How to hire a software developer and not go wrong

Statistics demonstrate that the demand for developers is growing faster than the supply. And while employers are struggling to get the best of the best, the lack of real talent will soon lead to many having to recruit teams from what remains. According to a recent McKinsey global poll, 87% of organizations are already experiencing a talent shortage or expect to face one within a few years. Given the specifics of working in a time of the pandemic, the top priority is to find and retain suitable candidates for IT positions. Having extensive experience in solving such issues, DICEUS experts decided to share insights on how to hire a software developer so that you and your company don’t get left out at a loss in the end. 

Who is a software developer? 

Before bombarding you with advice on how to hire a programmer in such hard times, we should first figure out what kind of specialist we are looking for at all. More precisely, it is a category of professionals who design and develop computer software and applications. 

A design created by a savvy software engineer, often with a computer science degree, is sometimes handed down to a programmer who implements the actual code that runs the software or application. Ideally, a software engineer should be well versed in the following areas: 

• Programming, coding, databases set up, software development environment expertise 
• Software design and architecture 
• Computer science 
• Algorithms and data structures 
• Data analysis 
• Software debugging and testing 

In short, a software developer is someone who creates computer programs that are used for specific tasks. From mobile and desktop applications to complex systems and networks assembled through pure technical skill and knowledge in, for instance, SQL, Git, Java, Python, Linux, Oracle, etc. Since engineers often collaborate with clients, colleagues, other developers, and users, they also must possess good communication skills. 

Please learn more about our staff augmentation service.

What defines a good developer?

Before you start thinking about how to hire software engineers for a project, you should find out what qualities these professionals should possess. Along with programming languages, frameworks, and other developers’ skills, at DICEUS, we focus on the following knowledge. 

Good understanding of cloud services

Since many companies are moving to the cloud due to its ease of use and scalability, they need to be well versed in cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. 

Knowledge of big data management essentials

A good developer should be a master at designing projects where large amounts of data are systematically analyzed, extracted, or processed. In addition, a specialist has to participate in projects related to machine learning, IoT, and artificial intelligence, for example, which requires special skills. 

Good command of English and tech stack 

The more programming languages a professional is able to use, the wider their technology stack and opportunities to develop new products are. The same goes for the common languages we use to communicate. 

Professional portfolio

Professional achievements speak for themselves. There is no better way to test a candidate’s knowledge and ability than to check their profile on GitHub. Developers usually work as part of a team, with product managers, designers, QA testers, etc. That is, it must be a strong and responsible team player with good communication skills. 

Check out our recommendations on interviewing developers:

Guide to interviewing: How to screen Java developer skills

Why hiring a good developer is challenging? 

The limited talent pool in the market makes it difficult to find specialists. Lack of serious education tops the list of challenges companies face when hiring developers. To fill open positions, some even turn to graduates of beginner courses. 

Managers rate the following key issues in terms of difficulty in hiring: 

1. Lack of formal education in software engineering 
2. A limited pool of candidates with relevant skills 
3. Lack of interpersonal skills/competencies in the workplace 
4. Turnover of the best candidates due to the proposals of competitors 
5. Excessive salary requirements 

When assessing the prospects for future work, developers take into account the following: 

• Opportunities for internal growth and development 
• Competitiveness of wages 
• Corporate culture  
• The ability to work remotely 

Hiring managers must consider these needs to better tailor job descriptions. Of course, for such an important task as hiring, it is essential to use the right approaches and algorithms. 

Best practices and tips on recruiting highly skilled software developers 

Hiring staff is one of the most important tasks for any company. Below we offer tips from our experts in staff augmentation on how to hire a software developer that will meet your expectations. 

Best practice 1 — Recruit quickly  

Don’t get hung up on a CV, lack of experience, or formal education. While these are important things, a lot of experience often leads to people becoming stubborn and overconfident when it comes to optimizing a method or process just because they already know one way to write code for it. 

Pro tips:    

• Align with recruiters  
• Use a test coding assessment 
• Pay attention to soft skills 

Yet another way to reduce hiring time is to make sure the candidate knows how to program. This can be done with a special test assignment prepared by a tech lead or senior developer who will ultimately evaluate the test results and the candidate’s tech skills. 

