Skills required for offshore React developers

Offshore React developers need a range of technical and non-technical skills. Here’s a list:

Technical skills

• Proficiency in React: Offshore React developers must have a strong understanding of React, including its core concepts, component lifecycle, and state management. They should also be able to work with React libraries and frameworks like Redux, React Router, and Next.js.

• Proficiency in JavaScript: A strong understanding of JavaScript is essential for offshore React developers, as React is built on top of it. Familiarity with modern JavaScript features – including ES6+ syntax and asynchronous programming – as well as functional programming concepts are also needed.

• Familiarity with CSS and HTML: Offshore React developers must work with CSS and HTML and its related technologies, including preprocessors like Sass and LESS, and libraries like Bootstrap and Material UI. A good understanding of responsive design principles is also important.

• Experience with Git: Git is a tool for version control. Offshore React developers need experience of Git to collaborate on projects with distributed teams. They need to understand Git workflows – like branching and merging – and have a good understanding of Git commands.

• Familiarity with RESTful APIs: Offshore React developers work with RESTful APIs to build client-side applications that interact with server-side APIs. For that reason, they need to be able to make API calls using tools like Axios and Fetch, and have an understanding of HTTP methods.

• Debugging skills: Debugging skills are essential for offshore React developers, as they will need to identify and fix bugs. They need to understand debugging tools like Chrome Developer Tools, and be able to use console logs effectively.

Non-technical skills

• Strong problem-solving skills: Offshore React developers should have strong problem-solving skills because they will need to identify and solve complex coding problems.

• Communication skills: Offshore React developers work collaboratively with other developers, project managers, and stakeholders. For that reason, they should be able to communicate clearly and show competency with video conferencing and messaging tools.

The cost of offshore React developers 

Factors such as location, skills, experience, and the complexity of a project all impact the cost of hiring offshore developers. The cost of hiring offshore React developers ranges from $10 – $60 per hour. Here’s a comparison of the average hourly rates for different regions (for guidance purposes only):

Potential risks when hiring React developers offshore

While hiring React developers offshore is a cost-effective way to build high-quality applications, it comes with potential risks. To make the process work for you, it’s important to carefully evaluate these risks and take steps to address them. Like any other offshore hiring, here are some of the common risks involved in hiring offshore React developers:

• Communication barriers: Language barriers and time zone differences can make communication difficult between you and your offshore developers. This can lead to misunderstandings and delays in the development process.

• Cultural differences: Cultural differences between you and your offshore team may cause misunderstandings and miscommunication. Differences in work style, business practices, and attitudes toward deadlines need to be considered.

• Quality control: Quality assurance can be challenging when working with an offshore React team, especially if you have limited experience of managing remote developers. Establish clear standards and processes for quality control and regularly review the work.

• Intellectual property concerns: Other countries might not have the same level of intellectual property (IP) protection as yours. That’s why it’s important to establish ownership and confidentiality agreements up front. 

• Security concerns: If your React team is located in a country with less stringent data privacy laws, there may be security risks associated with sharing sensitive information. Set up clear security protocols and communication channels from the start.

• Lack of accountability: Holding an offshore React development team accountable for their work can be a challenge. Ensure you establish clear expectations and have a contract in place, so both parties have accountability.
  

Hire offshore developers from Proshore

At Proshore we train, hire, and assemble your React development team so that you don’t have to. We invest in bootcamp and mentorship programs to train and educate developers about React. In fact, our ready-to-code ‘development team as a service’ is the ideal way to get the React developer capacity you need on a budget that suits your business.

Based in the Netherlands and Nepal, we hand-pick the right expertise for your needs from our deep talent pool, saving you valuable time and money in the hiring process. You also cut down training costs because our developers are matched to your stack and ready-to-code in any language, including React. Our use of Scrum practices means our developers follow can easily integrate with your existing development team.

By talking to us about your specific needs, we can tailor a team package to suit you, from a single developer to a complete self-managed team including testers, designers, DevOps, and Scrum masters. 

Interested in hiring offshore React developers through Proshore? Book a call