Last Updated on 2024-10-11
Apple Inc. has opened a whole great new area for developers and tech enthusiasts as they expand their range of digital and electronic products. With this, native iOS developer jobs popped out from around the world. Businesses, IT-related or not, are keen to find iOS developers capable of creating products suitable for iOS. However, because of the high demand, it makes it even more challenging for companies, especially startups, to hire iOS developers into their team. Here are some tips on finding and hiring an iOS developer.
What is iOS development?
We can say that iOS development is basically the process of developing software application products solely for the iOS platform. Similar to other development procedures, iOS development also encompasses the steps and processes of mobile application development and adapts to a specified development cycle.
If youโve heard about iOS development, you have probably heard about Swift as well. Swift is the recommended programming language to make software programs and applications for iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS X. It basically requires Mac OS X when developing applications due to iOS SDK dependencies that are built on top of OSX’s Cocoa framework. Appleโs platform widened the IT industryโs learning and work opportunities by introducing its language to developers.
A Guide to Hiring Native iOS Developers
Get to know your developers
Before hiring native iOS developers, you must understand their job description and scope of work. It also helps to know what qualities to look for in iOS developers. This article will tell you the iOS developer job description, responsibilities, and skills.
iOS Developer Job Description
The iOS Developer job description is defined hand-in-hand with the responsibilities for the job and the skills to work. Developers for the iOS platform are expected to work with project managers and fellow developers in order to achieve the projectโs goals and objectives.
Here are some of the iOS Developer responsibilities:
- Develop and design user-friendly and accessible applications for the iOS platform
- Collaborate and coordinate with different teams in achieving the desired design and functionalities of the system
- Monitor the performance of the software application and apply necessary bug fixes and verifications
- Observe proper coding standards and conventions to maintain the overall quality of the application
- Possess steadfast eagerness for discovery and learning in the field
Here are the prescribed skills that you should look out for in a Native iOS developer:
- Proficient in Swift
- Familiar in Objective-C and Cocoa Touch
- Knowledge with the mobile app development life cycle
- Experience in offline storage and performance tuning
- Understanding of code versioning tools such as Git
- Experience with different iOS frameworks such as Core Animation and Core Data
- Experience with third-party services and APIs for the iOS platform
- Clear understanding of Appleโs iOS development process and guidelines
Questions to ask when hiring iOS Developers
Aside from knowing what to look for in native iOS developers, asking the right questions will also come in very handy when hiring them. These questions could answer what you want and what the candidate should have. Here are sample questions relevant to hiring iOS developers.
Questions for your candidates
What technologies for iOS development do you know and how do you use them?
This question gives you an insight into the range of technologies that your candidate has experienced working. You can also assess how far, in terms of scope, they will be able to handle the tasks once you have them on board.
How will you describe the differences between Objective-C and Swift?
Experience in iOS development entails that candidates should already know what Objective-C and Swift are. Through this, you would be able to assess their knowledge in terms of iOS development and their experience in working with Objective-C. Regardless, a junior level iOS developer needs to know the difference between Swift and Objective-C and how to use them.
What are the differences between Structures and Classes?
It is good to ask technical questions when interviewing applicants or candidates to test how knowledgeable they are in definitions and uses of the common terminology used in development. This type of questionโlike the previous oneโhelps you identify their gauge on the field. To answer this question, structures are value types and do not support inheritance. Classes, on the other hand, are reference types and support inheritance.
How do you introduce Swift development to beginners?
Good teachers are good listeners. This question gives you an insight on how your candidate can support their fellow developers when it comes to problem-solving or knowledge discussions. Their answer also determines if they are good listeners by the way they relay the information they have previously learned.
How can you explain resource management in iOS development?
Resource management is an important skill in iOS development as this encompasses task handling and memory leak management. Memory leaks are common challenges in iOS development. This question will help you assess how the candidates are able to handle such situations. This will test their skills on memory, instruments, and debugging which are very essential as a developer.
Questions for hiring
What fits your budget?
Startup companies often struggle with onboarding developers due to budget constraints. Sometimes, timelines are jeopardized because of the lack of developers working on a project. Before hiring, ask yourself what fits your companyโs budget and what can they contribute to the company if you open up a new department for developers.
In recent years, business process outsourcing in the IT industry soared and shows no signs of stopping. The BPO industry not only provides opportunities for work in developing countries, it also gives an avenue for startup companies to operate parts of their business processes abroad with lesser cost. Thus, outsourcing and offshoring provided companies their business needs with just the right budget.
Where to look for in developers?
It can be challenging to hire developers locally since developer rates in the United States is relatively higher compared to other territories. This may ensue a budget constraint for businesses, especially for startups.
Offshoring offers an option for companies to do parts of their business abroad. Aside from the many advantages, offshoring is also very cost-effective since you can develop the same project at a much lower cost.
Have you heard of Full Scale?
Full Scale is one of the top offshoring companies in Cebu City, Philippines. We offer software development, graphic design, and content development services among others. We also offer top-tier native iOS developers ready to take on development jobs for your business!
At Full Scale, we hire developers who are skilled and experienced in software and application development for multiple platforms. Through our Guided Development process, we will let you have an overview and control of the development while we take care of recruiting, assessing, and employing the top developers that we can find to work on your project. You donโt have to worry about the tedious process of hiring developers on your own.
Get to know more about us by accessing our website or sending us a message!
Matt Watson is a serial tech entrepreneur who has started four companies and had a nine-figure exit. He was the founder and CTO of VinSolutions, the #1 CRM software used in today’s automotive industry. He has over twenty years of experience working as a tech CTO and building cutting-edge SaaS solutions.
As the CEO of Full Scale, he has helped over 100 tech companies build their software services and development teams. Full Scale specializes in helping tech companies grow by augmenting their in-house teams with software development talent from the Philippines.
Matt hosts Startup Hustle, a top podcast about entrepreneurship with over 6 million downloads. He has a wealth of knowledge about startups and business from his personal experience and from interviewing hundreds of other entrepreneurs.