For many tech recruiters, selecting the right personnel for many IT jobs is pretty straightforward. However, when it comes to employing the best software developer, it takes more than just reviewing loads of applications. Unlike some other technical professions, the demand for software developers is always high. The reason is that they contribute significantly to an enterprise’s growth by building robust products and services.
Hiring managers must follow a firm employment process to find the right software developer and empower a harmonious working relationship. Managers should be able to distinguish a great developer from an average one. Understand that a great developer’s efficiency is five times that of an average programmer and ten times that of an inept developer. That’s why the key to employing developers is to look beyond the developer’s technical skills and examine the candidate’s soft skills.
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Five Soft Skills to Look for When Hiring Software Developers
The shrinking talent market is a brutal condition; thousands of enterprises are hiring from a narrow pool of skilled programmers. And, this fierce battle over talent is overwhelming for tech recruiters working in small and mid-sized enterprises. It takes a lot to employ the right programmer and even one small slip-up can cost a fortune.
When tech managers want to create innovative products and turn them into constructive business models, they need great developers who can effectively provide a roadmap to achieving objectives. That’s why as a manager, the following are the traits to look for when employing software developers:
1. Have Collaborative Affinities in their Arsenal
Many IT leaders think that investing in the latest tools and technologies is the most obvious way to attain a successful business model. However, they must understand that technology can only be effective when a powerful collaboration strategy supports them.
That’s why, leaders should look for software developers with effective teamwork and collaboration skills. They should be able to interact and stimulate other team members to execute projects in a seamless way. Software developers working independently can lead to restraints in ideation and delayed results, thereby increasing stress and workload. When leaders have a team of collaborative developers who leverage each other’s strengths to discover the best possible solution, they can drive innovation, establish effective processes, and increase project success.
2. Knack to Overcome Failures
In the context of software development, taking chances and risks is inevitable. There’s a high chance that technical team members or managers will make mistakes along the way. The basis for an IT startup or enterprise on a path to success is the ability to stay resolute through failures.
In other words, if tech leaders want to drive project success, they should be prepared to deal with the challenges that originate with it. That’s why, when leaders hire software programmers; they must ensure that the candidate tends to overcome the failures while intending to learn through them.
3. Self-learning
Sourcing software developers with the skill of self-learning can incredibly benefit tech managers at their workplace. Self-learning can equip developers with the ability to discover problems and quickly troubleshoot them on their own. The StackOver Flow 2023 Survey cites that developers, who learn a new programming language or technology on their own, can build and market solutions 75% faster than average programmers.
When a developer is passionate and curious about a tech project, nothing is stopping them from achieving the skills to become a great software developer. As the IT ecosystem is constantly evolving, programmers must keep up-to-date with the latest trends and news. Whether it’s learning a new language or experimenting an innovative technology, continuous learning, and up-gradation are worthy soft skills for a software developer to possess.
Furthermore, self-learning helps programmers expand their problem-solving and avoid getting stuck in project obstructions. Learning new concepts is far easier now since there are a range of freely available sources on the Internet. By leveraging online courses and code repositories, such as StackOverflow and GitHub, programmers can upgrade their skills.
4. Leadership
Leadership is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood skills. Many hiring managers relate leadership with designation and authority; however, leadership does not denote being in complete control. On the other hand, software developers with leadership skills are those who bring out the best in their associates and the enterprise as a whole.
Developers with leadership skills have emotional intelligence and the capability to overcome barriers that may occur in knowledge transfer and information exchange. Hiring managers can conduct leadership skills tests to evaluate candidate’s experience in people and workforce management, delegation, team mentoring, and facilitation.
5. Cognitive Intelligence
Developers with a commitment to precision and accuracy do pay attention to key details. They take the time to make sure that their work is of the utmost possible quality and consider mistakes that could have been eliminated.
This attention to detail-approach helps in functioning far superior to that of professionals who lack a basic level of focus and devotion. Over time, cognitive intelligence skills enable developers to refine the way they address problems and identify new development methodologies. In short, developers become capable of anticipating problems in a software project and creating possible solutions.
Finding the Reliable Software Developers – Tips for Hiring Managers
Determining the Way to Hire Software Developers
In the digital era, there’s no defined structure for employing a software developer. Digitization and remote working ecosystems have opened up all the borders for tech recruiters to hire software developers rapidly yet strategically for their projects. When recruiters have a global pool of talented programmers to choose from, their chances of onboarding a competent candidate are high.
Tech recruiters have multiple avenues/services to choose from that can help them find reliable software developers. For example –
- They can ask their in-house team members to refer candidates
- Seek the help of a recruitment and staffing firm to help them discover experienced software developers
- Outsourcing the development project to an offshore company is another option that recruiters can benefit from
However, recruiters must ensure to perform trial periods before making the final decision. A trial period offers ample time and the chance for both recruiters and the candidate to assess cultural fitness and compatibility. By doing so, finding developers becomes more easier and recruiters can avoid significant consequences or loss of valuable time and money.
Clarify Goals and Values
Hiring a software programmer who can effortlessly fit within an enterprise’s values and culture is highly important. Discovering a candidate with such a character is a time-intensive task. Though recruiters must ensure that their goals and the developer’s interests equate. Also, hiring managers need to understand that not all programmers wish to work in all types of the business ecosystem, particularly if the manager’s objective is to establish a long-term relationship.
Hiring specialists should always ask the right questions if they want to evaluate and compare the goals with the candidate’s ambitious values. For instance:
- Ask them about their workplace interests
- What kind of projects they are interested to work in?
- What kind of work infrastructure would make them highly productive/contented?
Review Portfolio and Past Experiences
While finding software coders for hire, tech recruiters should onboard an expert who clearly apprehends the coding concepts and various stages involved in the development cycle. One of the ways recruiters can do so is by reviewing their portfolio and past project experience.
This offers a wide perspective of the candidate’s skills and abilities and the exposure they gained from projects. Make sure to meticulously assess their accomplished projects to obtain a detailed look at their software development skills. A recent strategy report found that when enterprises hire software coders without any real-time project experience, then they might risk losing 30% to 40% of operational costs.
However, this compilation of professional records and work samples will enable hiring managers to find developers with experience in a similar sector or project scope. Likewise, managers should consider it a red flag when applicants hesitate to disclose their portfolio and recent project experience.
Always Acquire Value for Money
For hiring managers, it is always wise to go for the most cost-friendly software developer for their team. But it might also go wrong when the applicant with the low demanding salary may lack the essential experience and appropriate tech knowledge for the project.
Similarly, investing a major amount of resources in hiring personnel with huge salary demands doesn’t certainly correlate to the developer’s competence and skillset. Hence, it is of the utmost importance that recruiters should trade off the money they’re spending and the key competencies required for the project.
In short, recruiters should not lose time and money just to onboard a software developer with incredible and loaded CVs. When the project doesn’t have the demand for such personnel, then recruiters must calculate and assess the objectives and hire professionals with relevant skills and experience to uphold a smooth equilibrium. Only then tech managers can effectively deliver projects.
Closing Thoughts
The list of soft skills and tips serves as a reminder of what recruiters should look for while hiring developers and why invest in appropriate training. Shaping the future workforce is the key responsibility of every hiring manager. Hence, recruiters need to employ software professionals who can augment their project’s profitability through their combined technical and soft skills and speed.
