As we’ve mentioned time and time again, nearshore outsourcing is a fantastic way to take your software development to the next level. And Costa Rica is a top nearshore outsourcing destination!
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Contact Us Today!This country has top-notch nearshore developers, minimal time zone differences from the US, and growing tech industry.
This article is dedicated to the most competitive advantages of hiring nearshore developers in this country and how to find them. Keep reading to learn how to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica!
Advantages of hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica
#1 Costa Rica is close to the US and has similar time zones.
There is a minimal time zone difference between the US and Costa Rica, depending on your company’s zone. There’s usually only an hour delay on the US side.
This allows both your remote and your in-person staff to collaborate in real-time, sharing multiple business hours a day.
Furthermore, Costa Rica is only a short 4-hour flight away from the United States. This even lets your company consider the possibility of meeting with your remote developers or inviting them to company events.
#2 The Costa Rica software development scene is still growing.
Though Costa Rica might not have the same large talent pool of developers as Argentina or Brazil, this country still boasts an impressive number of high-powered developers.
There are currently around 22.701 Costa Rican developers and many of them are looking to work with US-based companies.
Moreover, Costa Rica consistently ranks high for its amazing workforce. According to the 2019 Global Competitiveness Report, Costa Rica’s workforce is #1 for human capital in Latin America. But this country’s recognition doesn’t stop with its workforce.
Costa Rica is always undergoing constant technological innovation and these efforts show on different rankings. That’s why the 2020 Global Innovation Index report awarded Costa Rica with the #56 place competing against 131 other world economies. The country also ranked #51 for innovation progress over the years.
Even if the amount of nearshore developers in Costa Rica isn’t too large, these developers have notable skills. Their talent and dedication show not only in their increased demand but also in recent statistics. Coursera has reported that Costa Rican developers rank #2 in Latin America and #27 worldwide for their technology and programming skills.
#3 Nearshore developers in Costa Rica have strong English skills.
Hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica has several advantages, but the lack of communication barriers is one of the most significant ones.
Costa Rican developers have moderate English proficiency according to the EF EPI Index. The country ranks #44 out of 112 countries on the list, with an overall score of 520.
It also holds the #4 position within Latin America, a coveted spot between the 20 nations working to improve their English skills.
#4 Costa Rican developers receive high-quality IT education.
It’s no secret Costa Rica has a strong education system. According to recent statistics by the World Economic Forum, Costa Rica is the leader in Latin America in the quality of the educational system. It has a score of 4.60 where 7 means extremely well, so it’s no doubt this country has a well-rounded educational system.
Moreover, in recent years, the local government has destined over 7% of the GDP to educational improvements to increase the nation’s literacy rate.
As it is to excerpt from a country that prioritizes education, there are plenty of technological degrees available to aspiring Costa Rican developers. In fact, the ministry of education has launched initiatives like the “National mobile technology program for education in Costa Rican classrooms”.
The combination of increasingly tech-oriented curriculums for secondary education and an increase in IT degrees for higher education has made things easier for nearshore developers in Costa Rica.
These IT professionals have access to many educational institutions and different resources as well. This makes software outsourcing to Costa Rica a safe bet in terms of education.
#5 Hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica saves your company money.
Costa Rican developers charge lower rates than their US-based counterparts. This is mostly due to two different reasons: the cheaper cost of ling in Costa Rica and the favorable exchange rate between Colones and US dollars.
This allows your company to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica at the most cost-effective rate to gain a greater return on investment on your software outsourcing.
Here are the standard rates for hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica. Please consider a 30-40% increase in costs if you’re hiring through a third-party firm.
- Junior developers: $3500-$5000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $5000-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$8500 USD per month.
#6 Costa Rican software engineers work with a variety of coding languages.
When you hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica, you’re hiring IT professionals who understand the importance of having versatile skills. That’s why many Costa Rican developers have a strong command of several coding languages.
Here are the most prominent languages when hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica so you know which ones could best help your development efforts.
- Ruby on Rails
- WordPress
- HTML/CSS
- Salesforce
- Flask
- Python
- React Native
- JavaScript
How to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica
#1 Find nearshore developers in Costa Rica through a nearshore outsourcing agency.
Nearshoring agencies like us, Next Idea Tech, are the simplest way for US-based companies to hire nearshore developers in all Latin American countries.
Staff augmentation and nearshoring agencies handle all the recruitment, payment, and onboarding procedures to allow your company to focus only on selecting the best-suited candidate for the job.
Because we have a signature vetting process and take all the tough tasks off your plate, it’s an easy and streamlined option for those hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica.
#2 Ask all industry and regional contacts for a referral.
