The global tech talent crunch shows no signs of easing. McKinsey reports only 16% of executives feel confident in their current technology talent, making every new hire critical. Vietnam has quietly become a solution. Over 50% of Vietnam’s population is under 35entrepreneur.com, and universities churn out roughly 50,000 new IT graduates each year. Demand is surging: international companies ramped up hiring of Vietnamese tech pros by 111% in 2024, with key markets like the U.S., UK, and Singapore leading the way. Vietnamese engineers are abundant and highly skilled – many have experience with cutting-edge tech (AI, blockchain, cloud) from local and global projects.
U.S. companies still outsource heavily to India and Latin America, but Vietnam is rapidly closing the gap. Cost is a big factor: Vietnamese software engineers typically charge $15–$35 per hour, often 50–70% less than U.S. peers. This means big budget savings without compromising quality. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s developer community exceeds 1 million IT professionals, with strengths in web/mobile apps and emerging fintech solutions. The time zone (UTC+7) offers partial overlap with U.S. schedules (Vietnam’s workday starts as the U.S. West Coast ends). Latin America aligns even more closely with U.S. hours but comes at higher rates ($30–$70/hr). In practice, companies successfully collaborate by emphasizing asynchronous workflows and a few hours of overlap for real-time meetings.
Vietnamese teams also adapt well to Western processes. Many professionals speak English fluently, and the work culture, while respectful of hierarchy, is very diligent. U.S. managers should note that Vietnamese employees may hesitate to speak up if unsure. The fix is simple: provide clear guidance, invite questions, and pair each new hire with a mentor who can help bridge cultural gaps. With those practices in place, Vietnam’s tech talent fits naturally into global Agile and DevOps workflows.
Hiring Models in Vietnam
When it’s time to hire, U.S. startups have multiple paths. Freelancers and marketplaces like Upwork or Toptal let you quickly hire Vietnamese developers by the hour. This is flexible and inexpensive, but it can be hard to guarantee long-term dedication or consistent quality. Alternatively, local agencies or outsourcing firms can assemble an entire team of Vietnamese engineers and manage pay. They handle contracts, benefits, and some management; the tradeoff is often higher rates or multi-month commitments.
A middle ground is using an Employer-of-Record (EoR) or staffing partner. These companies let you hire Vietnamese employees without your own legal entity in Vietnam. The EoR becomes the official employer, handling payroll, taxes, and compliance, while you direct the work. This offers more stability than a freelancer model and more flexibility than a full outsourcing contract. Dedicated partners like AppGenie (part of DigiEx Group) go further: they maintain a network of pre-vetted Vietnamese developers (AI-screened for skills and fit) and provide end-to-end team management. In each model, always include a short pilot project or coding test to vet real-world skills and communication before scaling up.
No matter which route you choose, clear trial projects are key. For example, give a candidate a one-week sprint on a small feature. This reveals not just coding ability, but also English proficiency, cultural alignment, and responsiveness. Treat that pilot like a mini-onboarding, complete with pull request reviews and standup meetings. A successful pilot builds confidence; if expectations aren’t met, you can adjust your strategy before investing heavily.
Navigating Time Zones and Collaboration
Managing time zones is easier than it sounds. Aim for at least 1–2 hours of overlap each day (e.g., 8 AM in Hanoi is 8 PM Eastern). Schedule regular video calls during those overlap windows for standups or design reviews. Meanwhile, embrace async work: use Slack or Microsoft Teams for quick questions, and rely on tools like Jira or Trello to track tasks. Encourage a culture of documenting decisions in shared docs and pushing code to Git in small increments.
For instance, a U.S. team can plan to finish tasks by late afternoon, allowing the Vietnam team to begin work as evening sets in America. This near-24/7 cycle can accelerate development, as one part of the team hands off work seamlessly to the other. (Research shows projects nearshored to Southeast Asia often see 20–30% faster turnaround.) The key is clear “handoffs”: each day, the outgoing team should update tickets and leave notes so the next shift can pick up without delay.
Vietnam’s UTC+7 time zone overlaps parts of Asia, Europe, and (late) U.S. hours, enabling near-round-the-clock collaboration in a global engineering team.
Collaboration Checklist: Overlap working hours, use shared chat/video tools, document work, and plan daily or weekly “handoff” meetings. Leverage version control (Git) and continuous integration so both teams stay aligned even when offline.
Ensuring a Cultural Fit
Vietnamese teams are known for their strong work ethic and respect for hierarchy. Developers will often eagerly implement ideas but may be cautious about voicing disagreement. U.S. managers should adapt by explicitly inviting feedback (“Do you have any concerns about this design?”) and offering regular praise. Assigning each new hire a “buddy” or mentor is invaluable. That mentor can explain unwritten norms and troubleshoot early hiccups.
