Hire Senior Offshore PHP Developers for £20/hr – Aligned with Your Timezone
No hidden costs, timezone aligned and able to hire in one week.
Only 2.6% of candidates pass our vetting process
We take care of all employment costs and provide long-term support.
No minimum length of contract
We do not charge a search or placement fee
40-50% annual saving from hiring locally.
Excellent
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The options become narrowed down to the two most widely used web servers, and the common question arises for SMEs…
The global economy and markets are becoming more connected, leading companies to use offshore teams. This strategy helps them cut…
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You will find many service providers, but due to many parameters, only a few can maintain long-term associations. If your project is poorly evaluated, this may impact it on a larger scale. We recommend you search for reliable companies rather than cheaper service providers. Smart Working intends to deliver long-term service and support between the client and the developer, and we ensure that both parties are satisfied to achieve your goal.
Freelancers provide services, but you may have to compromise on security. As contracts do not bind them, they often work on multiple projects simultaneously, raising the risk of reusing your code for other developments. In contrast, dedicated PHP developers from an agency work exclusively on your project, coordinating with your team according to your specified time zone. The security aspect is covered by your contractual agreement with the agency, ensuring peace of mind. At Smart Working, our pool of global PHP developers undergoes a rigorous, AI-supported vetting process. We evaluate 300 to 500 profiles to select the top 1%, ensuring that the developers working with you are among the best. That means the one working with you is better than the other 295 to 495 profiles. Additionally, we handle all administrative and legal tasks, allowing you to focus on other critical aspects of your business without added stress.
Yes, we provide administrative support, payroll, legal support, and much more, as per your project requirements. We do not practice billing with hidden charges; we keep our contracts transparent, with all charges mentioned from the start.
The cost of hiring our dedicated PHP developers varies, considering parameters like the level of work experience required, types of skills required, complexities of the project requirements, and more. Still, to make it easy for you to evaluate the cost, we have a simple 3-step cost calculator. You can try that or connect with our consultant to learn about the prices and discounts going on in real-time.
To answer this question, we recommend that you curate your brief requirements and connect with our consultants for free. Since our consultants work with multiple clients from the same industry as yours, they can show you the right way to evaluate your PHP developer's experience level.
When you hire dedicated PHP developers, you can tap into a global talent pool, reduce overhead costs, and increase flexibility. These developers bring specialized skills to build robust, dynamic websites and applications efficiently.
To hire dedicated PHP developers and manage time zone differences, identify overlapping working hours, use asynchronous communication tools, and establish clear guidelines for project updates and deadlines.
When you hire dedicated PHP developers, seek candidates with proficiency in PHP frameworks, knowledge of front-end technologies, experience with SQL and NoSQL databases, and strong problem-solving and communication skills.
Common challenges include communication barriers, cultural differences, and quality assurance. These can be addressed by using robust communication tools, fostering cultural sensitivity, and implementing rigorous code review processes.
To avoid common pitfalls, ensure clear communication of expectations, set well-defined project objectives and milestones, and implement robust security measures. Regular updates and alignment on goals are key to successful remote collaborations.
The pandemic has taught the world how to leverage global opportunities and grow as a business or individual. Knowing this fact, nowadays, developers and businesses rely on remote work to tap into international opportunities for growth. Comparatively, developers get a chance to earn more than their local hiring; at the same time, well-grown geographies like Europe and America leverage this occasion by hiring from such a global talent pool as it reduces overhead costs and increases flexibility for them.
Hiring remote offshore PHP developers is a strategic move for many organisations looking to build robust, dynamic websites and applications. Here in this guide, we’ve tried to provide you with a comprehensive roadmap for how to hire offshore PHP developers, addressing common challenges and offering practical solutions to ensure you find the right talent for your needs.
“PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely used open-source scripting language designed for web development. It is embedded into HTML and is primarily used to manage dynamic content, databases, session tracking, and even build entire e-commerce sites.”
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While planning to hire offshore PHP developers, look for a resource with a potential combination of technical and soft skills for effective contribution to your projects. Key skills and qualifications include:
Proficiency in PHP: Deep understanding of PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, CodeIgniter, or Zend. Web Technologies: Knowledge of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and web development fundamentals. Database Management: Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. Version Control: Proficiency with version control systems like Git. Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to troubleshoot and solve complex technical issues. Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to collaborate effectively with remote teams. Experience: Relevant experience in developing web applications and working in an Agile environment.
