In the blog post about the collaboration success factors , I have already touched on the topic of onboarding. Again, the wrong approach can make or break and as already emphasized in the diselva Nearshore Excellence Framework , the success of a nearshore project depends not only on the technology, but also on a good integration of the teams.
What should be avoided at all costs is simultaneous onboarding of the entire nearshoring team. This only leads to the fact that the people are not picked up, both personally and professionally. Frustration and loss of quality are inevitable. Step-by-step onboarding can ensure that knowledge can be shared within the nearshoring team and that there is enough time to answer open questions.
So what does that look like? If we start from the target image of a balanced team setup (onsite and remote/nearshoring), then it would be as follows:
Tech/Team Lead
Why? The person in the tech lead role takes on responsibility and leadership and is therefore an existential link. A more in-depth technical training is necessary so that the person can represent these competencies at all. What should also not be underestimated: The tech lead should definitely be familiarized with the regional cultural customs of the onsite team so that this can also be passed on.
Senior Developers
Senior developers already have a great deal of technological knowledge and can therefore act perfectly as mentors for junior developers . Through early integration into code reviews, they can also be perfectly used to ensure and enforce code and project standards . This also leads to a relief for the tech lead, especially from a technical point of view.
Junior Developers
An introductory workshop is to take place at the beginning. The goal is for all junior developers to be provided with their own mentors . This allows for gradual induction and also provides sufficient time for support. You will benefit enormously from the experience and knowledge of the senior developers.
QA Engineers and DevOps
Once the basic system is up and running, it’s time to bring in the QA engineers and DevOps engineers. The nearshoring team now has enough specialist and project knowledge available and seamless integration into the development process can take place.
What else needs to be considered during technical onboarding?
In addition to the correct order, there are of course other important points. The onsite and nearshoring team should have the same understanding and resources regarding the following topics:
- Technologies and frameworks used
- Documentation of the development environment (English!)
- Documentation of the required software, configurations and access data
- Common code standards and establishment of regular code reviews
- Joint debugging sessions
Now that the technology onboarding is running smoothly and the teams are equipped with the right tools, the next step is to address the cultural aspects as well. After all, nearshoring is not only about mastering the technology, but also about understanding how different cultures influence collaboration . In Belgrade, for example, Serbian culture plays a major role when it comes to team dynamics and way of working. In my next blog, I will therefore discuss the cultural peculiarities and influences in Belgrade and how these can influence everyday working life.
Do you have any other additions? As already emphasized in my other blog post: Communication is key. Regular feedback, especially face-to-face, team building and mutual support are again the key to success.
And of course: If support is needed with implementation or cultural integration, we are happy to provide our expertise. I am looking forward to your experiences and inputs!