Contract-To-Hire: Build Scalable and Flexible Remote Engineering Teams

The contract-to-hire process is significantly different than the traditional hiring process. Hence, assessing the candidate’s skills and experience is essential. You can do so by following these steps.

Ask for a portfolio - It’s not feasible for the developer to demonstrate their all-around skills live. This is where portfolios come into the picture, through which you can look at the candidate’s previous works. Portfolios ultimately enable you to minimize screen time and find the right developer for your specific need.

Conduct coding tests - Live coding challenges are an efficient way to vet a candidate. In fact, there are several platforms available online that can be used to do so.

Conduct tech interviews - Tech interviews are not only a great way to get some deeper insights into the developer’s skills, but it also enables you to look into the candidate’s attitude and personality.

Given the many benefits of contract-to-hire, it’s no surprise that many software professionals today choose this model. Hence, you can quickly get software developers on contract, whether for a single project or numerous ones.

It’s a common misunderstanding that a better employment contract is riddled with complex wordings and jargon that only a legal expert could make sense of. The most skilled and experienced contract drafters would leverage quite contrary to it. The best contract lays down all essential and relevant information in a simple and brief manner accessible even by a layman.

When drafting the contract, ensure that the following things are mentioned clearly - start and end date of the contract, a clear job description and what should be the output at the end of the contract. Plus, mention the chain of command, leave policies, and other benefits and perks.

Yes, contract positions are definitely worth it. Hiring a software developer on contract, you won’t need to invest resources in training them. Plus, getting a contract-to-hire dev is more budget-friendly than usual hiring models, and it also provides you with the option to scale your project team rapidly.

There’s a myth that contract hires are less qualified, which cannot be farther from the truth. On the contrary, many contract hires are highly skilled and experienced and prefer contractual working.

Contract-based roles are beneficial for both the employer and employee. Employers get the massive benefit of meeting organizational requirements and offloading some tasks to a flexible professional working on a contract basis. On the other hand, the professional also enjoys working flexibly and communicating freely with numerous teams and personalities instead of being tied to a singular role. Plus, as an employer, you also have the benefit of terminating the contract anytime, which wouldn’t have been the case in a full-time agreement.

Simultaneously, the professional also has the option to jump ship if a better opportunity arises. Contract-based jobs are extremely popular in the IT sector due to such lucrative benefits.