Glints TalentHubLogin
Switch Language
Hiring & Recruitment
Getting started on hiring talent from Nongsa Digital Park
Safira Adnin
April 10, 2018

Indonesia’s Nongsa Digital Park in Batam

Batam’s Nongsa Digital Park means start-up founders and tech companies alike now have the additional option of hiring and offshoring work in Indonesia. The tech park is set to become a large digital campus for start-ups and technopreneurs. It promises a thriving community built on collaboration, innovation, and passion.

Yet hiring needs vary from start-up to start-up. Before you get to offshoring, one question needs to be asked. How do I know Nongsa Digital Park is the right choice for my company?

To answer this question, we’ll need to look at four factors. Use these to assess your start-up and figure out if offshoring work is what you truly need.

1. YOU HAVE TROUBLE SECURING TECH TALENT

Singapore is not yet doing enough to build up an ecosystem of tech talent and developers that thrives like Silicon Valley (but it certainly has the potential!). Finding tech talent here can be a bit of a challenge, especially since many people still hold the view that professions in law and medicine are superior. Throw a stone into the busiest parts of the city and you’ll more than likely find a financial advisor than a software developer. Your start-up is struggling to find the right applicant, let alone suitably qualified ones.

2. YOUR START-UP NEEDS TO LOWER HIRING COSTS

Singapore’s market is highly competitive. Foreign talent – or expats – flock to Singapore for its opportunities and potential. With a higher cost of living comes a more demanding salary range. Sometimes, start-ups simply do not have the means to pay their employees competitively – this might make hiring a tricky endeavour. Potential hires may turn you down for a competitor offering a higher salary. Thus, your start-up is seeking more cost-effective solutions for staffing.

3. REMOTE TEAMS ARE FINE WITH YOU

This requires a little bit of self-reflection. Are you someone who is amenable to working with remote teams to build your company? Or is the idea of having a team working remotely causing you some discomfort? Bear in mind that hiring a remote team may require you to occasionally travel (albeit short distances) to meet up with them. You will have to be okay with short ferry rides and taking time out of your schedule to really connect with your offshore talents. The upside is that Batam is very close in proximity to Singapore and gives you huge advantages in travel time and avoiding issues that affect performance as opposed to resorting to conventional remote locations like India or Vietnam.

4. THE STAGE OF YOUR START-UP

Finally, you have to consider if your start-up is ready to move forward with offshoring. It depends on which stage your company is at, whether it’s early, post-launch, or in a stage of considerable maturity.

The pre-funding stage: dipping your toes

Early stage, or pre-funding, start-ups should not rush headlong into hiring aggressively. This stage is really where ideation is in full swing, and you’re still forming up the blueprint and roadmap to success. Instead, consider taking on freelancers for the time being until you have a product ready for launch.

The post-launch stage: taking bigger leaps

If your start-up has already launched a product, now might be a good time to consider hiring someone full-time instead of depending solely on your freelancers. You need someone who is able to dig deep and commit to both the product and your vision. Launching a product does not instantly mean success – it could mean having to tweak your source code. Maybe repeatedly.

The maturing stage: full steam ahead

Now your start-up is maturing and growing rapidly. You have investors backing you and customers eager to use your product and/or service. If there’s a perfect time to go aggressive with your hiring and build a solid team that will take your company to greater heights, now is the time.

One of the key things to remember that hiring aggressively before your start-up is ready can be counterproductive or even destructive. If your start-up is not gaining enough traction during the pre-funding stage, then consider giving it more time before you look to hiring and offshoring work.

The nature of growth, whether organic or otherwise, is that it can’t be rushed. If it can, then it’s not going to be a very fulfilling growth.

If you’ve concluded at this point that your start-up’s going to benefit from Nongsa Digital Park, then look nowhere else for the help you need to get started. Glints is prepared to partner with you to secure a remote team in Batam and help your start-up flourish.

Offshore to Nongsa Digital Park with Glints Global

Glints has gone the way of the world: global! With entities in both Singapore and Indonesia, we’re able to partner with companies to tap into a global supply of talent. Why is this worth mentioning? Well, it’s simple: hiring software developers and tech specialists from Indonesia requires you to incorporate an entity. Doing that means having to pay up huge capital – and some start-ups simply don’t have the means to do that just yet.

Where Glints Global comes in 

Glints Global engages in active hiring efforts and serves as a one stop shop for companies looking to hire overseas talent of considerable quality. Our presence in Indonesia will enable you as a start-up founder to save time and money on offshoring work.

Should you take us up on this offer, Glints Global is prepared to select the best tech talent for you. While our Singapore entity provides this service, the actual hiring will take place via our Indonesian entity. What you do is simply wait; payment comes later, once the potential hire becomes a successful match. Sounds easy enough!

If you’re eager to begin and would like to work together with us to grow your start-up, we’re ready to provide you with some resources to help you get started. Click here to access them and to get in touch with us for a free preliminary consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!


This article is brought to you by Glints TalentHub. Leading companies are actively building their borderless teams in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and beyond. However, the prospect of going borderless can be daunting due to complex regulations and cultural ambiguities. With Glints TalentHub, you’ll have a dedicated team of in-market legal, HR, and talent experts by your side at every step of the way.

Glints TalentHub offers an end-to-end, tech-enabled talent solution that encompasses talent acquisition, EOR, and talent development. We empower businesses to leverage the strengths of regional talent efficiently to build high-performing, cost-efficient teams.

Schedule a no-obligation consultation with our experts to receive a tailored proposal today. 

Join our Employers Community!
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive all our latest news and offers delivered right to your desk.

Featured Resource

Download Now

Connect With Us

Never miss a beat! Follow our social media channels for specially curated insights, knowledge and best practices to help you hire, retain and improve on your human capital.

Recent Posts