Finding a quality software developer can be quite a task. Whether you’re looking for someone to build an app, execute an excellent game design, or you’re looking to design something new, having the right developer or engineer for the job is important. When you don’t know where to look, or how to find the right one for your project, it can be overwhelming. Luckily, we’re here to tell you how to find the right one for your project, as well as where to find them. Let’s begin.
1. Get Referrals
Referrals are the best way to find anything. When you listen to the advice and experience of your colleagues, family, friends, business partner, associates, or anyone whose opinion you trust, you can get a very personal and first-hand review of a particular service. If you don’t know anyone who has used a software developer before, you can still ask them for advice. This is the time to make use of your network and your network’s network. When looking for a bespoke software development company, someone will know something. Referrals are great for a few reasons:
Unfiltered Reviews – As we mentioned earlier, you will have an unfiltered review from the person referring you. This gives you insight into how the developer works, as well as if your personalities will work together or clash.
The Quality of Work – If someone you know and trust is referring you, you know that the quality of the developer’s work must have been of a high enough standard to please them. This means that you should also get a good quality product.
Preferential Treatment – The developer is more likely to trust you and to want to work with you over other offers if they had a good experience with the person who has referred you to them.
2. Freelance Platforms
If you’ve had no luck harnessing the power of your network, then freelance platforms are filled with people and are possibly the easiest route forward. You have access to thousands of developers who operate in general as well as niche areas. General developers will be able to do a bit of everything, whereas niche programmers will specialize in one area specifically. Likewise, you also have general and niche freelance platforms.
General freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr have all sorts of people freelancing. People range in experience as well as price. However, it is important to take note that it can be difficult to find those who are actually good vs. those who pretend to be good on these platforms. With limited vetting, anyone can claim to be a developer, so choose wisely.
To avoid unpleasant mishaps, you can turn to slightly more expensive niche sites. What do we mean by niche sites? These are companies that have a range of vetted programmers who work for them. You can write up a job description and post it there, and you will be placed with a developer who can do what you are looking for.
3. Hire Through Arc
If you don’t want to write up job descriptions and have endless interviews until you find the right developer for you, make use of Arc. It gives you access to people whose profile matches your requirements and is available right now. They are also vetted quite heavily before being allowed access to the platform, so you know if they’re on there, they are good at what they do. You have access to how quickly they work, what they change, what they do, and how experienced they are in one place and don’t have to ask those tedious questions.
4. Hire Through LinkedIn
LinkedIn is another way to find developers that meet your desires. While Arc typically offers remote developers, LinkedIn offers you access to on-site and remote developers and gives you access to their full CVs. It also lets you explore their connections and experience, so that you can make a more informed decision based on their network. It is a great tool to combine with other strategies in this article, as most people have LinkedIn profiles these days. For example, if you find a developer on Upwork, you can look up their profile and get a better idea of who they are and even find better leads through their network if you don’t like the look of their profile. This is a technique that tons of recruiters use to find the best developers, so you might as well make use of it yourself.
5. Developer Conferences & Meetups
If you have difficulty networking online and would prefer to do so in person, then going to conferences and meetups aimed at connecting developers with people who want to develop something could be the right thing for you. This is a great way to find developers who are located near you and to see who you get along with best. You can easily find these by searching for annual developer conferences near you, as well as tech meetups in your area.
6. Join Developer Communities & Forums
Another great strategy is to join software developer communities and forums online. Here you will be up-to-date with the latest happenings in the development community, and you’ll be able to ask all sorts of questions to help you find the right developer for you. People will be able to recommend where you should look, or even recommend someone directly to you.
It’s a great way to create a specific profile and set up interviews for those who meet your requirements and pass any screening you should have in place. However, as with everything, it comes with its own set of disadvantages. Each online community is governed by its own set of rules, which means that you might need to do a whole lot of research, making this more time-consuming than the other options mentioned on this list. Great online forums to join include places like Reddit and Dzone. Be on the lookout for trolls and don’t click on untrusted links.
Finding the top software development services for you can be time-consuming and tedious. It is important that you make sure that you are using a trusted developer, and the best way to do this is by using a trusted service to find them. Be sure to do your research, and you’ll find the best developer for your project in no time.
