Your website developer creates the online face of your company and enables you to virtually interact with your customers and prospects. Undeniably, a website developer is one of your most critical hires. As such, it is crucial that you find the best person to work with. Otherwise, you will be wasting money and risk hurting your business.
To find the best website developer to work with, keep the following top tips in mind:
Check their DNA first before their work experience.
When hiring a web developer, their personal DNA should be one of your most important considerations. While work experience is also a determining factor, one of the biggest predictors of success is their DNA and how it fits with your company. Whatever key characteristics that make up your culture, ensure your chosen person fits in.
Case in point: an excellent web developer that has experience working with an established financial institution might not do as well when working with a startup. Why? Startups often require traits like adaptability, versatility, and risk-taking—traits that might be less important for large companies and organizations.
Identify at least five requirements that match the DNA requirements of your company. Ensure the person you choose matches at least three of the five requirements. Hiring for DNA can also help you define your company culture more accurately and ensure your chosen web developer works well with your team.
Consider assigning a small project first.
Once you have shortlisted a few people, consider giving the most ideal candidate a small and non-critical project to work on. Assigning a small project first allows you to observe the candidate in action and can give you additional insight beyond what you have learned about them during the job interview.
Assigning a short project can also give you an insight into how efficient the candidate is in terms of delivering products. Did the candidate go above and beyond to deliver great work? Was the solution creative? Was the candidate able to clearly communicate issues and delays?
Opt for a web developer with aptitude.
Skills can become obsolete in just a few years in the tech industry. That said, it would be better to work with a web developer who can easily learn new technologies rather than one who is well versed with a specific technology but can’t easily adapt when a new trend or technology comes along.
To detect if someone is quick to adapt to change, ask questions that highlight their love for learning something new. You can start with the following important questions:
- Do you have any favorite technology conferences?
- What are your go-to places if you want to learn new tech tricks and tips?
- Have you learned a new programming language recently?
It is also recommended that you ask open-ended questions to get more insight into what they can offer. Some of the questions you can ask include:
- How will you handle any conflicts in a web application when different people will edit the same data?
- Which design patterns do you typically use and in what situations?
- Can you name the differences between component-based design and object-oriented design?
As a general rule of thumb, don’t ask questions that can be easily searched online when conducting technical interviews. It is recommended that you focus on asking open-ended questions and pay close attention to the answers. From there you can gauge how passionate they are and how clearly they can verbalize and explain tech terms and procedures.
