If you’re looking to hire Ruby on Rails developers, finding the right person for the job can seem like an impossible task. There are plenty of developers who can learn Rails quickly, but only if you’re willing to put up with the problems that come with hiring someone new to the framework. On the other hand, hiring an experienced Rails developer means dealing with expensive rates and potentially out-of-date skillsets. If you don’t know where to start, follow these 10 tips for hiring the perfect Ruby developer.
1) Beware of Imposters
Just because someone knows how to use Ruby on Rails or calls themselves a Ruby developer doesn’t mean they are ready to work with you. After all, there are thousands of different programming languages and software packages out there; it would be very difficult for someone to know them all. Do your homework: look at a candidate’s portfolio, verify his or her references and contact previous employers, and make sure they understand everything that is involved in working with a small startup—from planning to execution.
2) Do Your Research
Before you hire a new developer, do your research. There are many potential red flags to be aware of. While you shouldn’t automatically rule out a candidate if they have a few warning signs, it’s important to be wary when hiring a developer and not to jump at anyone who seems too good to be true. Here are some examples of red flags that might appear in job listings or resumes
3) Look For A Good Fit
It’s important to find a good fit when hiring. You want to hire people who will enjoy what they do and, at least in some ways, fit in with your culture. The good news is that you don’t have to make hiring decisions purely on chemistry alone; there are plenty of other things to consider, too.
4) Know The Language
Of course, no one is born knowing how to speak a new language, but if you hire a developer who doesn’t know what variable means, you might as well throw in your hat and call it quits. It’s important to make sure that whomever you hire knows and can use key terminology in both Java and Ruby. If someone doesn’t know what he or she is doing during an interview, don’t even think about hiring them.
5) Look At Their Experience
It’s always a good idea to look at a candidate’s previous experience before hiring them. If they haven’t done any work in Ruby, then it probably won’t be a good fit. Look at how they’ve used their skills in other projects and if they can share some of their code with you, that would be great.
6) Check Their Credentials
When you’re in hiring mode, nothing is more important than checking out a prospective employee’s credentials—after all, it can be difficult to get a complete picture of someone from their resume. Don’t rush into it, though; take your time to carefully check references and other information that a candidate may provide during an interview.
7) Don’t Get Duped By Low Prices
It is easy to be enticed by low prices, but remember that these cheap developers may not have much experience, or they could simply be reselling a template and passing it off as original work. Either way, you’ll likely regret using them in the long run.
8) Recognize Outliers!
Outliers are defined as an observation which is numerically distant from other members of a data set. If you were to calculate outliers in any given data set, there will almost always be just one—the rest will be what statisticians refer to as inlier data. This means that you should immediately avoid outlier data whenever possible and make sure to only consider it if your use case absolutely requires it.
9) Interview Them
The best way to hire a developer is by interviewing them. You should sit down and ask them questions about their experience, how long they’ve been in business, and any proof of work that they have on hand. The more experience you can get out of a candidate, the better they will be in handling your project. When hiring developers always try to get at least two candidates so you can weigh their strengths and weaknesses against each other and make an informed decision.
10) Consider The Team Dynamic
Consider how well candidates interact with your team before hiring them. It’s possible to hire a brilliant programmer with a great track record, but if that individual doesn’t fit in, it won’t matter. It’s also important to consider how valuable of an asset you want that person to be—if they don’t work well with others or they add unnecessary stress on your existing team, they might not be worth hiring.
