With the high demand for digital platforms and interactive sites, the need for new apps, and the exponential growth of online interaction between businesses and customers, there is plenty of demand for software developers.
While companies can always hire and try to retain in-house personnel, freelance software developers who can be hired on sites like Toptal, 99designs, and SoldGigs, for example, provide a valuable gap solution and cutting-edge alternative.
Freelance software development can also be far more cost-effective and flexible for budget-sensitive operations, bringing in talent a business might not be able to afford otherwise on a permanent employee basis.
If you are looking to hire a web developer, you should know the step-by-step process for getting one. Before hiring someone, you should also know the cons and pros of freelance web development.
Rather than getting caught up in the debate of whether a freelancer is better than a permanent hire, consider these aspects:
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Hiring a software developer is a big help for your business to have an online presence and to be successful. When the freelancer you hire uses effective time tracking-apps, it can boost your confidence that the time you paid is the time they’ve worked.
On the other hand, one has to be prepared to be a bit more liberal with freelance software developers if they are being used as a resource. When deciding how to hire a software developer, a client can’t treat them as employees.
That requires less hands-on supervision and far greater communication. This is a shift. More attention has to be spent on providing and sharing details of expectations and then letting the contractor solve the challenge as needed or how he or she best identifies a path.
Also, don’t expect long-term dedication. Freelancers are available on a contractual relationship basis only.
Their commitment will shift rapidly as one job ends and another begins. While hiring experienced freelance developers who enjoy return business and try to foster longer accounts for more stability, they won’t always be available when needed like a payroll employee when it comes to dedication.
Unfortunately, many who hire freelancer developers often find the first few times to be a bit confusing. Trying to remember the balance or difference between an employee and a contractor when deep in the details of the work can be a bit confusing and fuzzy.
That, in turn, can lead to bad experiences or less than stellar results, which in turn can turn managers cold to bringing in new freelance help later on. This problem can be avoided through planning for a better recruitment and selection.
Becoming a Web Developer is a tough job. You should know the process and undergo training if necessary.
Bringing in a software developer is far more like asking a rocket scientist to get you to the moon for the first time than a plumber to fix noisy pipes in your building.
They come in, often with little to work with except an idea and an expectation, and then they have to use their own knowledge and tools to make the unknown happen seamlessly. That leaves a lot of room for error, surprises, and a result that is different from what was expected.
Because of this common trend, it helps to have a good idea of how the software-building process actually works before hiring a programmer. While it’s not necessary to actually know programming and its intricacies, understanding what to expect of a programmer and what kind of schedule to work on makes a big difference.
This makes the job easier for the developer to understand as a freelance resource, and you will likely see the deliverables match your expectations a lot better.
Start defining your requirements clearly before hiring a developer for a project, and prepare an engaging interview. Your requirements don’t need to be in software lingo; they should be defined in your terms and environment.
The software developer will translate what you want into the language and code, but the more you remove from guessing, the better the product will be.
That doesn’t describe much if you say you need a programmer to build a database. If, on the other hand, you say you need a programmer familiar with SQL and Peoplesoft to build a customized database that will handle SFTP input, manual input, and RPI input and needs to output with PDF, Excel, and XML, then a developer has a far better idea what he or she needs to be working with. So, get specific about what you want the end product to be.
Don’t be wishy-washy on expected time schedules. For some reason, people tend to avoid this conversation. If you want the developer on deck 8 hours a day, say so. If the job is expected to be part-time or based on deliverable dates alone, then say so. It makes a big difference in the developer’s commitment and flexibility.
Don’t leave your cost and timeline open-ended. Software developers need to know what parameters they are working with and what is unacceptable regarding product contract delivery.
People have developed their software programming skills in a wide range of ways. It is quite possible for someone’s training to have been through online courses alone. In between, many have gained training through junior colleges.
And still, others have gone the formal route of bona fide 4-year college degrees and certifications. If this matters for your project, state it as a hiring criterion. Otherwise, you might end up with a developer who learned his or her skill by watching a YouTube video.
You must choose the software language the project will be developed in. This is not as hard as it sounds. If you want a software product for front-end website automation, Python, Java or Javascript will likely be the product.
If you’re looking for standalone software, it will probably be C++. If you’re considering anything with a database, there’s a good chance it will be SQL format. If you’re unsure, get some advice and outside expert input first. If you’re building on what you have already, it will be in the language already being used.
Do not ignore a background check on your potential software developer. You should be prepared to fully vet the person with former employment, prior contacts and supervisors, and peers. That also includes vetting the candidate’s provided portfolio of samples to ensure they are original and not copied from something else.
