How to Hire an Offshore Development Team
Last updated . The definitions and time zones were checked October 1, 2026. The pricing models and DeskTeam360's details were checked September 25, 2026.
This site is run by DeskTeam360, whose production team works in one physical office in Indonesia, and its answers appear below as one example.
To hire an offshore development team, list the work first, then look at a few teams, ask each one the same questions, and test the best one with a small paid task before you commit. Offshoring means having work done in another country, often because costs are lower there. So plan the hiring steps around distance: who manages the work, when you can reach the team, and who holds the logins.
Where do you find an offshore development team?
Start with three kinds of places: talent marketplaces, agency directories, and referrals from other agency owners. Before he started DeskTeam360, its founder hired help on Upwork, Fiverr, OnlineJobs.ph and agency directories.
Ask each place two things: what kind of help you'll get, and how you'll be billed. Outside web help is usually priced one of three ways: a fixed price per project, by the hour (time and materials), or a dedicated team. DeskTeam360, for one, charges one flat monthly rate instead.
| Where you look | What to ask first |
|---|---|
| Talent marketplaces | Will the same person still be on my work next month, and how do they bill? |
| Agency directories | Who does the work after the sale, and who checks it? |
| Referrals from other owners | What went wrong for you, and how did it get fixed? |
| Teams with a flat monthly rate | How many tasks run at once, and who assigns them? |
What should you ask before you hire an offshore team?
Ask the same questions of every team, so you can compare the answers side by side. Here are questions for work done far away, with DeskTeam360's answers as one example.
| Question to ask | Why it matters | DeskTeam360's answer |
|---|---|---|
| Who'll work on my first task, by role? | You want to know who you're testing | 2 designers, 2 developers, 2 technical VAs and 1 team leader |
| Who's my contact during my work day? | You need someone to reach during your own hours | A North American account manager assigns each task, manages it and checks the work |
| Can I start with one small paid task? | You test before you hand over a client | Ask on the call |
| How do I leave if it doesn't work? | A long contract keeps you stuck | No contracts, month to month, cancel any time |
For what to look for in the team itself, see what an offshore development team is.
If a team can't answer a question in writing, treat that as your answer.
If you'd like to ask DeskTeam360 these questions yourself, you can book a call.
How do you test an offshore team before you commit?
Give the team one small, real task, pay for it, and watch how the whole job goes from brief to finished work, before you hand over a client.
- Pick a task you know well. A landing page fix or a small page build works. You'll know a good result when you see it.
- Write the brief the way you'd write it for a client job. Include the goal, the files, the logins they'll need and the deadline.
- Watch the questions. Do they show the team read the brief? Note any the brief should have answered, and add those answers to it.
- Check the first version yourself. Look at it on a phone and a laptop.
- Ask for one change. See how fast the change comes back and whether anything else broke.
- Note who you talked to. If it was a different person each time, ask why.
One agency owner in DeskTeam360's case studies had used helpers from Fiverr and Upwork who came back with lots of questions, so he ended up doing the client work himself.
How do you hand off work across the time gap?
Plan for few or no shared hours. Indonesia is 11 to 14 hours ahead of US Eastern time, depending on the zone and the time of year, so plan the handoffs around the gap.
Indonesia uses three time zones: UTC+7 (WIB, western), UTC+8 (WITA, central) and UTC+9 (WIT, eastern), with no daylight saving time.
To make it work:
- Send tasks before you log off, with everything the team needs to start.
- Agree on one daily check-in, and who on each side joins it.
- Ask who answers your questions during your work day.
For how nearshore teams compare on time zones, see nearshore vs offshore.
What paperwork do you need before work starts?
Two things: ownership in writing and accounts in your name. Put who owns the work in writing before it starts. The step-by-step guide explains who owns the work.
This page is a plain reading of the rules. It isn't legal or tax advice.
Then keep control of the accounts:
- Keep the domain, hosting and every login in your agency's name.
- Give the team its own user accounts, so you can remove access in one step.
- Store passwords in a shared password manager, not in chat.
How do you onboard an offshore team in the first month?
Start small, write things down once, and add work as trust builds.
- Week 1: share your standards. Send your brand files, a short list of do's and don'ts, and two examples of work you liked.
- Week 1: name one contact on each side. DeskTeam360 gives each client a North American account manager, who hands out each task and checks it before you see it.
- Week 2: send two or three small tasks. Keep them low risk while the team learns your style.
- Week 3: add a client task. Pick one with a clear brief and a deadline that isn't tight.
- Week 4: look back. What came back right the first time? What needed changes? Update the brief too, so the next task starts right.
At DeskTeam360, clients work with the same people every month, and those people learn the client's brand and standards. If you'd rather have people who work only for you, read about a dedicated development team.
More on offshore, nearshore and dedicated teams
Book a call with DeskTeam360 to plan your first month of tasks with its team.
Sources
- Cambridge Dictionary, "offshoring"
- IANA Time Zone Database, version 2026e, "asia" file
- IANA Time Zone Database, version 2026e, "northamerica" file
- Codeable, outsource web development
- Devox Software, outsource web development
- DeskTeam360, home page (deskteam360.com)
- DeskTeam360, About page (deskteam360.com/about)
- DeskTeam360 case study: Convert on Command (deskteam360.com/case-studies)
All checked October 1, 2026, except Codeable, Devox Software, DeskTeam360's pages and the case study, which were checked September 25, 2026.
What changed
- October 17, 2026: First version of this page.