Hiring talented developers can be a struggle, especially for startups. With the abundance of job opportunities out there these days, programmers are more selective than ever when choosing a place where they want to advance their careers.
This article is aimed at providing startup owners with tips on how to successfully hire developers to build a professional development team and avoid the most common pitfalls.
Challenges startups face when hiring developers
It's definitely not easy to find someone who is both qualified and willing to join your team. Here are five main challenges you should be aware of when searching for candidates:
1. Scarce pool of qualified experts
Startups often lack the resources or budget to hire skilled senior-level developers right away. Given limited investments, startup owners often can’t afford to attract top talent who may command higher salaries than what startup businesses are able to offer.
But even if you have enough finance, you may still face a shortage of developers with related experience and skillsets in your region. The current situation in the US market only confirms this concern. According to IDC, a global market intelligence firm, the US market will experience a massive shortfall of 4 million programmers by 2025.
That’s why a lot of US-based companies opt for hiring developers for a startup overseas, mostly in Eastern Europe and Asia, that offer high developer expertise at reasonable prices.
2. Tough competition among employees
Large international organizations with big names are tough opponents when it comes to hiring developers. In addition to a decent compensation package, they may offer a wide range of benefits like corporate discounts, better health insurance, flexible hours, a longer vacation, and more – these perks look tempting for potential employees.
Plus, global corporations have access to a wider pool of talent, both in local and international markets. With this kind of reach, they are able to hire developers for startup who meet their specific needs and goals no matter where they're located. It’s a significant edge over smaller companies that may be limited by geography and resources.
3. Lack of startup recognition
The tech industry is a highly-competitive environment for newcomers. And the lack of recognition on the market may seem to spell doom for your recruitment efforts. The fewer people know about your startup, the more difficult it is to convince potential recruits to join your team. After all, it’s natural to conduct some research about the potential workplace, or better get endorsements from friends and colleagues before accepting an offer and signing any papers, right? Thus, low awareness can significantly reduce your chances to hire developers for your startup.
4. Ever-changing tech industry standards
The tech landscape is advancing by leaps and bounds, and it can be a challenge to keep up with industry innovations. For those looking to hire a developer for a startup, it’s vital to always stay updated about the current mobile trends and also have an eye on what's coming next.
Having information gaps in this field is an obstacle on the way to picking professionals with relevant expertise and tech stack. In other words, you should put some extra effort into industry research to be capable of screening out candidates with obsolete skillsets.
By the way, remember that your existing development team also needs regular training in order to stay up-to-date with modern programming practices and keep their skills sharp.
5. Limited hiring timeframes
Oftentimes, the process of hiring developers for a startup takes months of searching and interviewing. But when you’re on a tight timeline with your project, finding someone quickly becomes even more difficult. If the need is too desperate, startups usually settle for someone with less experience or take chances on candidates without the necessary track record yet. Unfortunately, such a hassle can lead to costly mistakes down the line if things don't work out as planned.
Factors to consider when you hire developers for startup
The success of your business depends on having the right people in place. Here's what you need to know when searching for top-notch tech talent:
1. Clear requirements & expectations
Building your development team from scratch may put you at risk of committing a common mistake that many startup owners make – defining uncertain job requirements for your potential candidates. It’s fine, mistakes are a human thing, but forewarned is forearmed!
If you can’t precisely formulate what you expect your employees to deliver, this leads to frustration on both sides of the table. It’s also potentially wasted time and resources as developers who are not suited for the job may be hired by chance. With detailed requirements upfront, everyone involved can make sure that they're getting exactly what they need from each other.
2. Proven cultural fit
Let’s imagine a situation when you are about to make a job offer to a perfect-match senior developer with a solid technical background and fill a glass of champagne to celebrate. But two weeks later this employee quits because he hasn’t managed to get along with the rest of the team. You’re desperate and have no other option but start the recruitment cycle again.
So what went wrong? The brutal truth is that to hire developers for startup just because they meet all technical requirements isn't enough. Understanding how your future colleagues might interact within existing development teams is vital. For that, ask questions about past experiences, values, communication styles, and ways to resolve conflicts, to reveal if the applicant can fit your corporate culture in the long run.
3. Hidden fees for the recruitment
Hiring developers for a startup can cause additional costs that you don’t expect at the beginning. Speaking of the recruitment process itself, be aware that you need to cover such expenses as HR’s salary, costs of posting job ads, and an agency fee, in case you turn to one.
Moreover, some developers may leverage tools and services that charge additional fees so make sure you figure out these nuances at the interview. In fact, it can be easy to get caught off guard by unexpected charges or extra expenses, so keep track of what you're signing up for to eliminate any surprises.
How to hire developers for startups?
Once you know all possible pitfalls, it’s time to learn the art of getting professionals on board. In this section, we’d like to share a couple of actionable tips for hiring software developers at a startup.
Never miss an opportunity to network
Get out there and start meeting people at various tech conferences and meetups. Socializing with a tech community that might have connections or referrals will increase the likelihood to hire developers for startup. You never know what kind of leads this may uncover. If you don’t mind hiring suitable candidates with lower experience levels but still great potential, look for bootcamp graduates or recent college grads who are eager to learn and grow in their roles.
Don't miss an opportunity to learn more about hiring developers for startups. Continue reading this article: https://solveit.dev/blog/how-to-hire-developers-for-startups
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