People outsource to other countries thanks to global arbitrage. The assumption is that the cost of living might change from country to country, but skills for the same work may remain the same. Sometimes this is true and sometimes it isn’t.
Impressive Resume
One of the problems I often see with outsourcing and workers from other countries who are here on H1-B visas are inflated resumes. A couple years ago I interviewed someone who had a great resume. She had done everything except build the internet. After a few minutes of discussion it became apparent that almost everything on her resume was something she had heard about in a class. Unfortunately seh hadn’t actually done any work in that area. I don’t think she we was trying to misrepresent herself since she felt she knew enough about them to learn them if needed. Some cultures it is impolite to say “No” or “I don’t know”. Beware if you ever ask for directions in China. You don’t know where you might end up.
Impressive Work
One of the problems with outsourcing is shared resumes. You might start the conversation with someone who knows XXXXX inside and out, but they are just trying to get you in the door. The real person who is doing the work might get some pointers from the person you are talking to, but they are not the same person. This can apply to programming, writing or any number of skills.
Also, the work you get might have come from somewhere else. I once had a programmer from China who was building an application in record time. Then I looked at his code. He had hacked it together from a variety of sources. He didn’t even bother to take out the comments – or the licenses. Again, in some cultures it’s not really considered stealing, it’s more admiration.
Do your homework
To ensure that you are getting the skills you require, be sure to take the extra time to check out the worker. Chances are the cheapest option is not the best option. Try to use a service that screens workers first. If that’s not an option try to get references or check online reviews about their work. If all else fails, be sure to start with a small project first. This will give you an idea of what their skills are. It will also tell you how well they understand what you want.
