CTO’s Ultimate Guide to Recruiting 10x Mobile App Developers
Are you a CTO struggling to form the dream team for your upcoming project? Walking that mile in your shoes can be difficult. From overseeing the new project to determining the technologies and ensuring a seamless movement in the team, it can become tedious.
Topping the scheme of things is the job of finding the right person to manage the project. Hiring in itself is a tedious affair. It begins with scrutinizing the available resumes, hunting for the right skills, conducting detailed interviews and carefully assessing the candidates.
With the demands of both tasks, you are either burned out or you choose the wrong people. However, there is a way you can balance your goals as a CTO while finding the unicorn developer for your project.
We are going to spill all the secrets on how to navigate these complexities and hire mobile app developers for your business.
What is a 10x Developer?
Before you get to the strategies part, let’s understand what do you mean by a unicorn or 10x developer.
A 10x developer is someone who has a detailed understanding of the nuances of development and can be 10 times more productive than your average mobile app developer for hire. They have exceptional abilities owing to their skills and experience.
As a result, they can impact the project outcomes and relay successful deliveries. Their productivity isn’t just about being able to code better; it comes with the fact that they can craft creative and high-quality solutions aligned with your vision.
The Skills of a 10x Developer
A 10x developer comes with specific skills that make them necessary for the projects.
- Technical expertise is crucial for someone to become a 10x developer. Check if they are proficient with the diverse programming languages and frameworks. Their deep understanding of the system architecture and design principles can help them create the type of robust solution you need.
- A 10x developer must be able to analyse and solve complex problems. They should look for unique and highly responsive solutions. Moreover, they should also understand their potential to find issues in advance.
- Their ability to understand and grasp new technologies is equally important. This skill will help them evolve to meet the new project needs. moreover, they would be able to stay updated with the current trends.
- A good developer can code well; a 10x developer will be able to deliver well-documented, sustainable and maintainable code.
- The biggest skill they own is their ability to stay efficient and productive despite the numerous tasks they need to conduct. They know when to optimize the workflows and automate them.
- They have the vision to anticipate the problems, identify the goals and manage the scalability aspects. You will notice that 10x developers are real visionaries of the development realm.
- You can expect strong collaboration and communication skills from these developers. They can encourage their peers, mentor them, and contribute impactfully to the project.
Benefits of a 10x Developer to the Team
- When you have a 10x developer, you will notice an uplift in your productivity. Whether it is about achieving the timelines or delivering the best features, they will never fail you.
- Innovation is at the core of a unicorn developer. They understand the norms of design and can pull out the fresh perspectives to any design.
- They are the best mentors, having gone through the numerous aspects of design from the time they joined. They would know what kind of support a person needs and can train them properly.
- Quality is integral to a 10x developer. They would know how to keep up with the quality requirements while extending top-notch codes. They will also reduce the technical debt for your business.
- You will notice a strategic impact on the business outcomes as a result of their contribution and understanding.
Key Strategies to Hire the 10x Developer
Hiring a 10x developer for your business guarantees maximum productivity. You can gain significantly with a simple hire. However, you must invest in the right strategies to conclude the hiring.
Here’s a look at the key strategies that can help attract top talent into the business.
#1. Hiring Top Talent from Companies
You can reduce the time taken to hire a good talent by pursuing top talent from other companies. They can become valuable assets for your organization. You must research the top innovative companies to check into their development teams. This would help identify developers who have made some notable contributions.
You can use professional networking strategies, such as conferences and meetups to find the top talent in the niche. You can also use attractive offers and extend advancement opportunities to bring the 10x developer to your company.
#2. Online Tests
You can use online tests as a way to screen the candidates without investing a lot of your time. Use diverse questions to assess their coding, problem-solving and objective reasoning skills. You can also use these tests to assess their knowledge.
You must customize the assessments to ensure they are well-versed with the specific technologies or skills you need for the project. Similarly, you must use real-world scenarios to assess their abilities. You can judge their approach and problem-solving abilities with this.
Make sure to automate the test evaluation to save some time. It would reduce your burden and help you make fewer errors while comparing performances.
#3. Assess Problem-Solving Competency
Developers are constantly faced with problems. These could be technical as well as non-technical. A 10x developer should look at a challenge as an opportunity and resolve it to the best of their abilities.
