As we spend years in hiring, co-managing and keeping teams and various companies happy, we could almost say that we have perfected the art of hiring software developers. We say almost because recruitment evolves rapidly in the software industry. Hence, there’s little chance in perfecting it. Nonetheless, there are constant elements in hiring software developers that are worth considering.
1. Recognize the need for flexibility
Getting a closer look at the level of demand for a certain skill or type of software developer in the job market will help gauge if your company needs some recruitment flexibility. Ideally, companies should recruit strictly according to its needs. However, the problem comes up when the recruitment team relies on the common industry standards rather than identifying exactly what the company needs.
2. Determine the level of required expertise
When employers search for software developers, they tend to describe the leading qualification as “the best in…” or “expert in…” However, the term “the best” and “expert” should not be limited to its literal definition. It should also apply to the best candidate according to the job’s realistic requirements instead of the ideal. If the job requirement can be fulfilled by a junior developer, perhaps the candidate’s passion over experience is a more valuable qualification.
Determining the actual job requirements and using it as a more realistic basis for the qualifications will allow you to recruit the right software developer for the job.
3. Identify major skills required for the role
This list should help the job seekers’ in assessing whether or not they should apply for the job. If you’re recruiting for a senior role, it’s important to be as detailed as possible. A detailed job description also saves time as it gives the applicant a chance to decide if the he or she can fulfill the responsibilities in the role. However, it’s also important to stick to the main skills required and discuss additional skills during the interview. Putting too much “add-on” skills in a job description may create a negative impression to the hiring company.
4. Evaluate experience
When it comes to determining if your candidate’s experiences match your requirements, go straight to their portfolio. Ask specific details from the portfolio that are related to your requirements. This will allow them to demonstrate their level of expertise on a required skill. If the candidate doesn’t have an available portfolio, ask for previous published projects that you can check online like apps and websites. Allow the candidate to back up their claims by asking a brief demonstration on the apps’s features as well as a few specific details how it’s made. This is a very good method of measuring a developer’s level of expertise and experience.
5. Look for team players
Software development need team players who work for a common goal. Since this type of project involves collaboration between team members such as software owner, test users, QA testers, project managers and other software developers, working with team players is an important consideration.
6. Does the candidate culturally fit?
The term culture fit tends to have various connotations in the job industry. However, when we refer to the term culture fit, we are mostly referring to soft skills and one’s ability to adapt. In our case, we describe the Get Devs culture by our team’s composition – a group of intuitive, collaborative and hard-working software developers who embrace open communication in a relaxed yet goal oriented environment. We also value our team’s ability to clearly communicate to their counterparts in a different country.
Effectively hiring the right software developers needs innovative thinking, the ability to recognize change and to adapt to it. In a society where money is becoming less effective in motivating talented software developers, hiring companies need to recognize other aspects of a job that attracts the right software developers. And most importantly, companies and organizations need to identify exactly what they needs in terms of software development.