In today’s global economy, nearshoring has become an increasingly popular strategy for companies looking to expand their software development capabilities. Mexico, in particular, offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses seeking to tap into its highly skilled and cost-effective nearshore developers.
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Contact Us Today!As a neighboring country to the United States, Mexico offers a number of competitive advantages for nearshoring, including physical proximity and time-zone similarity. This allows for real-time collaboration between in-house teams and nearshore developers, enabling maximum team cohesion and efficiency. Additionally, Mexico’s thriving software development industry, with a talent pool of over 223,398 developers, provides a wealth of options for businesses seeking to build their coding teams from the ground up or integrate new developers into existing teams.
This article covers all the competitive advantages of this top nearshore outsourcing destination and how to get started with nearshoring. Keep reading to find out why and how to hire nearshore software developers in Mexico!
Benefits of hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico
#1 Physical proximity and time-zone similarity to the US.
One of the main advantages of nearshoring your IT operations is the possibility to work in real-time with remote software developers. In this case, Mexico only has a maximum time difference of 2 hours with the US. This means your in-house team and your nearshore developers will be able to stay in contact during work hours, ensuring maximum team collaboration.
Mexico is also a neighboring country to the United States, which provides US companies with even more networking opportunities. Your remote development team could attend in-person events at the US headquarters if needed and, if you ever need to mail anything, the delivery times will be much quicker as well.
#2 Mexico has a thriving software development industry.
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to proving Mexico is a top nearshore outsourcing destination. This country has the second-largest coding talent pool out of all Latin American IT nearshore outsourcing alternatives. With more than 223,398 developers, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to find a good match for your business!
Besides having a large pool of Mexican developers to choose from, this country also features a growing IT sector. The Mexican tech scene has been quickly expanding, turning the country into a Latin American technological hub. The local IT industry provides an annual revenue of USD 38 million and recent reports show that its 2021 growth rate is a solid 6%. This shouldn’t be shocking news, as Mexico is the world’s third-largest IT exporter. With more than USD 21 billion in exports a year, you can rest assured that Mexican developers know their way around the technological industry.
#3 Nearshoring Mexican developers allows for lower salary costs.
Thanks to the favorable conversion of Mexican pesos to US dollars, the cost of hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico is much lower than recruiting American coders. This allows you to outsource the same high-quality coding solutions at a more affordable price point! You’ll find an estimate of the up-to-date rates below, though be sure to consider 30% to 40% extra costs if you’re working with a third-party agency.
- Junior developers: $4000-$5000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $5000-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$8000 USD per month.
#4 Nearshore software developers in Mexico are properly educated.
Thanks to this country’s thriving IT sector, hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico is a guarantee of quality coders with a strong educational background. Mexico has consistently increased its number of computer science graduates, producing more than 13.000 a year for the past decade. In addition, Mexico stands among the top nearshoring countries with the most number of engineering and STEM graduates on an annual basis. According to Forbes Statista, this top nearshore outsourcing destination has over 113.944 engineering graduates a year!
Mexican developers have several educational institutions to choose from, like the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and the Mexico National Polytechnic Institute. Moreover, those who can’t or don’t wish to go down the traditional path toward an undergraduate degree also have a different set of options to learn how to code. There are many online courses, tech academies, and free internet resources available. If you practice remote hiring best practices, you’ll have no trouble hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico with strong educational backgrounds.
#5 High English level for all nearshore software developers.
It’s no secret that Mexican developers possess a high command of the English language. Thanks to Mexico’s physical proximity to the US, several well-educated residents of this country are fluent in English and use it on a regular basis. Nearshore software developers in Mexico are no exception to this! Though don’t let EF’s EPI rankings discourage you from hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico. This index qualifies Mexico as a country with a low English proficiency score, as it ranks #82 out of 100 countries.
Granted, this ranking isn’t too motivating. Yet Mexican developers know English proficiency is necessary to advance in their coding careers. There are several language institutes, online courses, and free internet resources local coders can access to improve their English skills. Just be sure to do an English proficiency interview with all candidates to be certain of their level from the start!
#6 Mexican developers are proficient in several coding languages.
Thanks to the continued growth of the Mexican software development industry, nearshore developers in Mexico are proficient in different coding languages. It’s not uncommon to find Mexican developers with an expert command of more than one language or tech niche at once! This is a competitive advantage thanks to the flexibility it offers, as well as the opportunities for future collaborations on entirely different projects.
