How to find great software developers in India
Experienced and dedicated software developers function as extensions to your in-house team and help you release robust and scalable applications . You can find software developers wherever you go, but finding skilled developers is the task of a lifetime.
In a recent newspaper report, about 95% of the engineers in India are not fit for software development jobs. About 36,000 engineering students in the IT field were all tested through Automata, a Machine Learning based assessment of software development skills and it was revealed that 2 out of 3 of them couldn’t write proper codes.
About only 1.4% of the developers are able to write correct and efficient codes. Which brings most companies to the dilemma of finding great developers that can produce innovative software solutions for them. They don’t need just anyone to write thousands and thousands of lines of code, they want a concept that drives maximum business value.
Guaranteed that you will be armed with all the major resources that would help you find developers when you get down to the search. LinkedIn, Twitter, developer forums and communities and so on.
But it is also important to check whether they are suitable for your project. India is a great resource for skilled developers, and many people really do get successful work done here.
However, the problem with India is that you have too many developers sporting their certifications and qualifications, and ready to present them on request. But finding the cream from this huge, growing list is a challenge indeed. The best ones will always be plucked fast, so here are some tips in which you can get them for yourself.
1) The language
You can communicate in English with your partner in India. But the problem lies in the way Indians understand the language and the way it is spoken in UK or US. The tone, intonation, pronunciation and usage of stress are so different in the country that you really have to make sure that you are both on the same page before you commit the developers to a project.
And there are certain terms that is used in Indian English only. Examples are Good name,
Trial room, Mother promise, Mention not, Cousin brother/sister, Revert back and Rubber (instead of eraser). So the next time you thank your Indian partner for a work well done, and he says “Mention not”, don’t scratch your head, it is just their way of showing appreciation.
2) Good communication skills
A software expert may not be an expert in English language. But the person should be able to speak confidently so as to render the right attitude. If he faces any sort of problems during the course of the project, he must convey the same, so everything will be discussed in black and white.
There is no room for assumptions. Rather than beating round bush and skirting the problems, the right way would be to face them and find a permanent solution. If you ever get the feeling that the developer is not communicating correctly, or is hiding a particular problem, then it is time to think twice.
3) Tapping the right resources
There are plenty of resources that would give you the best people for the job. StackOverflow has over five million registered users, so you can easily reach out to them through their job boards or Twitter.
And LinkedIn is another good resource. You can search through your own contacts by location and region. GitHub is a place where developers share their open source projects, and it is likely to contain members with the biggest following. You can easily evaluate their work and their knowledge of codes here.
4) Sending a short test
Focus on the developers that you feel,is worth the effort. You can invite them to participate in interviews, and have one-to- one interviews on their skills and milestones. This would help eliminate people who were not able to impress you.
Once you have narrowed down your list to a few developers that you’ve actually liked, you can invite them for a short test. This would give you an insight on their quality of work. Test with mock problems, so they can find their way out. If you are inviting them to develop a small application, and you’ve really liked their product, you can even pay them for it.
5) Good blogs
If you have the habit of reading blogs written by developers, you can probably subscribe to them, and follow regularly. This would give you an idea of their knowledge level. You can even understand the comfort level of the developers and which programming language they are proficient in. Regular posting of the blogs will let you know how updated they are in their particular field too. So keep an eye on the blogs to make a good hiring decision.
6) Having a good business policy
On your quest for talented developers, you will also have to partner with the company as a unit, so make sure they have a good business policy. Having a transparent policy means they will work with honesty and integrity, so you can trust them that the work will be delivered accurately.
Chart a clear-cut security policy and plan. Companies sign contracts with their offshore partners, so they have to make sure their policies are transparent. Sign MoU or similar documents before releasing the final product.
Closing thoughts
Software developers in India are generally willing to work in different time zones. This would be easier for you in case you want to have a one-to- one with them regarding changes and updates in the project. Payments can be done on completion of each milestone or at the end of the project.
And make sure there are no hidden charges lurking within, when they quote a price. It is always a good idea to hire outsourcing companies rather than individual freelancers, unless they’ve made a name for themselves. This makes the hiring process easier and you are more likely to get responsible professionals this way.
Interesting Articles:
Reasons to choose software developers in India
Ways to find a programmer in India
Picture source : Flickr.com/ Mozilla
About the author: Reema works as Thought Leader at PHPBabu.
