How to Successfully Build and Manage a Developer Team in Vietnam

Offshore Development Center (ODC)

• A dedicated facility that functions as an extension of your organization
• Best for long-term, complex projects requiring continuous oversight
• Offers high degree of control over the development process

Dedicated Development Team

• A team of specialists working exclusively on your project
• Seamlessly integrates with your internal processes and culture
• Ideal for long-term projects requiring consistency and collaboration

Team Augmentation

• Supplements your existing team with specialized expertise
• Addresses specific skill gaps or resource constraints
• Offers flexibility to scale up or down as needed

Building-Operating-Transfer (BOT) Model

• Begins with an offshore partner managing infrastructure and staffing
• Gradually transitions to client ownership of the operational center
• Perfect for establishing a long-term presence with phased investment

For fixed-scope projects, a Fixed Price or Time and Materials contract may make more sense.

Step 3: Understand Legal Requirements

Setting up or partnering in Vietnam involves some regulatory steps. If you plan to establish a legal entity, you'll need to register it properly. You must also comply with local labour laws, including contracts and work conditions.

Be sure your intellectual property is protected through NDAs, secure coding practices, and properly structured access controls. Data protection is also a growing concern, so it's best to partner with firms that follow international security standards.

Step 4: Recruit the Right People

Hiring in Vietnam is not quite the same as in Australia or the UK. You'll want to tap into local job boards like VietnamWorks and ITviec. LinkedIn is gaining traction, especially for mid to senior-level developers.

Working with local recruiters can also speed things up. They understand the market and know how to attract the right candidates. Referral programs and participation in local tech meetups can help too.

Step 5: Onboard the Team Properly

A great onboarding experience sets the tone for the entire engagement. Provide your new team with a structured welcome, including access to tools, technical documentation, and clear communication protocols.

Make sure your expectations around deadlines, coding standards, and workflows are clearly communicated. If possible, appoint a mentor from within your team to help new hires settle in.

Managing Your Team

Communication

Use tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom to stay connected. Project management platforms like Jira or Trello help keep track of deliverables and timelines.

Establish overlapping working hours so your local team and offshore developers can collaborate in real time. Written documentation is key — it ensures clarity and reduces unnecessary meetings.

Team Culture

Creating a sense of belonging is vital. Celebrate wins, give feedback regularly, and include your Vietnamese team in company-wide events and updates. Cultural awareness also matters. Understanding local customs and work norms helps avoid miscommunication.

Organise team-building sessions, whether virtual or in person. Recognise and reward high performance to build loyalty and morale.

Encouraging Growth

Investing in your developers' learning helps both the team and your business. Offer online courses, sponsor certifications, and encourage attendance at tech conferences. Internal knowledge-sharing sessions are a low-cost way to improve skills and foster collaboration.

Encourage team members to lead internal presentations or write documentation for what they've learned. This helps transfer knowledge across your team and builds confidence in junior staff.

Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Vietnamese developers work hard, but burnout is still a risk if workloads are not managed well. Avoid overloading your team and respect their working hours. Offer flexible schedules where possible, but ensure there is a balance between flexibility and delivery expectations.

Encourage developers to take holidays and respect national holidays in Vietnam. Check in regularly to identify any signs of stress or disengagement early.

Recognising Performance

Clear KPIs help everyone know what success looks like. Regular reviews allow for feedback and course correction. Public recognition and fair, competitive pay help retain your best people.

Career development paths should also be discussed openly. Vietnamese developers value stability, but they also seek growth and responsibility.

Handling Common Challenges

Cultural differences are real but manageable. Provide basic cultural training to your local staff and create opportunities for open conversations.

Language barriers can be addressed through clear communication practices. Use simple English, avoid slang, and confirm mutual understanding.

Time zones may require flexibility. Rotate meeting times when working across multiple locations.

Knowledge transfer can be improved with pair programming and documentation. Encourage your team to leave trails for future developers.

Final Thoughts

Vietnam is not just a low-cost destination. It is a country with a growing reputation for delivering high-quality software development services. With the right preparation, management style, and cultural awareness, building a developer team in Vietnam can help you scale faster, stay within budget, and remain competitive.

The key lies in how you do it. Choosing the right model, managing the team well, and treating your offshore developers like a true part of your company will make all the difference.

At Tech Ops Asia, we specialise in helping businesses build and manage developer teams in Vietnam. Our approach combines Australian project management with elite local talent. If you're thinking about building your offshore team, we're here to help. Book a free consultation to see how we can support your goals.