Software development is challenging, so you want to get the best developers on your team. Unfortunately, hiring in-house is not feasible for most startups, which draws our attention to outsourcing. Some are tight on budget, while others cannot spare time interviewing developers. Today, many founders hire dedicated developers to fill the tech gap in their startups.
Outsourcing is now a common practice in software development. According to Statista, application outsourcing is predicted to hit $121.60 billion in 2024, with $44 billion of spending generated from US companies. If nothing else, this marks a growing appetite for dedicated hires.
I’m Stan Burenko, Uptech’s Head of Business Development.
Over the years, I’ve paired startups and SMBs with top talents from Uptech. Our collaboration resulted in successful apps like GOAT, Cardless, Aspiration, and more. From identifying their needs to onboarding matching developers, I’ll take you through each step in this guide to hiring dedicated developers.
Let’s start.
Why to Hire Dedicated Developers?
Traditionally, startups hire developers in-house from their local job marketplaces. However, the model fails to keep up with today’s fast-changing trends, costs, and talent scarcity. Rather, founders find it more viable to hire dedicated developers from offshore regions. Here’s why.
Access to expertise across domains
By hiring dedicated developers, you can overcome the talent scarcity in your country. For example, US startups face challenges in hiring developers, and they have to compete with global enterprises. So, they outsource to offshore dedicated developers who are equipped with a broad range of skill sets.
Complete infrastructure setup
Hiring in-house requires preparing hardware, software, and working spaces for each developer. Engaging dedicated developers frees founders from that responsibility. Instead, the IT agency you outsource to manage the developer’s needs.
Cost-effective development
Another reason startups hire dedicated developers is to avoid spending excessively on in-house recruitment. In addition to salaries, founders must pay for social benefits, leaves, and other perks. Hiring dedicated developers, particularly from countries with lower cost of living, is more affordable.
Real-time status reports
Unlike working with freelance programmers, a dedicated team fully commits to your projects. This means you’ll have full control and visibility of progress at all times. Besides, you can avoid miscommunication because they report directly to you.
Committed delivery management
Dedicated developers work independently to meet the strict deadlines that startups face. Because they don’t juggle multiple client projects, they can devote full attention to getting your product to the market on time.
How To Hire A Dedicated Developer For Your Team: 7 Steps
For every startup that reaches out to us, we follow these steps to match them with the most suitable talent:
Now let's take a closer look at each step.
Step 1. Define your technical needs
Before you hire, it’s important to understand your requirements clearly. Do you seek an app developer to build a mobile app? If so, do you need an iOS or Android developer? Or both? Answering questions like these helps you hire the right developer.
When you’ve identified the technical gap you need to bridge, identify the criteria the ideal candidate shall possess. For example:
- Most developers are proficient in Java, Javascript, or Python, but certain projects may require C#, Typescript, or Kotlin.
- Developers also use different tech stacks to build software. React and Next.js are popular frameworks for front-end development, while Node.js is suitable for building backend services.
- Also, consider the experience the developer should have. If you need an IT expert to manage the entire development, hire a senior developer who has spent years in the industry.
- Do you prioritize cultural and language fit? How do you coordinate workflow with the developer?
How Uptech can help:
We spend time discussing and identifying your business requirements during the first meeting. Then, we identify technical challenges, opportunities, potential candidates, and collaboration setups that best fit your startup.
Step 2. Determine your budget
Next, decide how much you are willing to pay the candidate. Remember, you’ll pay a higher rate for an experienced developer compared to a junior talent. Also, hiring an IT talent can be more expensive in some regions. Having a figure in mind helps you narrow down your options.
How Uptech can help:
We’re aware that startups and companies face cost pressure to release exceptional digital products. Therefore, we’re open to different collaboration models that’ll help you reduce your development cost without compromising quality.
Check our guide to dedicated development team to learn more about how we collaborate with clients.
Step 3. Write a clear position description
To attract the right talent, it’s important to craft a concise description of the position you want to fill. This goes beyond merely stating the compensation and job expectations.
Rather, you should list technical requirements, qualifications, and expectations clearly to prevent misunderstandings once you’ve hired the talent. If you expect the talents to work closely with your team, consider listing soft skill requirements to narrow down your options.
How Uptech can help:
Don’t worry if you’re not sure of the exact skills, experience, and qualifications for software developers. We guide you through identifying competencies and expectations to find ideal talents.
Step 4. Choose your vendor
There are many dedicated developers to choose from—and that’s what makes finding the right one difficult. Some developers offer extremely affordable fees but make little commitment to quality. Others might not share a similar working culture or language with you.
