While at the beginning of the 20th century the big money was being made in commodities like oil and steel, the tycoons of the 21st have mostly made their money in software and applications.
Lots of people would love to follow this path and create an app that gets millions – or even billions – of downloads. However, few have the technical skills to make their app idea a reality. That’s where developers come in. But as is the case when you are outsourcing or delegating any task, you will want to know that those completing it are competent and capable of delivering a very high-quality app.
This short guide offers some helpful tips for hiring a great developer to work on your app.
Evaluate their technical skills
This can obviously be tricky if you are not an expert in app development, but nonetheless, it’s important to at least make sure that any IOS app developer you consider at least lists the requisite skills on their CV or website.
The programming languages they should know for IOS app development are Swift and Objective-C, and they should also know how to use the Xcode integrated development environment.
You will also want your developer to be able to create a good, easy-to-navigate user interface (UI). The way your app appears to users should be of the utmost importance. If it is difficult or slow to use, then nobody will use it. A good way to know if your developer has this is to check out apps they’ve built in the past.
They should also be able to carry out unit testing and other assessments which make sure that all of the app’s features are working.
Evaluate their soft skills
Once you’re confident that a developer has the required skills to program software and apps, you will also need to confirm that they are somebody you want to work with closely. This means considering things like how well they manage their time, solve problems, and work with others.
It’s also important that they can communicate with you in a way that you understand, especially if they have to explain technical concepts that you are unfamiliar with.
Look for experience
An ideal app developer is one who has plenty of experience seeing app projects through to deployment. The fact that they have seen projects all the way through can tell you a lot about their soft skills, and having a portfolio of apps to investigate means that you can easily learn a lot about their technical skills too.
Don’t neglect cultural fit
The only physical equipment that app developers really need to work is a computer or laptop, and many of them have spent time working remotely or keeping a fairly free work schedule. But the Silicon Valley ‘as long as the work gets done’ kind of culture might not fit well with your organisation, and you need to find a developer who is okay with that.
Conclusion
When it comes to creating an app that has all the functions you want and which users will love, hiring the right developer is essential. Take time to carefully evaluate the technical skills, soft skills, previous work, and cultural fit of all candidates.
