Hiring a good developer today can turn out to be quite a baffling task, given a landslide of targeted ads – almost pleading you for a click – on Google searches, with promises that are usually too good to be true.
From the ones available for a dime a dozen to those with an hourly rate that can blow a hole in your wallet, options are aplenty – making it difficult for you to make a call. It clearly implies that you now need to be more thoughtful while hiring one for your next project.
In this post, we’ll help you understand the tricks of the trade when it comes to getting a developer for hire. This post will help you understand the quintessential paradigm of a successful web or app development lifecycle.
1. Fancy Hiring a Jack of all trades?
To transform your concept into a market-ready solution destined to strike a chord, should you take chances by moving in with someone who promises to deliver a wide range of services at the same intensity, singlehandedly?
Especially for projects that need a collective effort of individual brilliances.
In general, a web or app development project needs professionals of diverse specializations who are tuned to work marvels in their respective domains.
You might require a Project Manager, to marshal a team of professional design and development specialists.
A mobile app development process comprises of following steps-
- Requirement gathering and preparing project document (Generally performed by a Business Analyst)
- Wireframes Design (Performed by Business Analyst)
- User Interface Design (Performed by UX Designer)
- Front-end developer (Performed by Front-end/UI Developer)
- App Development (Native iOS and/or Android development performed by App developers)
- Server-side development (Managed by Back-end developers)
- API development (Managed by Back-end developers)
- Quality analysis and Testing
- UAT (User Acceptance Testing by project owner team)
- Launch, support, and maintenance
Now, of course, some of these steps/phases can be managed by a full-stack developer but being able to design, develop, manage, and deliver a complete project by 1 or 2 individuals could be like expecting too much and they may fail to bring justice to all these core specialized areas. Does that make sense?
In short, hiring a team means less worries, minimal required directions, more productivity and value for money, standard quality and above all, on-time project delivery and within the estimated budget.
A standalone freelancer, regardless of his expertise in various technologies and platforms, might struggle to effectively manage a high-end development scenario that calls for specialized resources at various fronts.
Tip: Focus on building a small team with specific individual expertise for project-wide successful implementation.
2. Run Credential Checks
Look to hire someone who has proven experience in successfully delivering the projects in your niche day in day out. Rest assured, someone who has done it for many, can swiftly repeat the same for you, too.
Running a credential check is, for sure, a fine idea, to get a hint of your potential hire’s potential. Speak to them via phone if possible.
Ask for a list of former and existing clients with their contact details, check their Linkedin profiles as well and try reaching out to them for an unprejudiced review about the freelancer. Ask them specific questions, such as how the individual proved effective for their project and what according to them are the USPs of the individual.
Going through the LinkedIn profile of your potential candidates can also clear out the picture, seeing his or her connections, former client recommendations, etc. will no doubt help your cause since LinkedIn professional reviews are very much dependable and unbiased.
Tip: Ask for random references and not just rely on the ones that one potential candidate provide to you. Check their LinkedIn profiles and speak to others may be the existing or the past customers if possible via phone.
3. Price vs Value
Brom said it best, ‘Everything comes with a price. Everything. Some things just cost more than others.’
Though a cliché, the above combination always proves to be right. The project cost varies exponentially with quality and turnaround time.
You can find people who can develop an app or web project for you at a throwaway price – but will it be good for you? Or will it add yet another ordinary and unproductive app or website online, as there are billions of them already, which come, live and die on the web – unknown, unseen!
To put it logical, in exchange for world-quality services, you really need to deliver good, if not the best, price to maintain the stability and equilibrium of the market. Do it sincerely!
Tip: Expect a trade-off. Lower cost is bound to affect quality and delivery timeframe. Settle for a price-value mix.
4. Know the tech
If you’re a startup, an individual or an SMB, you might have some constraints as far as time and cost are concerned and still, you might never really accept your preferences in terms of end-product quality, productivity and turnaround time being compromised due to your restraints.
In such events, consider conducting a research and document your specifications and requirements upfront before approaching a service provider. Understand what you want; which technology to choose; what professionals you’ll require; and so on.
For instance, an iOS app can be a native app in Swift or Objective C but, to either be more effective or in line with your requirements, it can also be developed using a cross-platform app using Xamarin. Which will serve your needs better? Do early research and be prepared.
Ensure to check that developers you are exploring have just enough experience in those techs, have produced relevant reference work, and you have validated that with their customers.
It will not only save your time but will surely add value to your project. How? In simplest throw – it will help you avoid being fooled by the freelancer by proposing over-generous service deliverables, unrealistic expectations, unnecessary resources and time consumption, irrational cost, etc.
Tip: Find the tech your project will need and check credentials (Past work) of provider in those technologies.
5. Smell the desperation
As an everyday sign, most service providers, especially those working standalone, are on their toes with skull-full desperation to get more and more work.
One of the major reasons behind so many freelance projects going down to the dumps, inefficiently executed, undelivered, disputed or arbitrated is that provider might catch them up hurriedly, without having either time or team to do justice with the specific project. Things are easier said than done!
And by the end of the day, the customer is left with a pocket full of lost time and money, in a Catch 22 situation. While some customers are financially well backed up to switch to a full-fledged offshore web and mobile app development agency to get things done the way they should have been, others are left in the middle of nowhere.
Are they acting desperate? Try to figure out the intensity and flavor of desperation. While there is a thin line between enthusiasm and desperation, you can still evaluate if a person is acting desperate for business.
Most teams have appointed sales guys who are loaded with incentives for getting new clients and their job is done once you award the project. Now, no matter your project completes satisfactorily or not, the sales guys have nothing to lose. So better check the preferences. Is team looking for a quick closure only or looking to get another quality project and deliver goods?
All you need to do is figure out who is desperate, what’s the scale of desperation, and what the desperation is all about!
Tip: Are they desperate just to win your project or are excited to work on it as well? How to find? Did they suggest new features or provided any suggestion during discussion phase?
These are some of the crunch points you must ponder before hiring a specialized offshore web or mobile app development team. Give it a re-read and make sure you consider these before hiring someone for your next project; and rest assured, your odds of completing the project successfully will, for sure, multiply manifolds. We hope it proves to be virtuous and wish you good luck for your project.
Finoit Technologies is a renowned mobile app development company providing custom software development services and IOT application development services. We have developed over 450 mobile apps, and have assisted many solopreneurs in their journey of startups by functioning as a tech partner and rolling out their product ideas. For questions/queries, you may write to us at [email protected]
