Software is all around us. We use it on our phones, we access it with our computers, and it’s even built into our smart televisions and TV boxes. Software is what allows us to communicate with our expensive computer hardware in order to tell it to perform tasks, be it displaying an image on the screen or designing a webpage.
Because software is so important, it makes sense to hire a software developer. Or at least, that’s the idea. Software developers typically have varied job descriptions. They don’t spend all of their time sitting at a computer and typing up lines of code. Sometimes they act as advisors, other times they help you plan out new software designs that could help your business, and occasionally they’ll optimise whatever software solutions you currently have.
In a sense, they’re a bit like lawyers. Lawyers are seen as people that spend the majority of their work day in court or in meetings but because they possess so much information and knowledge about legal matters, they make great advisors as well. If you’re thinking about hiring a software developer, then here are a couple of considerations to make that will benefit both you as a business and the developer as a new recruit.
What will their role be?
Many businesses, especially small startups, don’t have a need for a software developer because optimising current solutions is simple with a small company and you typically don’t need to create custom applications or software because there are plenty of free off-the-shelf solutions you can use to save money. If you want to make the most of a software developer, you’re going to need to plan ahead on what tasks you will give them.
For instance, if you’re starting an online store then the software developer can help in a number of ways. They can help you install and setup eCommerce platforms and integrate them into your store. They can help you design applications that let your customers design their own orders or customise your existing products if that’s part of your business model, and they can also optimise whatever current solutions you have for your web host.
If you plan to market a smartphone app that coincides with your business, then that’s another role they can fill. You can work together to sketch up ideas on what your mobile application will look like, how it will work, and the developer can give you a rough idea on the cost of creating an app to your specification. They’re going to need a lot of time and resources, so if they work on a per-job basis instead of being paid a salary, they’ll need to make accurate estimations but you may be surprised at how cheap it is to create an app.
The skills they need
Many business owners don’t understand the concept of programming languages. Experienced developers will typically list a bunch of different programming languages on their resume, but you need to understand that programming languages have universal rules (much like real languages) that can be applied to different languages. But unlike real-life languages, they don’t take a great deal of time to learn and experienced developers can typically fit around the tools you give them.
For instance, if you want a developer to make a program for Android and iOS, they can use a variety of different programming languages and tools in order to achieve that. However, if you want a program to be made specifically in the C# language, then it’s a good idea to hire someone who has experience in that language. However, if you don’t exactly have much choice, then hiring a developer that has worked in similar languages such as Java or C++ will do just fine because they can easily learn and adapt their skill set to a new language given some time.
Software developers need to have a passion for learning because even if they do possess years of experience creating something, there is always a chance that you present them with a unique challenge that takes some time to grasp and get their head around. Developers constantly learn as they create new software and work in a team with others, so they have to be willing to learn and adapt. Almost every good software developer shares these traits in addition to possessing a curious brain and an analytical mindset that just loves to solve problems. You can typically pick up these qualities in the interviewing process when you speak with them, but if you hire a freelancer, then you’ll just have to trust your instincts and look at their portfolio to get a good idea of what they’re like.
Building a team
Software development teams are unique in that they operate under different rules than other employees. For instance, software developers typically work in teams not because they are forced to, but because they specialise in different concepts and they need to work together with people that have different strengths. This is one of the main reasons that you should try to avoid solo developers that believe that can do everything on their own. In a real-life scenario, developers need to be willing to work with others of the same profession to get a job done.
There’s also another abnormality when hiring software developers. They always strive to test their skills and improve themselves, meaning that in comparison to hiring an employee for longevity, you should be hiring software developers that display a lot of talent and eagerness to work. Once the project is finished and once they feel like their ability to improve has been stagnated by your company or your lack of challenges, they will move on to greener pastures instead of worrying about job security.
There are developers that are simply too good to be kept working for a new startup or a company that doesn’t fit their needs. Many developers go on to create their own companies or businesses, so it’s best to squeeze as much talent out of these individuals as possible before they eventually get up and leave to find their next challenge.
