Hiring Remote Software Engineers: Tips and Strategies

Most companies rely on in-house software engineers to create apps or custom software. The belief that in-house personnel can guarantee that their software will be developed, tested, and deployed as per their timelines, without them having to worry about delays. However, given the current scenario this isn’t all ideal due to numerous factors.

For example, in the USA, salaries for IT professionals have reached an all-time high according to data from Glassdoor. This has nudged IT companies to hire remote software developers from outside the US, who can work and excel in a remote environment, saving them money but continue to produce innovative products.

Additionally, the rise in remote work has resulted in a growing demand for software engineers who can work in a virtual environment. And thanks to technology like Zoom and Slack, remote software developers can work effectively from anywhere in today’s world.

Before we tell you about the strategies you can use to hire software engineers, let us understand what exactly the difference between a software engineer and a software developer is because often, these terms are used interchangeably, and companies stray from their target candidates.

Software Engineer vs Software Developer

Both software engineers and software developers essentially work on the same function of creating custom software as per the client’s needs. However, there are distinct differences between the two, especially when you look at how their day-to-day activities go.

Software engineers focus on the overall architecture of a system, the design, development and testing of a system or a software. Often, if not all the time, they are required to collaborate with cross functional teams, deciding on designing new features, keeping up with latest trends etc.

A software engineer essentially must be proficient in the following-

• Programming languages- extensive knowledge of common front-end and back-end languages
• Software debugging
• Create software tools
• Understanding of software architecture
• Collaborative skills

Software developers focus mainly on writing scalable, efficient code and building and maintaining database systems.

So, you need to make sure that you are hiring the right person for the right job.

Tips to Hire Remote Software Engineers

Finding and hiring exceptional software engineers, especially ones who can work effectively in a remote setting, can be quite challenging due to several factors.

Here are a few tips you can use to identify and attract top remote software engineers. These strategies can help build a high-performing team that can drive success in the evolving remote work landscape.

1. Understand your needs and requirements.

Before you start looking for a software engineer, understand and investigate your own project requirements and the job role essentials. Some of the concerns you need to have answers to are-

• Assess, analyse, and gather all the information about your product’s features and the target audience.
• Determine the current problems, potential problems, and the workable solutions.
• Scrutinize programming languages or seek recommendations from software development companies to opt for the best technologies and frameworks.

Once you have the above information at hand you will understand that ideally, you need to look for frontend, backend, iOS, and android developers.

2. Choose the right hiring model.

Depending on your project complexities and needs you can choose a hiring model that suits your requirements.

Freelancers

There are popular, reliable freelance marketplaces like Upwork and fiver, that can help you connect with thousands of developers/engineers. These freelancing platforms, however, charge quite an amount for their services. Additionally, on platforms like these, even when you do find the right fit, the freelancers maybe juggling multiple projects which makes them not so reliable.

This is when you can rely on platforms like Gighees, where we help find a suitable, reliable freelance candidate for your open role who are fully committed to delivering the task in the prescribed timeline.

In-house

If you are looking for an engineer to work for a particular project then hiring one full time, in-house is going to be extremely expensive.

Staff augmentation

This is one of the most sought-after hiring models. Staff augmentation is essentially hiring skilled individuals with the exact set of skill requirements your project needs, and augmenting them into your current team, allowing them to work remotely, for a said period, until the completion of the project. The remote team even uses their own tech stack to develop apps or other digital products. This is the most cost-effective model and is totally recommended.

3. Choose the location of where you want to hire from wisely

You are hiring remotely, so it would make sense for you to explore your options of other countries you could hire from. Since the recruitment process is a long and tedious one, organizations prefer hiring remote software development companies as they are equipped with sources they need to effectively complete projects.

Some of the popular remote destinations for hiring remote engineers are Ukraine, Poland, Argentina, and India.

At Gighees, we use a fool-proof sourcing and screening approach to recruit only the most experienced remote software engineers with an impressive academic background. With the help of ATS and other automated tech assessment tools, in addition to trained hiring experts, we help connect you with top notch programmers.

4. Know what you want from your ideal software engineer

Now the first part was to have a clear understanding of the job requirements, once you have that knowledge, the next step is figure out who your ideal software developer is. Of course, they must have solid programming skills.

Specifically, they should:

• Have a solid portfolio
• Be familiar with different software environments
• Have good coding and testing skills
• Have innovative and creative capabilities required to design a high-quality software
• Be an ideal mix of talent and experience

You can follow through with a number of steps to ensure you have your ideal candidate.

Screening

You may have the right candidate’s profile at hand, on paper. But don’t rush into the last step of offering them the job before you do a thorough screening.

• Give them a series of technical tests to test their proficiency.
• Have an active communicative session that would last for about 30 minutes. It will help you analyse a few personal traits and communication skills that will make you understand their candidature better.

Setup a tech interview

This is the most crucial step. Set up a technical interview with a panel to understand their familiarity with frontend and backend technologies. If necessary, put them on practical tasks on spot to better evaluate their skills.

Make an offer

Once you have finalised your candidate, make them a reasonable offer. Bear in mind that you are hiring remote software engineers, so you need to be more excited, confident, and express commitment and willingness to co-ordinate with them.

Software Engineer Interview Questions

After creating a job post, you need to develop some interview questions for remote software engineers.

Many companies ask academic questions like “What is a database?” and “What is MySQL?” However, these questions don’t reveal much about your potential hire’s experience, work ethic, and personality.

To get a better sense of whether your potential hire is a good fit for your team, you should ask more personalized questions, such as:

• How did you get into software engineering?
• What was your favourite project to work on? Why was it your favourite?
• What is your favourite programming language to use for software development? Why?
• Which is your least favourite language to code in? Why?
• How do you find the testing process? Which parts of the testing process are the most challenging? Why?
• How do you keep up with software development and engineering trends?
• How do you bake security into your software creation process?

Wrapping up

When you plan to hire remote software engineers, you can choose the best candidates from the global talent. Remote developers are also less costly compared to in-house programmers. Moreover, you can continue your development operations despite external obstacles such as the pandemic. You must follow the correct methods to hire remote developers, or you will waste your resources.

Gighees understands your entrepreneurial mindset and takes steps accordingly to hire the best remote software developers that can integrate into your organization perfectly. Contact us today and we’ll help you hire the best candidates for your organization.