If you are looking to hire Ruby on Rails developers, then you have come to the right place! In this article, we’ll look at 10 tips to help you find the perfect Ruby developer for your project or business. These tips will guide you in evaluating your candidates and also in choosing the appropriate developer for your specific needs. You’ll also find some resources listed at the end of this article that will assist you in finding and working with the best developers around. So let’s get started!
1) Don’t Panic
Before you hire any developers, it’s important to note that there is no one size fits all Ruby developer. It takes a lot of effort and skill on your part as an employer to find someone who fits in with your team and will work well within your organization. With that said, here are some tips for finding a qualified developer.
2) Understand What Makes a Good Rubyist
Do you want to hire a good developer or find someone who’s great at what they do? If you want someone who’s great, it might be helpful for you and your team if you can figure out exactly what makes a good rubyist. Here are a few traits that many people consider signs of excellence.
3) Set Your Expectations High
When you’re looking for a developer, make sure you have a clear picture of what you want that person to achieve. Do you want them to code new features? Support your business as it grows? Market your product for you? Determine what exactly will be expected of them before hiring so you can weed out developers who aren’t right for your goals.
4) Hire Passive Candidates First
If you’re having trouble finding qualified candidates in your area, try targeting passive candidates first. Passive candidates are those who are happily employed with a different company, but would be open to hearing about new job opportunities if they were presented at just the right time. An easy way to do that is by offering a referral bonus, so give current employees a bonus if they refer someone who ends up getting hired—you’ll not only win over great talent, but retain your top employees as well.
5) Do your Homework with Reference Checks
Reference checks are a quick and easy way to see if someone is worth hiring. Instead of just looking at a resume, call one or two past employers and ask about their experience with a potential hire. If someone has worked with past employers longer than they have been working for you, it might be worthwhile checking in. Did they leave on good terms? Did they work hard while there? Were they competent? A couple of calls can tell you plenty about your new hire’s character.
6) Use Tools Like Github, Stack Overflow and Dribbble
A great place to find a ruby developer is on Github. View some of their code and look at how many followers they have on Stack Overflow or Dribbble. For example, one developer with an impressive following might be a better fit than one that doesn’t have as much traction on these platforms. That said, don’t dismiss someone who hasn’t fully made it just yet.
7) Consider Free Services like Codeable, Upwork and Mechanical Turk
Not only are there lots of websites that you can use to find freelance Ruby developers, but there are also services available where you can outsource your development work. If you have a specific project that needs doing, then it makes sense to try Codeable or Upwork – however, if you just need someone on board for a more hands-on role then Mechanical Turk might be able to help. This crowdsourcing service is provided by Amazon and is great if you just need some relatively minor tasks completed as quickly as possible.
8) Negotiate Before You Hire
It’s hard work finding and hiring a great Ruby developer, and it can be easy to hire quickly—but don’t do it. If you need a fantastic developer, then you should always negotiate before you hire. Once you have an offer in place (or an agreed upon salary), it’s usually too late for either party to back out without considerable consequences.
9) Consider Referrals, Old Habits Die Hard
Getting a referral from a friend or colleague can sometimes be just as useful as sifting through job board postings. Some of my best developers came from recommendations. If you already have a team of engineers, consider putting them in charge of finding new hires—they’ll bring in people they know and trust, which will save you time.
10) Have an Open Door Policy.
The most talented developers are often in high demand, so it’s important that you have an open door policy and keep your ear to the ground. You can easily stay connected with local meet-ups, conferences, and other industry events. It’s also a good idea to ask developers in your network for referrals if they know of anyone looking for work. If you don’t have enough time or resources on your own, consider outsourcing talent acquisition through a recruiting agency.
Read More: 8 Questions to Ask Python Developers Before Hiring Them
