The Ultimate Guide to Find the Best Software Developer

If your goal is to find a software developer for your company, these five simple steps will guide you to the right choice

IT jobs are most high-paid but also most competitive in the global market. The number of software developers, which is the most popular job in the field of technology at present, has reached 23 million worldwide. This rise in IT service providers allows for faster digital transformation in business. However, it might be quite challenging for start-up and business owners with a limited tech background to quickly find the right software developer.

This guide is intended to help anyone who needs assistance in choosing a software development partner.

A step-by-step guide on how to find a good software developer

Step 1. Define the Destination: On-shore vs Off-shore

Before embarking on a search for a good developer, you should think of their location. Choosing between an on-shore and off-shore partner, nobody can tell for sure which variant is more advantageous. While the on-shore partnership has a wider number of options, being in close proximity to your developer commonly gives you an advantage of faster project delivery and face-to-face communication. However, off-shore development services can be less costly and still competitive. If you are capable of overcoming cultural and language barriers, off-shore development may be the right decision for your business.

Step 2. Pick between In-house vs Outsource vs Freelance

The IT market is abundant in labor despite the ever-growing demand for IT services. You can collaborate with an IT agency, hire a freelancer, or keep an on-site development team. But each variant has its merits and demerits.

Freelancing

+ Hiring a freelancer is the best fit for clients with short-term projects. They will have their software project done much faster as freelancers are not required to interact with project managers or quality assistants.

– There is a risk of delay in software delivery if a freelancer is working on several projects concurrently. You are limited in your capacity to control project development too.

In-house team

+ An on-site dev team allows you to keep your product glitch-free and update it regularly.

– The in-house team needs a payroll, office, paid vacations, and sick leaves. Besides, you will have to pay them during a low workload phase as well.

Outsourcing

+ Outsourcing gives you access to the best tech talents. You will have extreme flexibility in hiring and replacing relevant specialists as you are not limited to one location only.

– There is an issue of data security as you will have to manage project development through cloud or with other online tools and sources that may undergo cyber threats. Likewise, you should be confident in a good level of understanding between you and the team working on your software.

Step 3. Frame and scope the project

Before initiating the work on your product, you should define software requirements and the Software Development Life Cycle. Well-defined requirements are a guarantee that the developer will be able to create a product that perfectly matches your vision. You can choose a methodology as well as monitoring tools you would like to use in project building. The most used software development methodology is Agile at present. It allows for regular feedback during project development based on which the developer can turn an MVP into a flawless website or mobile app. With regard to your expectations, you can assess an estimated value of software to determine the project budget and see whether it meets your financial capability.

Step 4. Come Up with A List of Candidates

Now it is time to select potential developers that seem to fit the role you are looking for. To evaluate their skills and expertise, you can use the following criteria:

Work Portfolio. If you are searching for someone experienced, previous cases can tell a lot about their competence and proficiency. Pay special attention to those candidates that have worked with companies similar to yours.

Years of experience. If you expect high-quality work, collaborate with developers who have been working for over 5 years in the IT field. They are sure to possess enough knowledge to implement what you have planned.

Client’s feedback. Every reputable developer tries to gather positive client feedback to prove their purview and credibility. You should check a developer’s website and read Google reviews to get a proper image of their reputation.

Step 5. Set Up Meetings

Among all the stages of finding the best developer, an interview can be considered the most decisive and crucial one. For sure, test tasks and pre-employment trials are meant to help correct choice from the development perspective, however, they cannot guarantee that the candidate will be able to demonstrate full dedication to your project. Even though your new developer can be a computer geek, there is no guarantee that he/she will be a strong team member being excellent on the communication side. This is where job interviews can help you get the whole picture and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate and match them with what you expect to get in return when making a hiring decision. Besides some obligatory technical questions, it could be useful to ask about things related to attitude to work, communication skills, interactions with others on previous projects, etc.

Where to Look for Developers

Word of mouth

If you have someone involved with IT services, it is not a bad idea to ask for advice. Talking to individuals who are directly engaged in software development processes is a big advantage as they can explain to you how it works and who you should seek.

Job search platforms

If your focus is on freelance collaboration, you should rely on job search platforms such as UpWork, TopTal, Pilot, etc. They will let you find the best-suited candidate with relevant work expertise.

B2B directories

If you prefer partnering with a software development company, using B2B directories such as Clutch and GoodFirms is a wise choice. They provide an objective ranking of thousands of IT companies regarding all types of services.

 

About the author:

Kyle McDermott is a web developer, blogger, blockchain enthusiast, and business analyst. He loves to write about new technologies, business news, and sports events. Kyle is also a proofreader at Computools. Follow him on Twitter.

 

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