Last Updated on 2025-01-27
To form a reliable development team, you need the cream of the crop as you hire app developers. But are there any indications that an applicant is the best person to hire? Here are the top qualities of developers to look out for.
Over the years, the tech industry has seen a dramatic increase in terms of market share. New businesses have opened to cater to the demands of the market. It also goes without saying that many new talent is emerging.
As a business owner, you may be planning to hire mobile app developers to expand your operation. Or you may just be starting to hire developers for your first development team. But recruitment is not as easy as it sounds. One wrong hire can compromise your business and waste your resources.
So in a sea of applicants, how do you filter the best ones? Are there any qualities that you should look out for?
Hire App Developers with These 9 Traits
Check out our list of qualities that top developers possess. Use this as a guide to review whether the candidate can help you achieve your business goals. After all, aside from the technical abilities, there are soft skills you ought to consider as you hire app developers.
1. High-Level Portfolio
What is the most tangible evidence of a developer’s capabilities? Look at their portfolio and review what they have done so far.
This helps you point out whether they have the skills and experience for your project. And, it can be the deciding factor when two applicants are at par with each other. If it happens, choose the one with the noteworthy portfolio.
Now, if their portfolios show that they have developed a similar project before, then it’s a good thing. And it’s even greater if they have created something better than what you have in mind. In both circumstances, you can take advantage of their prior knowledge and improve your plans ahead.
2. Meaningful Experience and Track Record
You may be looking at the most robust resume on the pile at your table. But it’s no use if the experience and track record are not relevant to your project.
Most importantly, don’t focus on the names of the companies they have worked for before. You should rather evaluate the kind of feedback that they received while employed by another business.
A couple of app developers may have worked for Google, but have they received favorable feedback as an employee? It’s better to check testimonials and recommendations from previous employers.
3. Strong Technical Skills
The best job candidate is one who is fluent in the programming language of your project. Understandably, not everyone can master all popular programming languages out there. But it would be great if the candidate is considered a specialist in your chosen language.
Moreover, the developer must also be familiar with your tech stack and cross-platform solutions. This way, when issues come along the way, the newly hired developer knows how to navigate them using the technology available.
Most companies nowadays also prefer those who can follow Agile frameworks. Scrum, Lean, and Kanban make app development more efficient.
Lastly, the learning process must not end there. The developer must also possess the drive to continuously learn. Strengthening one’s mental aptitude will enable the professional to handle any project and tech updates along the way.
4. Particular on Details
As the famous idiom goes, the devil is in the details. Therefore, you should look for a detail-oriented candidate when you hire app developers.
Even the smallest details are just as important as other major project specifications. So during the interview and skills assessment test, look for applicants who understand all the project requirements. And the candidate must be able to point out the minute points and their relevance to the whole picture.
5. User-Centric
Understanding the market needs is one thing. Creating an app that caters to that need is another topic. Thus, when you’re hiring for a developer, onboard the one that focuses on the needs of the target market.
The professional is expected to design and develop functionalities suited for the users. Hence, during the interview, you may want to ask interview questions that gauge this trait.
Or better yet, after checking their portfolios, download the app they created before. Try to assess its UI/UX design and other functionalities if it meets your expectations from a user’s perspective.
6. Great Time Management Skills
To reap the rewards of your recruitment, you must hire a developer with great time management skills. It is possible that some tasks may overlap, and may create a bottleneck somewhere in the process.
Therefore, you must hire an app developer with superior time management skills. This way, they will know how to prioritize tasks and deliver them within the deadline.
In addition to that, a good developer must not succumb to pressure. Instead the professional looks for ways to shorten other processes. And doing it without compromising the quality of the project to give way to other time-consuming tasks.
7. Good Communicator
Don’t underestimate the power of good communication skills. Most businesses often think that this soft skill only plays a minor role when looking for a good hire. However, it’s actually one of the most important skills to measure if you want to hire app developers that deliver.
Remember that effective communication can make or break your project. Without it, processes won’t become efficient. Miscommunication can also arise between the team and management. And the team can be in limbo with unclear instructions from each other.
Moreover, when you hire developers with good communication skills, they can talk to clients and resolve any concerns without a hitch.
8. Team Player
When you hire app developers, look for candidates with a collaborative spirit. These are people who can collaborate with other developers to achieve a common goal.
Remember that app development requires a high level of teamwork to create a product that works. Therefore, you should make sure that the one you onboard has this trait.
9. Awareness of Data Security
Along with technological advancements comes greater risks to the app and data security. According to the statistics from Cybersecurity Ventures, worldwide cybercrime damages are predicted to total $6 trillion USD in 2021. The cost is also expected to grow by 15 percent per over within the course of five years.
Given the numbers, a good candidate must be aware of the security risks and possess knowledge and understanding of data security. The candidate must also be committed to protecting the possible data pool from users of the app through precautionary measures.
Make the Right Decision as you Hire App Developers
Be sure to use these traits as a starting point in evaluating app developers for your business. Although there is no perfect applicant, top talent possess most of these qualities and more.
As a last note, if you need to build your software development team, Full Scale has the manpower to support your needs. We are an offshore development company with an extensive pool of highly skilled developers.
Leave the nitty-gritty details of hiring developers to us. Get started today!
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.
