Hiring someone for doing the legwork for creating an app can be difficult. It is more difficult for people who are doing it for the very first time. It may sound a little unpleasant but it takes some context to even hire a developer. Creating an app is a complex task and requires a series of steps. In these circumstances hiring someone for the development work can be tricky. Although worry not because we ourselves are an app development company which caters to clients from the USA majorly. Therefore in this article, we have tried to tell you about all the ways you can get your desired candidate. Therefore to know how to hire a programmer in 2020 read down the article below.
Skills needed to become a Developer in the USA
Programming Languages
Programming Languages have always been at the core of development. It is one of the foundations on How to Hire a Programmer. It is the core foundation of any developer and the person you are hiring must have clear logic. There is a multitude of languages that are available for a developer to use. Each of the languages brings its own set of convenience and challenges alongside. Although, taking up new languages and working with the old is very common in development. Therefore, below are some important old as well as new languages that one can look for in their prospective candidate.
Note: We have mentioned some of the most popular. Although, the basis on which you hire solely depends on what you seek.
Python
A lot of people think that Python is relatively newer to the market. Although, the first iteration of the language was launched in the year 1991. It was created by Guido
Van Rossum and this one is an interpreted, high-level general-purpose language. The language has many features such as functional programming, aspect-oriented programming etc. The reason why the language is gaining so much momentum is that it is very versatile and can be used for just about any sort of development.
Java
Java is among the much-renowned languages of this century. The language is used majorly in all small and big firms. Also, it is often classified as an important skill set. It is an object-oriented language and much of the earlier app development was done using the language. The major reason why the language was used so much was because of platform independence. It’s code worked on the concept of WORA(Write once read anywhere). This enabled the developers to do a lot more that wasn’t just specific to a particular system.
C/C++
C/C++ will take you back to the elementary age. C++ is the upgraded version of C. Both of these languages are still looked up and is widely used in many scenarios(including its latest version C#). C is a procedural language while C++ is a high-level language with the facility of classes added to it. This made programming more modular and helped developers to code clean and clutter-free. The initial release of C happened in 1972 and C++ dropped in the year 1985. Both of these languages have been widely used by a plethora of companies and developers until now. In fact, many new languages and frameworks have been developed using the language. They may be old but still relevant.
Javascript
Javascript, also known by the name JS is a very popular language in the frontend development domain. One can also say that it is the part of the holy trinity of web development where HTML and CSS are the other two. If you are into web development, it is a programming language that is of utmost importance. This one is an interpreted programming language that is multi-paradigm and just-in-time compiled. It is among the core technologies for world wide web and having a deep knowledge about this can be a stellar skillset.
Swift
Swift is majorly used in the development of iOS applications. It is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language that was developed by Apple itself. The language was developed to work with Apple’s framework which is Cocoa and Cocoa Touch Framework. The language was launched in the year 2014. In fact, if you have any code written on the previous versions then one can use the migration functionality in Xcode.
Golang
The language Golang or Go first appeared in the year 2009. The language was developed by Google. Some of the key people who were involved with the development are Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson. It is a statically typed compiled programming language. It is quite similar to C but comes with additional features like memory safety, garbage collection, structural typing, and CSP-Style concurrency.
R
A lot of people didn’t know about it to the point where Data Analytics has become this mainstream. R is a programming language that is used for statistical computing. The language is widely used by many statisticians and data miners. It can also be called a free software environment. The language was first launched in the year 1993 and is being used by a specific category of people. This is a language that is very much in demand but whether you wish to hire someone with this skill is entirely up to your choice.
PHP
This is among the most commonly used languages for web development. It is a general-purpose scripting language. The language first appeared in the year 1995. The code for PHP is generally used for creating the backend of websites. The code for this is generally used for creating the backend of a website. The language is very popular and there are very few chances that this will fade away. In fact, it is so common that most people begin to learn how to program their websites using it.
Kotlin
Kotlin is a cross-platform language that is statically typed with type inference. The language is made so that it can operate fully with Java and JVM. It is a multi-paradigm language that was developed by Jetbrains. The language first appeared in the year 2011. It is object-oriented and considered better than Java on many occasions.
It is a much-preferred language for Android and if you are looking for an Android this could make the criteria.
Dart
DART was first launched in the year 2011. Although, it became a lot popular recently because of the framework launched by Google known by the name Flutter. This one is a client-optimised programming language that can be used for multiple platforms. This can be in the skill set if you are thinking of working with flutter and churn out applications using it.
Frameworks
There are multiple frameworks that one can use. These frameworks have been there for quite a while and are a real help for any programmer. They may not be a great reason to hire at least for a fresher. Although, if you are hiring an experienced programmer for freelance work then it is a necessary skill. These frameworks let you take maximum advantage of any language and enables you to write code, compile, run, and test(to a certain degree) at the same time. The frameworks can be mainly divided into two parts.
