App development is on the rise today as more and more users enjoy customized service via mobile apps. Thus, every business targeting better customer service and wishing to strengthen its competitive position in the market develops a branded app to create an additional point of contact with customers. Apps vary by quality and user-friendliness, and in many cases, it is the app’s usability that affects clients’ perception of the brand and its reputation. Stakes are too high, so all business owners planning the creation of their branded app should invest enough time and effort to hire an app developer of proper expertise and qualification.
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Main Recruitment Models
Three primary hiring models are popular in the IT sector today: in-house recruitment, freelance work on a project basis, and hiring of offshore developers. Let’s dwell in each of them in a bit more detail.
- In-house recruitment
By hiring someone in-house, you get that employee to your office to work in your team. That’s a traditional hiring model that most employers prefer for full control over staff and privacy protection. However, it is also the costliest model as the employer needs to provide staff with working space and equipment, pay them full-time salaries and social packages, pay taxes for them, and handle many additional financial aspects of in-house staffing.
- Freelancers
Finding a freelancer for some short-term task is the cheapest recruitment option, but it’s also the riskiest one. Freelancers work far away under no guidance from your side, so failing deadlines, poor communication, simple disappearance from the project, or data leakage are possible.
- Offshore developers
Hiring offshore developers is the golden middle between in-house and freelance recruitment. The employer hires an individual or team working in the vendor’s office, under the guidance of the middleman and in its territory. The benefits of this hiring model include cost-efficiency compared to full-time employment, access to cheaper outsourced talent, and a greater level of control over the offshore staff as compared to that of freelance workforce use.
Issues to Consider at the Job Interview
As soon as you have found several candidates for the position and want to find the app developer suiting your project needs the best, it’s high time to conduct interviews. At this stage, it’s crucial to pay attention to the following characteristics:
- The candidate’s work experience
It’s illogical to hire a beginner if you expect to get a premium product, or to seek a senior-level app developer for a project on a tight, small budget.
- Soft skills
Many employers pay attention only to tech skills of the candidate but ignore his/her ability to work in a team, communication skills, conflict resolution aptitude, and the rest of basic skills required for teamwork. Even the greatest minds in the work of programming can be absolutely incapable of handling team tasks and hiring a software development genius does not guarantee your project success.
- Salary expectations
It’s better to discuss payment at once as problems may arise from misunderstanding during the project’s progression, which is bad for the outcome. Sign a contract to stipulate how much the app developer will earn. These arrangements will make your collaboration much easier and more convenient.
What If You Hire the Wrong Person?
Unfortunately, hiring a poorly skilled or simply non-suitable app developer may pose the entire project at risk and undermine your business. Most often, the consequences of wrong recruitment decisions include:
- Reduced performance
- Hindered team effectiveness and conflict
- Poor product quality
- Staff turnover.
You surely don’t want all this to happen to your business, right? The best way to avoid this is to find the right people to your team – the ones who will complement each other, who will work together to achieve a common goal, and who will value your business objectives. App developers often function as strategic assets in the team, and the missing link of such importance makes the entire chain holding your business afloat too fragile.
The Value of Finding Your Ideal Fit
Needless to say, if you hire an app developer who understands your business well and creates a perfect app that serves as its logical extension, you will benefit enormously. Besides, a good employee immersing into the team and becoming its integral part is always a strategic asset. So, based on this review, we strongly recommend taking the hiring decisions seriously, especially when it comes to crafting an app for your loyal customers.