How to Hire and Effectively Manage Software Developers

Knowing how to hire and effectively manage a team of software developers are important skills for many in today’s tech world. Hiring software developers is not necessarily the same task as hiring for non-technical roles in a company, especially if your personal knowledge of software development is limited. Before you begin to hire your software development team, you should know what important traits to look for in potential candidates. According to the Forbes Technology Council, hard skills are important, but some of the most essential traits are soft skills, such as:

• Ability to work with a team and independently
• Fits in with company work culture
• Willingness to learn and adapt
• Clear examples of integrity
• Passion and energy level
• Proven track record

Additionally, as a team manager, you will need to make sure that you are facilitating the best possible employee experience. Clearly communicate the roles and responsibilities of team members, identify the common goals of your team, and challenge your team to improve themselves.

Offering Perks and Growth Opportunities

Some of the greatest aspects of working in the tech industry are employee perks and employer-facilitated growth opportunities. In fact, as competition for tech talent grows, many applicants expect such benefits. 

Devising unique ways to boost your employee retention will not only help attract talent, but it will also help your company keep the talent it already has. We discuss three categories of perks below: wellness packages, the ability to work remotely, and opportunities for growth.

Perk: Wellness Packages

It doesn’t take much to develop a robust plan for offering wellness packages outside of standard insurance benefits. Gym memberships, partnering with other businesses to offer discounted products or services, and even team-building exercises are a few of the many ways you can set yourself apart from other companies and keep your employees happy and healthy.

Perk: Working Remotely

If you’re considering adding remote working options for employees, it is a good idea to weigh the pros and cons first. By offering remote work opportunities, you can give your team more flexibility, save company money and resources by reducing overhead, and save your employees a lot of time. 

However, while your employees may gain flexibility, you may lose some control over their routines. If your remote work plan is not structured in a way that employees get clear direction and understand what is required of them, those employees may encounter difficulties meeting expectations and deadlines.

To help offset some of the loss of control over employee routines associated with remote work, using technology to better track employee time is crucial. With TimeTrack, you can better understand what your employees are working on and improve collaboration no matter where they are.

Perk: Opportunities for Growth

Offering your current employees scholarships for continuing education programs can boost employee retention and overall employee satisfaction. If your company is working with a significantly limited budget for perks or benefits, you can also refer employees to free resources to enable them to advance their skills and gauge their interest in a subject before you commit company resources to their development. 

Summary

Whether you’re hiring experienced talent, new graduates, or a mix of both, having a clear and concise plan for your new team is essential. Find ways to instill a positive culture that includes a fresh, innovative, and pioneering work environment. Above all, encourage team-building exercises whenever possible. This will help your team to find “unity in diversity” and learn from one another.

Technical people are typically inherently creative types who enjoy new challenges that allow them to explore new ideas and concepts. Do your best to make projects innovative so as to allow your team to best express their creativity. Workplaces that find a good balance between creative expression and responsibility will undoubtedly gain a high competitive advantage over those that stifle creativity by adhering too rigidly to strict regimens.

Ivana Spiridonovic

Time management is an important topic for companies, whether small or large. As a trained business economist and expert at TimeTrack for many years, I deal with the topic of time tracking on a daily basis. I would like to share with you the tips and tricks I have discovered in the field.

I also like to write about my experiences in project management. I attach great importance to team management, manageable work processes and transparent communication – in my opinion the basics for every successful project.