The word is out on Latin America’s tech ecosystem. News that countries like Mexico maintain a robust and burgeoning tech scene has infiltrated the tech world enough that big companies now seek Latin American (LATAM) developers to join their teams and operations. Big companies are keen to the fact that they can hire remote developers or establish networks in Latin America and grow a committed team. The LATAM industry offers quality talent and lower salary rates than the U.S.
Companies like Pinterest—the beloved do-it-yourself visual discovery engine— expanded to Latin America in 2014 and opened a second office in Mexico as recently as 2021. Other industry giants like Google, for example, launched engineering centers in Mexico and Argentina in 2021. The tech talent shortage in the United States has driven competition for snatching skilled software developers in these growing tech hubs.
So how do big companies attract the top talent in Latin America? Pinterest’s aim to scale globally and hire local talent meant they had to tap into the right talent pool and make offers that would attract experienced and highly-trained software developers.
Here’s how Pinterest did it.
How Pinterest Tapped Into the Latin American Talent Pool
Setting up shop across borders implies some logistical heavy lifting. Companies looking to hire remote software developers in Latin America need to consider several factors (i.e. local labor laws, language barriers, tax implications, possible cultural differences) and, at the same time, ensure that they tap into and attract the best high-skilled talent in the area.
Pinterest searched for a partner that was an industry expert and could facilitate the process of hiring remote developers so they could accomplish their goals with a committed engineering team. They approached CodersLink and worked to ensure that our process was what they were looking for.
CodersLink specializes in helping companies scale their teams in Latin America by having an established presence in the country, including vetting processes and recruiting streams already up and running.
In this way, a company:
- Reduces time-to-hire
- Has access to the top percent of engineers
- Hires without worrying about labor laws
- Builds committed tech teams and achieves full immersion
- Takes their growth to the next level by achieving organic growth and professional development
Pinterest wrote in 2021, that they believed building a global product required diverse perspectives on the table on the technological and the human level. This was their impetus for expanding and served as their inspiration for seeking additional engineering teams in new geographies such as Mexico City.
What Did Pinterest Do to Attract Top Talent?
Once the financial and logistical aspects are in order, the hiring process follows. Every company has its hiring and onboarding process, but knowing that you are connected to a highly vetted talent pool helps weed out unsuitable candidates from the beginning. From there, a company sorts out the right team for their projects.
Pinterest has over 400 million users worldwide and it prides itself in fueling creativity and inspiration for people across the globe. To achieve their goals, they need the right engineering teams with the vision, creativity, and skill that match the scope of their mission. Attracting top talent means:
- Offering a competitive salary
- Including additional perks and benefits
- Maintaining a solid communication system
- Having an in-depth onboarding process
- Attractive company culture
The above-mentioned are key starting points for landing a great engineering team. Benefits packages in particular seem to be key deciding factors that top engineers look for when choosing a new job opportunity.
Our Tech Salaries Report 2022 dives into popular benefits and salary comparisons between Mexican and U.S. software developers and how they play a role in attracting and retaining the right talent.
Mexican Software Developers Talk About Their Reasons for Choosing Pinterest
Pinterest’s Mexico City team is composed of a diverse group of developers with different backgrounds and training. Yet, they were all drawn to work for the company — even attractive offers in other places like Uber— because of what it offered.
#1 Offering Opportunity for Growth and Professional Expansion
Software developers are interested in expanding their skills and working with new systems and technologies. As one Mexican developer, Constanza Madrigal, working for Pinterest testified, her attraction to working for the company was the opportunity to work with Data Science and Machine learning. At the same time, the company’s vision spoke to her on a personal level, being a person that loves arts and crafts.
#2 Working with Professionals & Achieving Great Engineering Feats
Other engineers working for Pinterest describe the desire to work with industry professionals and have a company that seems compassionate and attentive to their needs. Developers like Francisco Navarrete cited several reasons including his interest in working with a company that manages a complex infrastructure with sophisticated algorithms that reaches up to 400 million users. Being part of this big picture was attractive to him, as it offered him engaging opportunities to expand his skills. He describes Pinterest as a company that has a positive outlook and is working to make the internet a positive and creative place. This speaks to him on a professional and personal level as well.
#3 Building a Positive and Diverse Company Culture
Software engineers want to work with diverse teams that push them to new levels of skill. Despite working remotely, a company culture that encourages collaboration and an immersive team experience helps developers feel less isolated. For example, Madrigal describes working and collaborating with people from the United States and Brazil and how, for her, this provides exciting learning potential and keeps her engaged.
Company culture is an indispensable aspect of hiring remote software developers. Pinterest made it a point to establish a company culture that is inclusive, diverse, encourages creativity and growth, and provides equal opportunity. Their dedication to all of this is evident in their hiring and interviewing process, as well as their onboarding process. Constanza Madrigal, for example, was pleasantly surprised by the diversity at Pinterest. She was taken aback, she says, when interviewed by a panel of women.
In efforts to strengthen the collaborative fibers and creativity, the company offers incentives for outstanding teamwork or exceptional collaboration efforts and keeps benefits packages equal across the board. Constanza, Fabian, and Francisco all attest to Pinterest’s company culture as fertile ground for creativity, growth opportunities, and more. They say this company culture seems to be embedded not only in their product but in how they manage their teams.
Grow Your Team with Remote Software Developers Out of Latin America’s Flourishing Tech Hubs
To hire remote software developers, companies have to stand out among the competition. Software developers are looking for more than just a number. In addition to competitive salaries, big companies attract the best talent by offering benefits, unique opportunities, and professional growth.
Pinterest worked with CodersLink to spearhead its insertion into the rich Latin American market.
When Pinterest approached CodersLink, they knew the value of assembling a team in Latin America but were hesitant about starting from scratch in a new country, unfamiliar with the labor laws, expected salaries, language, and culture.
The CodersLink team helped them build the backbone and strategy that would allow them to hit the ground running. Our extensive research in Mexico’s IT and tech industries means we are well-connected to the best developers on the ground and know how to handle the various logistical aspects of hiring remote software developers in Latin America.
Hire Remote Developers and Build a Committed Team
Big companies are not the only ones tapping into the rich talent pool in countries like Mexico. Mid-size businesses and startups have followed suit. Smaller companies can offer Latin American software developers intangible benefits like upward mobility and decision-making capabilities, which also attract top talent looking to get ahead in their respective fields.
Connect with us to learn more about how we help companies scale their teams and attract the best teams.
