So, you aim to launch your next project backed by a strong expertise base but lack the required skills in-house? One of the ways to address your need is to hire developers in Colombia—an emerging hub that boasts 150,000+ engineers. What makes local experts stand out on the region’s technological landscape? And what are the main advantages of hiring developers in Colombia compared to other outsourcing destinations?
Keep reading to learn how to find top specialists in Colombia, extend your team, sign a win-win contract, and other tried-and-true tips and market insights.
5 major reasons to hire software developers in Colombia
Since 2010, the Colombian tech sector has been growing at a CAGR of 24.5% until the country has made it to the top three IT markets in Latin America. Apart from rapid and consistent development, there are other reasons to hire software engineers in Colombia. Here are five key factors contributing to the attractiveness of Colombia's software development sector:
1. Favorable business environment
The business landscape of your outsourcing location is directly related to the success of your initiatives. For businesses that plan to look for software developers in Colombia, the country’s economy can tell a lot about the risk level of outsourcing projects and potential operational stability. With the fourth largest economy in Latin America, Colombia is an attractive destination for hiring software developers. Its economy has rapidly grown over recent years, mainly because of the export of oil, coal, and coffee. The services sector, which spans finance, insurance, real estate, hospitality, transport, and warehousing, as well as the ICT domain, is the most quickly developing branch of the Colombian economy. It is the largest sector as well – services account for 53% of the country’s GDP. Moreover, Colombia has reached the 67th position of the Ease of Doing Business ranking, making it the fourth highest-ranking country in Latin America when it comes to favorable business conditions.
2. Governmental support of the tech domain
The Colombian government actively supports the digitalization of the nation and regularly introduces incentives to strengthen the ICT sector. For instance, by launching the Investment Promotion Program for priority sectors, the government claimed tax exemptions for tech businesses. Moreover, since 2017, certain types of digital content and cloud services are also free of taxation. Such tax exemptions and other incentives attract innovative companies to Colombia, fostering a culture of technological advancement.
The initiatives of the Colombian ICT ministry go far beyond taxes. The government expands the local tech infrastructure by building technology parks, such as Ruta N Building in Medellin. These hubs become an environment of collaboration and knowledge sharing for local experts. The government’s $2.5M investment in tech education and sponsorship of numerous IT training demonstrates their commitment to having a skilled workforce and positively impacts the inflow of software developers in Colombia.
3. Thriving ICT market
Another reason to hire software developers in Colombia is the vibrant growth and innovation within the local tech industry. Colombia has earned the 63rd position in the Global Innovation Index – a list of countries ranked by their success in adopting modern technology. Though Colombia is placed behind top-tier global economies in the rating, the location has made it to the top three in the region.
The high level of technological maturity in Colombia draws the attention of top enterprises from America and Europe, such as Amazon and Siemens. Over the last decade, Colombia has emerged as a prominent outsourcing location for global markets, particularly the United States (33%). Some of the other key consumers of Colombian ICT services are Ecuador, Mexico, Spain, and Ireland.
4. Time zone overlap
One of the major benefits for the US-based organizations that want to nearshore their software development to Latin America and Colombia, in particular, is a full or partial overlap in time zones. Such cities as Chicago, Houston, and Dallas share workday hours with Colombia, which allows real-time communication and effective project management. In addition, the average flight time from the United States to Colombia is around 6 hours – geographical closeness significantly reduces travel time and makes potential business trips more convenient.
5. Highly educated professionals
You might wonder, how does the Colombian talent pool remain inexhaustible despite the increasing demand? The answer is a strong ICT education system that ensures a constant inflow of qualified experts. In Latin America, Colombia boasts the highest proportion of graduates in the field of technology. According to the Colombian Ministry of Education, over 13K tech specialists graduate from local universities annually.
Keep reading: Outsourcing to Latin America: benefits, destinations, market overview
Colombian tech talent pool: key insights for businesses
Colombia is a prominent destination for businesses seeking to tap into versatile tech skillsets and fill in their expertise gaps. What are the main factors that make organizations choose the Colombian talent pool over their local ones and hire software developers in Colombia?
Large number of software developers
The outsourcing destination boasts over 150,000 tech experts, which is one of the largest figures in the region. Most local developers reside in major Colombian engineering hubs like Bogota, Medellin, and Barranquilla. The country is home to more than 360 tech vendors, so if you’ve decided to hire software developers in Colombia, it will be easy to hire the required professionals. By cooperating with one of the trusted Colombian outsourcing companies like N-iX, you delegate the search for required expertise, technical interviews, and team management to your tech partner.
