The Ultimate Guide to Hiring iPhone App Developer in 2023

Mobile-first approach is the tenet of progressive development which has led to fierce competition among companies to hire highly skilled and experienced iPhone app developers to be a part of their engineering team. Notwithstanding the millions of software developers across the globe, finding the right talent is challenging. You have to spend a significant amount of time hiring iPhone app developers who meet all the requirements. Nevertheless, you can make it simple if you follow a structured process.

In order to simplify your hiring process, we have created this resource to help you find the most suitable iPhone app developer for your next project.

Let's dig in!

Apple Inc. and the visionary Steve Jobs

• In 1983, Steve Jobs outlined a future where users could purchase & download the software straight from their computers.
• 25 years later Apple launched the App Store in 2008.
• Between 2009 and 2012, Apple's revenue jumped from $42.7 billion to $156.3 billion.
• The company also saw the introduction of the iPad, which brought in $19.1 billion in its first year of sales.

Clearly, Apple's iOS fanbase is extremely loyal and devoted to the company. Customers actively use and willingly pay for all company offerings. As a result, development for this platform will remain relevant for a long time, and the need for iOS app developers will grow tremendously.

What does an iPhone app developer do?

As you may be aware, Apple is currently in its zenith, having established itself as the ultimate platform, with macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS being used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. And, if you've done any competition study or market research, you've probably seen that many of your potential clients are Apple users. As a result, it's understandable that you'd like to get involved with an iOS app creation.

All Apple devices, including iPhones, iPods, Mac laptops, and iPod Touch operate on iOS. Apple makes it easy to create apps for their devices by providing various tools and resources. As a result, iPhone app developers can easily program in native languages like Swift or Objective-C, the only languages iOS apps support.

With these tools, iPhone app developers can create, test, and modify apps for devices running Apple's operating system, all while adhering to the company's goals and standards.

When it comes to iPhone app developers, there are three major levels of skill to consider - junior, middle, and senior. The fundamental distinctions between these three stages are based on how much experience & expertise a developer has with various projects.

Who is a junior-level iPhone app developer?

When it comes to iPhone app developers, these are the least experienced developers. They occupy a basic understanding of iOS and its frameworks.

While junior iPhone app developers cannot handle entire projects independently, they can assist experienced developers and execute minor jobs. A junior's progression from junior to mid-level or senior takes roughly three to six years.

If you're looking for someone to work on a project with a tight deadline, a junior developer might not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you're developing a permanent in-house team, it's ideal to hire developers who are just getting started so that they can learn from the more experienced team members and align with your company’s culture.

Who is a middle-level iOS app developer?

A middle-level developer has worked on several projects. When trying to hire a middle-level iPhone app developer, look for someone who has worked for at least 2 to 4 years. This means that they can now independently manage projects from start to finish. They also have experience with the UI/UX app design process. Apart from what a junior-level developer knows, the middle-level developer can do the following:

• Hands-on experience with coding in Swift and Objective-C.
• Familiar with Core Data, SQLite, and the theory behind offline caching.
• In-depth understanding of iOS concurrency and asynchronous programming.
• Familiar with the core location, the store kit, and the map kit.
• Must know how to sign apps and distribute them to the App Store Connect platform.

Who is a senior-level iPhone app developer?

Usually, a senior iPhone app developer has more than five years of professional experience. They've worked on various projects and have successfully completed numerous app development and execution processes. Such developers are usually well-organized and have excellent leadership abilities. Senior iPhone app developers deal with challenging work regularly. They are also capable of testing, debugging, and reviewing code. A major part of senior developers’ life involves the following work:

• Taking architectural decisions throughout the app development process, particularly for complex features.
• Advising junior and middle-level developers.
• Creating technical documentation for future app development.
• Creating and implementing development standards in line with current trends.
• Assembling development teams and establishing a GitFlow process.
• Conducting candidate interviews and vetting applicants for open positions.
• Creating job specifications, objectives, and deadlines.

