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The Necessary Qualities To Look Out For When Hiring Software Developers
When it comes to approaching a software developer, or anyone in the creative field for that matter, many people find the task intimidating. While purely technical projects simply require team members to stick to their parts, creative projects require different personalities to fit together in order to develop an idea, then turn it into a reality. It takes a specific type of chemistry. Not to mention, it’s never pretty when egos clash. To ensure the success of your project and avoid common pitfalls, you need to put some thought into the software developers you’ll be hiring. This article will show you the qualities you should be looking for.
Ability to Communicate
First and foremost, they need to be able to communicate effectively. Communication is key when it comes to any project. After all, it is how the wheel goes round. Ideas are communicated to a developer who listens and uses their expertise in the field to either build on the idea or explain how it can be executed. If they are unable to listen to your ideas and understand the core of your project, they won’t be able to execute your vision. They’ll simply create a generic product for you that neither reflects your business’ identity nor fulfills the purpose for which it was created. More importantly, a developer has to be able to handle and deliver bad news.
You need to trust that you’ll have someone who calls you out on your bad decisions rather than execute them mindlessly because they’re getting paid anyway. In any project, you can expect a certain extent of delays or curveballs. You also want a developer who has the courage and confidence to tell you that your project won’t be delivered on time. The alternative is someone who isn’t straightforward with you and that is someone you never want to work with. Last but not least, a communicative hire will constantly provide you with thorough updates, explaining what they have been working on and how your project is coming along. The last thing you need is one more person to run after. Granted, you should give your developer some leeway, but in exchange for that, they can’t keep you in the dark. Remember, their technical skills are useless if you can’t stand working with them.
Flexibility
One thing that clients often discover too late about their hires is their inability to be flexible. To create anything of quality, one needs to see all their options, test them out, and go back and forth until they settle on a final decision. Any specialist knows that software development is all about being flexible with a client as they go about their thinking process. Meaning, a developer should be willing to try for perfection and patient enough to try things that they might not be completely convinced with. Most importantly, you have to be able to rely on them enough to trust that they won’t walk out on you all of a sudden when a project gets too tough or when they feel that you’ve been requesting too much of them. Keep in mind, a good communicator would be upfront about any complaints they have in order to protect their professional relationship with your business.
Technical Skills
Second, to communication, technical skills are crucial. To turn an idea into a palpable reality, developers need to have the technical know-how necessary. Of course, without enough experience in the field, it’s quite difficult to gauge one’s level of expertise. One option is to find or prepare a skill assessment test to help narrow down your prospects. While an efficient sorting method, test results should be taken with a grain of salt because, ultimately, tests aren’t a measure for one’s range of skills. It’s recommended that you use a test to get a feel of your candidates. Once you identify those who have the potential, give them a small task to fulfill. That way, you’ll get to see your prospects’ technical and creative sides in action.
If you’re considering outsourcing your project to a well-established company, you need a different approach. These companies often have various well-known clients and many reviews. All you need to do there is look at the work you see. Needless to say, whether you’re considering an individual or a company, portfolios are a great way to assess whether or not your candidates have what it takes.
Creativity
When people think of creativity, they often think of splashes of color, musical pieces, and mind-blowing movies. The truth is, creativity is a skill that can be exercised in any field, not just the arts. Hiring a creative developer means that you’ll have someone who adds value to your idea and to the execution. Not only that, but it also means that your end-product won’t be limited to what has been done before, but to what you can think of. In other words, you’ll end up with unique software that stands out from the rest of the industry. In addition, creativity can be used to solve any problems that come up without compromising on overall quality or sacrificing a good idea. There are those who will be able to find quick solutions to the problems with your software, but there’s rarely any creativity in that. A good developer will take their time, but they’ll be able to come up with a solution that greatly benefits your software.
Throughout this article, you read about what a good developer should provide for you: time, energy, flexibility, patience, and more. It is important to keep in mind that software developers are not machines. A professional relationship is a two-way street. For every small request you make, you must understand that there is a lot of effort that goes into fulfilling it. Especially when the small change you want requires a developer to make major changes in their code. This is to say, if you want high-quality work, you need to pick the right hire, but you also need to give them time and space while making sure you provide clear, written accounts of what you want done.
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