Key takeaways
Cost differences: Staffing agencies typically charge a 50%–100% markup on salaries, whereas Proxify offers transparent pricing with no hidden recruitment fees.
Vetting thoroughness: Proxify onboards only the top 1% of developers through a multi-stage technical and communication assessment.
Speed to hire: While agencies can take weeks, Proxify’s pre-vetted network allows for matching and starting work within an average of 2 days.
Retention: Proxify focuses on long-term team integration (average 12+ months) rather than short-term "gig" placements common in traditional staffing.
Getting access to top developers can require a lot of resources, especially if you don’t know where to look. You can spend hundreds of hours looking for the perfect developer, only to be disappointed when your efforts amount to, well, nothing in particular.
Even more sobering is the fact that, as much as the software engineering marketplace is filled to the brim with prospective and senior developers, finding one that fits your particular needs is as hard in practice as it initially sounds on paper.
Thankfully, you can take shortcuts in the form of agencies or sourcing platforms to find the perfect fit. But, in all reality, this is not a shortcut in the real sense of the word.
What you will be doing here is allocating resources away from your revenue and into your time; yes, you’ll save time, but you will also spend more money on the service, simply because the service is associated with a cost.
In the long term, however, this should end up as net-positive—both for your company and the organization that will help you find the ideal fit.
Yet, even here, there are multiple paths that you can take: do you opt to work with a staffing agency, or choose a specialized vetted talent network like Proxify for the same thing?
Let’s examine the pros and cons of both hiring approaches.
Agency vs Proxify comparison chart
Before we delve into things, here’s a quick visual representation of the similarities and differences between hiring through a staffing agency and partnering with Proxify:
Traditional hiring agency | Proxify | |
|---|---|---|
Time to hire | 1-2 months | Less than a week |
Quality assured talent | Sometimes | Always |
Developer's English proficiency | Varies | Very high |
Tools | No | Dashboard updated daily with work reports and more materials |
Testing period | No | One week |
What kind of projects are you working on?
Before you decide on either of these two approaches, it’s probably a good idea to know what you’re working on, what you expect from your future web developers, and how to manage the engagement in the first place.
Think of it as directing a movie: if you go into the film with a blank slate (puns, anyone?), it will be harder to realize the vision and deliver a final product after filming ends. However, if you have a storyboard (storyboards are a bunch of cards that visually explain the scenes, like comic panels), then the chances of the film being closer to the initial vision will be greater than otherwise.
In this case, having a storyboard equates to having a thorough plan about your engagement (both written and otherwise) that will help you along the way and keep your developers on the right track.
More specifically, here are some examples of engagements that you could be hiring for:
Mobile applications
Native
Web
Hybrid
Desktop applications
Windows
Linux
macOS
Cloud applications
SaaS
PaaS
IaaS
Mobile application development
Mobile application development is different between the three types: native, web, and hybrid apps, simply because they use different technologies to build, operate and execute their end goals.
Native applications are usually built with Python, Java, Kotlin, and more languages. On the other hand, web-based applications are developed using HTML, CSS and JavaScript – among other languages and markup paradigms.
Desktop application development
Desktop app development, or as I like to call it: the OG software development, is a process where you build programs to be later used on desktop or laptop-based operating systems.
These systems are Windows, Linux, macOS, and others.
Additionally, the list of desktop software falls into several categories, including productivity (word processors, database manipulation), media (video and image editors), and entertainment (games).
To build desktop apps, developers can use a multitude of frameworks such as WPF, UWP, Electron.js, Cocoa, and more. Starting from scratch is also a viable option, for which languages like C++, C#, Java, Python, Swift, and Go (among others) are preferred over some of the existing frameworks.
Cloud application development
Finally, there is cloud app development, which generally means that your applications reside somewhere in the cloud, which is a server that could be based anywhere in the world.
Most popular programming languages and frameworks used to develop cloud-based apps include Go, RoR, Node.js, ASP.NET, PHP, not to mention the major cloud services such as AWS, Azure, GCP, Digital Ocean, and more.
Hiring through an agency
If you decide that freelance developers aren’t worth the risk, another possibility is to outsource your hiring to an agency. Granted, this is a safer approach than testing freelance devs; however, it comes with its own red flags.
The good thing about working with an agency is that you won’t have to hire multiple experts (from multiple disciplines) as you would have done with a freelancer or a freelance contractor.
Instead, the agency will take care of all that in your stead.
What is a staffing agency?
