Technology has changed the way businesses operate. We’re in the era of digitalization and computing, so there is an increasing demand for software developers among startups, businesses, and organizations. But when you need to hire software developers, finding the right talent can be more challenging than you think. According to a survey, 69% of US employers have difficulty filling jobs – this is the highest figure in more than a decade.
Firstly, you’re not the only one looking for talented devs; countless businesses are searching for top talents regularly, and you must compete with them to attract potential recruits. Secondly, you’ll also find thousands of developers looking for opportunities, and you’ll have to screen a lot of candidates to find the best fit as per your requirements. Lastly, many variables must be considered – the cost of hiring, level of expertise, whether you’re looking for individual developers or an entire team, and so on.
Acquiring tech talent according to your needs can be a tedious and unpredictable process. But here’s something that can make the process much easier – knowing the right channels and platforms where you can hire developers. When you start your search from the right place, the entire hiring process can become more efficient.
So, what are the best channels to find and recruit the best software developers? That’s exactly what we’re going to tell you today, so read on!
Best Channels to Hire Software Developers
Before we talk about software development outsourcing from various channels, keep in mind that each platform has its own benefits. Your requirement will determine which channel is the right place for you to start looking. With that in mind, let’s get straight into it.
Dev Shops
Dev shops are agencies and companies with fully established teams of developers, designers, quality engineers, and project managers. Outsourcing to dev shops will take many responsibilities off your shoulders – no need to monitor each developer individually. Simply coordinate with the project manager, who in turn handles other members. Also, the devs working in such agencies have excellent coordination among themselves, working together on many projects and gathering valuable experience.
But it takes pretty much time and effort to find a dedicated development team. You need to be alert during the screening process as you’ll evaluate the company as a whole and not individual developers. Background checks are necessary; you should consider the past reviews of the company and their projects for previous clients.
It can be a complicated process to find and evaluate the right outsourcing agency as not all of them can quickly provide needed tech specialists for you.
Though it’s a lot of work, finding the right team of developers from a reliable dev shop will significantly benefit you if you’re looking for a team of expert developers.
Freelance Platforms
Many software developers work as freelancers, and they can be found on popular freelance platforms like Upwork and TopTal. Post your project details and requirements, and wait for developers to make their bids and proposals. Then you’ll have the freedom to handpick the best submissions and negotiate the rates as well.
Both platforms have an escrow system – your money is kept safe until the developer completes the project. It removes the possibility of any foul play on either side. These are great platforms to get in touch with thousands of expert software developers and selectively choose the best talent.
However, freelance sites can get very competitive, and talented developers can get lost in a crowd of other averages, mediocre developers willing to work for lower rates. Make sure not to get carried away by the cost factor, or you’ll end up hiring a cheaper freelance software developer that cannot deliver the expected quality of work.
Also, keep in mind is that freelancers can be unpredictable and tend to shift focus and change projects often. A careless freelancer can very well desert the dedicated software development mid-way, leaving you in crisis. You must be careful with the selection process and spend a considerable amount of time validating the talent and expertise, and commitment of freelance developers.
Marketplaces with Verified Developers
Some platforms serve as a bustling online marketplace for rapid engineering staff augmentation. Unlike dev shops and freelance sites, online developers’ marketplaces are not that common, but one such well-known platform is YouTeam. There are more than 20,000 verified developers on the portal. The huge advantage is that YouTeam vouch for these developers, so rest assured that these are all experts in their respective skillsets.
YouTeam also promotes proper commitment from developers as it has a contract system in place. All the while, a personal advisor will guide you through the whole search-and-recruit process. If you want to avoid the hassle of an arduous selection process and get in touch with the best developers within two days, a marketplace like YouTeam is the best option.
Also, startups and small companies that are not experienced enough to manage the recruitment process by themselves will benefit from this platform as most of the process is handled by their professionals.
Local Job Boards
Local job boards and employment websites are other destinations to hire programmers online. You can post your project on such platforms and wait for people with relevant skills and qualifications to apply with their CVs. From there onwards, you can contact those candidates who seem promising, and then the standard recruitment process will follow. The benefit of job boards is that the people looking for work on these websites are usually serious developers who wish to get a long-term position in their respective fields. If they possess all the required traits, you may even end up hiring them permanently as an employee. But it also means that you won’t find a massive pool of developers on local job boards, as freelancers and software agencies will not apply on such a platform.
Social Media Groups
Social media has become such a diverse and massive platform that we can now safely say that you can find almost anything on social media. So if you haven’t thought about it yet, you should consider searching for software developers on Facebook and LinkedIn groups. A simple search on these platforms by typing in ‘software developers’ will instantly display many dedicated groups for devs to come together and discuss their projects and tasks.
It is estimated that more than 84% of organizations use social media for hiring. The downside here is that no mechanism or authority can vouch for the developers you find on such groups. So you’ll have to contact them personally, check their credibility and skillsets, and there’s going to be a lot of screening and filtering involved till you find your perfect candidate.
Conclusion
It takes time and effort to find and hire a software engineer that best fits your requirements and expectations. But if you are looking in the right place, it becomes easier to spot the right talent. These are the five best channels and platforms where you can find talented software developers, and we’ve explained their benefits.
You can see that every platform serves as a suitable recruitment channel for specific types of businesses, projects, and requirements. Using this information, you should deduce which channel works best for you, and we even encourage you to expand your search to more than one of these platforms. The wider you search, the better your chances of hiring the best tech talent for your project.
Author’s Bio
Iryna Bilyk is an expert content marketing manager who works at YouTeam – a marketplace for instant engineering team extension. She passionately discovers and writes about technology, innovations, and software development solutions.