Frameworks for Backend
Django
Django uses Python for developing applications. It is a Model-View-Template framework. This one is a free and open-source framework that is being maintained by Django Software Foundation. The initial release of the framework was in the year 2005. Although, it was created 2 years earlier in 2003. Many big companies use the framework for development. Some of them are Google, Youtube, Instagram, Mozilla etc. It is a web-based framework and is being effectively used in the industry.
Laravel
Laravel is another really popular framework that is being used for PHP development. It works on the architectural pattern of model-view-controller. It offers a variety of great features and makes the development in PHP more secure and modular. The initial release of the framework was in the year 2011. This was designed as an alternative to CodeIgnitor Framework for authentication and authorisation in which the other framework failed. The first iteration of the framework gave access to things like localisation, models, authentication, views, session, and other things.
Note: There can be many other names that can be mentioned in the list. Although, we feel that these are some of the best.
Frameworks for Frontend
React Native
React Native is among the most popular framework that is used to create a frontend for hybrid application. The framework allows the developer to write code for Android, iOS, Web, and UWP. The framework was created by Facebook to make their application better. The initial release of the application took place in the year 2015. It is a successor to ReactJS and is being widely used by many companies for development. This framework does not make use of HTML or CSS rather most of the coding is done using JAVA, Objective C, and Swift. This is also the reason why the language is so flexible.
Angular
Angular is another very popular framework that is used for creating frontend. It is an open-source web application framework that is based on Typescript. The development team for the framework was led by Google and a community of other individuals. The initial release of the framework happened in the year 2016 and currently, it is running its 9th version. It is a widely used framework in the market and can be considered an appropriate skill for a deserving candidate.
Flutter
Flutter is Google’s response to Facebook after they launched to React Native. It is not as popular as React Native but the future is quite promising with this framework. The sole reason why this has been mentioned is that it is a great framework. This one provides 100% code reusability among different platforms. Also, it comes with a decent amount of features. The great widgets and Hot Reload is some of the major highlights of this framework.
Technologies
Internet of Things
The definition of IoT or Internet of Things can be quite complex. Although in simplicity one can define it as creating an app that can control a device. This is the most profound usage of IoT as a technology in today’s date. The term evolved when a plethora of other technologies came together. Some of these are real-time analytics, machine learning, embedded systems, commodity sensors etc. This technology has brought out the emergence of smart devices. Also, a lot of people are working in the stream.
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence or Machine Intelligence is termed as any sort of intelligence that can be shown by a machine or a computer system. It has been a buzzword for decades and a lot of work has been done in the field. Although in contrast to what some people might not believe but the technology is already at play. Some of the examples of today’s implementation of AI can be stated as Speech Recognition, Automated Driver Systems, Simulations, Games etc. The technology may not be as strong or vicious as Skynet but there are a whole lot of applications that can be seen.
Cloud Services
A couple of years back, it wasn’t a serious skill since a limited amount of services took the use of the server. Although, after the emergence of applications, a lot of these started to make use of them. This led to many on-demand dedicated services like Amazon AWS, Azure, and many more like it. To work effectively with these, the developer using them as a resource must know to inculcate them better in an app. It is an essential skill these days and can be considered seriously for hiring a programmer in 2020.
Other Miscellaneous Skills
Analytical Skills: A lot of freshers are tested for their analytical abilities. It is essential for the trade since it often requires breaking down complex ideas. In fact, I would go as far as to say that coding is logical creativity. It requires a lot of mental exercises to break complex features into something more conceivable. This requires the desired candidate to have analytical skills. The best way to test it is by checking the aptitude of the candidate in terms of logical abilities.
Verbal & Communication Skill: These are almost mandatory skills for a developer to have. It may not be needed strongly but to the extent where one can express him/herself. The fluency is generally needed for English which is more of a global language. Although, this is one quality that can be checked during the interview.
Team Management: Well, a lot of movies show prodigies making an entire app overnight. I don’t know in which dimension that can happen where one can roll out a full-fledged app in a night but this isn’t exactly the case. It takes a team to complete a full-fledged application and a decent amount of skills. This requires coherence, therefore, it becomes a little essential to check the innate quality of a fresher to be in a team and an experienced developer to lead a team in times of need.
Methodologies(like DevOps): Well, there are two prominent methodologies in the industry: Agile and DevOps. If you are a big company then it can be an essential part of your hiring process especially if you are considering an experienced person. In a big enterprise, it becomes essential that both the developers and the testers can work hand in hand. By using these methodologies it is made possible since all the employees contribute to a single project on a daily basis. This requires the capability of any employees to work with these methodologies effectively.
