Questions we get before the first call.
HIO includes talent identification and evaluation, but the service is broader than traditional recruiting — we also support engagement design, onboarding, local coordination, and defined-outcome delivery. The exact model depends on whether you want to hire, contract, augment a team, or purchase a bounded outcome.
It depends on the engagement model. Through Specialist and Engineering Pod, engineers join your team and are managed by you — that's not outsourcing. Through Defined Project, we do take ownership of a scoped deliverable. We're explicit about which one applies before work starts, and our sourcing isn't capped by a fixed internal bench either way — we recruit against the open market for the specific skill you need.
Not necessarily. Our Nanjing entity can contract directly with clients anywhere in the world. If you're U.S.-based, we can also contract through our San Jose office — which setup makes sense depends on your situation, and we'll confirm it with you before anything is signed.
Yes. A single specialist is often the most practical way to validate technical fit, communication, and the operating model before expanding to a small team or broader workstream.
Yes, when the scope can be clearly bounded and we have access to the required tools, information, and decision-makers. A project begins with a feasibility assessment, scope definition, milestones, and acceptance criteria — agreed before work starts, not after.
Depending on the role: relevant project-history review, technical discussion, debugging or architecture scenarios, code or work-sample review, and communication assessment. We emphasize real product experience over resume keywords or generic coding tests.
The working model is designed around the role — defined overlap hours, written daily handoffs, documentation-first workflows, or scheduled technical sessions. China-based delivery generally works best when the role doesn't require continuous full-day North American time-zone overlap; we'll tell you upfront if that's a mismatch for what you need.
Security requirements are defined per engagement and may include confidentiality agreements, role-based access, client-controlled accounts, approved development environments, and secure offboarding. We don't claim a security certification unless it has actually been obtained and remains current.
Yes. Engineers are employed directly through HIO's own entity in Nanjing, China. This is the standard model, and it's especially useful if you don't have a legal entity in China yourself — you get a compliant local employer without having to set one up. You direct the day-to-day work; HIO handles the employment, payroll, and compliance side.
Yes — this describes most of our clients. Because HIO employs the engineers through our own China entity, you don't need to set up a legal presence in China to build a team there. We'll confirm the exact structure with you before anything is signed, based on team size and role.