Review candidates’ resumes and portfolios to assess their experience and skills.
Conduct technical interviews to evaluate the expertise of the candidate.
As you evaluate your soft skills and cultural requirements in the previous step, assess the candidate with various questions.
Design and implement coding tests to further evaluate technical skills.
Gauge the candidate's problem-solving abilities by discussing past projects and challenges.
| Challenges | Solutions |
|---|---|
| Communication Barriers |
Since the developer is located far away from some other countries working remotely, maintaining clear and consistent communication becomes difficult for every business. Time zone differences, language barriers, and the lack of face-to-face human interactions are important aspects that hinder effective communication. Use robust communication tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams) to stay in touch with your remote team members and build a good connection. Schedule regular meetings and stand-ups to navigate the project effectively without any communication gaps. Establish clear guidelines for communication protocols and response times to ensure that team members receive all project updates, requirements, and other details. |
| Time Zone Differences |
Hiring through an offshore developer provider’s global talent pool means dealing with multiple time zones, which can lead to coordination challenges. Identify overlapping working hours and define a time-zone mapping strategy for real-time collaboration. Utilise asynchronous communication methods and project management tools (e.g., Trello, Jira). Set a time-tracking system (e.g., TimeDoctor, ClockifyMe) that provides reliable reports on realistic timeframes and helps with progress monitoring, and performance evaluation. |
| Cultural Differences |
Cultural differences can impact team dynamics and project execution since the offshore team practises different communication styles, decision-making processes, conflict resolution strategies, creativity, and problem-solving. Understanding and respecting these differences is crucial for successful project completion. Encourage cultural sensitivity and inclusivity by arranging relevant activities and training programs. Provide cultural awareness training for your team to help the offshore developer feel comfortable working in your environment and understand how your business operates. Foster an inclusive work environment where diverse perspectives are valued. |
| Quality Assurance and Management |
Ensuring the quality of work from remote offshore developers can be challenging since you do not have a track to the source of the codes written by them. Implement rigorous code review processes to ensure quality checks are in place during the ongoing project. Use continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) tools to have a timely responsive repository and automated deployment process, ensuring that tested code is released to production. Establish clear project guidelines, milestones, and deliverables to track project success. |
| Security Concerns |
Since a development project involves a lot of sensitive data, security becomes the most important parameter to consider. Having a compliance plan is essential but challenging in preventing uncertain incidents of data breaches. Use secure communication channels (e.g., VPNs, encrypted messaging apps) to have a safe eye on the work done by the offshore developer. Implement strict access controls and permissions to narrow the possibilities of security breaches and safeguard the data. Conduct regular security audits and compliance checks to maintain discipline in the development process. |
Outlining the project’s goals and expected outcomes. Identifying key milestones and deliverables. Determining the project timeline and budget.
While you document the project scope and objective, you will come across the technical hurdle that may impact the project's success, and that will give you clarity on which technical skills you need in your offshore PHP developer. You should:
Specify the PHP frameworks and libraries relevant to your project.
Detail the required knowledge of web technologies (e.g., JavaScript, HTML, CSS).
Highlight any additional skills, such as experience with APIs, cloud services, or mobile development, as required by the project.
All the above practices will help you define the project requirements but that’s not it. To fulfil those requirements, you’ll have to test whether the candidate can communicate, collaborate, be adaptive, and have enough other skills to perform well. To find these answers in addition to technical skills, consider finding the following soft skills and attributes to ensure he/she is a good team fit:
Communication Skills: Ability to articulate ideas clearly and concisely.
Collaboration: Experience working in a team, particularly in remote or distributed teams.
Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing project requirements and environments.
Problem-solving: Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Cultural Fit: Alignment with your company’s values and culture.
Review candidates’ resumes and portfolios to assess their experience and skills.
You can look for relevant experience with PHP and the technologies/skills required per the project scope.
Review past projects and code samples to determine whether the candidate’s experience is relevant to your needs.
Conduct technical interviews to evaluate the expertise of the candidate.
You can ask about their experience with PHP frameworks and specific technologies required as per the project scope.
Put questions with present real-world scenarios to check how they would approach solving them.
Include coding tasks and challenges to test their technical problem-solving skills and coding proficiency.
As you evaluate your soft skills and cultural requirements in the previous step, assess the candidate with various questions.
You can ask situational questions to understand their problem-solving approach and teamwork capabilities.
