Different cultures and approaches to work
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in Latin America and India as potential markets for skilled developers. When considering hiring team members from either of these regions to bring your dream product into reality, it is essential to consider a few key factors that lead to successful collaborations with teammates near and far.
Cultural Differences:
The first of these is to keep in mind the existence of cultural differences. When observing Latin America in relation to the US, you’ll notice a close connection due to proximity paired with a shared media consumption. (That’s right, parents in Argentina are also being asked by their tiny people to put on Paw Patrol for the 70th time this week!) While each culture has unique aspects, there are many shared values around work ethic, problem-solving approaches, and intellectual curiosity that provide exciting opportunities for collaboration between these two regions.
In India, on the other hand, you may find they have contrasting mindsets and approaches to work, compared to Western business. These differences can quickly lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings while joining forces. Considering the combination of different approaches to work and the added obstacle of language barriers, easy collaboration between coworkers in the US and India can be a far more difficult goal to achieve.
Different Time Zones:
Time zones are another consideration to take into account. Coordination and collaboration within a team become much tougher when some teammates are sipping on their morning joe and others are slipping into their pajamas. This is another reason why Howdy loves to link US companies to LatAm developers. Latin America has a convenient time zone for working with the US market, which keeps teammates able to stay in touch and the know. On the contrary, working with folks in India’s time zone can make finding moments to interact and keep in sync a bit more challenging.
Professional Quality:
Due to government encouragement, many Latin American countries have seen impressive growth in service industries, particularly in computer science, technology, engineering, and related fields. This has led to a surplus of highly competent professionals, including skilled and savvy developers. While India also boasts a large number of talented developers, the industry tends to be so saturated that it can be difficult to identify skilled professionals. It’s crucial to ensure that you hire a qualified developer for your project, as choosing someone who is not up to the task could result in poor-quality code and ultimately lead to higher expenses in the long run.
English Proficiency:
Effective communication is crucial in both life and business. It is the foundation of every good relationship. Latin American countries are known for their high level of English proficiency, whereas developers in India may have had limited exposure to English-speaking countries and businesses prior, resulting in a lower level of English proficiency.
At Howdy, we ensure that our dedicated LatAm developers who join our partners’ teams have professional-level language skills. We believe relationships tend to work best when everyone is speaking the same language, so we make sure our entire recruitment process is conducted in English. This allows us to assess candidates’ language skills thoroughly and confidently place them in teams where English is the primary language.
Conclusion:
Regardless of whether you’re seeking to recruit developers from Latin America or India, your concerns will be the same. At Howdy, we know how important it is to have someone ready and able to answer every last one of your logistical issues. We also know that you don’t want to outsource your product. That’s why Howdy takes care of everything, including talent acquisition, HR, legal compliance, office space, and onsite teams to help with retention. Our engineers work together in US time zones, allowing a level of team culture and communication that no other “contractor” platform can match.
