Ecuador has long been known for its tropical climate and tourist attractions, but few realize this is also a top nearshore outsourcing destination. Its software exports have been increasing year by year with many US companies looking to hire nearshore developers in Ecuador.
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Contact Us Today!Because of its strategic location and time zone similarity to the US, Ecuador is a convenient location to start nearshoring software solutions.
Still, it can be tough to figure out how to approach this process. That’s why we decided to dedicate an entire article to software outsourcing to Ecuador. Keep reading to learn all about hiring Ecuadorian developers!
Benefits of hiring nearshore developers in Ecuador
#1 Physical proximity and minimal time zone differences to the US.
Depending on the time zone, Ecuador has either no time difference or a two-hour difference from the United States. This is truly an insignificant difference considering other offshore alternatives and their limited real-time collaboration opportunities.
Furthermore, Ecuador is located in Central America. This means your remote software development team can reach the US in just a few hours by plane if needed. This is one of the main advantages of software outsourcing to Ecuador!
#2 Ecuadorian developers are fit to work in English.
Truth is, Ecuador has a mediocre English Proficiency Ranking. It has placed #90 out of 112 countries within the EF EPI index. The country’s overall score is 440 and it ranks #18 out of the 20 Latin American nations. This indicates a “very low proficiency” level when the English-speaking skills of the entire population were measured.
While Ecuador’s EF EPI score is less than encouraging, we recommend not judging all Ecuadorian developers by this statistic. As mentioned before, the EF EPI score indicates the English proficiency of the entire Ecuadorian population.
Nearshore developers in Ecuador are the exception, in this case, thanks to their focus on remote work and the nature of the software development industry.
Either way, you can always assess the English level of your coding candidates. We actually covered this topic in our article about how to hire remote software developers!
#3 The Ecuador software outsourcing scene has seen continuous growth.
Ecuador is a top nearshore outsourcing location and this shows the growth its software exports have seen in recent years. Despite information services being a nontraditional export product, the country has made a reputation for itself within the industry.
By 2022, the software development scene in Ecuador employed over 200.000 people. Today, this number has vastly multiplied. Ecuador owes 32% of its software sales to international exports, according to the Software Association of Ecuador.
Not only is Ecuador a country with valuable experience with software exports, but its innovation scene is also strong. It’s no secret that innovative technologies are taking over the industry and leading to fantastic development.
Because of this, it’s important to hire nearshore developers from a country that nurtures and encourages innovation within its software development industry. Ecuador is the right place for this! According to the 2020 Global Innovation Index, Ecuador ranks #33 among other 37 upper-middle-income economies and #99 out of the total 130 countries on the rankings.
With Quito as the country’s home for entrepreneurial endeavors, Ecuador’s software development industry is forecasted to see even more growth in the future!
#4 Nearshore developers in Ecuador are highly educated.
When you hire nearshore developers in Ecuador, you can rest assured these IT professionals received a quality technological education.
The education system in Ecuador is solid and free for a significant part of a kid’s schooling. There are over 100 secondary schools, with Grades 7 to 9 being free as well.
This makes education accessible to every individual in Ecuador from a young age, contributing to Ecuadorian developers having received a quality education and boasting similar skills.
Furthermore, there are 49 technical certificates and undergraduate degrees in Ecuador. This makes the IT and programming fields among the most popular ones with newer generations of aspiring professionals.
The country also has included recent initiatives like Ecuador Scratch Day to boast the computer science skills of its population.
This project provided kids across the country with free coding training at all local schools, giving Ecuadorian developers access to technology from a young age.
#5 Software outsourcing to Ecuador reduces your software development costs.
Thanks to the lower cost of living in Ecuador compared to the United States, Ecuadorian developers charge less expensive rates. This allows US-based companies to save money when hiring nearshore developments in Ecuador. It’s a great financial decision for your business!
Here are the costs of hiring developers in Ecuador. Please consider 30-40% extra costs if you’re working with a third-party firm:
- Junior developers: $3500-$4000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $4500-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$8500 USD per month.
#6 Ecuadorian developers are well versed in various coding languages.
Nearshore developers in Ecuador know the importance of having versatile skills. As IT professionals, they are proficient in several different coding languages at once. This allows your company to hire them for the long term, as they can switch projects with ease.
- HTML
- CSS
- Java
- Python
- Ruby
- MSSQL
- Visual Basic
- WordPress
- PHP
How to hire nearshore software developers in Ecuador
#1 Through a staff augmentation firm.
Software outsourcing to Ecuador is simpler if you take advantage of nearshore software development services offered by staff augmentation firms like us, Next Idea Tech. Our team handles the entirety of the recruitment and payment processes, which helps your company save a considerable amount of time and resources.
We make sure your primary concern is choosing which vetted developer is a better fit for your company. Hiring nearshore software developers in Ecuador with the help of an experienced nearshoring firm is much more efficient!