Here are the programming languages with the most nearshoring clients in Mexico:
- PHP
- ASP.NET
- Python
- Node.JS
- Ruby
- Java
- Perl
How to hire nearshore software developers in Mexico
#1 Working with a nearshore outsourcing and staff augmentation firm.
Software outsourcing to Mexico is made easy when taking advantage of nearshore software development services offered by nearshoring agencies like us, Next Idea Tech. These firms handle the entirety of the recruitment and payment processes, saving your company countless time and resources. When you work with a nearshore outsourcing company, all you need to worry about is selecting which potential coding candidates are the best fit for your project needs. Hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico turns into a streamlined task with the help of an experienced nearshoring firm!
#2 Asking for personal referrals.
If you have a trustworthy contact in Mexico or don’t possess the budget to hire a nearshoring agency, asking for a referral is a solid alternative. Since the recommendation comes from someone you already know, chances are the Mexican developers you’ll connect with are a good fit for your business. So don’t hesitate to reach out to your industry contacts and ask if they know of a skilled developer in Mexico!
#3 Hiring a direct contractor.
Hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico without any third-party interventions can take a little extra scouting, but it’s still doable. These contractors usually specialize in a certain coding language or development skill, so it’s best to get very clear on what coding solutions your business needs. The easiest way to look for Mexican developers who work as direct contractors is via LinkedIn. So try to get on the platform and connect with any nearshore developers that catch your eye!
#3 Posting a job ad on online communities and job boards.
Online communities and job boards are still effective, despite the rise of freelancing platforms and LinkedIn job posts. Since there are so many Mexican developers eager to find coding jobs with competitive salaries, there are several online coding communities dedicated to employment opportunities. Sure, job boards are the traditional bet. Still, a good deal of developers gravitates toward online communities like Reddit for the added peer support and credibility.
#4 Partnering up with a Global Employment Agency.
Global Employment Agencies (GPAs) are another reliable way of hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico. The way they work is by letting your company hire Mexican developers through them, so expect a heavily present third party with this nearshoring alternative to start software outsourcing to Mexico. These are local companies and tend to charge the total cost of the nearshore developers’ salary, the cost of benefits, and a fee of 10% or more for their services.
#5 Scouting for nearshore developers at local events.
Mexican software development events are a pretty big deal. Thanks to this country’s growing IT sector, more and more Mexican developers join coding events every year. These conferences usually take place in the major Mexican cities, but since COVID-19 the events are usually held online as well. Try to join (virtually or in-person) one of these events to connect with skilled nearshore developers. Chances are most of them are looking for a new employment opportunity!
#6 Taking advantage of freelancing platforms.
Nearshore software development is just one of those sectors that thrive under freelancing arrangements. That’s why different freelancing platforms, like UpWork and Fiverr, have become so popular with Mexican developers in recent years. You’ll have no trouble finding a dozen skilled coders at affordable rates on any of those platforms.
Though these sites also have a few major drawbacks! For starters, it’s really complicated to analyze the developers’ English level and coding skills before you actually start working with them. On the other hand, these platforms also get a share of your developer’s pay. So don’t be surprised if the rates are higher than with other nearshore software development services!
#7 Opening up a Mexican subsidiary of your company.
This is an ambitious nearshoring alternative, though certainly possible. If your goal is to expand your company across the Latin American region and hire remote nearshore developers in Mexico, setting up a local company is a smart move. This way you can hire local talent and build your presence in the area! Though make sure to comply with all local regulations from the get-go to avoid getting into legal trouble with the national authorities.
Interested in how to hire nearshore software developers in Mexico? Let’s work together!
As you can see, there are different competitive advantages to hiring Mexican developers. Furthermore, there are different ways you can start nearshore software outsourcing in Mexico. This country offers quality coding solutions, skilled developers at a lower cost, and real-time collaboration opportunities. Hiring nearshore software developers in Mexico can help you take your software development to the next level!
At Next Idea Tech, we work with a large network of qualified software developers and UI/UX designers proficient in different programming languages. Our goal is to provide US-based businesses with outstanding coding solutions and skilled developers who understand all kinds of creative visions.
We are here to bring your ideas to life! That’s why we offer both staff augmentation and direct placement services to help you hire nearshore developers in Mexico and all of Latin America. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about how to hire nearshore software developers in Mexico!
