When your 90-day pilot wraps up, you’ll face the big question: should we keep going?
That decision should be based on more than just gut feeling. You need signals. And that’s where KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) come in.
Here’s how to measure whether your nearshore pilot actually worked.
🚀 Time-to-First-Value (TTFV)
How fast did the contributor deliver something valuable?
TTFV measures:
- How effective your onboarding was
- How quickly someone can be productive
- Whether your systems and support are pilot-ready
“We saw our first pull request merged in week 2” is a signal.
📈 Output Quality
Assess the actual work product:
- Did it meet spec?
- Was it well-documented?
- How many review cycles were needed?
You’re not looking for perfection: you’re looking for alignment.
💬 Communication Fluency
How smooth was the interaction?
- Were they proactive?
- Did they respond quickly and clearly?
- Did they ask thoughtful questions?
Misunderstandings can happen across any border. The question is: did they close the loop?
⏳ Velocity & Autonomy
- Did you see acceleration over time?
- Were blockers flagged early or ignored?
- Could they run independently by week 6 or 7?
Progressive autonomy is a strong signal of fit.
📊 Team Feedback
Ask your internal team:
- Would you want to work with them again?
- Was their presence a lift or a load?
- Did they feel like part of the team, or external?
This qualitative layer is gold.
Bonus: Use a Simple Scorecard
Create a 1-page scorecard where stakeholders can rate:
- Tech skills
- Collaboration
- Output consistency
- Proactivity
Tally the results and use them to guide your go/no-go decision.
Final Thought
Hiring shouldn’t be a leap of faith.
A 90-day pilot, paired with the right KPIs, turns guesswork into a confident next step.
If you measure the right things, you’ll know whether to scale, pause, or pivot, and you’ll know why.
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