Your Rulebook to Hire Software Engineers in 2023

The battle to hire software engineers and developer talent is hotter than ever. Whether it is in a bid to build mobile apps, redesign user interfaces and experiences, or keep business-critical applications on the cutting edge, everyone needs code. Companies that hire software engineers attract a series of benefits. On the other hand, recruiting an incompetent freelance software engineer might cost you some time, money, and missed opportunities. In this article, we will go over some of the key facets of hiring software engineers and what you can do to employ remote developers for your business, irrespective of whether you onboard a single engineer or hire a dedicated development team.

What is software engineering?

Software engineering is the specialized process adhered to by programmers to create computer programs. This process is popularly known as the Software Development/Engineering Life Cycle (SDLC). It consists of various phases that offer access for developing products that fulfill technical standards, users’ needs and stand the test of time. This framework outlines a specified structure for custom software development teams to follow while designing, developing, and maintaining high-quality software.

The goal of software engineering is to provide high-quality solutions within a set budget and timetable. Software engineers must follow this set of procedures to construct computer programs. Understanding this approach opens up a world of possibilities in the tech space.

Who are software engineers?

Software engineers are the innovative, inventive brainiacs behind computer applications and mobile app development services. While some software engineers specialize in a single program or app, others build massive networks or underlying systems that trigger and fuel other apps. Software engineers develop computer programs through an efficient design and development process. Overall, a software engineer understands the user expectations, develops and tests the newly developed software, and improves the features based on requirements.

The need to hire software engineers

Companies that hire software engineers are always on the lookout for the best in the market as talented people tend to draw the line between average and excellence. In a field as complex and fast-paced as custom technology development, higher-quality products always lead to better, faster, more cost-efficient results and higher turnover. It, however, means that most businesses and enterprises advocating for digital acceleration will be competing to hire the best talent, regardless of the location. Thanks to the highly performant collaboration services and tools readily available today, development teams have become increasingly relevant for their ability to work from remote places without sacrificing efficiency or compromising the product.

What’s more, is that the companies that actually succeed and hire top software engineers will be the ones to reap all the goodness that comes with well-made software. Thus, providing an edge over competitors and building the momentum to scale in the ever-changing tech scene. Irrespective of the current market situation, one thing remains valid, great software engineers are always in demand. Therefore, we’ll share some essential things to keep in mind for what makes a great software engineer.

What to look for when hiring software engineers?

Whether you’re thinking of working with a freelance software engineer, hiring a new team member, adding temporary talent to your tech department, or even outsourcing the entire software development process, you can always keep these vital points in mind to evaluate the talent's fit with your project.

Define what type of engineer you want to hire

When you decide to hire software engineers, remember that programmers have a wide range of skill sets and abilities. So, you must understand the basic distinctions between them to evaluate their potential and project impact. The areas of expertise in software engineering go far and wide, but you will need to be conversant with the most basic ones.

Front-end engineering

These engineers specialize in the user-side of software applications or the part of the software that the target audience will interact with. It involves components such as visual interfaces, program aesthetics, and layouts. JavaScript, React, HTML, and CSS are some of the common front-end programming languages.

Back-end engineering

Back-end engineers work on the logic that allows the software application to run. It involves aspects like database management, caching systems, and pipelines. Python, C++, SQL, PHP, Ruby, and ASP.NET are some of the popular back-end programming languages.

Full-stack engineering

Full-stack engineers hold a combination of both front-end and back-end expertise. They are proficient in multiple programming languages and database technologies and have experience in various types of development projects.

Web engineering

A web engineer specializes in creating websites and web applications. Their skill encompasses various aspects of front-end and back-end development, but mostly they specialize in one. Java, Go, Ruby, C, and Swift are some of the most sought-after web development languages.

Mobile engineering

Similarly, mobile engineers specialize in the design, development, and maintenance of applications that run on mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and even wearable tech. JavaScript, Kotlin, C#, Python, and Swift are popular mobile development languages.

UX/UI design/engineering

Although UX/UI designers aren’t always categorized as engineers, they are a crucial part of the software engineering ecosystem. Their job focuses on creating engaging and friendly designs that attract users and make the software easy to use.

