When hiring your first employee, especially in the software development space, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of programmers you have access to through online platforms like Upwork or LinkedIn. How do you narrow down or select from such a large pool of talented candidates? Is there a difference if you start with a software engineer vs. developer?
While there isn't one definitive way to hire software engineers, some tried-and-true methods can help you identify candidates that are more likely to fit into your startup culture and grow with your business over time. Let's find out the software engineer vs. developer difference in this article.
1. Core Skills
When you're looking to hire a software engineer for your startup, it's crucial to find someone with the right mix of skills.
● They should be able to code up front-end design as well as back-end server-side programming and have experience with agile development methodologies like Kanban or Scrum. A plus is if they know Python, Java, Scala, or Clojure, in addition to Javascript and HTML/CSS.
● If you're hiring a software engineer for a startup that will make mobile apps, then their skill set should include Objective-C or Swift in addition to Android SDK knowledge.
● Finally, ensure the candidate has a lot of experience building web applications using modern frameworks like Ruby on Rails or PHP frameworks like Laravel. You also want them to have deep experience in at least one language—some recommend JavaScript or Python.
For those business owners who are new in the field, it might not be easy to find engineers who meet all these requirements. But fortunately, many online resources can help you get started! Whether you want to learn about web design or how to write basic scripts, many free tools are available. Udacity has a course on building web apps from scratch—no coding experience is required! The course includes instruction on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS, and more. It also offers interviews with professionals working in the industry, so you can hear what they have to say about making this career switch. Another great resource is Code School's Learn To Code series, which starts by teaching HTML and CSS before moving on to projects like building your own blog engine or social networking site complete with profiles, messaging features, and photo galleries. Their courses cover topics such as ReactJS, Angular 2+, NodeJS (and Express), SQL databases (MySQL), and Bootstrap 4+.
Let’s get started on those C’s.
2. Character Traits
When hiring a software engineer for your startup, it's important to consider the following five character traits: creativity, communication, collaboration, commitment, and critical thinking.
Here's why each one is important when looking for someone to fill this role in your company:
Creativity: A creative person can come up with solutions that solve problems in new ways or approach tasks from a different perspective.
Communication: Good communication skills will help keep everyone on the same page and make sure that misunderstandings don't happen.
Collaboration: Working well with others will make projects go smoother since people can work together on individual tasks instead of doing everything themselves.
Commitment: The person you hire needs to be committed enough to complete tasks even when they get difficult or there are setbacks.
Critical Thinking: Critical thinkers will be able to see potential issues before they happen, which could save you time and money! It's essential to have an IT staff member who uses their problem-solving skills in their day-to-day routine as part of their job. If they're having many difficulties solving problems, that person may not be suitable for the position. You should also choose someone who has worked well with others in the past, so they'll work just as well with your team members.
3. Contractual Matters
When it comes to hiring a software engineer for your startup, there are a few contractual matters you'll need to take care of.
1. First, you'll need to establish what the engineer will be working on. This can be done by creating a job description or statement of work.
2. Next, you'll need to agree on compensation. This can be done by negotiating an hourly rate or salary or agreeing on a project-based fee.
3. Third, the term or duration of employment needs to be agreed upon and specified in writing.
4. There should also be mention of any equity that is being offered as part of the compensation package.
5. Lastly, if there is no existing intellectual property agreement between the company and employee, one needs to be drafted before starting any work.
If you have these five components taken care of then congratulations, you're ready to hire a software engineer!
4. Cultural Fit
When you're hiring a software engineer for your startup, it's important to consider cultural fit. After all, you'll be working closely with this person, and you want to make sure that they'll mesh well with your team. Here are the five C's to keep in mind when assessing a candidate's cultural fit.
Compatible: Do they work best on their own or as part of a team?
Cohesive: Will the way that they communicate and work correspond with how your company does business?
Curious: Is there an endless stream of ideas that get thrown out regularly, or is their response to new ideas' been there, done that?'
Creative: Does creativity come naturally to them, or do they only produce what is expected?
Committed: Are they dedicated enough to stick around after hours, or do you get the sense that an hour past 5 pm means time off for them? These six questions can assist you in determining if someone has the necessary qualities to be a good cultural fit for your startup.
5. Communication Style
When hiring a software engineer for your startup, it's essential to consider the candidate's communication style. Does the candidate speak clearly? Do they listen attentively? Are they able to provide explanations when needed? If not, they may not be the right fit for your team. However, if their manner of speaking is unclear or convoluted and they refuse to listen or explain themselves when asked, then that should raise a red flag.
One way to test this is by giving them an assignment where their work will affect other people on the team; if they are unable to communicate with those people effectively, then this could be problematic as well. Another option is to ask them about the process behind building something, like 'How would you design a door hinge? '. A good response would include what steps they would take, including research, sketching prototypes, and determining costs (time and money). A bad response might just say, "It depends," without going into any detail about how they would actually do it. They would also need to be able to offer up solutions when problems arise instead of saying, "I don't know." Their willingness or readiness to adapt and try new things can also come in handy during difficult situations, so it's worth considering whether they have a history of experimenting with different tools and processes.
Summary:
When you're looking to hire a software engineer for your startup, it's crucial to find someone with the right mix of skills. Some tried-and-true methods can help you identify candidates that are more likely to fit into your startup culture and grow with your business. It's important to consider core skills, character traits, contractual matters, cultural fit, and communication style. Companies like Turnkey-Labs take the hassle of searching for the best remote software engineers off of your hands, so why not give them a shout? You will surely find a better candidate than going at it blindly.
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