A staffing (or hiring) agency is an intermediary between employees and employers, working to match companies with job vacancies with qualified candidates in a reasonable timeframe.
“Reasonable period of time” can mean different things to different companies. It can take anywhere from days to weeks, and sometimes even months, before a position has to be filled and the job vacancy closed.
In rare cases, sometimes the job opening never gets filled due to a variety of reasons (pay, lack of suitable candidates, rare tech stack), but that’s a story for another time.
How does a staffing agency operate?
The process of hiring talent through a staffing agency typically goes in the following order:
The employer reaches out to the agency: Specify duration, rates, and developer count.
The agency creates a suitable job description: They advertise or tap into their existing database.
The agency vets candidates: Hiring managers review resumes and conduct initial screenings.
You make the final decision: You conduct the final interview and take responsibility for the hire.
The agency sorts out the paperwork: Handling contracts, taxes, and legal compliance.
How much does a staffing agency cost?
Standard markup: 50%–100% of the candidate's agreed salary.
Hourly еxample: If a developer earns 50€/hr, the total cost to you may range from 70€ to 150€/hr.
Additional Fees: Potential costs for buyouts or transferring from temporary to permanent employment.
This is just a rough estimate, so ask upfront about the agency’s costs before you dip your toes into hiring via intermediaries.
Staffing agency pros
As employees have moved away from traditional employment and opted for a more flexible environment, staffing agencies have become a viable solution for finding talent in considerably less time.
Here are some benefits of filling your ranks with a staffing agency.
Flexibility
As mentioned above, employees have increasingly moved toward more flexible employment models. Similarly, companies do that too.
As seismic changes are destabilizing the current labor market, companies try to stay afloat by becoming leaner where and when possible. In other words, they are trying to hire new talent only when absolutely necessary.
In fact, temporary staffing solves this challenge by giving companies talent on demand while ensuring employees stay productive.
As a quick subjective interjection, I would add that this isn’t necessarily good or bad; it’s just how the current state of affairs is playing out. It will be interesting to see how the market evolves relative to current and future employment trends, but I digress.
Flexibility and sufficient wiggle room matter for both job seekers and businesses: the former because priorities are shifting from maximum productivity to maximum happiness and quality of life. The latter are simply trying to persist in the ever-changing landscape of the modern world's challenges.
Relatively fast hiring
Lately, the hiring process has tended to stretch on unnecessarily and become more difficult for both parties. Candidates have often been unable to find qualifying jobs because of job gatekeeping, poor advertising, or a poor match between their skills and the job responsibilities.
A staffing agency could potentially mitigate this process and reduce the time between finding, reaching out to, and hiring a prospective candidate.
Risk reduction
The hiring process is a tricky endeavor. There are a number of legal responsibilities that are involved with hiring a candidate, and none of them are pleasant to go through in the sense of time, punctuality, and expressing the contract in clear legal vocabulary.
Plus, introducing a new employee into the fray comes with its own financial risks because of unexpected sickness, team chemistry issues, or when someone decides to quit.
Again, depending on the contract, a staffing firm should mitigate some of these risks and handle the paperwork if and when they occur.
Staffing agency cons
Every coin has two sides. And with that little nugget of wisdom (author courtesy), let’s examine some of the potential downsides of partnering with a staffing agency.
Training outside staff can take more time
Bringing in a contractor or temporary worker usually means faster task turnaround, so work must be completed quickly and more efficiently than usual.
Therefore, a hiring manager (or direct supervisor) may not have time to train each temp as diligently and thoroughly as they would a full-time employee. The learning curve shortens, and training time must be allocated to the engagement itself, which can be a hurdle and may interfere with workflow.
Bonding with the rest of the team may become an issue
A new temporary hire may not have great chemistry with the existing team, at least in the beginning of the stint.
There may be ongoing friction between the goals of short-term employees and existing full-time teams. The nature of the employment can create a discrepancy between the two teams and weaken interpersonal relationships, which can lead to cracks in team chemistry.
Prepare to lose some control of the hiring process
Outsourcing the hiring process will necessarily mean giving up some control. In fact, the agency doesn’t know your company culture as thoroughly as you do, so you may end up with cultural fits that wouldn’t be ideal relative to conducting the hiring process yourself.
Partnering with a questionable agency can result in a poor hiring experience
Not all agencies are made equal. Moreover, some agencies may not have developed deep working relationships with fitting candidates, meaning that the resulting resumés that they receive may not be up to par with your company’s requirements.
Make sure to clearly communicate this with the agency you’re considering partnering with before you sign the deal.
