Finding developers for your startup is not a big deal if you know where and who to look for. Rely on this step-by-step guide to hire the right developer for your business.
Despite the extreme rise in the number of IT companies and agencies over the last years, choosing the right developer remains a challenge, especially for startups and SMBs. Finding a professional is not enough. It is vital to hire the one that fits your business goals and project objectives. With an abundance of choices, you may spend hours looking for a suitable company or freelancer.
The guide below, however, can considerably simplify the process of finding and selecting an IT partner.
A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Find Developers
Step 1. Define the Destination: On-shore vs Off-shore
First off, you should decide where your potential developer should be located. Onshore companies usually allow for better and timely communication. Being within a driving distance to your partner means a lot when it comes to project planning and building. The opportunity to arrange a face-to-face meeting anytime is a big advantage if you have to come up with solutions to unexpected difficulties in project development quickly.
Offshore software development companies, by contrast, are appealing from a cost perspective. They tend to charge less for the same services but offer good software quality that is competitive with that offered by onshore providers. Potential difficulties might arise from cultural differences and divergent local design and user experience patterns. However, it is not a problem if you are familiar with the region where your development team operates.
Step 2. Pick between In-House vs Outsource vs Freelance
Depending on the project scope, you should consider the following options for project development:
In-house team
+ Keeping an on-site team of software developers lets you design software faster as you can supervise the process of project development and make changes which the team implements on the fly.
– In-house development is usually more costly as you will need to cover payroll, provide workspace, and pay for software and hardware your team will use.
Outsourcing
+ Outsourcing IT specialists allows you to keep tech talent on the team. By hiring professionals from all over the world, you greatly improve the prospects of project success. Moreover, you are not constrained in your commitments and free to change personnel at any time if necessary.
– Online communication and language barriers may be a hurdle that slows down project development processes so consider hiring elite Latin American developers who can handle both English and technical expertise effectively.
Freelancing
+ It is best fit for short-term projects which does not require you to be involved with development and lasts less than 3 months.
– Freelancers tend to work on several projects simultaneously. So, there is a risk your project may be not a priority on their list. Similarly, you cannot supervise their work properly and be sure of the quality of the code as you don’t have a dedicated CTO or lead developer to manage the project development.
Step 3. Frame and Scope the Project
Before starting to look for potential developers, you should define the Software Development Life Cycle and project variables. It is best to embrace the Agile methodology that allows you to be flexible in building software and shape the product throughout its development. The most common scenario is when a development team develops an MVP which is further elaborated and improved till perfection.
What you should determine is budget, scope, timeline, and feature list. The detailed product requirements are paramount to building a product that is core to the business function. You should determine its purpose and features that will make it competitive. Based on that, you can create a project plan and set up a developmental workflow in an optimal manner.
With regard to all these parameters, you can estimate project costs. The easiest way is to use software for budget planning that helps you get the right estimates and allocate the right amount of resources.
Step 4. Come Up with A List of Candidates
Now it is time to search for relevant candidates whose capabilities are good enough to provide you with high-quality software. The best approach is to rely on B2B directories such as Goodfirms and Clutch that let you read unbiased reviews and testimonials about a variety of companies and give you a wide range of options that fall within your budget. The mobile development field is increasingly competitive. So, finding a developer for these services will take even more time and effort. If you consider hiring a freelancer as an alternative, you can try using Upwork, Hired, Toptal, etc.
Step 5. Set Up Meetings
After going through dozens of variants, you should select 5 to 10 companies or specialists who seem to possess relevant expertise and comply with your project requirements. Set up interviews and talk to the company’s representatives or developers directly to learn more about their experience and capabilities. The most important things to clarify during the interview are communication mode, working hours, hourly rate, and project management tools to keep track of project progress. If you have found the right developer that meets all your criteria best, remember to sign an NDA before sharing your files and data.
This navigation manual is intended for recruiters, business owners, and software developers who are applying for IT positions that would like to learn more about selection methods for specialists working in the IT area.
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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 @KyleMcd86978932.