Evaluate their communication skills through role-playing scenarios or discussing past experiences.
Design and implement coding tests to evaluate technical skills further.
You can use platforms like HackerRank or Codility to administer coding challenges.
Create customised tests that reflect the tasks and challenges aligned with your project requirements. This will expose the candidate to what they will encounter in your project.
Gauge the candidate's problem-solving abilities by discussing past projects and challenges.
You can ask about specific problems they faced while performing the interview tests and how they resolved them.
Evaluate how proactively they think in critical situations and how they approach complex issues methodically.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Compare Candidates |
Technical skills and proficiency. Relevant experience and past projects. Cultural fit and soft skills. |
| Check References and Past Work |
Contact previous employers or clients to confirm their experience and performance. Review their past work and any feedback they received. |
| Make a Competitive Offer |
Ensure the offer includes details on salary, benefits, and other terms of employment. Be prepared to negotiate terms to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. |
| Negotiate Terms and Conditions |
Define the scope of work, deadlines, and deliverables. Clarify expectations regarding communication, availability, and performance. |
| Type of Tools/Tech | Examples of Effective Tools |
|---|---|
| Communication Tools |
Slack: A popular messaging app for team communication. Microsoft Teams: A collaboration platform that integrates with Office 365. Zoom: A video conferencing tool for meetings and webinars. |
| Project Management Tools |
Jira: A powerful project management tool for Agile teams. Trello: A user-friendly tool for tracking tasks and progress. Asana: A project management platform that helps teams stay organised and on track. |
| Version Control Systems |
Git: A widely used version control system for tracking code changes. GitHub: A platform for hosting and reviewing code, managing projects, and collaborating with other developers. Bitbucket: A Git repository hosting service for development projects. |
| Development Environments |
Docker: A platform for developing, shipping, and running container applications. Vagrant: A tool for building and managing virtualised development environments. Visual Studio Code: A lightweight but powerful source code editor. |
| Collaboration Tools |
Google Workspace: A suite of productivity and collaboration tools, including Gmail, Docs, and Drive. Confluence: A collaboration tool for creating, sharing, and organising content. Miro: An online whiteboard platform for brainstorming and collaboration. |
Hiring is a tedious process involving multiple checks that consume a lot of time, energy, focus, and other resources. You make mistakes because it asks for a lot, and the project suffers. First, if you have collaborated with the right vendor, you won’t be suffering from any such issues as 90% of the work is done and managed by them; you only have to check the shortlisted final candidates and create a decision-making process to start. Let’s look at the common pitfalls professionals face while hiring and how to avoid them.
Problem: Many businesses miss gathering details that ensure a clear and mutual understanding of expectations.
Solution: Before beginning the resource search, you can define roles, responsibilities, and deliverables. Once the candidature is finalised, maintain regular communication to align on goals and progress.
Problem: Preventing communication breakdowns and ensuring your remote offshore PHP developer has all the communications is a challenge.
Solution: You can implement regular check-ins and updates using effective tools and strategies. Prefer using a mix of synchronous and asynchronous communication methods.
Problem: Businesses miss micro details when defining the project scope, milestones, and objectives, which makes it challenging for them to select the right candidate.
Solution:You can establish clear objectives and milestones to keep projects on track. Simply break down projects into manageable tasks with specific deadlines. You can use project management tools to track progress and adjust plans as needed.
Problem:
Solution: You can protect sensitive information with robust security measures by implementing strict access controls and permissions. You can also use secure communication channels and data encryption, conduct regular security audits, and maintain regular compliance checks.
Hiring remote offshore PHP developers can be a highly strategic move for organisations aiming to build robust, dynamic websites and applications while leveraging global talent. Businesses can effectively integrate remote developers into their teams by understanding the key responsibilities and essential skills of PHP developers and addressing common challenges like communication barriers, time zone differences, and cultural differences. The best possible solution if you are planning to work with a remote PHP developer is to hire from a reliable offshore vendor, as they have taken care of 90% of the hiring, onboarding, contract management, and long-term support tasks. Utilising various tools and technologies, from communication platforms to project management systems and development environments, ensures seamless collaboration and high-quality outputs. Moreover, by defining precise project requirements, conducting thorough candidate evaluations, and making competitive offers, businesses can attract and retain top talent. Ultimately, avoiding common pitfalls through meticulous planning and regular communication can lead to successful remote collaborations and substantial business growth.
