How to successfully onboard an outsourced IT team? Best practices

Whether you're considering working with an IT outsourcing provider or have already signed the contract, this article is for you. The support of additional programmers is worth its weight in gold at a time when there is a shortage of as many as 6 million IT specialists in the US market only. However, as you read this, you are probably aware that signing a contract is not the end of the story.

Soon, one or more new people may join your team. It's like becoming part of the cast of a show in its fifth season – the team has a long-established rhythm. How do you support the new professionals in their early days to keep the project on track? And how do you prepare your in-house team that may feel uncertain about the change of status quo?

No matter where you are in the process — finalising the decision or already onboarding — we have put together some practical tips on external developers' onboarding so that each side can be as happy as possible with the cooperation. Check below!

What should you do before the cooperation starts?

Have there been discussions within your team about working with augmented staff members? Before any misunderstandings arise, meet with your team to clarify vague points. Also, get in touch with their future colleagues who would like to know the details before they sit down to code.

Topics to discuss with your in-house staff

1. Let them know – no one should be surprised by the company's new approach to project development and working with an outsourcing provider.
2. Address the concerns – listen to all doubts; emphasise how external developers' involvement will help lighten workloads, bring in fresh expertise, and allow your in-house team to focus on their core strengths or more complex tasks.
3. Define the distribution of responsibilities – clarify what the new developers will do and how this will affect the work of the in-house specialists in the same area.
4. Involve managers – ask the project manager, in collaboration with your outsourcing partner, to prepare a plan for the first days of the external developers' work, in which they will get to know the company, the project, their responsibilities, etc.
5. Pick a buddy – have a person or people assigned to support the new employees in their initial introduction to the project; when choosing, be guided by high social skills and similar responsibilities.

Things to talk through with external developers

1. Get to know them – find out where your new employees come from and what they like the most. You will break the ice with these conversations and gain the insights you can use to introduce them to your staff.
2. Present the company standards – be sure to cover issues such as working hours, breaks and habits. Discuss future tasks, expectations, coding standards, etc.
3. Set up access to company software – don't let administrators wait until the last minute to prepare accounts and passwords so that new employees can check that everything works correctly.
4. Send welcome packs – if your company has a practice of welcoming new people with personalised goodies, ensure that the appropriate kits also reach augmented staff members.
5. Establish communication pathways – provide new team members with key contacts for technical support and team collaboration. Encourage open communication from the start so they feel comfortable reaching out with questions or feedback.

How to foster collaboration?

The moment has arrived. New team members work alongside your in-house staff to solve the next project challenge. What can you do to ensure everyone works together harmoniously and that your vision of a cohesive team becomes a reality?

Bring new people into the team

Remember the fun facts the external developers told you about themselves? Use them to introduce your new team members. Your regular employees will find the first topics to chat about, and outsourced team members will feel noticed by you.

Invite new team members to meetings

Involve new employees in the project from the start. Encourage them to have a say in product development and listen to their comments. External software specialists usually have broad experience that can positively influence the outcome.

Set time slots for cooperation

If there is a time difference between your company and the location of the leased software developers, you should set hours when everybody working on the project can communicate seamlessly. This will ensure that important issues are not waiting to be resolved overnight.

Create a team-building event

Even when you only interact with new employees remotely, you can prepare an integration. Use instant messaging add-ons or dedicated websites to organise a fun and relaxing activity where employees can get to know each other better.

Collect the feedback

Before the next work steps, ask your in-house specialists how they rate the cooperation with the external team. Find out positive things that came with additional talents and which areas need to be changed. Ask the new developers the same questions. Evaluate the suggestions gained and try to implement them in further work.

Treat your team as a whole

Although cooperation with software developers provided by outsourcing partners is usually temporary, do not skip additional specialists when praising your team for success. Actively involve new employees in the next stages of the project and set common goals.

Things that can happen if you neglect to prepare

You can try to act on a whim. However, being spontaneous in IT projects is not advisable. What can the lack of a defined plan for onboarding external developers lead to?

Project delays or total failure

Your efforts to hire additional developers for the project may be in vain if you do not take care to introduce new people, allocate responsibilities and access systems. Each day of waiting will lengthen the project work and reduce the projected savings.

Communication problems between staff members

Not all employees are equally willing or able to make new friends. This is especially true for newcomers who may be stressed by the prospect of joining a culturally or language-diverse team. Ineffective information exchange can lead to misunderstanding of each other's intentions and many costly mistakes.

Information gaps for new team members

Not knowing your project is not the fault of people who join in the middle of it. It is your job to give them all the information. Otherwise, you will receive many signals about the contracted employees' incorrect approach to the work. They will be much less committed to your project without efficient knowledge.

Conclusion

External development team onboarding is a multi-step process that requires the engagement of employees and managers to create the most comfortable environment for newcomers. By prioritising effective onboarding, you pave the way for smoother product development and greater success in achieving your business goals.