Hiring with Proxify
The problem with traditional staffing agencies is that they sometimes have glaring issues with transparency, turnaround time, and the actual skills of the candidates.
In fact, if you don’t read the fine print, you can fall prey to a number of hidden fees without getting quality service in return. And we’re all aware that shadiness and a lack of transparency aren't exactly the pillars you want to base your partnerships on.
In all honesty, most staffing agencies are probably ok, but there is something way, way better.
What is Proxify?
Proxify is an elite network of pre-vetted, qualified professional developers who are proficient in multiple programming languages, frameworks, libraries, and other tools. Some of these languages include:
C, C++, C#, Objective-C;
JavaScript, TypeScript, Angular, Node.js, Vue.js, React.js, React Native;
.NET, .NET Core, ASP.NET;
SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB;
Ruby, Ruby on Rails;
PHP, Symfony, Laravel, Drupal;
WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento;
HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Tailwind;
And many other programming languages
Our network includes 6,000+ vetted developers across 1,000+ tech competencies, and our developers are currently working in 2,500+ global companies.
Why should you hire with Proxify?
Simply put, working with us is the perfect way to either scale your existing team or build a brand-new development team from scratch. Here are some of the major pros of partnering with Proxify:
We only onboard the top 1% of all developers
We get thousands of applications each month. In short, here’s what the entire process looks like from top to bottom:
Self-assessment quiz: Each applicant fills in a quiz where they provide answers about their professional experience, tech-stack proficiency, and other notable distinctions in their field.
Technical quiz: Each applicant completes a technical quiz, which helps us assess their factual knowledge, English proficiency, and soft skills.
Code test: Applicants who show sufficient knowledge and proficiency are then given a code test. Here, they will use the language or framework of their choice, which will later translate into client work through Proxify (if all steps are diligently completed).
Technical interview: Promising applicants then undergo a one-hour technical interview. Our engineering managers further test their skills with real-world examples and use cases, as well as their ability to solve problems creatively on the spot.
Final review: Our recruitment managers conduct a final review, revisiting all stages of the candidate’s answers to ensure consistency throughout the vetting process.
Onboarding and ongoing reviews: Finally, our community managers welcome newcomers and discuss onboarding details. As an additional step, we also regularly review our developers to ensure quality standards within the Proxify network are always met.
We provide quick and fitting developer matches
All our developers are pre-vetted, which means they're ready to start within days, not weeks or months. In fact, we do all of our vetting proactively! This makes it possible to deliver suitable developers to our clients in a lightning-fast manner.
On top of that, we can achieve this fast turnaround thanks to a “deadly combination” of our automated systems, supported by the entrepreneurial touch of our hard-working internal team. Finally, we use sophisticated AI to score candidates and find the right people at the right time.
The matching process between the clients and the developers works in three simple steps:
You provide information about your project: Share anything you deem important, including the duration, complexity, and nature of the project;
We hand-pick you a fitting developer: We will present a high-quality, pre-vetted developer to you within an average of 2 days of your inquiry;
Work begins immediately: Work starts. If you’re not satisfied with the work in the first week, we offer a full refund – no questions asked.
We offer reliable team members, not temporary gig workers
Other platforms, agencies, or staffing firms may have lots of candidates to choose from; however, most of these candidates are usually gig workers that won’t mesh well with the chemistry of your existing team.
Unlike them, we can help you find long-term developers at a reasonable price. In fact, most developers in the Proxify network are consistently working on engagements for at least 12 months straight.
Avoid “last order” panic and disarrayed projects, and let us help you secure reliable developers ASAP.
You get access to a pool of top-performing developers and tools
Our developers are among the top 1% performers worldwide. They work hand in hand with our devoted client managers to ensure every engagement stays on track.
Additionally, you will also get access to a powerful dashboard from which you can manage your developers, assign tasks, and have full control over the way you handle vacations and invoices. On top of that, you'll have an open channel of communication with your dedicated Client Engineer and Client Manager to ensure consistency at all times.
How much does hiring with Proxify cost?
The cost of working with a Proxify developer depends on the developer’s experience, proficiency, and the complexity of the work.
There are no recruitment fees or hidden costs associated with onboarding a new developer, and we will provide a suitable developer for your needs within days.
Conclusion
Finally, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for deciding which option works best for your hiring needs. If you want to consider hiring with Proxify, you can review our extended offer at your convenience.
We have flexible plans and a sizable pool of elite developers ready to tackle any backend, frontend, and fullstack development challenges right from the get-go.
Happy hiring!
