Developer Allocation for a Leading Brokerage Firm

Espresso Labs supported a major financial brokerage firm in Brazil through a developer allocation model designed to increase delivery capacity, improve technical hiring quality, and reduce project delays.

The engagement started with a small team of 3 developers, focused on technologies such as frontend and C#, and quickly evolved into a dedicated team of 12 developers.

As the partnership expanded, Espresso Labs became responsible for the technical screening process, including interviews, technical assessments, and practical coding tests.

The Challenge: Scaling Development Capacity Without Slowing Down Hiring

Financial institutions operate in a highly demanding technology environment. Brokerage firms need to maintain secure, reliable, and constantly evolving digital systems while responding quickly to internal business needs.

The client needed to expand its development capacity, but faced common challenges in technical hiring:

• difficulty finding qualified developers;
• long hiring cycles;
• high effort required from internal technical teams;
• inconsistent candidate evaluation;
• turnover in key positions;
• a growing backlog of delayed projects.

The goal was not only to add more developers, but to create a more predictable and scalable model for building technology teams.

The Solution: Developer Allocation With Technical Screening by Espresso Labs

Espresso Labs structured a developer allocation model in which its team took ownership of the technical evaluation process.

This included:

• candidate screening;
• technical interviews;
• practical coding tests;
• seniority assessment;
• project fit evaluation;
• continuous follow-up with allocated professionals.

By transferring the technical selection process to Espresso Labs, the brokerage firm reduced the burden on its internal team and received candidates who were better prepared and more aligned with the project’s needs.

From 3 to 12 Developers

The partnership began with 3 allocated developers. After the initial results, the client quickly expanded the team to 12 developers.

This growth showed that the model could scale without compromising technical quality. Espresso Labs was not only providing professionals, but also helping maintain a consistent technical standard across the allocated team.

Drastic Turnover Reduction

One of the most important results of the project was a drastic reduction in turnover.

Instead of treating allocation as simple staff replacement, Espresso Labs focused on retention, project fit, and close follow-up with the developers.

This helped the brokerage firm preserve technical knowledge, reduce context loss, and avoid the productivity drops caused by frequent team changes.

27% Reduction in Delayed Project Backlog

With a larger and more stable development team, the brokerage firm reduced its delayed project pipeline by 27%.

This improvement was driven by three main factors:

• increased development capacity;
• faster and more accurate technical hiring;
• lower productivity loss caused by turnover.

Results

Why This Case Matters

Developer allocation can be much more than filling open positions. When properly structured, it becomes a strategic way to increase delivery capacity, improve hiring quality, reduce turnover, and accelerate critical projects.

For this brokerage firm, Espresso Labs helped transform a hiring bottleneck into a scalable technology operation. The client was able to grow its team quickly, reduce dependence on internal technical interviews, and improve project delivery predictability.

In the financial services industry, this type of model is especially valuable. Companies need speed, but they also need technical rigor, reliability, and continuity.

About Espresso Labs

Espresso Labs is a custom software development and design company specialized in developer allocation, dedicated squads, mobile applications, web platforms, and enterprise software.

Since 2017, Espresso Labs has helped companies build and scale digital products by combining technology, product strategy, UX/UI design, and high-quality engineering teams.

FAQ

What is developer allocation?
Developer allocation is a model in which a technology partner provides qualified developers to work directly on a client’s projects, often as part of a dedicated or integrated team.

What problem did Espresso Labs solve for the brokerage firm?
Espresso Labs helped the client scale its development team, reduce turnover, improve technical screening, and decrease its backlog of delayed projects.

How did the team grow during the engagement?
The engagement started with 3 developers and quickly expanded to a team of 12 allocated developers.

What parts of the hiring process did Espresso Labs manage?
Espresso Labs managed technical interviews, technical assessments, practical coding tests, and candidate fit evaluation.

What were the main results?
The client reduced turnover drastically and achieved a 27% reduction in its delayed project pipeline.