How To Hire A Programmer For A Startup

How To Hire A Programmer For A Startup
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Programming has become a fundamental part of the world’s development and our daily lives, hence the need for you to hire a programmer for a startup.

Things like computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, Cars, Smart TVs, and certain applications would be nonexistent without programming and, of course, the individuals who carry out these programming activities; programmers. 

You must understand that programming affects different spheres of life and valuable aspects to you as a startup company

You would most likely need to hire the services of a Programmer.

If you intend to do that, here are a few things you need to know.

How to Hire a Programmer for a Startup – Who is a Programmer?

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A programmer, also known as a computer programmer or a software developer, is an individual that creates and writes computer software or applications by giving computer-specific programming instructions.

In programming, there are different types of programmers; programmers such as:

  • Computer Hardware Programmers
  • Software Application Developers
  • Database Developers
  • Web Developers
  • Network System Administrator
  • Game Programmers.

Depending on the areas you need them for, these programmers play an important role in growing and place your business in the market speedily through technology.

What Hiring a Programmer for a StartUp can do for your Business

Now that a programmer’s job has been described, you also need to know what they can do for your startup business.

Programmers have been known to help business owners build up the structure of their businesses.

This they do by creating simplified solutions and a platform where they can interact with their customers seamlessly.

This is because of the roles they perform in business.

Some of these roles include:

Innovation

Programmers are innovators who will collaborate with you and your team to create, design, and brand products and services.

We are sure you need not be told how important branding is for your business.

Once you have an illustrator or graphic designer onboard, a programmer can liaise with these for your business’s general branding.

Web Development 

Programmers are also developers.

This means that they can create software platforms and apps that will put your business in front of many targeted audiences.

When you want to scale your business up to the grand level with an online presence using a website, a programmer would be there for you.

They have a very good knowledge and experience working with programming languages to give just the right website for your business.

Troubleshooting and Problem Solving

You can also get a programmer on board to build a website and take care of it.

They are also fixers and problem solvers.

This means that you do not have to worry about glitches or issues that may occur, as it is their job to fix them speedily.

You would not need to worry about the likelihood of your website being down for several hours or days, thereby affecting your business.

With a programmer available, issues can easily be traced and resolved.

Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Hiring a programmer means adding an analytical thinker to your team.

This is because they can gather data, think critically, and tackle issues that may arise across various platforms.

Also, they help increase your start-business productivity by working and focusing on the tasks assigned to them.

Thereby allowing you to focus on other tasks in your business.

Add Much Needed Creativity

Creativity is like a fuel for business, especially ones that have an online presence.

Another thing that programmers can do for your business is that they can contribute their quota of creativity.

This will influence the growth of your start-up business due to their previous experiences and jobs.

They create software tools and also provide commercial guides depending on the project and tasks assigned to them.

Advantages of Hiring a programmer for a Startup

We know a question that puzzled your mind would be, “What are the advantages of hiring a programmer for my startup?”

Hence we will be sharing with you certain reasons why you should hire a programmer for your start-up.

Fewer Expenses and More Savings

This right here has got to be the best benefit of hiring a programmer. 

They provide you with solutions based on-demand or in-house capacities based on your budget.

You also do not have to worry about purchasing equipment and tools for their jobs as they already possess that.

Flexibility and Efficiency

Hiring a programmer is an advantage to you and your startup because they reduce the burden for you.

You need to worry less about certain aspects of your business which provides you with certain levels of flexibility.

This also allows you to work focus your time and resources on other important aspects of the business.

Increase in Effectiveness and Productivity

Programmers are ones whose service is targeted towards a particular aspect of your business.

Hiring one would bring about effectiveness and an increase in productivity.

This is because their sole goal and purpose are to make sure that the project they are being assigned to do is executed to the best of their abilities while meeting the deadline.

Excellent out-turns

Employing or hiring a professional in any field is a guarantee for a remarkable turnout.

This is because they have been trained in the field, the hayfield road knowledge, and the proficiency in working on your desired projects.

Unique innovations and ideas

Programmers are creative, and this is due to the nature of their jobs.

Hiring a programmer would greatly benefit your startup as they would add new ideas, inputs, and creative innovations to your projects. 

The Most Important Qualities to Look Out for When Hiring a Programmer for a Startup

When it comes to hiring a programmer for a startup, there are skills and attributes to look out for.

While programmers play an essential role in the setting up and the growth of a startup, it is also important that you look out for certain qualities and characteristics in a programmer.

These qualities would determine whether they can help you achieve your goals and objectives or not.

Some of these qualities include;

Communication

Communication plays an important role in the successful running of the day-to-day activities of any business.

Therefore, the programmer you hire must possess good communication skills.

This would ensure an effective exchange of thoughts and ideas between you and the programmer.

Quality communication also reduces cases of miscommunications, misconceptions, and confusion. 

Teamwork

When hiring a programmer, an essential attribute that you must look out for is teamwork.

A good programmer must be one who can work alongside a team, whether it is an in-house job or a freelance job.

The programmer’s ability to work with other members of the team determines how swift and effective the tasks and goals are being met.

Creativity 

Creativity is a skill that every good programmer should process.

That is the ability to think beyond the laid down methods, come up with innovations and ideas.

It goes without saying that this is essential to the growth of any startup.

To succeed in any business, there is a need for uniqueness, and your programmer should be one of the people responsible for making that happen. 

Flexibility/Adaptability

While you decide to choose in-house or freelance, please ensure that the programmer has a flexible work pattern.

This means that the programmer can balance and adapt to changes and circumstances in the workplace or time.

Analytical Thinking

Your hired programmer needs to be an analytical thinker as this is critical in your startup’s progress and growth.