#2 Ask your industry contacts for personal referrals.
If you don’t have enough room in your budget to hire a nearshoring agency, asking for a referral can also be a great way to start nearshoring. All you need to do is ask an industry contact to recommend a few potential candidates for the position you need to fill.
Then, it’s up to you to approach them and let them know your coding needs. So don’t hesitate to reach out to your contacts and ask for referrals to find and hire nearshore developers in Ecuador!
#3 Hiring a direct contractor.
Ecuadorian developers also work on their own. So if you prefer to hire nearshore developers without any third-party interventions, this can be a practical option for your company. Sure, it can take a little extra scouting, but it’s not an impossible task.
Though it’s best to get very clear on what development solutions your business needs, due to direct contractors usually specializing in a particular framework or skill. The easiest way to look for direct contractors in Ecuador is through LinkedIn. So try to get on the platform and scout for nearshore developers in Ecuador working on their own!
#4 Upload a job posting to job boards and special media.
Social media is another unconventional yet effective way to scout for nearshore developers in Ecuador. Since Ecuadorian developers are so connected with the Latin American development community, there are plenty of job boards and online communities to tackle. Social media platforms like Reddit are popular with developers from all over the world, especially those who are direct contractors. Use these platforms and job boards to post about any open positions within your company.
#4 Connect with a Global Employment Agency.
Global Employment Agencies offer US-based companies a shortcut to hiring nearshore developers in Ecuador. They help your company hire Ecuadorian developers through them, easing the recruitment costs but providing a heavily present third party responding to local regulations.
These local companies charge the total cost of the nearshore developers’ salary, the cost of benefits, and a fee of 10% or more for their services.
#5 Scout for nearshore developers in Ecuador at local events.
While Ecuador is a smaller country, it still has software development conferences every year. These IT events present US-based companies with a great opportunity to connect with and hire nearshore developers in Ecuador.
Many of them are in-person within the country but others are also offered in a remote format. Try to join ( both virtually or in-person) one of these events to scout for and hire nearshore developers in Ecuador.
Many of the IT professionals at these events are looking for employment opportunities and US-based companies offer several advantages to them!
#6 Try freelancing platforms.
Upon The Great Resignation, freelancing platforms have seen an increase in demand. The most popular ones within Latin America, UpWork and Fiverr, are filled with nearshore developers from all over the region, including Ecuador.
This means finding skilled Ecuadorian developers at affordable rates is actually quite easy on any of those platforms. Still, these sites also have a few drawbacks.
For starters, it’s not very simple to analyze the developers’ English level and programming skills before they start working for you. On the other hand, these platforms also get a share of your developer’s pay.
So it’s up to you to evaluate the pros and cons and look for alternative options.
#7 Open a local subsidiary of your company to hire developers in Ecuador.
This alternative is best for established businesses with a lot of expansion potential. Still, it can also be done on a smaller scale if you just want to get started with nearshoring. But if your goal is to expand your reach in the Latin American region and hire nearshore developers in Ecuador, setting up a local company has its share of advantages.
This allows you to hire local talent and create brand awareness in the country. Just ensure you comply with all local regulations from the beginning of your team can face legal hardship.
Looking to hire nearshore developers in Ecuador? Let’s work together!
It’s easy to see why hiring nearshore developers in Ecuador is such a popular option for US-based businesses. Software outsourcing to Ecuador provides companies like yours with outstanding coding solutions at an affordable price point, all through nearshoring.
Hiring nearshore software developers in Ecuador can take your software solutions to the next level! This is also the case for many other Latin American countries, which is why we have an entire article series on the subject. Last week we focused on Panama!
At Next Idea Tech, we work with a large network of qualified software developers and UI/UX designers from Latin America and all over the world.
Our goal is to provide US-based businesses with skilled developers that will bring their creative vision to life. To achieve this, we offer both staff augmentation and direct placement services to help you hire nearshore software developers in Ecuador and all of Latin America.
Schedule a consultation with us today to learn how you can hire developers in Ecuador within just a few weeks!
FAQ about hiring nearshore developers in Ecuador
Whar are the advantages of hiring developers in Ecuador?
There are many reasons to hire Ecuadorian developers. A few of our favorites are the lower development costs, the minimal time zone differences, and the lack of a communication barrier.
How can I hire nearshore developers in Ecuador?
Software outsourcing to Ecuador is simpler if you take advantage of nearshore software development services offered by staff augmentation firms like us, Next Idea Tech. Our team handles the entirety of the recruitment and payment processes, which helps your company save a considerable amount of time and resources.
How much does it cost to start software outsourcing to Ecuador?
- Junior developers: $3500-$4000 USD per month.
- Mid-level developers: $4500-$6000 USD per month.
- Senior developers: $6000-$8500 USD per month.