There is nothing wrong with asking a candidate to perform a small test project to see their work in action. It’s a great way to see how the person thinks, codes, and produces products. You might need to pay a small fee for the exercise, but it’s worth avoiding a big mistake once committed to the main project.
If the candidate passes all the above and is willing to commit to your price, spell out the contract terms and bind an agreement. That includes detailing the project plan, the rate of payment per phase, a commitment of time, project scope, deadlines, and various interaction expectations.
Don’t try to be a smart aleck and low-ball experienced developers. Many have already had a bad experience early on when they started and are quite familiar with runaway scopes or clients that can never be satisfied. They will pick up on the attempt, especially if they’ve been doing the job longer than 5 to 10 years.
Also, don’t expect youth on sites like 99designs to be an automatic availability of the latest technology skill. Many software developers have to specialize in one or two specific languages; there is simply too many different formats out there for any person to know them all as new ones come online.
See Related: Best Freelance Skills to Learn
There’s a fine balance between keeping open a good communication line with a software developer versus standing over their shoulder micromanaging.
Remember that each meeting and update takes away from the time you’re paying for the developer to do his or her work. Spell out what you want in initial meetings, provide a timeline for updates and deliverables, and then let them do their work.
Hold back your curiosity or need to be “in the know” every day and focus on having the other parts of the project ready that will mesh with the developer’s work. You pay them to deliver as a contractor, so let that happen.
If you don’t and instead insist on daily meetings and interactions, you are wasting your money on costs that have nothing to do with software development, and you are frustrating your developer with a lack of trust.
Instead, your communication should be about providing as many resources as possible to help the software developer understand what you want or the systems you work with.
Remember, the communication and freelancer interview guide is also a two-way street. The developer will likely find things or ideas of how to improve your current approach. Listen to these suggestions and take them into consideration.
They may not be a part of the current project, but it’s a free evaluation for what to work on down the road.
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“I want to hire a software developer,” you say? A number of channels like SolidGigs exist for how to bring in a software developer. Still, most small businesses and new entries will likely find their first interaction tends to be online versus in-person. Either works.
The difference depends again in how things are spelled out in the discussion items above.
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Traditional hiring is just as it sounds: You are telling the world, “I want to hire a software developer.” Your business puts out a job bulletin or posting for the project needed, the skills expected, the nature of the deliverables, and what to expect in terms of freelancing compensation.
These job postings can be made on paper, online in classified ads, and through forums. Once a candidate is identified, a screening process is typically an interview and a hire is selected. The agreement of service is written up and executed, and the person appears and works until the project is completed.
While this method has worked for years, it tends to be bureaucratic and takes a long time to complete. In fact, many managers feel that by the time they are done, they might as well have hired a permanent employee because it is essentially the same process.
The traditional hiring process also tends to rely more on connections and references. If the person is a known commodity, he or she has a better chance of being picked than an unknown developer.
It doesn’t mean the skill is better; the winning candidate may very well just be a better networker.
Using social media to hire isn’t really that different from traditional hiring. The big variation comes in how people connect with candidates. Social media allows for a wider reach and raises the question of whether a business wants to deal with a software developer remotely versus in person.
Otherwise, the mechanics of hiring remain the same. However, social media does allow for better filtering and searching if one wants to be proactive and reach out to viable candidates. This is a big feature of sites like LinkedIn, for example.
Alternatively, one could use a middleman hiring service such as freelancing platform. In these situations, a client utilizes a company to connect it with freelance software developers who compete to provide the service.
The interaction, payment, and terms are with the platform company, but the software developer is bound a bit tighter regarding delivery and performance, which is an advantage for the client.
A number of companies exist in this arena like Fiverr, Toptal, 99designs and SolidGigs, and they can provide software developer candidates that can either work in-person, remotely or both. They provide the ability to search for candidates and filter out skills and knowledge for a better talent match.
Many freelancing platforms also provide a mediation service to help the client guide and redirect the developer to what is expected, especially if, in midstream, there tends to be a disagreement.
This is doable because the platform is really the service provider to the client, and the developer is technically their contractor. Since the platform wants to earn revenue and business, it is incentivized to “push” the developer to deliver correctly.
Each software developer hire is a case-by-case situation, so take the time to plan what you want before saying, “I want to hire a software developer.” Research your candidates, budget your freelance developer pay, and pick the best match.
Giving yourself patience will pay dividends in a successful project and delivery down the road. The biggest mistakes people make in hiring tend to be rushing the selection process and a lack of clarity.
Managing taxes is also something we do as freelancers or self-employed. Good thing there is tax software, which is very helpful.
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Last updated: July 5, 2024