To find potential vendors,
- Make a Google search for ‘hire dedicated developers’, and you’ll find countless hits.
- You can also ask your professional network for referrals or browse platforms like Upwork, LinkedIn, or Clutch.
- Trade events are also a good source of dedicated developers. Some IT outsourcing agencies might set up booths there.
It might take a while to find a suitable app developer from the available choices.
How Uptech can help:
As an IT outsourcing company, Uptech does most of the heavy lifting for you. We interview the developers and hire them as part of our company. Our developers are experienced in building digital solutions for various industries. They’re also equipped with in-demand skills and niche expertise. This spares you from training them from scratch.
Step 5. Decide on the engagement model
Next, determine how you want to work with the software development vendor. Do you want a shorter-term collaboration? Or a long-term partnership that spans multiple projects? The answer helps you choose the best model to collaborate with the developers from a few options.
- Dedicated development team outsourcing. The software development vendor assigned a team of software experts exclusively to the client. In this case, you’re in control and must direct them in carrying out their tasks. The engagement goes on as long as you require their service.
- Software product development outsourcing. Instead of dedicating a team, the vendor takes charge of your entire IT project. The vendor is fully in charge of coordinating works and delivering the agreed outcomes.
- Staff augmentation. Like dedicated development, the IT staff augmentation approach assigns a team of developers to work with your company. However, the arrangement is short-term, usually lasting only one project.
Each model has its pros and cons and requires thorough consideration. I’ll explain and compare them in detail later.
How Uptech can help:
We tailor our outsourcing service to meet client’s preferences. Whether augmenting your team for a couple of months or assigning a dedicated software development team for years, we’re open to discussion. More importantly, our developers commit to excellent delivery regardless of collaboration mode.
Step 6. Evaluate Candidate Skills
Once you’ve found developers capable of collaborating in ways you prefer, you’ll need to narrow them down. Try these to shortlist the most suitable candidates.
- Assess their skills. Make sure they have the expertise and experience working on similar projects.
- Conduct an interview. Whether virtually or in-person, it helps you to evaluate their soft skills and communication style.
- Check reviews. Always do your due diligence by vetting the developer’s portfolio and client’s feedback. By this, I mean going through reviews on independent portals like Clutch, not their marketing web pages.
- Don’t forget to consider cultural fit. If the candidate cannot speak your language fluently or shares a different work ethic, you might not achieve the desired outcome.
How Uptech can help:
We don’t assign untrained or inexperienced talents to our clients. Instead, our developers have worked on several projects and offer invaluable experience. Based on your requirements, we will assemble a team that fits with your workflow, people, and goals.
Step 7. Extend an Offer
Are you satisfied with the developer team lineup the vendor proposed? If so, get back with an offer. List down the engagement specifics, including duration, fee, responsibilities and other details that both parties should be aware of. Sign the contract and get the developers on board.
How Uptech can help:
We will draft an agreement with terms our client agreed on. We’re transparent and will ensure our clients are satisfied with the proposal before signing it.
What Services Dedicated Developers Offer
You can hire a dedicated software development team from Uptech to access a broad range of services.
Frontend development services
Combining UI/UX and software best practices, our frontend developers help you create engaging solutions for your customers.
Backend development services
Scale your solutions confidently with the robust backend services and secure infrastructure our developers provide.
Mobile app development services
Whether iOS, Android, or cross-platform apps, our seasoned mobile app developers can turn your ideas into functional apps.
Web app development services
We leverage Javascript, Node.JS, Redis, and other tech stacks to build secure, responsive, and scalable web apps.
Staff augmentation services
Benefit from Uptech’s multi-disciplinary expertise and experience. Enjoy affordable remote IT staffing with talented developers.
Generative AI development services
Innovate with popular foundational models like GPT4, GPT3.5, and Stable Diffusion by partnering with our team of AI experts.
Industry-specific software development services
Navigate compliance and technicalities to build software for fintech, healthcare, real estate, and other popular industries.
3 Common Ways You Can Hire Dedicated Developers
As mentioned, you can fill your talent gaps with several outsourcing models.
1. Dedicated development team outsourcing
This arrangement puts you in charge of a team of software experts hired by an offshore vendor. Instead of spending time recruiting them, the vendor thoroughly vetted these developers. Moreover, they’re specifically selected based on your business needs. Once onboarded, they can immediately contribute to your business.
