from Celia Fässler at
I have already touched on the topic of onboarding in the blog post on collaboration success factors. Here, too, the wrong approach can make the difference between success and failure 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 good integration of the teams.
What should be avoided at all costs is onboarding the entire nearshoring team at the same time. This only leads to the people not being picked up both personally and professionally. Frustration and loss of quality are inevitable. Step-by-step onboarding can ensure that knowledge can be passed on within the nearshoring team and that there is enough time to answer open questions.
So what does that look like? If we assume the target image of a balanced team setup (onsite and remote/nearshoring), then it would be as follows:
1. Tech/Team Lead
Why? The person in the Tech Lead role assumes responsibility and leadership and is therefore an existential link. 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.
2. Senior Developers
Senior developers already have a great deal of technological knowledge and can therefore act as perfect mentors for junior developers. Through early integration into code reviews, they can also be perfectly called upon to ensure and enforce code and project standards. This also relieves the tech lead, especially from a technical perspective.
3. Junior Developers
Ideally an introductory workshop should take place at the beginning. The aim is to provide all junior developers with their own mentor. This enables a step-by-step induction and also provides sufficient time for support. They benefit enormously from the experience and knowledge of the senior developers.
4. QA Engineers and DevOps
As soon as the basic system is up and running, it is time to bring in the QA engineers and DevOps engineers. The nearshoring team now has sufficient 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 right sequence, there are of course other important points. The onsite and nearshoring team should have the same understanding and resources with regard to the following topics:
- Technologies and frameworks used
- Documentation of the development environment (English!)
- Documentation of the required software, configurations and access data (English!)
- Common code standards and establishment of regular code reviews
- Joint debugging sessions
Now that technological onboarding is running smoothly and the teams are equipped with the right tools, the next step is to address the cultural aspects. After all, nearshoring not only means mastering the technology, but also understanding how different cultures influence collaboration. In Belgrade, for example, Serbian culture plays a major role when it comes to team dynamics and working methods. In my next blog, I will therefore discuss the cultural characteristics and influences in Belgrade and how these can affect 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 once again the key to success.
And of course: if you need support with implementation or cultural integration, we will be happy to assist you with our expertise. I look forward to hearing your experiences and input!