When you are assessing a 10x developer, you must throw a few challenging scenarios at them. this would help you recognize their thought processes and solutions.
Additionally, you might want to conduct pair programming sessions with the existing team. This would help you identify their ability to collaborate and communicate. This is essential when hiring a 10x developer.
Assign a task that they can take home and solve. This would also help understand their capabilities and proficiency.
#4. Connect with Hiring Agents
Hiring agents can help you streamline the process. With their experience and network, they can make the task of finding a 10x developer easy for you.
You must look for specialized recruiters, who have a results-driven approach and a track record of finding the right talent. You can also go to search firms that specifically connect with senior employees or specialized role hiring.
Freelance platforms are also a great place to look for a 10x developer who can help you complete your project.
#5. Evaluate their Cultural Fit
Technical abilities aren’t the only thing to judge when hiring a 10x developer. You need to assess their communication prowess as well. determine if they are a cultural fit for your business.
Start by evaluating their communication abilities. You must look for teams that can communicate effectively in a remote environment. You can even source and hire remote developers with effective communication abilities.
It is equally crucial to look at the team dynamics. Check if the candidates can interact with ease during their tasks. This will also help identify their cultural fit.
Lastly, assess if they are adaptable and invest in continuously improving themselves. This will ensure that they can meet the requirements of the evolving tech landscape.
#6. Gauge their References and Portfolio
The candidate’s past work can help you gain a good idea of their capabilities. It also gives you a clean understanding of their work ethics.
You must review their portfolio in detail. Understand their contributions towards open-source solutions. Know their strengths and expertise by going through their past work.
You can also connect with their references to understand their ability, performance and impact in their projects. Moreover, you will know if they are reliable or not for the particular project.
#7. Competitive Packages and Benefits
You must offer attractive compensation packages to attract top talent. You must create packages that resonate with their skills and knowledge. Conduct detailed market research to understand the latest salary trends for the particular skillset and knowledge.
You must also define the performance bonuses and incentives to make an attractive offer. Your idea is to create a competitive compensation that will attract people and motivate them to stay in your company.
#8. Hackathons and Challenges
It is a great idea to host coding competitions and hackathons. This will help you find innovative and skilled developers with a problem-solving approach. You will be able to assess their abilities in high-pressure conditions.
These challenges can help you understand if the professional is capable and committed to innovative thinking.
Steps to Hire Your Unicorn Developer
Incorporating these strategies will help you find the right person. However, there are steps to be followed and not ignored when hiring a unicorn developer.
#1. Understanding the Developer’s Role
Mobile app developers have a load of responsibilities they need to manage. It includes designing, coding, optimizing and maintaining the applications. They will code, test, debug and maintain the apps to make them usable and accessible across systems and devices.
There are specific skills, such as programming language knowledge and framework expertise, they need. They must be proficient with UI/UX design and be able to manage cross-functional teams.
Standard developers must compete to fulfil the basic requirements. however, the 10x developer must demonstrate skills beyond the regular ones. They should possess creativity and problem-solving abilities. Apart from creating clean and usable code, they must work on reducing timelines and enhancing performance.
When you understand the developer’s role and skills, you have a good idea of what to expect from your hiring process.
#2. Defining the Requirements
Once you have understood what is a 10x developer and your expectations from them, you must start defining the project requirements. this is an essential step in hiring your unicorn.
You can begin by defining the purpose of the application, the audience and key features. You can easily determine the technical and soft skills you need from the developer.
When you are defining the requirements, mention the programming languages and frameworks to specify the technical abilities you need. Similarly, check the type of development approach you are looking for to find a suitable developer.
Apart from technical skills, you must look for soft skills and their cultural fit at this point. Evaluate their communication skills, as that can help them collaborate easily and release the best solutions.
When you specify the purpose of the app and its objectives, you are creating clarity in the project. This will help you meet the timeline milestones.
#3. Sourcing the Candidates
You must use a strategic approach to source your 10x developers. Your approach must combine traditional methods with modern approaches. You can use job boards and recruitment agencies to help find a trusted candidate.
Similarly, you can use modern social media channels like LinkedIn to network with potential candidates. You can also use industry events and conferences to find your ideal candidate.