7 Factors you must consider when you hire an iPhone app developer

Depending on your project's requirements, you might want to hire iPhone app developers from one or all of the above-mentioned developer classes. As a result, it's critical to know who you're hiring and what you can expect from them. To check the same, follow the two points mentioned below:

Understand your requirements

Before you look at CVs, you need to figure out the project requirements. It will help you narrow down the skills and experience you look for in a candidate. You can discuss the same with other members of the hiring team and make a checklist. For instance, if you need a simple iPhone app, you can look for someone who has the standard set of skills. However, if you want to develop an app with a lot of features, you need someone who has an in-depth knowledge of coding and experience in developing complex applications. It will make your hiring process effortless, such that you won't have to go through tons of resumes to find the most suitable candidate.

Choose the most suitable developer model

When you hire iPhone app developers, you can choose from a few options depending on your project size and duration. You can either outsource, hire a freelance developer, or construct your in-house team by hiring a full-stack developer. Each hiring approach has advantages and disadvantages, which should be examined before you begin the hiring process.

Advantages & Disadvantages of different developer models:

Work style:

• Freelance iPhone app developers: Freelancers will be best for your project if you're looking for someone with a specific skill set or a niche area of expertise.
• In-house developer: Though they may not have expertise in any niche area, they can handle post-development support well and help in keeping the program up and operating.
• Outsourcing company: When you employ an outsourcing company, you get a full team ready to take on your project and deliver results. All you have to do is sign a contract with the development company.

Geography

• Freelance iPhone app developers: There are no geographical restrictions. This means you can hire developers from any location on the planet.
• In-house developer: A geographic constraint limits the people who can work as in-house developers in your company.
• Outsourcing company: There are no geographical restrictions. This means you can hire an outsourcing company from any location on the planet.

Communication

• Freelance iOS app developers: One major drawback with freelancers is the communication gap.
• In-house developer: Between team members and other departments, there is effective and timely communication.
• Outsourcing company: When working with an outsourcing company, you're more likely to run into time zones, communication, and cultural challenges.

Cost

• Freelance iPhone app developers: Freelancers can change from very low to very high, depending on experience and expertise.
• In-house developer: When you hire in-house iPhone app developers, you must pay a full salary, irrespective of the fact that you don't have sufficient responsibilities to be delegated to the developer to get you enough return on your investment.
• Outsourcing company: You will not be involved in the project management; as a result, you will save money in a variety of ways and will not have to deal with conflicts or delays.

Conduct assessment tests

Assessment tests are a crucial step to predicting the developer’s future performance and enable you to choose and hire the best candidates. Here is the list of factors that you must consider when hiring a competent iPhone app developer -

Industry experience

Experience plays a crucial role in handling complex projects in any industry. It becomes crucial for iOS developers. That’s why one of the important aspects of hiring an iPhone app developer is industry experience. It not only helps you understand the capabilities of the applicant but reduces the learning time once they onboard to the team. Try to look for someone who has experience working on similar projects. Moreover, you must look at their role in the previous organization in order to get an insight into their previous work experience.

Technical skills

Remember that iPhone app development requires knowledge of specific programming languages. Here’s a list of technical skills that an iPhone app developer must be familiar with:

• Objective-C: Objective-C is a long-standing programming language for developing iOS applications. Objective C is a primary computer language that allows advanced object-oriented programming. It's an additional layer on top of C that makes it possible to compile C programs with an Objective-C compiler.

• Swift: Swift was built for programming on iOS and other Apple platforms while being a descendent of C. According to Apple, Swift is 2.6 times quicker than Objective-C. It is a programming language with a vast community actively contributing to its development. Currently, Swift isn't restricted to the Apple environment and also runs on Linux and Ubuntu as well.

• Xcode: Xcode is a software development tool for Apple's multiple operating systems. It supports C, C++, Objective-C, Java, Python, Ruby, and Swift, among other languages. Xcode is a comprehensive developer toolset for creating apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, and it's tightly linked with the Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks. Xcode integrates user interface design, programming, testing, debugging, and App Store submission in a single workflow.

• Spatial Reasoning: It is another essential skill to consider while hiring iPhone app developers. It helps the developer brainstorm the features to ensure an unparalleled user experience. As an app developer, it is crucial to think from the user's perspective and understand how to make the app more convenient and user-friendly. Sound knowledge of spatial reasoning is a must-have skill to look for when you hire iPhone app developers.