Model of Hiring
Fixed Price: This kind of model is best for people who have fixed specifications and they won’t change over time. You must have a clear and defined feature list for this one. In this, the development team would generally quote a price and after that price will be paid in instalments every time a milestone is completed. Make sure to go for this only if you don’t have fixed and it won’t change over time.
Hourly Development: This kind of pricing methodology is used whenever a company hires someone for a certain chore. Suppose you already have an app which lacks certain features or simply needs some bug correction. Well, in these circumstances, it is better to hire a couple of developers despite an entire team. In this, you will be paying for the hourly wage of a developer. It can be expensive in the long run but is quite effective if you need to hire for small work.
Phase Payment: It is among the most effective methods of paying. In this method, the client and the development firm divides the work into phases and the price of reaching that particular milestone. It is one of the most effective ways since here if you are unsatisfied with a company’s work then you are not stuck. All you have to do is just take the work to that point, pay up, and leave.
Dedicated Team: It is quite similar to hourly development. Although despite hiring a single or a couple of developers, one can hire an entire team. Here, one can get a team of developers to work on an entire project or piece of work. It is another great way of getting your work done especially if the beta version of your app is complete.
Strategies to Find an App Developer in 2020
Referrals: This is one of the most common ways a recruiter finds out new developers for their firms. A lot of employees refer their known peers to the HR department of their company. This method works well since you have your previous employee as the guarantee. Also, the selection of the candidate depends on his/her capabilities.
It is more of a symbiotic way where everyone takes benefits. In fact, this can also be done on a small scale where you can get a developer to work for you which has been referred to by your peers. The developer will already have been tested by your friends and you can cross-review his/her previous work.
Freelance Platforms: There are multiple freelance platforms from where one can hire a dev for themselves. There are websites like Freelancer and Upwork that allows you to do that. There you can find a plethora of freelancers who are well-versed with different technologies. Also, the communities provide proper reviews and projects they have worked on. These websites also provide freelancers that charge differently in terms of an hourly rate.
Developer Conference & Meetups: Well, there are many developer’s conferences and meetups that happen in every major city. These conventions are a great place to hire someone. Here you can find candidates who might be working or have worked for stellar ventures. In fact, if you have a specific idea in mind there are chances that you most likely get someone for your odd requirement.
Developer Communities & Forums: There are multiple online communities like StackOverflow, XDA Developers, Github etc. where one can find suited developers. There can be times where you might have to approach the candidates by yourself. Although, often a lot of programmers provide their good work on the forums and expect to get hired by a decent firm.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is an entire service that has been made to cater to corporate employees. It is more of a social media for people who are already employed or looking forward to employment. Here you can find a profile for almost every company and also the employees who are working there. LinkedIn has become one of the major ways of hiring an employee than any other platform.
Quora: Chances of hiring a developer that can be trusted from Quora might be questionable. Although, it is one common forum where a lot of questions are answered. Some of them are related to technology and development. In these threads, one might be capable of finding a suitor for your work. In fact, some people often post regarding their availability or the work they do.
Social Media: If we talk about Social Media then there are three major platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Each of these social media platforms can be compared to an online developers forum. Why? Well, there are specific pages on these websites where people post their requirements upon joining and they get replies from other interested developers on the same.
Hackathon: This is one way how many big tech giants are hiring developers. In fact, some websites provide a platform to these companies for hiring by making use of hackathons. Some of these can be named as HackerRank, Codechef, CoderByte, HackerEarth etc. The developers create a personal profile and based on their ranking & scores, one can decide whether to hire him/her or not.
Staffing Agencies: These are nothing but other talent acquisition companies that do the work of hiring on behalf of other companies. These agencies generally work with many companies supplying them candidates and if their candidate is selected and sticks for a while then they get the referral money.
Job Boards: Job Boards are simply places where one can post that they are looking for a job. A lot of countries have their specific job boards and also multiple companies hire using them. The user might put up his qualifications and work there. From there onwards, any company can hire a prospective candidate. Also, the candidate can find a suitable company for him/herself.
Hiring Marketplace: There is a variety of marketplace where one can hire a developer for freelance. These will take a few seconds and based on your requirement will get you someone who is an expert in the field. Some of the websites where you can do so are Developersforhire, Toptal, Gigster, Github Job etc. These kinds of websites are great if you have a specific job to complete.
So this was our insight on how to hire a programmer in 2020. In case, if you are looking for a dependable app development company who can provide a developer then maybe we can help. To send us an enquiry mail us at [email protected]. We have also written an article on Top Mobile App Development Companies in Denver, therefore, to reach the article click on the link provided. We hope this article may have been of some help to you. Also, thank you for reading it until the end.
