Hiring a software developer is a daunting task that is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. It takes a lot of effort to find the right candidate in terms of hard skills as well as culture. The demand for highly-skilled developers is at an all-time high. The demand is growing faster than the supply, and along with this, throw in the fact that there is a limited pool of competent software developers, and thousands of companies are competing to onboard them on their team. Now, this is the recipe for a nightmare.
We have moved past the time when software programmers used to be lone wolves; now the software development world has adopted methodologies like Agile and DevOps, which accentuate teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Now when you think of "how to hire a programmer?" you need to find a match that not only has top-notch programming skills but is laser-focused along with a dash of creativeness and ingenuity that allows the pros to find highly-performant and futuristic solutions to knotty or complex problems.
Undoubtedly, software engineers are a key player for business success not only in IT industries but also in a variety of industries, including healthcare, fintech, retail, defense, and many more. They are the individuals in a company who ensure all the operating systems and networks are performing at maximum capacity while designing, developing, and implementing software solutions from the ground up. Software programmers enable companies to keep up-to-date with the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Now that you have decided to hire a software developer to be part of your company and want to understand how to hire software engineers. This guide will assist you in outlining the approach that is seamless, efficient, and effective.
However, before we dive deep into understanding the whole lot of “how-tos”, let's first understand what kind of developers you need and why exactly do you need them.
When the software development landscape is constantly evolving, new areas of specialization, technologies, and methodologies keep popping into existence now and then. Nowadays, different types of developers specialize in various techniques and technologies, and they're unlikely to apply their skills and knowledge to other areas of development. It's like asking a web developer to build gaming software; there's no way you'll get the desired output.
That's why when you're outlining your "how to recruit software engineers" guidelines, make sure to keep your first step to first decide on what kind of developers you need. For instance, if you want a mobile application, you should look for adequately skilled and experienced mobile developers. Some of the other kind along with mobile developers and web developers are -
However, the broad core categories where most developers fall are the following three classes:
Front-end is the layer that the end-user interacts with, and a front-end developer is responsible for visual user interfaces, aesthetics, and layouts. They specialize in creating and optimizing visual elements of a software solution, whether it’s a website, an app, or another type of interface.
The back-end layer of an application deals with the design, implementation, functional logic, and performance of an application. Back-end developers specialize in the architectural and functional logic of a system along with database technologies, such as SQL.
This type of developer does all of the above development tasks. Full-stack developers specialize in application design, project coordination, and more. These developers are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to create a fully functional web application.
Your "how to hire software developer" guideline should also outline the key responsibilities that the candidate will perform on a daily basis. It will help you keep the candidate's duties and commitments transparent from the get-go and will eliminate any vagueness and red taping. It will also aid you in sorting out and drawing a genuine target group rather than luring a plethora of applications. So let's take a look at a few of the key responsibilities that a software developer does -
The software landscape has changed drastically in the last decade. Nowadays, practically every company has become a software company. And, in the next coming 10 years, the landscape will have 10x the change. This means the future of software engineering is present in the current trends being adopted worldwide, and it'll continue to do so. But before you start looking into "how to recruit software developers," you must understand what we might see in terms of new trends in the next 10 years? Take a look at the following trends to get an idea -
Hiring skilled software developers is one of the biggest recruitment challenges of today. You need to make sure that a developer is technically savvy and analytical, methodical, and exceptional problem solvers. Furthermore, it is pivotal for your company's success to not lose out on top talent. However, bare-minimum efforts are not going to be enough to fill all the vacant software developer positions. That's why we have put together this step-by-step guide to take you through what to look for in a competent developer and exactly how to hire a programmer.
The first step you need to take while hiring software developers is building a candidate profile. When you outline the skills, knowledge, and experience clearly, it increases your chances of hiring the right software developer. Lay out the following aspects for a better outline of a candidate profile -
This step will help you accurately put together a detailed picture of the candidate you want to recruit in terms of tech competencies, experience, and responsibilities.
Whenever you advertise your open positions; you always need to include a detailed job description that clearly states the required responsibilities and requirements of an ideal candidate. Things that you should consider when creating JDs to hire software developers are -
Attractive introduction - Software developers have many alternatives to choose from in terms of job applications. Especially in this remote-first world where they get into companies from across the globe. That’s why you need to put up an attractive introduction to your company that describes how you’re different, unique, and better than your competitors. Make sure it is short, to the point, and compelling enough to attract great software developers.
Essential technical skills - It is crucial to mention the main programming language that the software developer would use from day one. This way you can keep the software developers without the right tech stack from applying at your company. After all, It doesn't make sense to hire a software developer who doesn’t have the right technical skills that you require for your company. Additionally, with the rate of technological change, you should find someone who has an interest in constantly learning and updating their skills.
Optional/preferred skills - You should also mention a few nice-to-have skills as well. These skills are not usually essential for day-to-day tasks but can be useful. You must ensure that these skills don’t come off as must-haves; otherwise, you might lose some applicants.
Soft skills - Software developers work in a team, and you want to make sure the software developers fit well in this collaborative environment. And in this age of remote work, it is even more important to make sure software developers in your team can communicate and work effectively and comfortably.
When hiring software developers, you need to evaluate if they are well-rounded team players and coding wizards. You need the right set of interview questions to accurately identify the ability and prowess of your next software developer. Make sure to include both technical and soft skills-related questions to spot a great software developer with the right hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
If it is not feasible to evaluate these diverse set of skills in one interview, then you can conduct two interviews to assess a candidate properly -
Technical interview - These interviews can be conducted by any of the senior developers from your organization. They can gauge the candidate’s technical skills.
Personal interview - Any manager of HR professionals can conduct these interviews. They can assess the candidate's soft skills.
As mentioned earlier, software developers already have many alternatives. There’s a high possibility that your selected candidate does not join your company even after sending them an offer letter. Your competitors can poach the software developer by offering better salaries and benefits. That’s why you need to make sure your offered compensation is competitive. Additionally, you also need to be prepared for negotiation in case a candidate gets a better offer from another company.
You don’t have to perform this daunting task on your own. Teaming up with third-party platforms can assist you in hiring the right software developers. They’ll perform all the laborious and time-consuming processes of hiring software developers, for example - writing detailed job descriptions, sifting through stacks of resumes and portfolios, vetting any promising software developer, etc. While you can rest assured and focus on your business like never before.
Turing.com is a platform that helps you hire software developers remotely who are competent and experienced enough for your job requirements. You get a planetary pool of software developers and an opportunity to hire elite and pre-vetted software developers with just the push of a button. Our AI-backed Intelligent Talent Cloud helps companies source and vet, match, and manage the world's best software developers remotely. Their streamlined approach makes remote development easy, compliant, and secure.
What do you get when you hire software developers from Turing -
Hiring the right development team from scratch is not an easy task. That’s why you must apply the above-given tips when customizing your own recruiting guide. Understand that the right approach will always result in success and come out with the best talent every time!
Anupriya is a content writer well-versed in researching and writing on an array of topics. She works closely with businesses and helps them get rapid and organic growth through compelling digital marketing content. When not working, you can find her reading or sketching.
Tell us the skills you need and we'll find the best developer for you in days, not weeks.