Are you looking for cost-effective ways to build a team of Ruby engineers? Do you consider outsourcing programmers from India, China, Asia, or Western Europe? In this article, we share several arguments for hiring Ruby coders from Ukraine app development companies and compare Ruby on Rails average salary levels in several countries.
Software Development Industry in Ukraine
In the middle of the invasion, the export of IT services in Ukraine makes up nearly half of the country’s export structure. The Ukrainian tech sector keeps growing and bringing revenue despite the war. This country boasts 75 startups per 1 million inhabitants, and its government plans to increase this number to several hundred.
So Ukraine still belongs to one of the top IT hubs and hosts many skilled software developers. Ukrainian engineers know Javascript, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails, and other popular technologies. And one of the advantages of software development services in Ukraine is their relatively low cost. For instance, the average salary for Ruby on Rails developer in Ukraine starts at $3,000 monthly.
And let’s check how it compares to Ruby on Rails salaries in other countries:
| Country | Cost of Ruby on Rails developer |
| The USA | $103,957 |
| The Netherlands | $68,110 |
| Germany | $66,815 |
| The UK | $65,393 |
| France | $48,084 |
| Ukraine | $36,000 |
5 Benefits of Hiring Ruby on Rails Developers in Ukraine
Do you consider several outsourcing destinations? Check the top 5 advantages of cooperating with Ruby on Rails development firms in Ukraine.
- Lower Ruby on Rails developer salary. In Ukraine, Ruby on Rails freelance hourly rate and monthly salary levels are around 10-15% lower than in the USA or Western Europe. This statement is true for many software developers because the living index in this country is lower. This way, companies can significantly cut costs on their workforce without compromising the end product’s quality. However, other outsourcing destinations can also offer a cost-effective Ruby developer salary per team member. So let’s check other pros of hiring in Ukraine.
- High quality of work. Many well-known brands, like Apple, IBM, Boeing, eBay, etc., hire Ukrainian programmers for their projects. Google and Samsung have R&D centers in Ukraine. So tech giants are satisfied with how Ukraine-based programmers work, which means their work quality is high. And during the last decade, their expertise has only grown. Professional IT recruiters have vast talent pools of tech specialists, and Ruby coders are always on those lists.
- Favorable time zone. India, Asia, or China can offer similar Ruby on Rails software developer salary levels and skill sets. But having synchronized schedules with remote development teams is another benefit you get in Ukraine. That’s because this country is only one hour ahead of Europe and has only several hours of difference from the US and the UK. This way, project owners can always get in touch with their software engineers once needed without waiting for the next day.
- Cultural compatibility. Relevant technical skills aren’t enough to make your tech team effective. Cross-cultural issues are even more critical for distributed and remote developers. Since outsourced teams work as extensions to companies, it’s essential to agree at least on key points like time management, decision-making, motivation, or values. Ukrainian Ruby developers have extensive experience working with American and Western European teams. So they share the same cultural values.
- English fluency. Another critical matter for your team’s effectiveness is its flawless communication. And for distributed teams, it’s often a good command of English. In Ukraine, around 80% of IT specialists speak English confidently. Each technician understands that English is essential for landing a job in an international company. Moreover, many software developers have improved their knowledge when collaborating with colleagues from Europe and the US.
Factors to Consider When Hiring Ruby on Rails Developers in Ukraine
The average hourly rate for Ruby on Rails developer is only one of the factors impacting your decision to hire these specialists from Ukraine. We think you also should consider the following aspects to make a balanced decision.
- Project requirements. Understanding and noting shareholders’ expectations, visualizing project milestones, and managing tasks should be aligned with how and where you hire Ruby developers. For instance, documenting requirements and making them accessible to team members can imply adding paragraphs about data protection or intellectual rights to cooperation contracts with your coders. Data storage capacities, fault tolerance, and backup processes may also vary due to your team’s location.
- Budget and cost considerations. The first question of a project manager planning to hire Ruby coders is often, “How much do Ruby programmers make?” or “What is an Android developer hourly rate?” The answers can impact the realization terms and tech stack of the product. Labor cost is your project’s main item, so questions will follow. How many team members can you afford? Will these be senior or middle-level specialists? How will you arrange the quality control processes?
- Communication and collaboration needs. Technical competence is only half of the story of an effective tech team. The other part is the soft skills of its members. Luckily, Ukrainians are good communicators with at least a B1 level of English. Minor to no accent and fluency helps Ukraine-based Ruby coders express their ideas and concerns freely. They are glad to communicate with colleagues, and team leads in messengers to check some details instead of thinking out.
- Cultural fit. Ukrainian software developers are open-minded, task-focused, creative, and responsible. They have many common features and similar cultural values. This helps Ukraine-based Ruby programmers perform tasks productively and develop practical solutions. With their sense of humor and professional attitude, Ukrainians minimize cultural barriers with American and European customers.
- Legal and security considerations. If you decide to hire Ruby developers, you’ll be contracting each programmer as an individual entrepreneur. And it’s a standard practice to sign NDAs to protect your data and ideas. Ukrainian companies apply various compliance solutions and data recovery procedures to meet each customer’s requirements. This helps Ukraine-based development companies treat sensitive information according to US and EU laws.
Finding Affordable Ruby on Rails Developers in Ukraine
Now, let’s see what you’ll have to do once you decide to take Ukrainian Ruby programmers on board. Here are the core stages of this process:
- Researching and identifying potential candidates. You can search through resumes on relevant platforms to find your ideal candidate. But to maximize your chances for success, it’s also great to advertise your vacancy on popular job portals. Think about how to promote this role. Will you try to connect with Ruby programmers on LinkedIn? Should you ask colleagues for recommendations? Or maybe you’ll contract a freelance recruiter? At the end of this stage, you’ll get a long list of applicants who can fit the role.
- Interviewing and evaluating candidates. Next, you’ll need to set and run interviews with each potential team member. It’s critical to assess the technical skills of your future Ruby engineer, see how this person communicates, and understand if this specialist will fit your environment. You’ll need to take notes during each interview, even if you only have three applicants. Rating each one across several criteria will help you evaluate the best-fitting developers for your project. However, this stage requires time and dedication.
- Negotiating and finalizing the contract. The next step is to agree on your Ruby on Rails developer hourly rate or monthly salary. The first option works best for part-timers, while fixed remuneration is typical for full-time professionals. State the gross payroll, net amount, start date, working schedule, and benefits in a job offer. Once accepted, be ready to sign the cooperation contract meeting all local labor requirements. Don’t forget about the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) too.
Making all these steps on your own is doable. Still, engaging a local vendor or software development company will save you a lot of time. Moreover, it’ll ensure you follow legal requirements and comply with Ukrainian labor law.
Summing Up
Hiring professional Ruby developers in Ukraine lets you save costs and contract top-rated experts who speak English well. You’ll need to research tens of resumes, run interviews, assess candidates across crucial parameters, and sign cooperation agreements. However, Ukrainian outsourcing providers will help you go through these stages faster and with fewer challenges.