Diverse tech specialization
The wide skill range of Colombian IT experts makes the country a perfect destination for filling in your expertise gap. Among the most popular technologies are C# and C++ with 58K and 59K engineers specializing in each programming language, respectively. Over 15,400 software developers in Colombia have a track record of front-end development projects. One such case was N-iX’s work for the US-based manufacturing company Fluke. As a part of the large-scale project, our developers refactored the front-end and back-end of the client’s product, which ensured better solution performance.
High English proficiency
One of the key concerns for businesses that have made a choice to set up their engineering team in other locations is miscommunication. You want your developers to speak the same language as you do – both metaphorically and literally. Colombian engineers have a good command of English, which translates into seamless communication between local specialists and clients from America and Europe.
Read more: How to streamline communication with your remote development team
How to hire software developers in Colombia: a step-by-step guide
Regardless of the outsourcing location and your requirements, the approach to hiring and managing engineers in a remote destination typically consists of the same phases. Follow these steps to quickly set up a team of seasoned Colombian developers based on your needs:
1. Describe your staffing request
During the initial stage, you have to determine the number of engineers for hire, their roles, and desired qualification level, as well as the required hard skills and certifications. Some additional criteria might be industry expertise. Software developers with experience in your or related domains most likely know how to deal with specific industry-related challenges and might help you with compliance.
2. Select an outsourcing vendor
Let’s move to the practical part and begin the selection process. It might seem challenging at first since Colombia is home to more than 360 tech vendors. We suggest narrowing down the list of potential partners by consulting reliable resources like Clutch or GoodFirms. We recommend choosing midsize and large vendors with more than 250 tech experts on board. Such enterprises tend to have optimized development processes and provide access to the required workforce more quickly.
What are the other essential aspects to consider? Scroll through the companies’ portfolios, customer testimonials, and reviews to find out more about their projects and delivered business value. Before moving on to the next stage, don’t forget to make sure they have proven experience in the technology stack you require.
Related: How to choose the right software development partner: your outsourcing handbook
3. Choose the right cooperation model or service
Selecting a cooperation model or service that matches your needs is a vital stage when setting up partnerships, especially in IT outsourcing. Your choice might depend on many factors, including your business objectives, the degree of control, the project’s flexibility, and more.
The Team Extention model is the best decision for businesses that lack in-house resources and aim for a high level of project flexibility. Within this model, your tech partner is accountable for augmenting your existing team with the lacking expertise, as well as retention of team members and HR management.
For businesses seeking to recruit a whole team of software developers in Colombia for a project, the Managed Team is the optimal choice. By choosing this model, you gain access to the diverse tech expertise of your outsourcing vendor. Your partner will take control of the team and process management, allowing you to focus on other critical aspects of your project.
Choose Custom Solution Development if you want to hire a Colombian team that would implement your tailored software from scratch. As you sign up for this service, the design of the project’s roadmap, end-to-end solution delivery, security, and quality assurance becomes your tech partner’s responsibility.
What if your main goal is to address a business challenge with the help of technology? Opt for Tech Consulting in Colombia, then. Seasoned tech consultants will validate your business ideas, assess the feasibility of implementing new technology, and provide strategic guidance to solve your specific business issues.
4. Streamline effective communication
Once you shake hands with your engineering team, the next step is to set up effective team management processes. By utilizing collaboration and communication software, you can keep a pulse on your project's development and address issues as they emerge. Use corporate messengers to check on your remote teams and share updates, project management solutions to do the planning, and conduct regular syncs via web and video conferencing apps.
Read more: Top software development companies in Latin America: A comprehensive review
Why choose N-iX for hiring engineers in Colombia?
N-iX is a global software engineering company that employs over 2,200 skilled tech specialists. Over 21 years of market presence, we provided tech consulting and custom software development services to clients across multiple industries, including manufacturing, logistics & supply chain, fintech, telecom, and retail. Apart from the established office and development center in Medellin, Colombia, N-iX is present in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, the US, and other locations. In addition to offering extensive experience and access to a global talented pool of individuals, N-iX also:
- partners with a wide range of top international enterprises, including renowned US companies such as Gogo, Office Depot, Seeking Alpha, and Fluke;
- holds numerous industry recognitions, including IAOP Global Outsourcing 100, CRN Fast Growth List, and Forrester rankings;
- adheres to the required industry regulations and standards, such as A-SPICE3.1, ISO 9001, ISO 29119, ISO 26262, and ISO 33050.
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