The Vital Guide To Hiring Great Freelance Developers

Posted on - Last Modified on

With an increase in freelance platforms, getting a freelance developer is a simple task. You can access the numerous freelance platforms, advertise your job, and you’ll be flooded with applications from which to choose. However, like most good things in life, this comes with a downside.

Getting a skilled and professional developer from the many applications you receive is not easy. It can be hard to comb through them all, check their past projects to establish the authenticity of the candidates, and eliminate any risks that come with hiring them.

One of the easiest ways to get a candidate who is competent, professional and with whom you can easily work is through a personal recommendation, from a friend or colleague that has used their services before. Trust on both sides of the working relationship is easier to build this way, and dedication to completing the job is more likely with mutual contacts. Trust is one of the most important things in developing and growing any serious work relationship. This may be difficult for those that are new to the field, and really do not know of any competent developers.

When it comes to sourcing out freelance developers, freelancer.com is one of the best platforms to use. Freelancer.com has some of the very best technology experts to suit your needs.

To make it easier for you to get the best candidates for your work, here are some of the things you need to know, so you can lower the risks of hiring freelance developers.

Don’t Be In a Rush

When looking for freelance developers, do not be in a hurry to hire them. Hiring a number of developers to meet a deadline may seem appealing, but it is not usually a good step to take. It is important to actually test out the developer's skills before hiring them. You can have them do a number of trial tests to test this. One of the advantages of searching online platforms is the ability to see a potential candidate's portfolio, which means you can get a feel for what they can do. The absence of a portfolio should be an alert that either the applicant doesn't have one, or hasn't thought enough how to advertise their potential.

Carrying out an evaluation may not always be taken too well, especially by freelancers who are highly experienced and believe they are overqualified for the job. But a good candidate will not mind being tested, and will understand why it’s happening. You need to make this a necessary requirement for someone who wants to be hired for the job.

If a freelancer will be joining a team of other developers, it is important to consult the team they will be working with. Since it will be the team doing the work altogether, it is important to engage them in the application and hiring process.

Personality

When hiring a freelance developer, simply checking their coding skills is not enough. You will need to consider other factors as well, especially if you are looking for freelance developers that will work with you on a long term basis. They have to be amassed into your company culture, and you will want to keep in mind that working relationships are valuable too. In your assessment you will want to think about the kinds of questions to ask in this regard. It may be better to get someone who works well with other people and is open to learning new things, rather than someone who has very good skills but cannot work well with others. With technology changing every day, skills become obsolete by the minute.  It is therefore necessary to ensure the person you are hiring is a fast learner, is willing to learn and can interact well with the rest of the team.

The Interview Process

Carrying out a comprehensive interview requires a lot of planning and research. It is important to ensure the person that you hire for the job fits the requirements perfectly.

The first step to preparing an interview is by advertising the job. A clear description of the job you are advertising is a crucial process. It is important to put it down in a way that will attract top freelance developers, and people who actually fit the skills you are looking for.

When you do start getting applications, some of the applicants will be removed from a list of potential candidates in the first stages. You will be left with those that are the best and those who are good. It is advisable to keep the information of the good ones for future use. After going through the applications and establishing the best choices, it is time to carry out individual interviews. This is a very important process that needs to be carefully planned, with the right research and the right questions. You do not want to get good answers from the wrong questions, as they won’t do you any good.

When asking about technical skills, one question should concern their past projects, whether individually or as a group. This is important because most people write about their best projects when applying for a new job, and it is relevant information to you. You also need to take note of any gaps in their resume, and ask them to explain missing periods.

Try, as much as possible, to ask questions not found on interview sites. Questions also need to be open ended, as they draw out information from the candidate, and practical to see whether they can think on their feet. You can ask about new skills that they have learned, as this will tell you a lot about their willingness to learn new things.

Consult

In most cases, the new developer that you are hiring will be added to an already existing group of developers. It is important to consult them and seek their help, especially in the interview stage, so they can give you insight on the appropriate questions to ask. They are the people with the best experience in doing the job, and they know what is really required to bring the project to a successful completion.

A team that is able to work together, especially through challenges and misunderstandings, will produce the best results.

Payment

You need to realize that in this business you need not focus on getting the best developer in the market or even in the world. You just need to get a developer who is good at doing their job and brings positive results. Developers are often looking to get hired for their dream jobs, and be paid appropriately for their work.

In some cases you will find that a developer who believes in your project, and believes that the project will lead to long-term benefits, will not be so focused on the payment. And some developers just don’t believe in what you are trying to accomplish, and will just focus on pay.

It is important to be prepared for such instances, and ensure you get the best services from a developer, at a price that is comfortable for you both.

Do you have any advice you want to share? Please add your thoughts in the comments below - it helps everyone to understand the experience of hiring online.

 

Posted 28 August, 2017

LucyKarinsky

Software Developer

Lucy is the Development & Programming Correspondent for Freelancer.com. She is currently based in Sydney.

Next Article

Use Magento If You're Serious About E-Commerce