Developer’s portfolio

Every software engineer has a portfolio to showcase their skills and the projects they have worked on. It gives you a fair idea of what they have already done and if they are suitable for the position. You can see their skills and the tools they have used in previous projects. It helps you shortlist the candidates with relevant experience and the skills they have mastered. It is recommended to check the portfolio before you hire iPhone app developers in order to narrow down your list accurately.

Soft skills

Soft skills are a crucial part of the recruitment process for any software developer. Most of the time, they work in a team and collaborate with other members to discuss ideas, and share their thoughts. Sometimes they might have to collaborate with other teams and clients who don't have any technical knowledge. Excellent communication skills are essential for software developers for better collaboration within the team and with the client. Besides that, you have to evaluate if the candidate is a good team player, and open-minded to working with people from other cultural backgrounds.

Conduct best possible Interviews

Some developers are deep thinkers, others are high-performers, and a select handful are true all-stars. Asking the proper questions during the interview will help you manage the hiring process and find the best iOS developer for your project. Here’s a few examples of iOS interview questions -

• Sample Q&A: How can you prevent retention cycles when utilizing closures/blocks in Swift?

Ans. This question will allow you to determine whether a candidate properly comprehends the retention cycle or not. All developers should be familiar with this type of information. The right answer is that while working with closures, a candidate should either utilize unowned or weak self to capture any value used in the closure.

• Sample Q&A: Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before.

Ans. This is a soft skills question designed to help you understand how a developer thinks and how they deal with unexpected situations.

Check the cultural fit

The cultural fit has become an increasingly significant component to consider when hiring an iOS developer in recent years. Regardless of how experienced or skilled a candidate is, there is always the possibility that they may not be able to seamlessly integrate with your current team and, as a result, your requirements.

A cultural gap can rapidly lead to misunderstandings and quarrels, which is the last thing you want in the workplace. In addition, prejudice, language hurdles, and other issues can arise when working with people from different cultural backgrounds, and these are all variables that might cause workflow halts.

To meet your deadlines promptly, you'll need to hire iOS developers who can readily integrate with your team and share a similar mindset.

Finalize the agreement and sign the contract

When you hire iOS app developers, the contract spells out your project timeline, development steps, delivery details, and maintenance cycles. Determining what to do in the event of a dispute is also an important part of such agreements.

Essential components of an iOS app development contract:

• Services to be provided
• Project time and cost
• Acceptance testing
• Intellectual property rights
• Confidentiality

Make an onboarding checklist

Sometimes when developers are hired, they are thrown into the deep end and expected to navigate the organization on their own. This may work for certain people, but most new hires will find such situations unpleasant and difficult. Therefore, it's critical to maintain a smooth onboarding process to boost employee retention and happiness.

Onboarding checklist to hire a new developer and avoid unnecessary hurdles:

• Send them the contract and have a word with them over a call.
• Go over the contract with the developer.
• Give them access to the building, a parking spot, keys, select permissions, wifi passwords, and other necessary items like computers, water bottles, stationery items, etc.
• Add them to your virtual network.
• Create a system for sharing information.
• Make sure they're on the payroll.
• Prepare any additional documents they may require.

Why choose Turing to hire iPhone app developers?

The demand for experienced iPhone app developers is touching a new high every day as every organization wants to hire the best talent. However, looking at the resumes to shortlist candidates can take a few weeks, sometimes even months. You need a dedicated team working relentlessly to find the top talents. However, there is a better way to hire iPhone app developers. Turing has been helping renowned organizations hire the best remote software developers from across the globe.

We have a pool of experienced iPhone app developers who go through rigorous vetting processes to ensure they match the Silicon Valley standards in terms of skills and experience. We evaluate candidates based on their experience, technical, soft skill tests, and an interview to find the top 1% of iPhone app developers. With Turing, you also get a trial period of two weeks. If you don't want to continue with the developer after two weeks, Turing won't charge you for that. Partner with Turing and hire iPhone app developers within 5 days.