In-house vs. Offshore Salesforce Developers: Who to Choose in 2021?

CRM systems are prevalent in most organizations, particularly those that deal directly with customers. To be exact, 91% of companies with the size of at least ten employees are using CRM software. In 2021, Salesforce is shortlisted by Capterra as the most popular customer relationship management software.

Salesforce is the dominant CRM software across industries. It also means that companies using the software requires constant support for configurations and solving technical issues on the platform. Those who are responsible for doing so are Salesforce developers, a vital force in many organizations. 

Fueled by growing demands, Salesforce developers are regularly headhunted. The Salesforce developer is arguably the most sought-after profession in the IT industry. There is no doubt that you’ll want to hire one if you’re using Salesforce.

The question is, should you hire in-house or outsource the task to a remote Salesforce development company?

In this post, you’ll find out what you stand to gain (or lose) by hiring in-house or offshore Salesforce developers. It’s wise to weigh the pros and cons of both options before making your choice. 

In-house vs. Remote Outsource Salesforce Developers

Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for deciding between in-house or outsourced Salesforce development. Both types of engagement do have their advantages and disadvantages. Your choice would ultimately depend on your requirements and priorities when faced with both options.

Working with in-house Salesforce developers offer more transparency in terms of workflow. It results in you getting access to the team and stay updated on the progress at all times. Also, in-house developers have a better understanding of your business culture and requirements, making it easier for them to offer brilliant ideas for improvements.

Alternatively, you can opt to work with the many remote Salesforce developers plying their services worldwide. These remote developers are well-experienced in their respective industries, deliver prompt results, and often less costly.

If you’re hiring in-house Salesforce dev, you’ll need to be wary of turnover rates. When a permanent employee leaves, it incurs expenses for training, recruitment, and replacement. While the costs are recoverable, the time committed to onboard the member is not. 

Working with remote Salesforce developers isn’t risk-free either. There are concerns about transparency and security. Besides, you’ll have a tough time coordinating the meetings, reports, and resource-sharing.

Don't forget to check out: Salesforce Development Vs. Traditional Development

Pros & Cons of Hiring In-House Salesforce Developers

Pros

Familiarity - As part of the company, in-house Salesforce developers better understand how things move in the company. It helps them to be more precise when improvising the Platform based on the company’s internal processes.

Short response time - Your in-house team is fully dedicated to the company’s cause. This means that the developers can act on any problems with the Salesforce CRM immediately. 

Focused expertise - In-house developers upskill accordingly to projects that they are working on. They become the master of trades in your company’s environment. This allows you to leverage Salesforce CRM to impact the business positively.

Cons

Expensive - Having an in-house Salesforce team means you’ll be paying their salaries and perks. The sum could add up to a considerable amount when you include the training and Salesforce certification fees.

Retention - Be prepared to lose some of your team members as they’re tempted with more lucrative offers. When a team member leaves, there will be some hiccups in your Salesforce processes’ ongoing management. 

It is hard to build a competent team - It isn’t easy to build a team that gels together and is equipped with all the required skillsets. It takes a while before individuals with different personalities ‘clicked.’ Your task is further complicated by the market competition for suitable candidates. Often, you’ll need to up the salary offered to the candidates to bring them onboard. 

Need a hand with Salesforce Development?

Magicforce is a certified PDO and offers comprehensive Salesforce development services. We provide custom Lighting components development, AppExchange apps customization, and Salesforce admin panel configuration. 

Pros & Cons of Hiring Remote Salesforce Developers

Pros

Less costly - It’s more economical to engage remote Salesforce developers. In some regions, such as Eastern Europe, you’ll find good Salesforce experts at a much cheaper rate than their US counterparts. Another plus point with remote outsourcing is you don’t have to spend on rentals, utilities, and equipment. 

Timely delivery - When you’re working with experienced Salesforce developers, you can be assured that tasks are executed based on the schedule. They’ll seek technical information in advance and complete the job accordingly. You’ll only pay when you’re satisfied with the deliverables.

Wealth of experience - An outsourced team is made up of different individuals with respective skills and strengths. They are also likely to accumulate substantial expertise in various industries. You’ll find a remote team more than capable of handling any Salesforce issues and provide a diverse range of services.

Cons

Lack of control - You don’t have the luxury of directing how the development should be done when you’re engaging a remote Salesforce team. There’s a risk that the progress may not be what you’ve planned.

Potential security breach - Having an external team accessing your CRM system can be quite an uncomfortable idea. After all, you’re sharing data that are private to your organization. To protect against misuse of information, you’ll need to legally bind the remote team to an NDA. 

Communication issues - Timezone, language, and cultural differences may hamper communication between you and the outsourced team. Both parties must resort to the right tools to share progress and schedules. 

Check out an another amazing blog by Magicforce here: How To Pass Salesforce AppExchange Security Review

Summary

More companies than ever turn to Salesforce CRM as the preferred platform to optimize their business process. Statistics affirm the growing demand for Salesforce developers. 72% of more than 104,000 Salesforce-related jobs posted on LinkedIn are openings for Salesforce developers. 

Should you opt for in-house Salesforce developers or a remote expert? That’s a choice for you to make after weighing on the pros and cons of both options.