Full Guide on How to Hire Remote Developers
Talented developers are the backbone of any company, be it a fast-growing startup or a well-established business. Any organization needs skilled programmers to help it grow and outrun its competitors.
Considering the current situation in the world, hiring remote developers is the new fashion because it ensures safe working environments and offers access to global talent.
Nevertheless, if you decide to hire remote developers, you might face specific challenges, especially if you have never worked from home.
Finding suitable candidates, looking through their CVs, and selecting top applicants can be a turmoil for many businesses. Also, the fact that you can’t be 100% sure if the person fits your team until they start working turns this process into an arduous journey.
If you have a bunch of questions revolving around hiring remote developers, this article is for you. In this guide, Qubit Labs will address the concerns by walking you through the major steps of the remote hiring process.
Hire Remote Developers by Following 3 Simple Steps
Although each company aims to hire remote developers in a custom way that matches its goals and values, there are some time-tested practices you can leverage.
Before moving to the guide itself, you should clarify for yourself why exactly you’re looking for remote developers. What reasons made you decide to establish a team that works from home?
Usually, the business owners aren’t quite sure whether they actually need it. So, if any of the following benefits of remote development teams touches upon your company’s goals — it’s time to hire remote developers:
- cost saving
- access to a global talent pool
- increased productivity
- higher autonomy
- increased motivation
- reduced staff turnover
- greater flexibility
These are just some advantages you can get when establishing a virtual office. And now, let’s see the three main steps of the hiring process that will eventually lead your company to greater opportunities.
Step 1. Choose the Right Places to Hire Remote Software Developers
Defining the existing scope of work and catching up with the available team members is what you need to do before diving into headhunting. In this way, you’ll have a clear understanding of the current short-term and long-term goals, budgeting constraints, and the number of tasks each team member handles.
You need to complete this step before hiring. It will help you create well-defined job descriptions and give relevant answers to the candidates.
There are various hiring channels you can opt for, from LinkedIn and similar platforms to outsourcing. They all have their pros and cons, so the choice relies on your business goals and preferences. You can combine some of them to handpick the specialists and then build a team or find a hiring partner that will take care of all these activities.
Here are some of the most popular options to consider:
Hire Remote Developers on a Freelance Basis
Although hiring freelancers might not seem a perfect option for everyone, it still has various benefits. For example, you don’t have to pay these employees’ health insurance and social security. Besides, you can hire a freelance developer in a country where living costs are lower.
Also, multiple freelance platforms implement strict security policies, so you don’t have to worry about the risks if you choose a reliable website.
Freelancers are the ones responsible for their income. That’s why they’re interested in delivering high-quality services to continue cooperating with you and receiving payment for their work.
If you want to know more about the average hourly rates for offshore development services, make sure to check our recent article.
You can find freelance developers on:
- Upwork
- Toptal
- Behance
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
- PeoplePerHour
- FlexJobs
- NoDesk
- Working Nomads
- Jobspresso
Also, you can use such developer communities as GitHub, Hacker News, and StackOverflow to put your job postings there.
Build Dedicated Teams with Remote Developers for Hire
Qubit Labs is a company that helps businesses set up effective development teams fast, simply, and efficiently.
With us, you can hire vetted programmers who will deliver various services, from web development to game industry products. Also, we can help you with setting up an offshore development center. Whether you need one specialist or a cross-functional team, we’ll help you find the right professionals.
Just tell us your requirements, and voila — you have a talented software development team at your command.
We’ll handle all the hiring, administrative, and management issues while you focus on core business goals.
Hire Remote Software Developers on the Outsourcing Basis
If you’re looking for ways to extend your in-house team or free up their time, outsourcing is a perfect solution. You can hire developers that will facilitate your company’s performance and work as a part of your team or join it at any development stage.
When hiring outsourced developers, you don’t have to spend time training them because these are vetted and skilled specialists who will seamlessly integrate into your company.
Find Remote Developers for Hire at Tech Conferences
Attending various IT conferences, hackathons, and tech events is a secret tip on finding the matching talents. If you need Python or Java developers or those specializing in AI or Blockchain, make sure to check out the industry-related events.
You can find skilled employees and partners at such conferences and gain insights into the tech world.
That’s a great way to stay on the same page with all the updates and trends while leveraging networking and making valuable connections.
Step 2. Ensure a Consistent Interview Process
If you wonder how to hire remote developers even if you are not a techie, you’re already in the right direction. Unfortunately, not all companies understand that the interview makes a significant impression on the candidates and often overlook this step.
By ensuring a well-thought-out interview process, you’re doing your company a favor. In this way, you save time, costs, and resources while attracting the right talent.
Set Goals
Why exactly do you need remote developers? What task do you want them to handle? What do you expect from cooperating with them?
Answer these questions and ensure you have clear expectations to avoid getting misplaced during the hiring process. You need to have clear values that will guide your decisions and help determine whether the candidates are a good fit.
First Screening
Once you have a bunch of candidates whose CVs seem relevant and whose qualities match the requirements, it’s time to check out their skills. These include communication, technical, and soft skills necessary for the job.