Onboarding should include cultural context for both sides. For example, provide Vietnamese team members with a brief on U.S. work expectations (e.g., flat team structure, candor in code review) and, conversely, explain Vietnamese workplace norms to U.S. managers (e.g., the importance of formal written documentation, expectations around local holidays). Team-building matters too: virtual coffee breaks, team lunches over Zoom, or a “New Joiners” channel in Slack can reduce isolation. The goal is mutual understanding: when both teams know each other’s style, collaboration flows smoothly.
Step-by-Step Hiring Process
- Define roles & skills: Determine exactly what you need. For instance, are you hiring a backend Go engineer, a React mobile developer, or a data scientist with machine-learning experience? In fintech, emphasize relevant knowledge (PCI compliance, encryption libraries, financial APIs). Writing a clear job description upfront will help attract the right Vietnamese candidates.
- Search & shortlist: Post on international and local sites. LinkedIn, Indeed, and specialized tech sites (VietnamWorks, TopDev) can yield candidates. You might also engage a recruiting agency or use a partner’s network. Screen resumes for key experiences (e.g., prior fintech projects, startup experience, open-source contributions) and set clear expectations about remote work and time zones.
- Vet candidates: Conduct first-round video interviews to assess communication and basic skills. Then give technical assessments – for example, a timed coding test or a take-home assignment. The most robust vetting is a short paid trial: hire the candidate on a one-week contract to build a small feature. Review their code quality (run a static analysis, or have them walk through their code) and note their responsiveness. This real-world test often reveals much more than an interview.
- Communicate expectations: Once you’ve selected a developer or team, lay everything on the table. Discuss project goals, tech stack, coding standards, and especially security protocols. In fintech, be explicit about compliance needs (e.g., “all payment data must be tokenized”, “mobile authentication requires SCA knowledge”). Make sure language barriers don’t obscure requirements. Clear documentation (diagrams, written specs) can help ensure everyone is on the same page from day one.
- Onboard thoroughly: On hire day, provide access to all tools (Git repositories, project boards, design docs). Introduce them to the team via video call and include them in project management tools. Share any development guidelines (style guides, security checklists) and perhaps have them shadow a sprint or two. Maintain regular check-ins – for example, one-on-ones or weekly feedback sessions – so any confusion is caught early. The combination of structured onboarding and ongoing communication is key to retaining Vietnamese hires.
- Scale up: After a successful trial or initial hire, you can expand the team. Because Vietnam’s labor laws allow easy staffing by contractors or through EoR partners, you can often add developers 1–2 at a time. This flexible model means you only grow as demand requires. As you add talent, continue the vetting process (all hires should meet the performance bar you set) and maintain the same onboarding/check-in practices to keep quality high.
Cost Savings and Flexibility
Vietnam’s affordability is a major advantage. Skilled Vietnamese developers frequently command roughly half the salary of their U.S. counterparts, and overhead costs (office space, utilities) tend to be lower as well. Outsourcing lets you pay by the hour or project – so you only pay for productive work time. For example, instead of a $120k/yr U.S. developer, you might hire a senior Vietnamese engineer at $40/hour for a project-based engagement. Many companies find they cut development costs by ~40% while maintaining quality.
Using a local partner or EoR adds flexibility: you’re not locked into full-time benefits or minimum headcount. Need to pause hiring? No long-term lease. Want to ramp up quickly? The partner’s existing infrastructure means you can often onboard new devs in weeks, not months. This on-demand scalability – paired with cost efficiency – lets startups experiment and iterate without the fixed costs of building a domestic team.
Security-First and Compliance-Ready
In fintech and digital banking, security is non-negotiable. Hire Vietnamese engineers who follow secure-by-design practices. This means embedding security into every sprint: threat modeling in design, static analysis (SAST) on code, and dynamic testing (DAST) on running apps. During vetting, ask about their experience with security tools or certifications. Also, ensure they understand compliance standards: PCI-DSS for payments, data encryption best practices, and even local regulations like Vietnam’s cyber laws if you handle data there.
A strong partner will codify these requirements. For instance, AppGenie’s teams use automated code scanners and require architecture diagrams that highlight data flows and potential vulnerabilities. They also often have internal security reviews before any code goes live. This level of rigor means that when you hire through the right channel, you get a development team that treats regulations as part of the job – not an afterthought.
Conclusion
Vietnam offers U.S. companies skilled tech talent, affordability, and the agility to scale rapidly. As one industry leader notes, Vietnamese developers are “highly skilled and globally competitive”. By following the right approach – choosing the right hiring model, overlapping work hours, clear communication, and a security-first mindset – startups can build high-performing remote teams in Vietnam. Partnering with a compliance-savvy firm like AppGenie (powered by DigiEx Group) can streamline this journey: they handle contracts, payroll, and candidate vetting, freeing you to focus on your product. The result is a faster path from idea to innovation, with Vietnam’s outstanding engineers powering your growth.
