Before you hire a programmer, you should know how to assess their capabilities. Here are some tips for assessing and hiring a programmer so you can find one that will meet the needs of your business sufficiently.
Programmers can help you if you need help building applications or any other kind of software. However, if you’ve never worked with one before, you might not know how to find the right programmer for your needs.
Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to help you do things the right way when hiring a programmer.
In fact, if you keep reading, you’ll learn 7 tips that can be used to help you assess and find a programmer for your chosen project.
Let’s begin!
1. Know What You Want to Build
You need to think about what it is you want to build. Different kinds of programmers specialize in different things.
If you want to find the best programmer for your project, you first need to know what you want help with.
Once you know that you can then find someone who is a specialist in that kind of programming. For example, if you need help with building iOS apps, you will need the help of an iOS developer.
2. Think About How Much You Can Afford to Spend
You need to think about how much you can afford to spend on hiring a programmer. If you are on a budget, you might not be able to hire a programmer that has a ton of experience.
In this kind of situation, there are generally two routes you can take.
The first is to hire a freelance programmer, who is just starting out.
They will be happy to take a cheaper than usual rate, just to build up their portfolio. When you are working with an up and coming programmer, you will need to have some patience.
They might need a little bit more direction, in terms of how you want things done. They’ll also need to learn how to get certain tasks done.
Suppose you want to build a specific feature in your program. The programmer might not have come across this kind of feature before.
They will, therefore, have to put some time into learning how this feature can be built. This does not mean they will do a bad job. It’s just that it will take a little bit longer for them to create the end product.
There is also the option of working with a programmer/programmer agency from another country.
Foreign countries come with cheaper labor costs and can pass these cheaper rates on to you.
When you are working with a foreign programmer, make sure you provide them with clear instructions. This will ensure that there are no miscommunications. You might also want to ask them to sign an NDA.
3. Look at Examples of Past Work
Past work can be a good indicator of how talented a programmer is. If you are working with a programmer who does not have a lot of experience that is fine.
They should still be able to show you things that they have built. If you are unable to find examples of past work, you might want to practice some caution.
4. Make Sure You Can Work with This Person
When you are working with a programmer, things can become quite stressful. It is important, therefore, that you are working with someone you will be able to get along with.
If you do not think that this is the case, you will encounter a lot of frustration during the project. Pay attention to how you feel during the initial consultation process. If you find that it is easy to talk to them and that they take your ideas on board, it is generally a good sign.
5. Start off Slow
When you are working with a new programmer, make sure you do not start off with a massive project. You should first give them a small project. This will let you see how good they are.
If they do a good job with this small project, it lets you know that they will likely be able to deliver on smaller projects.
If you need to, you might even ask them to take a small test. You can use services such as this website, to help you test the skills of programmer you are thinking about working with.
6. Make Your Expectations Clear
When you are working with a programmer it is important that you make your expectations clear. The programmer should know what is expected of them. This means that you need to spell out what work you want to be done and by when.
If you do not do this, it could lead to delays. The programmer might feel as though they can take things at their own pace. The problem with this is that their pace might be slow.
If you are on a tight deadline, make sure you communicate this clearly with the person/agency you are working with.
If they tell you that they are unable to stick to this deadline, don’t be too quick to fire them.
Ask them why it might take a little longer. Normally they will have a good reason and it might not be due to lack of productivity. It might be down to the fact that it takes time to create your specific program.
After all, if you have no experience with programming, it is hard to work out how much work is involved in the creation of something.
7. Check in Regularly
Make sure you check in on a regular basis. Do not leave a programmer for weeks at a time. If you do this, they might end up creating something that does not match your specification.
You can avoid this by asking them to send you a weekly update on how things are going.
Ready to Think About Hiring a Programmer?
If you’ve never done so before, the thought of hiring a programmer can be intimidating.
In this post, we’ve taken a look at some of the things you can do to make the task easier. You need to make sure you are aware of your needs. You also need to know what your budget is.
It’s also important that you test the skills of the programmer. This will let you work out if the programmer is as good as they say they are.
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