This means that they should be able to solve complex problems, make good decisions and carry out tasks and projects effectively.

Patience

Patience indeed is a virtue, and it is one that your desired programmer must have, as it is essential to your startup’s success. 

The need to manage tough situations and circumstances will arise, and your programmer should exhibit tolerance while trying to resolve the situation.

Receptive to corrections and criticism

Any professional should be willing to accept feedback and constructive criticisms; hence the programmer you hire should be willing to accept feedback.

This creates an opportunity to build a good working relationship and to avoid making the same mistakes.

It also ensures growth, and most importantly, ensures a good result at the end of the day.

Good Work Ethic

A good programmer should be one who had a proper work ethic.

This means that they should exhibit a level of discipline, diligence, and a positive attitude towards their jobs.

Where to Find the Best Programmers to Hire

There are several ways to find a good programmer these days.

However, we will be giving you a list of our recommended options on the best ways to find a programmer for your startup. 

Recommendations

Recommendations are by far one of the best ways to find a good programmer.

This means finding a programmer through someone you know or someone they have worked for.

This is a good option because you’ll get accurate details on their qualities and abilities to do their jobs by their previous employers’ remarks.

Websites

Various trusted websites can connect you with your desired programmer.

Websites such as Upwork, Bex-IT, Freelancer, Guru, Toptal, etc.

These and many more have been set to help employers connect with their potential programmers.

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The Social Media Programming Communities

If you are a frequent user of social media, especially Instagram and Twitter, you know that different professions and skills have their communities.

These communities create a platform where they can interact with their fellow programmers and allow you, a potential employer, to connect with them.

These communities can be found via the use of hashtags like #programingcomminity, #nigerianprogrammingcommunity, etc.

LinkedIn

As you know, LinkedIn is a business and employment-oriented platform that allows you to connect with potential employers and employees.

If you are looking to hire a good programmer, LinkedIn is a great option for you, as you get to connect with programmers based on their referrals.

Steps on How to Hire a Programmer for a Startup

As exciting as hiring a programmer to join your team is, you must admit that certain steps will determine if you hire the right candidate for your startup.

Here are steps to help you in selecting the best programmer for your business.

Know the Type of Programmer You Need

The first step you need to take when hiring a programmer is to ask yourself the type of programmer your business needs.

As we stated earlier, there is a wide range of programmers out there, and the one you hire should be one whose field goes in line with what your startup needs.

Be it a web developer, software application developer or a database developer, etc.

Preferred Employment Type; In house or Freelance

After deciding on the type of programmer that your startup needs, another important step would be to consider your preferred employment type.

Are you in need of a programmer who will work in-house with you in your office or a programmer who works independently on a contract basis?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself before hiring.

Outline your Goals and Objectives

Another important step to note when hiring a programmer is to outline your goals and objectives for your startup.

Not only does this keep you as a business owner inline with your set goals, but it also shows the programmer what your project hopes to achieve and how they can come in to make this a success. 

Provide Guidelines

Guidelines are essential when it comes to hiring.

This is because they state the job functions/descriptions, requirements from the programmer, focus/priorities, and plans.

State your budget and pay

Every business owner must have a budget; budgets helps to reduce cost and excessive expenses.

When creating a budget for your start-up business, you should include that of your programmer.

This budget would depend on the duration of the job, the type of employment, and the number of duties assigned in the job description.

Create your Waiting List

After going through the number of recommendations and coming across several good programmers, now write a list of them.

This list is known as your waiting list or a shortlist of your potential programmer. 

After this has been done, you can review the portfolios and the history of work done by these potential programmers and set a date to interview them.

Interview

The interview is an essential part of your hiring process where you get to ask all the questions and determine if their goals and perceptions are in line with yours.

In case you do not have an idea of what to ask during your interview, here are some questions to guide you;

  • Describe your ideal work environment
  • How do you improve on yourself and keep up with the latest developments in your field?
  • How do you handle complexities at work?
  • What programming language do you work with? How has your work experience been in that area?
  • How you ever had to work with a team? What was the experience like?
  • Which of your works would you say is your proudest? Also, why?
  • How can you use your skills to contribute to the growth of the “ABC” company?

Extend your Job Offer and Payment plan

When you have successfully conducted your interviews and selected your most desired programmer to join your team, a very important conversation to have asides stating your guidelines and objectives is extending your job offer and the payment plan. 

Extending the job offer is done by informing the selected candidate that the job is available to them.

Secondly, the discussion of your payment plan/offer.

These are determined by certain factors stated earlier as the job/employment type and duration, etc.

Though it is advisable to state your payment offers in job vacancy descriptions, it is advisable to have a conversation with your programmer as the payment offer can change over time.

Method of Interaction/Communication

Depending on the job type, a method or mode of communication should be agreed upon between you and the programmer.

Freelance programmers might prefer emails as the best way to communicate and give feedback,

While a face to face communication would be perfect for an in-house programmer.

Bring Your Programmer In

The next step is onboarding the programmer.

This is the final step in hiring, bringing your latest addition to the team, the programmer.

Hence, this would involve orientation and sharing of your business values.

This step is where you had in your previously outlined goals, objectives, guidelines, and your project’s assigning for execution.

Conclusion on How to Hire a Programmer for a Startup

Hiring is an important part of every business.

Your employees are the determinants of the growth and progress your business makes in an short and long period.

We understand how daunting the process can be and we know you have to get it right the first time.

Hence our simplification of the process by stating who a programmer is, what they can do for you, attributes they must possess, where to find and how to hire them.

We wish you in your business endeavours and hiring process!

Get a programmer for your startup on Fiverr today.