Best suited for:
Hiring dedicated developers is more suitable for a growing business with an adequate budget and needs stability. For example, this approach is ideal if your business needs reliable IT support as you release more products. Like your employees, they are committed to your business for the long run. Of course, this also means you’ll have to pay the agreed fee to the vendor even if their workload decreases.
2. Software product development outsourcing
If you’re bootstrapping your startup or operating on a tight budget, outsourcing the entire development is better. Instead of committing financially for the long term, you engage independent developers to work on a certain project. With this method, you pay a fixed price or only for the time and material spent by the developers.
Usually, the vendor appoints a project manager who plans, schedules, and coordinates work among developers under their charge. Periodically, they’ll update you with progress and seek feedback before proceeding to the next stage. While this approach frees you from managing the project, there is also less control over how the developers work.
Best suited for:
Outsourcing software development is ideal for startups who want to delegate development works at an affordable cost. You can agree on a specific fee or hourly rate before initiating work with the outsourced developer. On top of that, the vendor also takes care of all tasks involved in building the software.
3. Staff augmentation
Founders and product managers hoping to expand their IT capacities while being flexible with budget benefits from staff augmentation. Like dedicated teams, you work directly with outsourced developers, ensuring full control and commitment. However, the arrangement is short-term, usually until they deliver the solution.
For example, you have an internal software team maintaining several products. You need developers skilled in generative AI, a skill that your existing team lacks. Instead of hiring new developers, you can engage vendors like Uptech to augment your team with experienced AI developers.
Best suited for:
SMBs and enterprises requiring time-to-time support can benefit from staff augmentation. By temporarily bringing specialized talents on board, they can access the required skills without committing to long-term hire.
How to Hire A Dedicated Developer: Interview Tips
Interviewing candidates before hiring not only helps you assess their skills but also builds rapport with them. Considering that you’ll be working closely with the developers, it’s important that both share overlapping views, ethics, and understandings.
Therefore, it’s important to approach interviews correctly and ask questions that will provide insights. These tips might help.
Break the ice
Don’t rush into the interview with tough questions about the candidate’s accomplishments, challenges, or weaknesses. Such heavy approaches might cause the candidate to shy away from interacting openly.
Instead, start by building rapport. Introduce yourself and your company. Let them know why you’re searching for tech candidates and how you’ve found them. Spend 5 - 10 minutes to get them comfortable.
Ask open questions
Avoid asking close-ended questions. Instead, ask questions that encourage candidates to share their views. This way, you’ll know their reasoning, thought process, and values as they overcome day-to-day challenges.
For example:
- How do you respond to change requests in the midst of a project?
- What’s the toughest challenge of balancing code quality and deadline?
- How do you troubleshoot bugs?
- What tools and technologies do you use and why?
- How do you stay updated with the latest software trends?
Assess soft skills
It's great to hire developers with exceptional technical skills. However, soft skills like conflict management, persuasive speaking, leadership, and presentations matter when collaborating with their peers.
So, ask questions to get a better idea of the candidate’s personality, such as.
- How do you communicate efficiently with clients when working remotely?
- Describe the last time you had a conflict with a team member. How do you resolve it?
- How do you stay motivated when your projects don’t turn out well?
How Much Does It Cost To Hire Dedicated Developers?
On average, the cost to hire dedicated developers is around $45-100 per hour, depending on the location, project, and other factors.
Generally, you pay more if you’re hiring developers from developed countries like the US, Canada, and UK. On the other hand, developers in China, India, and other Asian countries charge a very low rate. The problem, however, lies in language and cultural fit.
That’s why Eastern Europe, and specifically Ukraine, is preferred by clients worldwide. Your cost is reasonably cheaper, while you gain access to a large pool of experienced IT talents. More importantly, Ukrainian developers share a culture and work ethic similar to those of Western countries.
To get a better idea of the cost of hiring dedicated software developers, check out this table.
Hire Dedicated Developers In 5 Easy Steps With Uptech
Uptech helps startups and enterprises worldwide overcome hiring difficulties with dedicated outsourcing services. We’ve helped clients like GOAT, Aspiration, and Dollar Shave Club build successful apps by augmenting their teams. This allows them to focus on critical business activities, work with skilled talents, and reduce development costs.
We’re ready to help you expand your IT capacities. All it takes is 5 simple steps.
- We help you identify the work that needs to be done, taking your goals and priorities into consideration.
- We propose a team of talents best fitted for the job, meeting your budget and technical requirements.
- Then, we discuss expectations, milestones, challenges, and other details.
- We will reach out with an offer, subject to your agreement.
- Once signed, you start collaborating with our team as if they are your employees.
More questions about hiring a dedicated development team? Talk to us now.