The fast-paced, technology-driven field of software development has a constant requirement for software engineers. Whether you’re looking for only one software engineer or an entire software development team, the top priority must be to hire the best of the lot to get high-quality results and make it worth your investment.
Organizations increasingly require custom software solutions to suit their needs. However, with a shortage of specialized IT talent in the market, here are some critical factors to consider for hiring a software developer.
This article answers the question “How to Hire Software Developer”. Keep reading till the end.
Decide the Kind of Developer Needed
Based on the specific needs of the project, well-defined job descriptions will help hire software developers who are suitable for the role. Developers have a range of skill sets and abilities, most of which can be categorized as:
- Front-end developers: Responsible for front-end development (user interface) of any website, app, or any other interface, including visual interface, layouts, and aesthetics. Knowledge of programming languages like HTML, JavaScript, CSS, React, etc., is desirable.
- Back-end developers: Backend development is about working on the logic to run the software applications, including pipelines, caching systems, and database management. Knowledge of ASP.NET, PHP, SQL, C++, C#, Python, and Ruby is desirable.
- Full-stack developers: These are front-end and back-end development experts and are proficient in most of the programming languages mentioned above.
While these are the three main categories of developers, there are some other fields where specific talents are required. This includes:
- Mobile developers
- Web developers
- Data Science developers
- UX/UI designers
- DevOps engineering
- QA & Testing
- Support Engineering
What to Look For in Software Developer Candidates?
Some evaluation points must be considered when looking for the best software developers. This applies whether you’re looking to hire freelance software developers, a new team member, a temporary requirement in the development team, or outsourcing the complete software development process to third-party services.
A Smart Developer
While hiring software engineers, look for good problem-solving skills above creativity and technical skills. Often, issues arise in the software development process; with a problem-solver, the issues are fixed efficiently for smooth project progress.
Flexibility with Diverse Software Environments
With a plethora of programming languages, frameworks, algorithms, and tools, a single developer can’t master all. However, it would be best to hire software engineers who are versatile and familiar with many software environments.
Along with good problem-solving skills, they must also be flexible to expand their skills and knowledge to adapt to continually evolving technologies.
Creative Developer
Undoubtedly, theoretical and technical know-how is essential, but creativity is vital to drive innovation. Creative software developers can contribute to improving the software’s functionality with additional features. In addition, they can throw a new perspective or angle while brainstorming for the software project.
Strong Communication and Collaboration
A software developer with strong communication skills is essential to work together with the team and streamline the workflow.
Apart from fulfilling their role, a great software developer can augment the work of others in the team, particularly when agile methodologies are factored in. Furthermore, clear communication keeps all team members on the same page, whether the developers are in-house or remote.
Clean Coders
A good, clean code makes maintenance, future updates, and troubleshooting much more manageable. To ensure the candidates are clean coders, it would be best to use coding skills tests when hiring developers.
A clean coding developer makes even the most complex work appear easy, while a messy coder makes collaboration hard and slows down the project’s progress.
Talented Developers Over Experienced Developers
Talented software developers with excellent soft skills and technical abilities are the jackpot in software development talent.
If the job description is to get things done in a specific way, an experienced developer might be the better option. But, if the goal is to drive innovation, a talented developer would be a perfect choice.
What to Avoid When Hiring Software Developers?
For a new hire to be able to contribute positively to the progress of the company, it’s recommended to avoid the following:
Misleading Job Descriptions
A well-defined job description is essential to hire candidates who are perfect for the role. It’s considered unethical when highly qualified candidates are hired for something but do something else, having to adapt their skillset drastically.
A clearly outlined job description helps identify the appropriate developer, including the required skills, by also providing a short description of the project.
Unclear Expectations
When hiring a new software developer, clearly communicate the job details and what the team currently has. For the new hire to contribute productively to the team, it is essential to gauge their abilities to determine where they could deliver effectively.
Inadequate Onboarding Process
An appropriate onboarding is vital when bringing a software developer into the team. Expecting them to start working on the development projects without support or explaining the process is an unrealistic and wrong practice.
In addition to explaining the work culture and workflows, one must undergo an orientation on the project, challenges faced, and responsibilities.
How To Hire Software Developer – Hiring Process
To hire some great developers, here are the steps that will help in effective recruitment:
- A targeted job posting: Listing the kind of developer needed, the skills, and the programming languages expected. Also, mention if it’s for a full-time or part-time role.
- Analyze market trends: To understand where to best focus your hiring efforts while understanding the hiring difficulty and establishing a realistic hiring budget.
- Search on developer job boards and communities like StackOverflow, CrunchBoard, GitHub, and Dice.
- Skill Test: Use programming tests like Kaggle, Toggl, TestDome, CodeSignal, and DevSkiller to test the programming skills of the candidate.
- A Paid Test Period: To ensure that the selected candidate has good work ethics, communication, and collaboration skills suitable for the project’s goals and vision.
Summing It Up
Some top software developers have great intuition, are technically sound, have good process management, and have social networking skills. Hiring the right software developer will help with smoother company operations. It’s all about searching in the right places with clearly defined expectations.
About Talentprise
Talentprise is a Skill-driven, AI-powered talent sourcing platform. Helping job seekers in the IT industry land the job they love and deserve, while enabling tech companies to find the best fit candidates for their business.
Recruiters, click here to kick off your simplest tech recruitment journey to hire highly skilled Software Engineers (fulltime/part time/freelancing).
Related topics: AI in Recruitment
Olaniyi Musediq is a Top-Rated content writer and editor with over 5,000 published content. He’s a certified Human Resources Manager by the HR Certification Institute; and a certified Customer Relationship Manager by the Institute of Customer Service. He’s passionate about making an impact, which he does through his blog writings and social media posts, especially on LinkedIn. Olaniyi is an avid reader who also enjoys researching and learning new things.
