10 Tips to Hire and Retain Great Software Developers
Software developers could be the secret weapon for most companies. They can be as important as your leadership team. Do you want to know why? According to this recent Stripe and Harris report, 70% of your company’s success depends on the quality of your software developers. People spend most of their time on their phones on mobile apps than doing any other activity. So companies need to make users feel products are easily accessible. A mobile app for a retail company can significantly boost its sales. Us, as users, prefer to look for deals on a functional app rather than shopping at a store.
However, most software developers prefer to work remotely according to these statistics. And it’s no surprise. With the rise of tech jobs, the need for remote working increases. But hiring a remote worker is not an easy thing. Here, we’ll show you 10 tips that’ll ease your job when recruiting remote software developers.
- Don’t Use a Generic Hiring Test
If you’re not a software developer or have zero knowledge of coding, likely, you’ll just find a generic test on the internet and make aspirants show their skills this way. First, the more generic it is, the more likely applicants will know it. Maybe other recruiters like you already used it. So it won’t transparently show you applicant skills.
Besides, sometimes generic tests do not reflect the requirements of your company. So this won’t show you how an applicant would fit in your business. If you have coding knowledge, test them with potential programming challenges to prove themselves. If you don’t know how to code, you can consult with the experts to draft a suitable test.
- Provide Developers with the Tools They Need
Good developers will work only with companies that provide a good environment, and this includes having tech tools that’ll make their jobs easier and more efficient. This is also something that your company can benefit from. If your software developer is productive and efficient, this will show positive outcomes for your business. Some of these tools could be ClickUp, KeyCode Info, and HTML Minifier. The key is to become a software developer’s heaven.
- Don’t Limit Resources
Even though software developers don’t look like artists, they are. And artists need the freedom and tools to scale their creativity level. Developers solve problems through their programming knowledge and there’s not only a single way to solve problems – there are many ways to do it. Setting boundaries will only make them waste time and limit their creativity. The best way to act is to allow them to work with different programming languages and tools that’ll make them feel comfortable.
- Maintain Constant Communication
When working on a digital product, communication is key. If you want an intuitive interface, you need to work shoulder-to-shoulder with your developer. If the developer doesn’t have good communication skills, the project won’t be successful. So it’s very important to check that aspirants understand your point of view and are able to come up with great ideas that’ll make the project better.
- Consider Talent vs Resume
When hiring a remote software developer, it’s not all about their resume. In the end, you need to know if they’re capable of doing the job your company needs to get done. Even though an aspirant has worked at a great company, it doesn’t mean he’ll be able to run your project successfully. For example, there could be coding bootcamps graduates that don’t have any experience at all but their skills are elevated. That’s why it’s so important to test them before hiring someone. Tests will tell you more than their resume.
- Ensure Steady Internet Connection
When working remotely, this is very important and will also result in good communication, if your developer has a stable internet connection. Imagine this: maybe you found a great software developer; he passed the test and he has a great attitude, but he doesn’t have a good connection. This will make your recruitment process effortless because that developer is not going to meet deadlines and be as productive as other aspirants would.
- Offer Career Opportunities
According to this Stack Overflow Developer Survey, an important benefit that software developers consider when choosing a job is to have career development opportunities. Don’t be afraid to offer them this opportunity when recruiting because it will be reflected in your company’s outcome. Career opportunities increase motivation, therefore, developers will be more likely to work efficiently.
- Inspire Passion and Motivation
Someone that’s only applying for a job position because it’ll pay the bills is not the kind of person you want in your company. Passionate people don’t only work because of the salary, they do it because they enjoy it, and they will probably put all their effort into succeeding because they challenge themselves towards better results every time. Passionate aspirants will be the ones that’ll bring success to your company.
- Know That Coding Ability is Crucial
Badly-written code is not just something about aesthetics, it can cause terrible productivity issues to your company. It usually has to be re-written or modified. Maybe the algorithm is functional, but if you want to modify anything later, it’ll be a tedious task and your team will have to spend more time fixing the code. So when you’re hiring a remote software developer, make sure they’re able to produce well-written code.
- Be Clear About Deadlines and Timezones
Time Zones can be very tricky when it comes to meeting deadlines, so it’s important to be clear with aspirants. This way, they can organize their schedule towards the deadlines and they’ll be more likely to meet deadlines.
This post was provided by Career Karma