Four Challenges Of Offshoring And How To Handle Them

I started my career in India and came to the United States on an H-1B visa. I ended up joining a U.S.-based company and never thought of moving into the offshore and onsite model. During my 18-plus years of working in the United States, I heard mixed opinions on the offshore model, like it’s not easy to get work done from companies based in India — that the quality of work is not good but people are very nice, hardworking and always says yes to everything.

Now, I look back on those mixed opinions and I’m able to connect the dots. Let’s look at some of the challenges of the offshore and onsite model.

Time Zone

This is a blessing in disguise. Being in different time zones is good when it comes to setting up dedicated teams for projects. There are team members working both offshore and onsite, so both teams collaborate and contribute to the work. Think of it as an around-the-clock model — work never sleeps and there is always someone available, day or night.

Now comes the part when you need offshore team members to join calls and meetings in afternoons and evenings. Based on my experience, this is not a big deal if it happens once in a while, but it can get challenging if there is a need to speak with the same offshore team members in the afternoons and evenings on a regular basis.