In this way, you’ll exclude those who lack the desired qualities and proceed with interviewing suitable applicants.
To do so, you can ask various questions, for example:
- What would you hope to get out of this job?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Why are you applying for this position?
- Tell me what you know about the role.
- Why are you looking for jobs?
Tech Interview
Have some candidates stood out among other applicants? Don’t hesitate to schedule a tech interview with them to understand if they are capable of working on your project.
Usually, the companies invite experienced developers on the call or hire independent tech consultants. It reduces bias and allows a comprehensive assessment of the developer’s experience. A person with a technical background is the one who ensures a successful interview and asks the right questions.
Also, during this stage of the hiring process, you can ask the candidate to demonstrate one’s skills by solving test tasks. For example, the applicant might fix bugs or complete programming questionnaires.
We have some articles that may give you an understanding of interview questions that you should ask – QA interview questions; Microservices developer interview questions;
Job Offer
Once you’ve made it through the interview process, it’s time to call the shots. However, don’t wait too long to make a job offer because the competitors are on the alert.
Carefully go through those who made it to the top of your list and select a person whose hard and soft skills match your requirements. You need a specialist who will enhance your team and help it grow.
Tell the applicant about the final decision once you’ve made it and show your genuine excitement to have them on the team. When hiring remote developers, it’s critical to come up with an offer they’d love. Namely, emphasize your willingness to pay them what they’re worth and offer competitive benefits.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate the details before receiving approval from the developer.
Once you have the signed contract, you’re all set to welcome a vetted developer on board.
Step 3. Follow Tips on How To Hire Remote Developers and Not Mess Up
Once you decide to hire remote developers, make sure to take your time and find out about the nitty-gritty of those processes. Here are some tips by Qubit Labs based on our experience of working with remote teams:
Hire Remote Software Developers with a Niche Set of Skills
A developer who made it to the final interview should have a set of skills that will make their work successful. That’s why it’s critical to opt for candidates with strong technical knowledge and soft skills, including communication, collaboration, organization, and time management capabilities.
The candidates that showcase their potential can become a significant reinforcement for the team.
Create Reasonable Expectations for Remote Developers for Hire
Clarify that your company’s employees work 40 hours a week, and that’s enough. Emphasize you don’t want your team to burn out. Set the tone by not overworking yourself but point out that even if the employees need more time to complete tasks, they’ll get paid for overtime.
Introduce Pair Programming
Pair programming is a widespread agile practice that shows a candidate’s ability to cooperate with the team members. Many companies introduce this method as part of their tech interviews because it helps to evaluate a person’s communication and technical skills.
Focus on Team Spirit
When recruiting tech talent, you’d want to be sure that a person knows how to interact with one’s colleagues and has collaborative skills. Often, team members have contrasting views on the project, so it’s critical to reach a consensus and engage with co-workers.
Ask about the Candidate’s Long Term Vision
A person who has a broad vision can contribute to the product’s quality and ensure a high-quality end-user experience. Such employees become engaged with the project, excelling and creating value.
To check the candidate’s long-term focus and vision, ask them about the practical technologies that are often overlooked or the trends that will take off in the future.
You should also learn how to manage a remote software development team.
How to Hire Remote Developers with Qubit Labs?
Qubit Labs will gladly take care of the hiring process if you’re searching for talent. We have access to the talent pool with over 212,000 vetted developers.
Our benefits include:
- personal approach
- transparent cost
- flexible cost
- team onboarding and retention
Feel free to schedule a free consultation call to discuss your requirements, set deadlines, and explain your project ideas. After that — we’ll match you with skilled dedicated developers to reinforce your company.
FAQ
1. Where can I find remote developers for hire?
The most popular options include freelance platforms, tech conferences, building dedicated teams, and hiring software engineers on an outsourcing basis. If you don’t want to deal with all the recruitment issues, make sure to find a vendor that will take care of the hiring process and match you with vetted developers.
2. What are the best countries for hiring remote software developers?
Although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to choosing an outsourcing destination, you can still pay attention to the cost of development, time zone differences, and vendor’s corporate culture. Some of the most popular go-to countries for software development outsourcing are Ukraine, Poland, Argentina, Romania, Mexico, and India.
3. Where can I find the best full-time remote developers?
You can visit platforms for hiring agencies, such as GoodFirms and Clutch because you can easily see all the information about any company there. It’s an easy and effective option because you just simply through the provided list and choose a suitable alternative. Also, you can hire developers with Qubit Labs, a company experienced in setting up dedicated development teams.
4. How do you find a development team?
- Define project requirements
- Choose the suitable hiring option (search for developers by recommendation, attend tech conferences, contact outsourcing vendors, use LinkedIn and similar platforms, check out freelance platforms)
- Pay attention to the interview process
- Don’t forget about the first screening and tech interview
- Create reasonable expectations
- Think about remote team communication and management
- OR hire an outsourcing vendor that will take care of the hiring process and help you build a dedicated development team
5. How long does it take to hire developers?
Most often, the companies require around 2 to 6 weeks to find suitable candidates and introduce all the hiring process steps. However, it can take a couple of days or months as well because it significantly depends on your project requirements.
