Running a business is hard, but finding and hiring the right cloud developer can make that process a little easier. As the importance of cloud technology continues to grow at an impressive rate, so too does the career field of cloud software developers. Cloud developers are some of the most quickly emerging in both demand and pay rate, making them an ideal choice for individuals who wish to enter the tech industry.
But how do you find the best ones? And more importantly, how do you get them to work for you?
Identify The Skills You Need
When you’re looking to hire a developer with cloud experience, you should start by identifying the skills they will need. These skills will vary depending on the type of work your new hire is doing. If they are going to be working with big data, for example, it would be good if they had experience with Hadoop and MapReduce. If they are going to be doing IoT development, then experience in IoT protocols is important.
Make sure that you don’t go overboard and demand too much from your ideal candidate. Otherwise, you may find yourself unable to fill the role and having to settle for less than what you want. The more specific your requirements are, the less likely it is that you’ll find someone who can fit all of them—and if you do, it’s unlikely that person will stay employed for very long at your organization (or any other).
If there are any areas where your technical knowledge falls short of knowing exactly which skills are needed for this position (such as being able to distinguish between various types of databases), then it would be wise to get another expert opinion before making a decision about what qualifications should appear in your job posting or interview questions list.
Write A Job Post That Attracts Top Talent
The most important thing you can do is write a compelling job description that focuses on the skills, experience and qualifications you're looking for, as well as things that make your company unique. Other benefits you offer, like training and coaching are also important to include here.
Writing a good job post has some similarities to writing an email or blog post, with one big difference—you need to be specific about what the person in this role will be doing every day. That means using active voice (“You will build cloud-based platforms”) and short sentences (“You will work with our existing team to help us scale up our product offerings”). Candidates should know exactly what they'll be doing if they join your team, so don't hold anything back.
Offer A Competitive Salary Package
Salary is one of the most important factors in any job offer—and you should have a clear idea of what your company can and will pay. While it's tempting to start with a lowball offer, that's not a good strategy. Instead, do some research on what other companies in your area are paying developers and make sure you're offering something at least comparable. If your budget is tight, you can negotiate lower salaries for entry-level workers or junior developers if the hiring process requires it. But if you want to attract experienced developers, be prepared to offer them a salary package that will be both attractive and competitive with their current package.
Create a career path: If your company is small or new, it might be difficult to compete with larger companies that offer better benefits or higher salaries. That's why offering equity in an early stage startup can be an effective tool for attracting talent. Just make sure you understand what equity means for employees and how employees benefit from equity before making an equity offer (more on this later).
Use a cloud hiring platform to filter applicants
When you're ready to hire a cloud developer or team, avoid the tedious process of combing through applicants and resumes. Instead, use a cloud hiring platform to filter candidates using criteria like experience, expertise and price. This way you can more quickly compare the best candidates for your role and save time on sorting through all the applications.
Set up a phone interview before the in-person interview
You should set up a phone interview before bringing the developer in for an in-person interview. This will save you time. Phone interviews are also the best way to determine if a candidate is the right fit for your company. You should have an initial phone conversation with each of your potential hires, which should be followed by more detailed discussions that center on specific topics. It’s best to create a list of questions prior to beginning any discussion so that you can better gauge whether a candidate is prepared, competent, and qualified. The questions you ask will provide insight into their personality as well as their technical knowledge.
Involve other team members in the interview process
Involve other team members in the interview process. The hiring process should not be limited to those who will be working directly with the candidate; it's important to collect input from all team members, from your product manager to the CTO.
Get a different perspective on your candidates. Your colleagues might have useful ideas about how a candidate could fit into the organization and how they would work with various teams, including those outside of engineering—and that information can help you make an informed decision. Even if you don't agree with their feedback, it's important to have everyone involved in the discussion.
Have candidates meet people they’d actually like to work with every day. Asking candidates who they would like to meet is usually good practice—it provides them an opportunity to show interest in specific projects or technologies that your company supports, which can give you some insight into what motivates them.
Focus on cultural fit as well as experience
Culture fit is just as important as experience and skills. A potential hire may have all the technical chops in the world, but if his or her background, personality, and interests don’t mesh with your company’s culture, working together will be like trying to put a square peg into a round hole.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the candidate's lifestyle – family status, hobbies and interests – during the interview process. How does this person spend time away from work? Do those activities make him or her collaborative and open-minded? Will they help him or her think creatively? You want to know whether your future employee will be comfortable interacting with other team members in both professional and personal situations.
Final thoughts
Finding a great cloud developer is tough, but it doesn't have to be. The first step in finding the perfect hire is to identify what you really need. It might sound obvious, but not everyone is looking for the same thing from their cloud developer.
Some companies are just looking for someone who understands their tech stack and can slot into an existing team with minimal onboarding, while others want a more versatile hire who can offer guidance and leadership. Depending on your needs, the difference between these two types of hires will influence where you look, what roles you advertise, and what questions you ask during interviews.
Now that we've established there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to hiring a cloud developer, you can reach out to our Staffing Agency to help you recruit the best, brightest and the most suitable candidates for your cloud need.
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