Data engineering

Data engineers work on software solutions that help businesses collect, analyze, and generate actionable insights from data. They are experts in analytics and statistical analysis, thereby providing predictive models to power business growth. Python, Scala, R, SQL, and Julia are some extensible languages for data engineering.

DevOps engineering

DevOps or Development Operations engineers are specialists handling the relationships between the development team and company operations. They liaise with the development and engineering teams to build, implement, and maintain software and distributed systems.

QA and testing

Quality assurance and testing engineers are the go-to personnel to determine whether a software product is fulfilling its goals or not. They are responsible for stressing the software to reveal bugs, flaws, and areas for improvement. QA and testing are critical aspects of developing high-quality software.

Support engineering

Support engineers take charge of the maintenance and support of software products, guaranteeing their uptime, reliability, and optimal functionality. They perform critical functions in large-scale projects that require constant monitoring of activities and performance.

Recruit smart engineers

A popular saying is that hiring someone brighter than you isn't simply a nice idea but an excellent way to boost work performance. This is a statement you must live by when you’re out to hire software engineers. Intelligence and creativity can, however, be defined in various instances. Most importantly, though, you must try to find someone that matches the skill requirements for the specific software venture.

New issues will always pop up all through the software development process. Thus, you must hire software engineers with sound problem-solving abilities, exhibiting an ability to transform problems and find a suitable solution that is not easily attainable by most people.

Good flexibility and familiarity with diverse software environments

There are several programming languages, frameworks, and tools that lead to countless possibilities in software engineering. Thus, it is impossible to become an expert in more than a few technologies. Daily, there are new advancements in the industry that change the way software engineers work and approach problems. The best software engineers know when to take an open approach to their craft. Even without the complete knowledge of technology, good problem-solving abilities will power the flexibility required to get the work done.

Strong communication and collaboration skills

In business, it is not a very good practice to put all your faith in a single person for calling the shots on all aspects. When you factor in agile methodologies, there is a need for collaboration and effective communication. A professional software engineer can work cohesively with a team and apply competent skills to make the most impact. You want to hire software engineers who do not just fulfill their roles but also augment the work of others.

Creative and innovative capabilities

Technical and theoretical knowledge is always vital in creating high-quality software. However, if those were the only required skills, it would be much simpler to hire software engineers for your team. Creative skill is what drives innovation in software development. You want to find and hire software engineers who are quick on their feet and competent enough to get ideas out in the wind.

Ability to write clean codes

There is no doubt that the software development industry is highly sophisticated, and the best software engineers are those that can make it look easy. Testing for coding skills with interview questions for software engineers or QA engineer interview questions are common practices to hire software engineers, but often the code quality is left unchecked.

Hire software engineers capable of writing clean, well-structured code. This will help the team build products better, facilitate flexibility during sprints, and allow the team to perform maintenance and install future updates without running into severe difficulty. An important point to note is to avoid hiring software engineers with messy code as this can potentially slow down your operations.

Recruit talent over experience

With talent being one of the most scarce resources in the industry, you will want to hire software engineers that show talent and can prove both their technical abilities and soft skills. You also need to take into consideration what role the engineer will need to fulfill. In that case, if you’re looking to solve a problem in a specific way, then going the route to a hire software engineer with experience in that subject matter might serve a more efficient purpose. Else, while looking to grow an existing team and drive innovation, a fresh mind might pose a better option to think outside the box.

Wrapping up

Any organization or individual looking to hire software engineers will have to navigate through several daunting steps and considerations to find the perfect fit. However, managing and maintaining the talent onboard is another critical aspect to ensure the scalability of your project. Hence the reason why talent sourcing companies are growing with popular demand. Working with a prominent talent company will save you the hassles with anything pertaining to sourcing, hiring, and retaining talent while providing immediate access to hire remote developers in the global market.

Regardless of the expertise and skill combination for your project, a data-science-driven deep jobs platform such as Turing makes the remote hiring journey easy and rewarding for both companies and developers, ensuring you have the talent you need on-demand. Turing is committed to unleashing the world's untapped human potential through the AI-backed Intelligent Talent Cloud that helps to source, vet, match and manage the world's best software engineers remotely.

Thanks to the highly refined recruitment processes that guarantee you’ll hire skilled software engineers to build the perfect team. Head on to Turing.com to learn more about how to hire software engineers and the benefits of adding carefully vetted talent to your engineering team.