Here’s How To Hire A Software Developer

Looking for a person to create a program? As we live in an age when computers and everything connected with them are vital for our business and everyday life, no wonder you do. Still, the search for a well-educated software creator may take a lot of time and resources, without any positive result guarantee.

In this article, we’re going to explain how to hire software development services in less time with minimum effort and make the process pleasant for both of you. Stay tuned!

Software engineer vs software developer

First of all, let’s take a look at the main difference between software engineers and developers. It may seem that these people do the same job, however, experienced IT specialists as well as some company owners do differentiate them.

Software engineers are the key players at all stages of the product life cycle: from collecting and analyzing the requirements of the software they are going to work with to customizing systems in order to meet a specific customer’s needs. Their workflow during software development is based on engineering principles usage. Moreover, the final result is also based on the fundamental knowledge of Computer Science.

Engineers are engaged in development and project management, they have a specific approach to software building from scientific and engineering points of view, be engaged in the development of their own projects, analytical and management activities.

They solve the task set for them finding the optimal solution, so that the program not only works but is optimized and well-designed, supports updates and extensions.

This way, a software engineer should have:

• Basic knowledge of programming and its principles;
• Analytic skills;
• Technical design skills
• Teamwork skills;      
• Communication and leadership skills.

Software developers are far more creative and their work is not based on engineering principles. Instead, they are responsible for the development process – and collaboration with the client is a part of it. Specialists in this field focus on specific aspects of the development life cycle, think of alternative solutions, give suggestions on using software and provide a solution to possible customer issues. Moreover, developers test the software created along with programmers and work on bugs fixing

Software developers do test runs to make sure the final product operates properly and meets the customer’s requirements. Not only that, developers have to conduct the repair process if something goes wrong, to ensure quality and consistency.

Main requirements: 

• Computer languages knowledge;
• Good communication skills;
• Multi-tasking abilities;
• Meeting deadlines;
• Having an eye for perfection.

Thus, you may think of hiring a software developer to create functional products and software engineer for overseeing the engineering processes.

What steps to take to hire the right person

Though, as discussed above, software engineer and developer are two different specialists, the same approach can be applied for hiring both.

We suggest checking the following steps to hire a true expert:

1. Define the technical requirements. Prior to hiring a specialist, make sure you understand what they are needed for. Spend some time on describing the task, mentioning the features you expect to be implemented, tools that should be used and the amount of time the task is expected to be done within.
2. Count the applicant’s skills and experience, not a degree.         Having a high college or university education must be great, but the current job market makes us pay more attention to the projects the applicant was involved in and the results they achieved.
          
3. Do proper testing. An interview is a great way for getting the first impression of the person you’re going to work with, but when talking about a technical specialist, it’s vital to check their practical skills. Ask applicants to provide code samples or see the projects they worked on.
4. Offer a decent pay. When it comes to IT industry, saving each penny won’t serve you well. The answer to the question of how to hire a developer is to motivate them, and money can be a great asset.
5. Communication skills matter. The person you are about to hire will be working with clients, no matter external or internal ones, so they are expected to be great team players. Don’t hesitate to spend some time to get acquainted with the person you’re hiring – it always pays off.

Recruiting in software development field may be hard, but done wisely it will not only help you to create a product much faster and save a lot of money but also find a person who can change the entire workflow approach and be a great addition to your current team.

About the author:

Sergey Lypchenko is a technical writer at Cleveroad. It is a web and mobile app development company located in Eastern Europe. Our main goal is to develop first-rate and competitive software for our customers. My mission is to provide people with interesting material about innovations in the world of IT.

Lypchenko Sergey (@LypchenkoSergey) | Twitter