How to Hire Developers for a Startup: Proven Tips

What do skyscrapers and successful startups have in common? A skyscraper needs a solid foundation on bedrock to withstand shifting, and a startup should have solid principles and promising ideas at the core to meet the market competition. Also, to remain steady and tower up, skyscrapers require steel skeletons, and in startups, it's the development team that fulfills the function of such a backbone. So, how to hire developers for a startup to stay afloat and evolve?

A detailed answer and our time-tested recommendations await you below, so let's get started!

Who to Headhunt for?

Well, this question is a crucial one! Thus, before the hiring process starts, you should draw up the profiles of the specialists needed on the team. And to make sure you're hitting the right path, have a look at the cheat sheet we've prepared for you.

Different Developers — Different Tasks

First, check the functions of various software developers and decide what specialists to headhunt for.

• To stay user-friendly, find a dedicated front-end developer who will take responsibility for all visual aspects of a product (buttons, navigation menu, fonts, etc.).
• A back-end developer is the one who takes control over the server-side of an application that is responsible for storing and arranging the data.
• A technical specialist, able to create both the client side and the server side for your software solution, is a full-stack developer.
• To launch an upscale iOS or Android app, you'll need an experienced mobile developer with deep knowledge of programming languages (Swift, JavaScript, Kotlin) and frameworks (Flutter, React Native).
• To build a website or a web application, hire a proactive web developer. Since such specialists are frequently involved in front-end and back-end development, they are also considered full-stack developers.
• For a startup specialized in cloud solutions, you'll need a well-knit team of cloud developers. These specialists should have several languages (Python, Go, C) and frameworks (.NET) up their sleeves to implement cloud migration and manage cloud-based apps.
• A database developer is the one who designs and manages computer databases with the help of such languages as SQL, Ruby, Python, or Node.

Must Qualities for Tech Talent

Once the tech specialists are defined, think through the soft skills they should have. Here are our recommendations.

• For a software developer, excellent communication skills are a must.
• Being able to cooperate with a team effectively and specify tasks make a developer a valuable team player.
• Active listening skills will also be an advantage.
• The ability of multitasking adds a competitive edge to a candidate.
• Being able to manage time and resources in compliance with the amount of work will be a tangible benefit.
• Making the right decisions even under pressure is another valuable quality you should pay attention to when hiring a developer for your startup.

Is It That Hard to Find Developers for Your Startup?

We want to be honest with you, so yes, finding the right people for your team is a hard game to play. This fact is proved by the statistics that say 86% of IT leaders face challenges when hiring developers. But what complicates the process?

Fierce Market Competition

Every day, the market is replenished with newborn startups, which increases the competition and puts spokes in the wheels of other players. So, to surmount the challenge and succeed, you'll need a savvier hiring strategy, a considerable supply of resources, and a clear vision of how to enhance the world with the help of technologies.

Lack of Resources

This is a bottleneck for many startups. To hire a developer of a senior level, you need to stand out among the other startup founders. Offering a high salary or additional perks to experienced specialists will likely become the solution, but, as a rule, startups don't have much to offer. If this is your case, try to attract mid-level developers by offering them leading positions in your company. Still, keep in mind that this option may also bring certain pitfalls.

Communication Silos

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread the idea of remote work all over the globe. And this has only intensified the problem of communication silos. Before the pandemic, managers had to adjust the communication only between several teams in the office. Today, with the teams scattered across different countries, time zones, and cultural environments, making everything work smoothly has become a real challenge.

If any of these issues do ring a bell to you, don't worry, we've already found the solution. Just read on!

Outsourcing vs. Offshoring

Outsourcing is the best way to hire a dedicated team of developers at a favorable price tag. Still, people tend to mix it up with offshoring. So, let's figure everything out!

If a company relocates certain operational processes (accounting, support, etc.) to a foreign country to optimize taxes or reduce costs, it means we're witnessing offshoring in practice.

When you delegate certain development processes to a third party (either in your home country or abroad) to reap the benefits of quality work at a lower price, this is outsourcing. By the way, IT outsourcing spending is predicted to reach $1.3 trillion by the end of 2023, and the reasons are obvious — with a reliable outsourcing partner, you get a fully-fledged team ready to join the development process at any stage.

How to Hire Developers for Startups in 5 Steps

Now, when you have a perfect team profile in mind and are familiar with job market challenges, we are ready to share with you our hiring strategy.

#1.  Define Employment Model

First, define whether you'll hire freelance specialists or outsourced ones. If you go for the second option, decide on the cooperation model (one-time consulting/per-month services/per-hour services).

#2. Select Country

At this stage, you should analyze the market and choose a preferred location for a talent pool. By the way, specialists from Eastern Europe like Qulix Systems can offer quality service at a favorable price.

#3. Scrutinize Job Boards

Now, you're finally ready to enter work marketplaces. Using such platforms as GitHub, AngelList, UpWork, or Stack Overflow, you'll certainly discover talented specialists. And to find a trustworthy outsourcing partner, check LinkedIn.

#4. Check Tech Stack & Hard Skills

Once the candidates are selected, it's high time to verify their working experience. Check the certificates, analyze the career path, scrutinize their tech stack, and don't forget to assess their skills with a technical knowledge test.

#5. Conduct Interview

If the candidates have passed the test with flying colors, it means they are ready for the job interview. When conducting the interview, try to check their soft skills and learn their personality. Ask them to tell you about their educational background, previous work experience, and hobbies. Also, give them the chance to independently assess the quality of their work. If you're satisfied with the results, don't hesitate to make a job offer.

Strategic Reminder

After compiling a development team for your startup, don't forget to take employees' satisfaction seriously. Motivate your team to share the values of the company's culture, create growth opportunities, and conduct educational seminars and language classes. Make your workers feel needed and show them that they are part of something worthy.

Looking for a reliable outsourcing partner? Please, contact us. Qulix Systems is a top-notch software development company ready to turn your ideas into quality products.