You’ve likely been inundated with resumes and applications from independent offshore truss designers boasting software proficiency, estimating, takeoff, and design skills. Many highlight their experience with US and Canadian employers, often presenting themselves as part of a team of multiple truss designers. But, will their skills align with your needs? The answer is maybe.
Aside from how offshore candidates could fulfill your professional requirements, let’s address a few factors you need to weigh. First, there are time zones to consider. While offshore candidates in South America might align with or be close to your time zone, those in India or Europe won’t. Some may claim they can adjust to your office hours, but can they sustain that commitment in the long term?
Language proficiency and comprehension also pose challenges when dealing with technical professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds. While their English may be proficient, do they truly grasp your requirements? Many of these designers hold degrees in architecture or engineering in their home countries, and have a strong understanding of construction. However, my clients often find significant differences in conceptualization and comprehension of the specifics inherent in most truss design projects. They report spending hours preparing projects for offshore designers, needing to explain details thoroughly and provide comprehensive drawings to address potential issues. Even so, some clients unable to find local talent manage these extra time-consuming steps and consider their offshore options to be viable.
Do skills and experience translate effectively? I pondered this last year when contemplating adding an offshore candidate option at The JobLine. Doing some research, I utilized JobLine’s truss design skills evaluation to assess potential candidates. This evaluation measures skills across nine different areas, comparing candidates against thousands we’ve tested over the years. Despite many offshore candidates boasting degrees and years of truss design experience with US companies, their performance fell below the national average that I’ve developed at The JobLine. Analyzing results using our Matrix tool revealed a perplexing trend—while advanced math skills scored above average, design skills across all levels were lacking. It wasn’t a deficit in experience but more of an inability to problem-solve or conceptualize effectively. Ultimately, I couldn’t risk The JobLine’s reputation with candidates who appeared promising on paper but couldn’t seamlessly integrate with employers’ needs like local candidates.
So, how can you leverage the extensive pool of offshore candidates? Be prepared to explain any ambiguous project areas or problems requiring the designer’s input. Local oversight and optimization are essential until you’re confident the designer can independently grasp these concepts. From initial groundwork to thorough quality checks, expect to play a more hands-on role compared to managing a local team.
In the end, whether or not offshore designers will be a good fit for your company is a question to be answered based on your needs and expectations. As with the choice between in-office and remote workers, several factors need to be weighed so that you can make the best informed decision for your company.