The growing popularity of WordPress has resulted in a booming industry of developers who specialize in building custom themes and plugins. If you’re running a WordPress site, chances are that at some point, you’ll need to hire a developer to help with maintenance, customization, or building new features. Every business requires different things from its developers, so it’s important to know what to look for when hiring someone to work on your WordPress site.
For most directories, expert WordPress devs are categorized by their skill level, determined by their years of experience and the number of projects they’ve completed. However, since everyone has a different learning curve, these classifications don’t always reflect reality. But how do you find the best WordPress developer then? This article will give tips on finding a great WordPress developer for your specific needs. Let’s explore together.
Access Whether You Need a Freelancer Or Full-Time Employee
The first step in finding a developer is determining whether you need a freelancer or a full-time employee. This decision will be based on your project’s size, budget, and preference for working with someone remotely or in person. Hiring a freelancer is usually more cost-effective for small projects or one-time jobs.
For larger projects that require ongoing maintenance or support, it’s better to find a full-time developer or an agency that employs multiple developers. Once you’ve decided whether you want to work with a freelancer or a full-time employee, you can start your search.
Put Job Posting On Different Job Boards
There are dozens of job boards and websites where you can post your openings, but not all of them will be relevant to your search for a WordPress developer. For the most part, you’ll want to stick to job boards that specialize in tech jobs or remote work.
Now and then, you might also come across a job board that’s specific to WordPress developers. When posting your job ad, include all the relevant details about your project, including the scope of work, timeline, budget, and required skills. As a general rule, the more specific you can be, the better.
Conducts a Thorough Interview
After you’ve narrowed down your list of applicants, it’s time to start interviewing. It is where you’ll get to know the person you’re considering hiring and find out if they’re a good fit for your project. During the interview, be sure to ask about their experience with WordPress, their design process, and their availability. It’s also a good idea to ask for specific examples of projects they’ve worked on in the past. If possible, try to get in touch with some of their previous clients to see if they were happy with the delivered work.
Include a Coding Test
If you want to ensure that your developer can code, one way to do that is to include a coding test as part of your hiring process. There are a few different ways to go about this. For example, you could ask developers to solve a simple coding problem or to build an essential plugin.
If you don’t feel comfortable evaluating the code yourself, you can always ask another developer or someone with technical expertise to review the submissions for you. Just be sure to give your applicants enough time to complete the test and ensure that it is relevant to the work they’ll be doing for you.
Look for Experience With The Tools You’re Using
If you’re using a specific theme or plugin for your project, you’ll want to ensure that your developer has experience with that tool. For example, if you’re using WooCommerce to build an online store, you’ll want to find a developer familiar with the WooCommerce platform. While most WordPress developers have at least some experience with the most popular WordPress plugins and themes, it’s still important to ask about their level of expertise before moving forward. Also, check if the candidate has experience working with SaaS AI.
Look for Applicants Who Can Communicate Well
Even if you’re hiring a developer to work on a technical project, it’s still vital that they have good communication skills. After all, you’ll need to be able to explain your vision for the project, give feedback on their work, and ask questions if you’re ever unclear about something.
If a developer has trouble communicating with you from the start, likely, this will only become more of a problem as the project progresses. Every business is different, but you should generally look for patient, clear, and respectful developers when communicating with clients.
Consider Their Design Skills
For most WordPress projects, you’ll need a developer with at least some basic design skills. Even if you’re not looking for a designer, it’s still essential that your developer knows how to make a WordPress site look good. After all, first impressions matter, and you want your site to look professional and polished.
When evaluating a developer’s design skills, please pay close attention to the overall aesthetics of their portfolio sites and the user experience (UX) of the sites they’ve built. If you’re unsure about someone’s design skills, you can always ask them to create a mockup for your project before making a final decision.