When you need to hire Ruby on Rails developers, it’s important to make sure you get the best of the best. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Here are ten steps you can take to make sure your next developer hire turns out just as well as you’d hoped!
Step 1. Define your requirements
Before you start looking for ruby developers, it’s important that you figure out exactly what you want and need. This is often done through an RFP (Request For Proposal) or by doing your own research on available developers. If it’s not possible to nail down your requirements, that’s okay too—you may just have a better sense of what you need once you talk with some potential candidates.
Step 2. Write an Advert
Not sure where to start? Post an advert in an online job marketplace or contact an employment agency that specializes in hiring Ruby developers. There are several well-known websites, such as Monster and Indeed, that host thousands of jobs for software engineers. Alternatively, contact local businesses directly and ask them if they’re looking for any Ruby on rails developers at present.
Step 3. Analyze Applicants’ Qualifications
There’s no point in hiring someone who doesn’t have strong technical skills if you need a coder, so make sure your applicants’ qualifications are in line with what you need. Review their resumes, portfolios and references. How well do they match your skills profile? This is your chance to eliminate those candidates who aren’t qualified enough to work with you on that level. Remember, it’s better not to hire than it is to hire someone who isn’t right for the job.
Step 4. Create an Interview Process
So you’ve found some candidates that have potential—now what? The fourth step in your hiring process is actually talking with potential hires about why they’re interested in working for your company, where they see themselves in five years, and how their experience lines up with their job description. When deciding who you want to hire, it’s important to remember that asking these questions during an interview is crucial.
Step 5. Test Developers with a Project
When you hire developers based on resumes and credentials, you are essentially hiring their potential. You don’t really know if they can handle your project until you hire them and put them through their paces with an actual project. If a developer is handling your app’s database, make sure they have experience in designing complex databases.
Step 6. Start a Trial Period
When you hire someone, don’t hire them for life. This may sound cold, but if things don’t work out, it’s better for both of you to move on than live with a bad match. Start new hires on a month-to-month trial period until they prove their worth. If your arrangement goes well and everything is going well after 30 days or so, you can always change your agreement from month-to-month to full time.
Step 7. Hold Exit Interviews
One of your best hires can be a bad hire if you don’t get them out of your company fast enough. Some studies suggest that workers stay at companies for an average of only one year. Make sure you interview your candidates before they quit. Conduct exit interviews with outgoing employees, and ask questions like: What did we do well during your tenure? What could we have done better? Why are you leaving? How can we improve as an employer moving forward?
Step 8. Evaluate Performance After Six Months
One of your goals when hiring any new employee is for them to be productive and successful. To do that, you need to track their performance over time. After six months, review your employee’s progress. If they’re not meeting expectations, have an honest discussion about how you can help them get up-to-speed. Then follow up with training or whatever else they need.
Step 9. Ask For Referrals and Personal Recommendations
If you’re hiring an in-house developer, it can be helpful to look for referrals from current employees. Ask your potential hires for recommendations and then follow up with their references. If your new hire is an agency, it’s also recommended that you ask for personal recommendations from past clients. Personal endorsements carry more weight than even those that come from agencies themselves.
Step 10. Repeat Every Two Years
Every great developer gets better every year, so keep on bringing in new blood and refreshing your team. Repeat steps 1 through 9 at least once per year, if not twice. If you do it right, it will be incredibly easy—you’ll see developers lining up outside your door wanting to work with you and your great staff. Oh, and have fun along the way! It’s supposed to be enjoyable. You’re building something that didn’t exist before.