Another good way is to ask the candidate to solve some of the issues the existing projects team is struggling with now. You will learn more about the level of problem-solving skills the candidate has, and their willingness to work on real-life challenges in particular and within a real team in general.  

The test team drive is the safest method to help you choose from multiple candidates. You will see how they fit with the team, think collectively, and make decisions independently or as part of a group. This is the best way to see if they can accomplish what you want them to do in the allotted time. Of course, this can be a decisive factor in making the right decision. 

Make sure that the set of tasks posed before them is meaningful and reflects the actual work they need to do. And most importantly, don’t forget to pay candidates for their time. This will help build a good employer brand image. 

Best practice 2 — Build employer brand  

You need real enthusiasts who are passionate about their work. Show them that with you, they can grow and achieve more. But never be fooled by trying to delay the person until you find the best candidate. Be sure to adhere to the deadline for your final CV. 

Pro tips:  

• Position your company as a technology-focused one 
• Give on-time feedback on interview and test assignments 
• Create and replenish your talent pipeline 

Maintain the positive experience of candidates from various coding tasks. Even if they do not pass the certification, they can use their knowledge and skills in the future. They can be taught new skills, and if they have good experience, they are more likely to recommend your company to other candidates and consider you a potential employer in the future. 

Best practice 3 — Partner with an IT staff augmentation company  

You should be able to hire new developers quickly and efficiently. It’s possible only with a professional partner, which can be a staff augmentation company. They professionally select suitable candidates according to your project requirements and needs.  

Pro tips:   

• Find a reliable software vendor who offers staff augmentation services 
• Think carefully about the job description 
• Be available for a couple of hours per week for interviews and feedback 

As a matter of fact, there is no shortage of positions for software developers right now. The problem is that most employers ask for the same thing: a good CV, examples of previous work, and often a cover letter. Not only is this time-consuming, but it also won’t help your job posting stand out from the crowd. 

Instead, give the software developers a quick coding task and held some preliminary interviews with a recruiter. You can use quick skill tests and provide immediate feedback. 

Programmers must be able to work with people and communicate. There are several ways to assess this early on through game assessments and behavioral interviews. It does not take a lot of time. Alternatively, you can combine gaming with the challenge of encoding and video interviewing on demand. In this case, recruiters receive a dashboard that combines candidate assessment results with recommendations. 

Searching for highly skilled developers? Check out our staff augmentation service!

How DICEUS can help you

To achieve the best project results, you will need symbiosis between your team members. In doing so, their competence and skills are fundamental. Getting qualified developers on your own can take months. And if the project is complex or fast-growing, you will hardly have time for this. 

Since DICEUS has accomplished various software development projects and knows how to hire a software developer that will fully meet your expectations, we can recommend how to hire software engineers efficiently. Our team offers professional services to hire qualified IT staff.  

It takes us 2-4 weeks on average to select the most suitable candidates for your project. Our hiring process looks like this: 

• Approval of the detailed job description and brief: 5-10 days 
• Assessment of available resources on the market and provision of a CV: 1-2 days 
• The choice of a preferred CV and the provision of test tasks: 1-3 days 
• Testing the candidate: 1-2 days 
• Your review of the test: 1-3 days 
• Interview with the candidate: 1 day 
• Your feedback on the candidate and the issuance of a proposal in case of a positive result: 1-2 days 

Here are some reasons why you will enjoy working with us: 

1. Fast selection of specialists — 2-4 weeks on average 
2. A predictable budget — hiring according to a seniority-level matrix 
3. Extensive talent pool ─ 80,000 IT specialists in our talent pipeline 
4. Account Management — account manager for every single project  
5. Employee retention — unique techniques for employee retention 

Most recruiting agencies don’t care about client requirements and goals, technical stack, or SDLC. In not about us. We know all the nuances of software development and understand well who you need. 

Do you know how to hire a programmer, but just an experienced developer isn’t enough for you? Going for a dedicated team is solving all IT challenges in one place. Our dedicated team model is a great way to ensure your product meets global quality standards throughout the development cycle.  

Now that you know how to hire a software developer correctly rest assured you will employ the performers only.