An in-house dev team, pro agency support or chancing it with a freelancer – when you need to hire app developers, these are the 12 key factors to keep in mind
Becoming more tech-enabled?
It’s a fantastic time for it: companies that invest in new technologies grow their revenues twice as fast as those who are slow to adopt new tech. Yet, how you approach digital transformation is crucial to success or failure.
For instance: Let’s say you want to build a new app for internal use, to help optimise business processes. How you go about it should rest almost entirely on your core business’s industry and expertise:
- A core tech company, for example, would look to build it internally with their software teams, and then augment it with guidance from domain experts or technical consultants.
- A company proficient in other areas, who is merely looking to deploy new tech to help them do their work better, likely won’t have an internal team of software engineers, so their approach should be to access those skills at a fair price.
When you need to build a new tech product and need to hire app developers, there are essentially 4 ways to go about it – which one is right for you?
4 Ways to Hire App Developers
Option 1: Insourcing (Building an In-House Team)
Building an in-house team of developers gives you full control over your product’s development and long-term maintenance. It’s often seen as the ultimate goal for many businesses that aim to build and maintain scalable tech products.
However, software engineering is a highly specialised field and industry all on its own. And if it’s not your core focus, it can quickly become costly and wasteful to manage a division that doesn’t add to your bottom line.
Here’s what you need to consider:
The Pros:
- Onsite presence: Your app development team works directly with you, making communication and project management easier.
- Full control: You can oversee every aspect of development, ensuring that the product aligns with your vision.
- Long-term investment: You’ll have a dedicated team focused on your product’s continuous improvement.
The Cons:
- Time-consuming to build: Hiring skilled developers, particularly for in-demand roles like software developers and UX/UI designers, can take months or years. On average, it takes 30+ days to hire a tech professional, and in some cases, the process stretches over several months. Then you still need to onboard them properly – not to mention near-continuous staff turnover (developers and tech experts are in high demand).
- High cost and risk: Beyond salaries, you’ll need to manage benefits, training, and the inevitable risk of turnover. The cost of replacing a senior developer can be as high as six to nine months of their salary, considering productivity loss, recruitment, and onboarding.
- Employee retention challenges: Developers tend to switch jobs frequently, with many planning to leave within two years. This means building your dream team might be an ongoing challenge.
This Option is Best For:
- Tech companies, especially those who make income off software development.
- Businesses with long-term, continuous development needs and dedicated resources.
- Companies that require full control and wish to invest in internal capacity building over time.
See what it really takes to build your own app development team.
Option 2: Outsourcing to a Development Agency
Outsourcing is a popular option for tech-enabled businesses that need to move fast and tap into expert talent without the long-term commitment of building an in-house team. In fact, even tech giants like Meta and Alphabet outsource parts of their development to remain flexible and meet project deadlines.
The Pros:
- Access to expertise: Development agencies often bring in teams with deep technical experience across multiple projects and industries.
- Faster time to market: With an established team, agencies can hit the ground running, reducing the time it takes to launch your app.
- Long-term cost savings: Outsourcing eliminates the need for recruiting, onboarding, and managing a full-time team. You also save on administrative costs, such as taxes and benefits.
- Flexibility: You can scale the outsourced team up or down based on your project needs without the long-term costs of retaining staff.
The Cons:
- Less control: While you gain expertise, you lose some control over day-to-day operations, since the team may be working remotely or offsite – to make up for this, agencies normally assign you your own product owner.
- Potential communication gaps: Depending on the outsourcing model you choose (onshore, nearshore, or offshore), time zones and communication styles can become hurdles – this means whom you choose to work with is very important: see how to choose the right app developer for you.
This Option is Best For:
- Corporates who want an agile innovation team that can work/deliver faster than internal teams, or to help relieve bottlenecks in current tech ops.
- Non-tech companies that need access to specialised skills for specific projects without committing to full-time hires.
- Companies that are resource-constrained and seeking high-quality technical talent.
See our guide on how to outsource app development.
Option 3: Hiring Freelancers
Freelancers can offer a flexible and cost-effective way to bring developers onto your project without the need for long-term employment contracts. But they are not well suited to big operations.
They are more for smaller projects or when you need to fill specific skill gaps.
The Pros:
- Lower costs: Because they are usually only one person or a very small team, freelancers can often charge less than agencies or full-time employees, making them a more affordable option for short-term projects.
- Specialised talent: You can hire freelancers with specific skill sets (e.g., mobile app development, front-end, or back-end expertise) tailored to your project needs.
- Flexibility: Freelancers can be hired on a project-by-project basis, allowing you to scale up or down quickly.
The Cons:
- Quality can vary: Since freelancers are often working on multiple projects, you may encounter inconsistencies in quality or commitment.
- It doesn’t scale well: Freelancers are often one person; if you need 20, it could become a big problem.
- Managing multiple freelancers: For larger projects, coordinating between multiple freelancers can become complex, leading to potential communication issues or delays.
This Option is Best For:
- Businesses with smaller, one-off projects or startups that need temporary help while building their in-house team.
- Companies needing niche expertise for specific parts of the app development process.
See the entire app development process and the emerging trends in app development in Africa.
Option 4: When a Hybrid Approach Might Be Your Best Bet
For many companies, especially those looking to develop further in tech, it’s not a matter of choosing between insourcing or outsourcing, but rather combining both strategies to maximise effectiveness.
Outsourcing part of your development to an agency, so that work gets done while you’re hiring and building an in-house team, allows you to balance long-term stability with short-term flexibility.
This dual approach ensures that your product continues to evolve while mitigating the risks associated with developer turnover and high recruitment costs.
See the truth about outsourcing and insourcing development.
How to Choose the Right Option for Your Business
When deciding how to hire app developers, consider the following factors:
- Budget: How much can you afford to spend on developers? Outsourcing and freelancers typically offer short-term savings, while in-house teams are a long-term investment.
- Timeline: Do you need to get to market quickly? Outsourcing offers a faster route, whereas building a team takes more time.
- Control: Do you need full control over the development process, or are you comfortable handing over responsibility to an external team?
- Project Scope: Is this a one-time project, or will you need continuous development and updates over the long term?
See the guide to assessing and hiring app developers.
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