How To Hire A Software Developer

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If your company is at a point where you’re thinking hiring a software developer might be your next big move, this is the place to learn all about making that big hire. Whether you’ve never hired one before or you’re adding a new one to your team, we’ve got tips to help you hire a software developer.

Key takeaways:

On average, a software developer is paid around $87,521 a year. The costs can vary greatly depending on their experience level and the type of work you require.
Hiring a software designer can be very expensive and can take a considerable amount of time to find the right fit for your company and your needs. The demand for someone to fill this type of position is very high.
When you’re ready to hire a software developer, make sure you post your job listing on Zippia. You can also try other online outlets and schools with a program in software development and ask business contacts for referrals.
Software developers are in high demand and short supply. Selling your company and acting fast about that can be to your benefit.

To hire a software developer, you’ll need to take a look at your company overall and determine where you need a software developer and what tasks they will be doing. When you have a solid idea of what you need, you can begin reviewing other aspects of hiring a software developer.

Identify your needs. Your company’s need is the biggest determining factor when it comes to hiring a software developer. What do you need to accomplish, and how will your software developer get the job done? This will help you start to outline the position and create your vision of how the ideal person will fit in with your company.
Determine a budget. Your company’s budget for this role will also help you define the position and develop deeper insight into your new hire. Will you have enough in your budget to afford a well-seasoned professional, or does a fresh graduate better fit your budget?

Make sure you’re doing a little research to see what the going rate is in your area and your industry.
Write a compelling job description. Your job description should reflect the duties and responsibilities your software developer will be required to do on a daily basis. It should also showcase some of the benefits of working with your company.

This is a very competitive industry, and you’re going to have to sell the benefits of working for your company to get top hires.
Post your job. Explore your local options for posting your job opening, such as local job boards, regional schools, and professional organizations. We also highly recommend posting on Zippia to reach a wider audience with a broader range of skills and experience.
Interview candidates. When you’ve collected a batch of applicants and settled on a handful or so of the best ones, it’s time to start interviews. Cultivate a list of software developer interview questions and customize them to fit your job requirements.

Make sure to ask several open-ended questions so you can gather more information from the applicants. It’s a good idea to review what questions you can legally ask in a job interview and then practice your interview technique.
Call references and do background checks. Whether you have one stand-out applicant or a few you’d consider, checking references and a background check are essential.

This is a top-tier position that allows the individual access to sensitive information, so you want to be certain that your prime candidate has stellar references and passes all background checks.
Make an offer. Making a job offer is more than just telling someone they have the job. Come at it from a positive perspective, letting them know that they were your top candidate and then informing them of all of the benefits that come with the position, not just the salary.

Remember, this is a competitive field, and your top candidate is likely being courted by another company, too. Don’t forget that once you have an accepted offer, you’ll need to let the other applicants know that they were not selected.

We’ll go into greater detail about these steps below, so you have a good idea of where to start and how to proceed.

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How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Software Developer?

The average salary for a software developer is $87,521, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hiring one. Because this industry is so competitive, you’re going to need to spend significant time searching for a great applicant.

Hiring a software developer is more difficult than hiring for many other positions. Even if you have an internal Human Resources or Hiring Department, having a recruitment agency might be a good move for this position.

They’ll have greater access to a well of professionals who might already be employed. Sometimes, the best candidates are passive candidates who didn’t know they wanted to switch employers. This extra help might cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Remember, you will pay more for the experience. If you’re looking to keep your budget lower, you might want to hire someone who is fairly new to the industry. On the other hand, hiring an expensive but greatly experienced software developer may save you money in the long run.

How to Write a Software Developer Job Description

To write a job description for a software developer, you have to be honest and knowledgeable about your expectations. You also have to sell your company and the role a bit. Certainly, don’t exaggerate or lie, but you want to create an appealing description. You’ll also want to be sure to list any requirements you feel are essential to this position with your company.

What will be their responsibilities and duties? While you don’t need to detail every single task you expect them to do, it might help you to go through the work of determining what that will be, so you have that information available.

In the job description, you’ll just need to highlight key parts of the job and categories of responsibility.
Explain a bit about the company, including culture and benefits. Your company may be competing with some giants in your field, and you’ll want to stand out as the best option to them; this requires some sales. Sell your company to them by pointing out the benefits package and giving them a peek into your company culture.
What are the required qualifications? If you need a software developer, odds are you’ve been doing it in-house or had a contractor doing the work for you in the past. This means you’ll have a good idea of the skills and qualifications a successful candidate will need to get the job done.

But upfront about these qualifications. It may limit your available pool of applicants, but it will also save you a lot of wasted time reviewing unqualified resumes.
Create a profile of the best applicant. This step isn’t required, but it can help you get through the process easier and make a more informed decision. Imagine what the best candidate will bring to your company, how they will do their job, what their results will be etc.

This information can also help you craft the job description and conduct the interview.

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Where to Find Software Developers to Hire?

