Technology has become a driving force across sectors which has put computer programmers in great demand. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for Software Developer jobs will grow by 22% from 2020 to 2030, with almost 189,200 offers every year.
The duties of computer programmers range from writing programming languages to designing websites and creating software to solve specific problems. Thus, they are the heart of many great organizations.
This role requires a professional with one or more programming languages, such as Python, Java, PHP, Javascript, and so on. Therefore, such a role requires more than an ordinary individual; it requires the best hands. This is why as a business owner, you must put in your best to get the square peg to fit in your square hole and help solve your organization’s programming needs.
In this article, we’ll reveal the four easy steps to hiring a skilled computer programmer. They include:
- Outlining your project needs
- Preparing an effective job description
- Creating a waiting list
- Interview
If you’re not tech-savvy, hiring a tech professional might be difficult. You may explore using employment agencies in Brampton or Global Technical Recruiters to help you out.
1. Outline Your Project Needs
Whether it’s a mobile app, a website, an intranet system, or a business intelligence tool, you should first figure out what you need computer programmers for before looking for one. Build a candidate persona and determine the exact expertise to look for and which specific programming language a candidate must know.
2. Prepare an Effective Job Description
When you are hiring computer programmers to work on your project, there should be an effective job description to give potential programmers a clear idea of what they would do when hired.
This job listing conveys your company’s needs, gives the programmers a clear insight into the workplace, and also provides them with the list of expected skills to have in getting the job.
This phase will help weed out unqualified candidates so that only the qualified ones apply, easing your selection process.
3. Create a Waiting List
After preparing an effective job description, you might begin to see several applications from programmers who would like to work with you on your project.
Kindly go through the applications and note down the qualified ones. This list is referred to as the waiting list, which will entail only the shortlisted candidates. After compiling the names, review their respective portfolios to see their history. Now, you can set a date for the interview.
4. Interview
This is an essential step in any hiring process. A successful interview for computer programmers should go beyond listening to theories; it should also include solving technical problems. This is the approach many top tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook adopt. For instance, you can give the candidate a programming problem to resolve in real-time. This will be done in the presence of the interviewer. Such exercise will review four things about the candidate being interviewed — it shows their critical thinking ability, speed of delivery, expertise, and ability to cope under pressure while delivering desired outcomes.
You don’t necessarily have to be a tech expert in offering such a test, but if you are tech-savvy, it’s better. It could be as simple as providing the candidate with a simple problem and asking them to solve using their programming skill within a set time.
However, besides the practicals, you also want to hear the candidate speak. Hence, some critical questions you should ask include:
- Request For Their Computer Programming Experience
According to techtarget.com, employee experience is an essential phenomenon in achieving organizational goals. This also applies to computer programmers.
Thus, ask about their experience in a similar role. Have they handled your kind of tasks before? How were the results? What were the obstacles encountered, and how did they overcome them? These are questions you need answers to when asking about the candidate’s experience.
- Request For Their Work Samples
An effective way to evaluate the technical skills of your potential programmers is through their past work. Ask for their coding samples. If you need them for a web design, ask for samples of websites they recently designed. If it’s for app designs, ask for a similar application they designed. Go through the samples provided and see if it’s good enough. Whichever position you need the candidate to occupy, request a suitable sample.
Final Thoughts
The growth and success of a business or company are determined by its employees. So, when hiring a computer programmer, you must ensure you get the process right.
If you’re not tech-savvy, hiring a computer programmer might be daunting. However, the steps mentioned above will assist you in making good hires.
