How to Find and Hire Great Android Developers for Your Next Mobile App
What’s the secret to finding and hiring great Android app developers? First of all, if you don’t have any experience with mobile app development and aren’t quite sure where to even start, don’t worry—the first step in the process is learning about what goes into the process of creating a mobile app and what to look for in an Android developer or Android app development company.
Once you understand that, you can build out your hiring checklist and start reaching out to developers to find the right fit. Follow this guide to learn everything you need to know about finding and hiring great Android developers!
How to find top Android developers
Follow this process for the best chance of finding exactly what you need
1. Define your requirements
To save time and stress, the first thing you should do is decide what’s important to your project. This will make it easier to find the devs that specialize in the skills needed for your specific app. Take special care to figure out if you will need consultants with expertise in one or more of the following emerging markets
- Audio/video streaming,
- External IoT hardware,
- Augmented & virtual reality,
- App security,
- Apps that communicate with the backend,
- Implementing outstanding designs and meaningful micro-interactions.
2. Run a good interview
To choose the best candidate for any role, one must thoroughly prepare for an interview. If you’re not technical yourself, then you should consider bringing in a trusted developer to verify the candidate’s skills.
Before you can begin your interview, it’s a good idea to run a background check on your candidates. Pre-employment screening should include checking their experience and work history, as well as what they’ve achieved. After that, you can write down questions that will help you better understand important details that could be relevant to your project. Make sure to ask questions about problems your team may have encountered in the past, and about the problems you are facing now or will be facing in the future as well.
3. Ask to see a portfolio
There are two possible things I need to know – Android developers have usually developed at least two apps and there should be at least two apps in the Google Play Store. But it’s not the number of apps released that matters. It really matters – the quality
- Always consider the size of the apps and the usefulness of their features.
- Their reliability and installation.
- The number of downloads it’s already received.
That way, not only will you have a better understanding of their achievements, but you will be able to glean the full extent of their qualifications for the job.
Where to find good Android developers
To hire an Android developer, there are three ways
- As an in-house employee,
- On a freelance basis,
- Or via teaming up with an external team of mobile app developers.
The method you opt for depends on several criteria. Consider these points when weighing your options:
- What is your budget?
- What is the actual deadline?
- Do you intend to head and manage the Android team all by yourself?
- How important is the quality of your app?
- Do you have any technical background?
Answer these questions and you will be able to choose the right option. Remember – all options have benefits and drawbacks. There’s no one universal solution for everyone, but you can choose the one that’s perfect for your needs.
In-house employees and freelancers
PROS:
- total control over the mobile app development process,
- total control over the employment process,
- in time, you’ll grow an insider’s understanding of a project through meticulous documentation.
- typically lower cost for app development,
- greater knowledge of the inner workings of the business, and more exposure to various components of the company.
- easy process for adjusting software to various needs.
CONS:
a costly recruiting process
- task of managing the entire team
- you won’t be able to see good specialists unless
- less resources means lower flexibility.
Mobile app development company
PROS:
- extraordinary assistance in defining system requirements.
- proven experience in software development,
- flexible team-assembly process,
- easy and flexible resource management,
- transparency and predictability in terms of costs,
- there is an easy way to adjust software to one’s individual needs.
CONS:
- low level of knowledge of the topic
- knowledge which is specific to your company remains outside of it.
- usually costlier to develop an app.
This should be enough to be aware of for now. However, whichever option you decide to back, there are always certain features you should be on the lookout for, not just in an individual Android expert, but in a team of specialists.
For instance, what they are.
What to look for in a great Android developer
Great Android developers have a very vast set of hard and soft skills that change and expand constantly. When looking for a developer who can create great mobile apps, look for the following qualities
Technical expertise. A qualified Android developer must be skilled in languages like Java and Kotlin, understand the basics of XML, and have programming experience in Android SDKs, Android Studio, and APIs. Also be sure to evaluate how knowledgeable he or she is in your industry’s key technologies (check the Define your requirements paragraph).
Design skills. The UI and UX of an app largely determines its success or failure. Design skills are necessary for a developer if he or she does not have any designers on the team.
Communication skills. You need to be able to speak with developers both orally and in writing in order to ensure the desired communication between your company and the team. In addition, you need to be able to read, interpret, and understand instructions in order to collaborate on app design.
Collaborative skills. A developer must work well with other team members and stakeholders in order for a design project to be successful.
Critical thinking. When you write clean code, you have to be able to think critically.
Problem solving. Troubleshooting mobile app development problems is one of the many responsibilities a developer has. The developer must have the skills to recognize issues and to fix them.
Wrap-up
Firstly, when looking to build a successful Android app, it’s critical to choose the right developer. Your best option might be hiring an in-house employee, a freelance developer, or utilizing the skills of a mobile app development company.
Secondly, keep in mind that while going the cheaper route may seem attractive, you may not be happy with the outcome because you are evaluating the qualifications of the company you hire.
Finally, successful projects need skilled developers to succeed. Be sure they have technical expertise, design, communication, and collaboration skills, plus critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Eventually, when the time comes, Hire Android App Developer the best one for you.