Book a demo

An estimated 63% of web traffic happens on a mobile device—making it the number one way that people are accessing the worldwide web in 2019. Growing traffic has spurred a mobile-centric approach for businesses regardless of sector.

To leverage the power of mobile, most companies offer their services or tools through a mobile application. However, a mobile app isn’t something that can be developed overnight and is more complicated than it looks.

One of the most common challenges is finding the right developer that understands your project—someone who can bring its functionality to life. Here are some important things to take into consideration when hiring your next mobile developer.

Be clear with what you’re looking for

Are you looking for someone to launch a new cross-platform app who’s had 10+ years of experience? Put together a list of must-haves and use this as a candidate scorecard. This guarantees effective feedback on the things that truly matter.

We’ll help you get started.

  • Launching New versus Existing Mobile Apps: Oftentimes you’re either: 1) developing a mobile app for an existing business, or 2) launching a mobile app startup. If the mobile app is going to be an extension of the business, it must align with the existing brand. You’ll need someone who strictly codes. If instead you’re dealing with a new app, it might make more sense to look for someone who has design experience too.
  • Android versus iOS: It’s crucial that you know upfront what devices you want your app to support. Are you looking to target Android or iOS users? Communicating the platform that you want to develop will not only save time, but mitigate unnecessary iterations, and deliver better user functionality and thus UX.
  • Senior versus Junior: Tailor your recruitment approach based on prowess. Ask senior developers to share an app development project they have created first-hand and have them walk through their approach during a video chat, or face-to-face interview. For junior mobile developers, you may want to cast a wider net in looking for proficiencies, depending on coding languages and technologies they’ve studied or used. Plenty of great developers are well-versed in app development but have yet to touch native app code. Because there are key differences, check that your junior candidates have been exposed to specific languages and frameworks like React Native, Java, the Android Native Development Kit, etc.

Use code testing to assess hard skills

As is for most developer roles, it’s important to understand whether or not the candidate can execute programming basics and grasp the underlying mechanics of the software. The technical interview should give you insight into how the candidate thinks through problems—indicating how they will perform at solving everyday technical challenges and the best way to do that is to use a code testing platform.

Code testing platforms like Codility provide you with quantifiable data about candidate proficiency. Utilize code testing to manage all aspects of skills assessment online. The fewer concerns about processing applicants that you have, the more you can focus on other key aspects of the technical interview process.

Technical interview preparation

Ensure the mobile developer gets a proper understanding of your app development project. If you’re a recruiter with a non-technical background, align with your mobile app development team on the necessary qualifications and characteristics.

Focus on leading a highly valuable and structured technical interview, and checking for:

  • Basic knowledge of the company showing that they’ve come prepared for the interview.
  • Creativity—an inquisitive and solution-focused attitude is a common trait shared by successful mobile developers and is necessary in transforming app ideas into reality.
  • Agility and flexibility, which allow a developer to grow and adapt with the ever-changing world of mobile.

Using insights to drive hiring tactics

The bottom line is—hiring the best mobile developer is challenging. Set yourself up for success by following these three guidelines: be clear with what you’re looking for in a candidate, tailor your approach to testing their hard skills, and come prepared to lead a structured interview.

Content Marketing Specialist at Codility. Shelby devotes most of her time to creating content strategy and executing on it. Currently residing in SF, she was born and raised in Connecticut.

Connect on LinkedIn