Niche platforms like GitHub and Stack Overflow can also help determine the perfect developers. You can also use the developer communities and meetups to connect with the developers and build a strong connection. This can help you source the right person for the job.
#4. Screening and Shortlisting
The next step is to screen the candidates you have sourced. Assess these candidates using pre-defined factors. For instance, you can use technology to review the resumes and screen the most eligible candidates.
Check their portfolios at this point to assess their experience and determine their track records. You can also look at their previous projects to detail their tech expertise and achievements.
You can also use a video or phone screening method to assess their style, communication, enthusiasm and cultural fit. Using these steps, you will find the most suited candidate for your project. You can easily focus on candidates that are likely to foster project success.
#5. Assessing Technical Skills
Once you have shortlisted the candidates, you must weigh their technical abilities. You should begin by creating technical interviews. Use coding challenges and other skill-based challenges that are in sync with the project needs to find the right candidate.
You must use practical tests and real-world scenarios to observe the developer. This will give you a complete understanding of their approaches.
You can also use pair programming to check their coding and collaboration styles. When assessing technical skills, you are not just evaluating their framework and repository knowledge, but also their ability to work as a team.
#6. Evaluating Problem-Solving and Creativity
Once you have assessed their technical skills, it is time to know if they can solve problems. Most developers work in high-pressure conditions. Despite that, they should be able to approach problems with a cool mind. Moreover, they should be creative when solving the issue.
This will reveal if they are critical thinkers and innovators, which is the need of the hour for a 10x developer. You can also use their past projects and call with references to know if they have a problem-solving approach towards projects.
CTOs can also use behavioural interviews to realize if they are adaptable. Moreover, it will also help if you focus on their decision-making abilities.
#7. Check References and Background
Once you are satisfied with the candidate, it is time to do a detailed reference check. You must validate the candidate’s claim by connecting with their previous employer or references. This would help you understand them better. You will get detailed insights into their interpersonal skills and work ethics.
You can also ask questions regarding their performance. The references will share their experience on how the candidate handles challenges or meets deadlines. This would help you realize if they have been honest with you on the resume.
At the same time, it is crucial to verify their credentials to make an informed hiring decision. Background checks are equally important, especially if your project involves managing sensitive information. You must also ensure they comply with the legal and regulatory requirements.
#8. Extending the Offer
Once you are satisfied with the background check and verification, think through the offer and complete it. make sure you offer a competitive salary with perks and benefits to the candidate.
The structure should reflect the location, the skills and their experience. You can use the current market trends and location as factors to detail the salary for the person.
You can use elements like equity and incentives that promote growth as a way to attract potential candidates. Make sure you communicate the compensation package and benefits are ‘[; communicated to them.
#9. Complete the Onboarding
The final step is to onboard the potential candidate to your organization. You must ensure proper onboarding process and integration for the new hires.
Create an onboarding plan that runs through weeks or months to ensure the proper journey. This would include orientation and team introduction. It can also help the 10x developer understand the company’s culture and process.
You should have the right tools and technologies to set up the workspace for these candidates. Offer access to the code repositories and development environments for them to get started. This will increase their productivity and help them be more accountable.
You can also assign a mentor for the initial days to get them accustomed to the new environment. This can also help them get started faster.
Conclusion
Hiring a 10x developer for your business requires a thorough evaluation of the candidate’s abilities and strengths. You must take a strategic approach to assess their technical strengths, problem-solving capabilities and performance.
Gauge whether they are a cultural fit in your organization and assess their communication abilities. This includes working as a team, specifying the issues and reducing the bottlenecks.
As a CTO, you can design tests that can help check their technical and problem-solving capabilities. You can conduct small interviews with shortlisted candidates to know their responsive and communication proficiencies.
These steps mentioned here can help you move from sourcing the developer to onboarding them seamlessly. Expert App Devs can be on board with you on a journey towards successful app development.
Our 10x developers are available to help you create unique and highly innovative software solutions. Hire dedicated mobile app developers from our team to get started with your project.
Jignen Pandya
Vice President at Expert App Devs
Responsible for creating a sales funnel, attracting top-of-the-funnel customers, and converting the target market.