Referrals can really streamline the scouting process when you hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica. Because someone has personally recommended a Costa Rican developer to you, there’s initially no need to find several other candidates.
You can start by interviewing the referral and assessing if they’re a good fit. In most cases, if your contacts are aware of your coding needs, the candidate is indeed a strong fit and you can move forward with the vetting process.
To help you navigate this procedure on your own, we have put together a guide with the key seven tips to find the perfect coding team.
#3 Hire Costa Rican developers working as direct contractors.
Direct contractors can be a gold mine if you find the right Costa Rican developers offering their services this way. Still, most independent contractors tend to have jam-packed schedules and limited availability.
Though this doesn’t mean they’re impossible to find. You should start by scouting for independent nearshore developers in Costa Rica via LinkedIn or Google.
Just make sure to inform them of your budget, your exact development needs, and how long you expect the project to last.
#4 Post a job ad on Costa Rican social media communities and job boards.
Job boards and social media became popular for hiring developers with the rise of remote software development, alongside freelancing platforms.
Your company shouldn’t forget to post job ads on social media groups such as Reddit or Facebook, as local developers spend time in these communities to network with their peers.
Though keep in mind that you should target the job ad to the country you want to hire developers in since coders from all of Latin America join these groups.
#5 Hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica via a Global Employment Agency.
Global Employment Agencies and Global Employment Organizations are a long-standing nearshoring alternative. These local organizations have international teams in all corners of the world and partner with foreign companies wanting to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica and all of Latin America.
When it comes to software outsourcing to Costa Rica, Global Employment Agencies allow you to hire nearshore developers through them and monitor every task or project they work on.
They charge the developer’s salary, the cost of benefits, and a 10% fee for their services.
#6 Try freelancing platforms to get into software outsourcing to Costa Rica.
UpWork and Fiverr have given countless people the opportunity to try freelancing with the wave of The Great Resignation, as many full-time workers have decided to quit their jobs.
Because of this, these platforms are now more crowded than ever. It’ll be simple for you to find nearshore developers in Costa Rica eager to work.
You can post a job ad on these platforms or look at the profiles of the top freelancers to find a Costa Rican developer who’s the right fit for your coding needs.
#7 Set up a subsidiary in Costa Rica to hire nearshore developers.
Setting up a subsidiary or sister company in Costa Rica can help you expand your presence in the region and allow you to hire Costa Rican developers.
Because you own a local company, you can hire them both remotely or in person. This flexibility can be advantageous, but you need to make sure the company complies with all local regulations to evade legal trouble in the future.
#8 Look for Costa Rican developers at different software development conferences.
There are many IT and technology events across Latin America and a few that are local to Costa Rica, making it easier for US-based companies to connect with nearshore developers in a casual environment.
A good number of Costa Rican developers attend these software development conferences to network with their peers and find new employment opportunities.
If your company is present at these events, then it could result in a new network of Costa Rican developers ready to interview and consider for the position.
Ready to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica? Let’s talk!
There are several advantages to hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica. And while its talent pool might be smaller than some of the other top nearshore outsourcing destinations, Costa Rican developers make up for it with remarkable skills and technological innovations.
There are minimal time zone differences and fewer development costs, making this country a smart choice for anyone wanting to start nearshoring.
If you are interested in learning more about outsourcing to other Latin American countries, we actually have an entire in-depth series about nearshore software development. Last week we covered how to hire nearshore developers in Ecuador!
At Next Idea Tech, we work with a talented network of nearshore developers ready to dive into your coding projects. We aim to make hiring nearshore developers an easy task that can massively benefit your business and take your software development to the next level.
That’s why we offer both staff augmentation and direct placement services to hire nearshore software developers in Costa Rica and all of Latin America.
When you partner with us, you open the door to the possibility of saving countless time and resources. Schedule a consultation with us today and find out how to hire developers in Costa Rica!
FAQ about how to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica
How to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica?
Nearshoring agencies like us, Next Idea Tech, are the simplest way for US-based companies to hire nearshore developers in all Latin American countries. Staff augmentation and nearshoring agencies handle all the recruitment, payment, and onboarding procedures to allow your company to focus only on selecting the best-suited candidate for the job.
Do Costa Rican developers know English?
Costa Rican developers have moderate English proficiency according to the EF EPI Index. The country ranks #44 out of 112 countries on the list, with an overall score of 520.
How much does it cost to hire nearshore developers in Costa Rica?
Here are the standard rates for hiring nearshore developers in Costa Rica. Please consider a 30-40% increase in costs if you’re hiring through a third-party firm.
- Junior developers: $3500-$5000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $5000-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$8500 USD per month.
