How to Hire a Mobile App Developer: A Detailed Guide
Imagine having an idea for a mobile application that could skyrocket your business’s success and give you an edge over your competitors. Now, for an app development project as critical as this, you need to hire mobile app developers of the highest quality.
Fortunately, with the rising demand for custom mobile app development, the number of mobile app developers is increasing as well. Today, you can find expert mobile app developers with the right skills and experience to bring your idea of a robust application to life.
In this blog, we will take you through a stepwise guide on how to hire the best app developers for your business. Let’s look at how and where you can find world-class developers.
5 Steps to Hire a Mobile App Developer for Your Project
The availability of so many options for mobile app developers doesn’t imply that you can easily find the best developers to work with. You must carry out your search carefully, and follow a detailed step-by-step guide to hire the most suitable developers for your project.
Here we have listed the five crucial steps to follow while looking for a mobile app developer. Go through the steps below.
1. Set Clear App Requirements
The first of five steps to hiring mobile app developers is clearly outlining your app requirements and expectations. It involves understanding the purpose of the app, the target audience, and what results you are hoping to achieve.
Doing so will allow you to find the best developers who can build a custom app that brings value to your business. You must also decide whether you want to hire Android developers, iOS developers, or both. The sooner you list your requirements, the faster you can hire developers.
Setting a clear requirement is not limited to knowing your goals or choosing an app development platform. You should also know what custom features you need in the app.
2. Prepare a Budget Plan
Once you have prepared a requirement specification for app development, the next important step is to set a budget. Take your time to evaluate the average cost of hiring experienced app developers to get an idea of upcoming expenses.
Remember that the cost of hiring IT professionals is not fixed as it depends on factors like project complexity, developer’s experience, etc. Therefore, make sure you stay flexible with your budget so that you don’t face any financial challenges later on.
Your goal should be to hire a qualified and skilled app developer instead of running after the cheapest options. Don’t hesitate to spend a little more than you planned if you have to.
3. Search for Experienced App Developers
There are many platforms through which business owners like you can hire a mobile app developer for their projects. You can simply look for experienced mobile app developers on one of these platforms and hire them as per your requirements.
Deciding where to search for reliable app developers will depend on the type of hiring option you are going for. For example, if you want to opt for IT staff augmentation, you can go for outstaffing, which is a popular hiring model.
So, before you start searching for app developers, you must know your hiring options first. We will discuss the top hiring models to choose from in the latter half of this article.
4. Check Portfolios and Screen Developers
Your next step after searching for experienced app developers is to screen them. Make sure you conduct one-on-one interviews with each candidate to test their technical proficiency carefully. It will help if you also have a questionnaire prepared for the interview rounds.
While you interview each candidate, don’t forget to ask for their portfolio as well. Going through the developer’s previous projects will give you a better understanding of how they work. This will eventually make it easier for you to decide whether you should hire them or not.
Along with the developers’ technical capabilities, you must also test their communication skills which is important to foster seamless collaboration.
5. Recruit Developers and Sign Agreements
The last step after finalizing the best app developers is carrying out the basic hiring formalities. This includes formulating an agreement that includes the job responsibilities, salary, and other important details related to the contract.
You must give equal attention to this step as any other to prevent any unwanted complications in the future. Depending on the hiring model and your company policies, make sure you include all necessary information and communicate it with potential candidates.
The onboarding process becomes even simpler if you hire iOS developers or your Android remotely. It saves time and allows you to create a contract that doesn’t abide by local employment laws. Either way, you should get the contract signed before starting the work.
3 Options to Hire Mobile App Developers
When it comes to hiring mobile app developers, there are several options for you to choose from. Let us talk about three of the most sought-after hiring options.
1. In-house Recruitment
The most common way to hire mobile app developers in your company is through the in-house model. It is the traditional hiring strategy that focuses on recruiting developers to work with you from the same location. Many business leaders still prefer in-house hiring over other models.
When you bring local experts on board, you get higher employee engagement, better control over your team, and seamless communication. Besides, when you and your team work side by side, you also encourage team bonding leading to enhanced productivity.
However, the growing need for software solutions and the shortage of IT talent have made it difficult to find local experts easily. Additionally, with in-house hiring, you have to cover the price of new hiring including infrastructure, equipment, internet, and more.
2. Outstaffing
Outstaffing is arguably the best hiring option that you could go for right now. It is a remote hiring model that lets you hire skilled mobile app developers from anywhere in the world. You can find and hire developers from a well-established outstaffing company to work on your project.
One of the main benefits of outstaffing is that you get to hire developers based on your project requirements. Also, in this model, you establish full control over the developers and assign them tasks as you wish. This is something that you don’t get with other models like outsourcing.
Outstaffing and outsourcing are two similar models that involve handing over your development project to outside professionals. But the main difference between them is that in outstaffing you hire developers to work with your in-house team instead of simply giving away the entire project.
3. Freelance Platforms
Another prominent hiring model that has been around for a while is freelancing. If you have an uncomplicated or one-time need for an app developer, you can hire freelancers. These professionals are generally hired on an hourly basis so set your budget accordingly.
Over the past few years, many employers preferred to hire freelance app developers for their projects. The reason is that freelancers can work dedicatedly on one project and help you achieve the desired results within your set deadlines.
The only drawback with hiring freelancers is accountability. Since these IT experts often work independently, it becomes harder to trust their responsibility toward your project. This is why people choose outstaffing, as they get to hire developers from a respected organization.
Bottom Line
If you want to build a high-performing mobile app for your business, you need to hire the best app developers. But with so many options available in developers and development companies, it’s challenging to make a choice just like that.
So, the best way to go about your search for app developers is to follow a systematic approach. We have listed a five-step process that will not only make the hiring process faster but also ensure that you find the right developers eventually.
You can also hire the best mobile app developers at Teqnovos and build your custom application cost-effectively. We have a team of experienced iOS and Android developers with extensive knowledge of all-important development technologies. Hire developers from us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much time is needed to build a mobile application?
On average, it takes 4 to 6 months for a mobile app development project to complete. However, this is a rough estimate as there is no fixed time to build a mobile application from scratch. The actual time required to build an app may depend on factors like project complexity, customization, third-party integrations, etc. You can reach out to the expert app developers at Teqnovos, share your requirements, and get an estimated time for your app development.
2. What is the size of a mobile app development team?
At a minimum, you will find 4 to 10 members in an ideal mobile app development team. The members of this team usually include a project manager, app designer, developer, QA engineer, and business analyst. All these IT professionals play a crucial role in the app development process. You can hire these experts remotely from a reputed outstaffing company and build a reliable mobile app development team.
3. What skills make a mobile app developer perfect?
When you look to hire mobile app developers, make sure you find someone with higher technical proficiency. You should find a developer with extensive knowledge of programming languages like JavaScript and C++. Additionally, you should find mobile app developers with a deeper understanding of databases like SQL and NoSQL.
4. How do I hire the best mobile app developer?
If you want to hire the best mobile app developer, the first thing you need to do is understand your app requirements and set a budget. Once you do that, you can start searching for good companies to hire mobile app developers. After shortlisting the companies, interview potential candidates, and find the most suitable developer within your budget. Don’t forget to test the candidate’s technical and soft skills when you interview them.
