Hiring offshore ASP.NET Core developers can give you senior .NET skills at a lower cost, and lets you grow a team faster than local hiring usually allows. It can also go wrong: unclear ownership, missed deadlines and code that nobody else can maintain. This checklist is what we tell every company that asks us how to hire well, whether they end up working with us or not.
1. Decide what you are hiring for
Before you look at a single profile, write down the work. The answers change who you should hire:
- New product or existing codebase? Greenfield work needs someone comfortable making architecture decisions. An existing system needs someone patient enough to read code before changing it.
- Back end only, or full stack? ASP.NET Core APIs, MVC and Razor Pages, Blazor, or a JavaScript front end on top.
- Database and hosting. SQL Server on IIS or Azure, PostgreSQL on Linux, containers or none.
- Level of ownership. Will the developer pick up tickets from your board, or also shape the plan with you?
If the scope is fixed and clear, a project may suit you better than a hire. We compare both in Dedicated developer vs fixed-price project.
2. Test real ASP.NET Core skills, not keywords
Almost every profile lists C#, .NET and SQL. What separates a strong developer is how they use them. Ask about:
- Data access: when they use Entity Framework Core and when raw SQL, how they spot N+1 queries, and how they run migrations on a live database.
- Security: ASP.NET Core Identity and roles, anti-forgery tokens, validating file uploads, and keeping secrets out of source control.
- Structure: keeping controllers thin, where business rules live, and how background work is handled.
- Performance: caching, async I/O, and how they find the slow query behind a slow page.
A short paid task on a copy of your own codebase tells you more than any interview. Review the pull request as you would review a colleague's: naming, tests where they matter, and whether the change does only what was asked.
3. Treat communication as a core skill
Most failed outsourcing relationships fail on communication, not on code. Look for clear written English, questions asked early instead of assumptions, and progress you can see. A working demo every week is a better signal than a long status report.
Time zones matter less than habits. A team in Bangladesh (GMT+6) shares working hours with European mornings, and with North American evenings or early mornings. Our guide to running a remote team across time zones covers the routine that makes this work.
4. Agree how you will work before day one
- The code lives in your Git repository, and the work is tracked on your board.
- A shared definition of done: reviewed, tested where it matters, and deployed to a staging site.
- Fixed overlap hours for calls, and a written update at the end of every day.
- One named person on your side who approves releases and answers product questions.
5. Protect your code and your data
Sign an NDA and an agreement that assigns all intellectual property to you. Give access through accounts you control, and only to what is needed. We explain the details in how to protect your code and IP when outsourcing, and our own commitments are on the security, IP and AI policy page.
6. Start small, then scale
Begin with one developer on a monthly rolling engagement and a clear first milestone. When the work, the communication and the code review all feel right, add people. A good partner makes it easy to scale the team up or down.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a freelancer or a company?
A freelancer can work well for a small, well-defined task. A company gives you continuity: cover during holidays and illness, a second pair of eyes in code review, and someone accountable if a developer leaves.
Who owns the code?
You should, from the first commit. Put it in the contract, and keep the repository and the hosting accounts in your name.
We provide dedicated ASP.NET Core developers who join your stand-ups and your tools. See how hiring a developer works, or tell us about your project.