Good places to hire software developers include:

Zippia. Zippia is one of the best job boards online, giving you access to ample professionals in the software industry. You’ll be able to evaluate multiple candidates to determine who best fits your qualifications. On Zippia, you’ll also find a lot of articles, like this one, that help you grow your business successfully.
Recruitment agencies. A good, old-fashioned recruitment agency or a headhunter could be a good option for hiring a software developer. Sometimes the best employee is someone who didn’t realize they wanted a new job.

Recruiters can put you in touch with qualified software developers who already have a job but might be tempted to leave for the right offer.
Local schools with software programs. Local colleges, tech schools, or career training centers might be a great option if you’re looking for a new hire who fits with a limited budget. These places will have job boards you can take advantage of, and their student development centers might be able to match you up with a developer directly.

Skills to Look for in a Software Developer

Software developers will have significant hard skills; those are the skills they’ve learned in school and are demonstrable in their work. The right candidate will also have some soft skills that make them a better fit for your needs and your company culture. The following skills might be ones you want to consider for your new hire.

Hard skills

Full-Stack Programmer. Most companies will want a programmer who understands a software product from end to end, thoroughly and completely. They should be able to go into a program at any point or stage and figure out where they are and what’s happening. They should also be able to come up with solutions to your needs.
Expertise in multiple coding languages. Your software developer is going to spend most of their time communicating with computers in code, and they’re going to need to know the right languages to get your job done right. Some languages that might be necessary include JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python, C++, and Java.
Testing procedures. Another key hard skill you’ll want in a software programmer is experience with testing procedures. There are different ways to test programs, and each piece of software needs to undergo significant testing before going to market.

Soft skills

Critical thinking skills. Being a critical thinker is a soft skill; it can’t be taught; it’s something that is inherent. It’s also a key skill for most software developers.

Having the ability to look at a problem from all perspectives and consider different solutions, sometimes without having to go through the steps of trying them out to determine their success or failure.
Communication skills. This isn’t always easy for some people in software development as they’re used to “communicating” with computers and speaking in code rather than language.

This isn’t necessarily a downfall; they just need to be able to adequately explain their process, their outcomes, their approach, and other key steps in their work so others can understand.
Patience. The work of a software developer can be fast-paced, but in most situations, it will be quite slow and require several rewrites and changes along the way. To do this job successfully, a great deal of patience is necessary for precise and specific results.

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How to Interview a Software Developer

If you’re interviewing a software developer for the first time, you don’t have to pretend to be an expert in the field. You’ll be best served by understanding what qualifications you’re looking for and letting the interviewee give you insight into their experience. Try using the following tips to help you feel confident when interviewing a potential software developer.

Understand the job requirements. When you’re interviewing for a technical job that you don’t have expertise in, it’s key that you understand what will be required of the applicant. Discuss these qualifications with them and make a note of their experience level with them and their depth of understanding.
Ask open-ended questions. You’ll want to ask them a variety of closed and open-ended questions, but the open-ended ones will yield you more insight. An open question is one that asks them to elaborate on their experiences, feelings, knowledge, background, etc.

A closed question has a very specific answer. By making the most of open questions, you’ll get larger amounts of information about their individual and a feel for their level of interest in your position.
Ask about their process. There’s a lot you can determine about how a software developer prefers to work. Most importantly, their process will give you a view into how they will fit in your company.

You want to allow your hires to work in the way that is most comfortable and effective for them, but you also want to hire someone who fits your needs and environment.

Making a Software Developer a Job Offer

When you’ve narrowed it down to your top one or top few candidates, it’s time to start making a job offer. This is a competitive field, so you do not want to wait too long to make the offer. Every day you delay the decision, you’re letting your top candidate get closer to taking another job.

Remember to sell the company, your benefits, and the culture, as well as the salary when you’re making the job offer. You’ll want to know all of the details involved with their position so you can answer any questions they may have.

It may be that your candidate is already considering other offers. You can ask what you can do to sweeten the deal, or you can wait as they consider their best option and get back to you. You’ll want their answer as soon as possible so you can bring them on board or move directly to the next candidate.

Tips for Hiring a Software Developer

Finally, the following tips will help you find a software developer who is a good fit for your company and the position you have open.

Offer a competitive package. Do a little research into what other companies are offering so you can be competitive. It’s likely that your candidates will have multiple offers, so you’ll need to have a good one if you’re serious about hiring.
Allow them some freedom. Most software developers are used to working independently, and they have a lot of pressure on them professionally. Learn what type of environment works best for them, and let them know you’ll try to accommodate reasonable changes to support their work process.
Invest in ongoing training. The field of software development is constantly changing, and your employee is going to need to stay on top of or even ahead of the curve to be effective. Make their learning and training a part of their job. Don’t expect them to get this training on their own at their own expense.
Use a skills assessment. Skills assessment tools are a fantastic way to determine if a candidate is qualified and has the skills necessary to do the job, especially if the interviewer isn’t familiar with the field.