What skills should you look for when hiring your next junior app developer?
Hiring for developers can be tricky when you don’t know all that much about the field. What do you even look for? You could end up neglecting the vital skills that your junior app developer needs to create a perfect product. We know you want to make the best hire for your business, so we’re here to help.
But first, what’s an app developer?
App development is a specialised area of software engineering. Whereas the standard software dev writes code for web pages and the like, an app developer writes code for applications. But again, they can specialise:
- A mobile app developer creates smartphone applications for Android or iOS.
- A desktop app developer creates applications for PCs and Macs.
All developers have to be able to write and troubleshoot code. When you’re looking at resumes, you’ll probably see words like HTML5, Java and C#. These are coding languages – the bread and butter of developers.
Before you begin the search for an app developer, have an idea of the coding languages you’re looking for.
What skills do junior app developers need?
1 – Communication
App developers don’t just sit in a dark room all day and write code. They have to be constantly communicating.
Whether you’re taking on a junior app developer on a fixed term or full time contract, they need to be excellent communicators.
Developers have the ultimate power over the end result. You need your new app to look and behave a certain way and your dev has to respect that. Junior developers have to be able to listen to all key stakeholders and understand their needs.
They also have to be excellent with verbal and written communication. If they run into a technical issue that sets back the release date, they have to be able to explain the problem to everyone involved.
2 – Problem solving
Speaking of technical issues, junior app developers have to be excellent problem solvers. They need to have the creative and analytical mind-set required to understand and fix issues.
Finding a junior with plenty of project experience is vital because this means that they’ve probably encountered loads of problems before and solved them.
3 – Attention to detail
The last thing you want is a broken app, so you need to find someone that’s rigorous. App developers have to be relentless in their work – testing and altering their projects repeatedly until they’re perfect.
Code is a finicky thing. Your developer needs to be able to pay attention and manage all of the moving parts to create a seamless user experience.
4 – Curiosity
An inquisitive mind and a passion for learning come hand in hand. It’s important to look for these traits because the world of development is always – well – developing!
New software is being released every day, so your junior needs to be excited and constantly trying to learn. If they’re motivated enough to teach themselves these new programmes while keeping up with industry news, then they can hopefully make you a ground-breaking app.
5 – Technical Skill
Finally we return to the most essential trait to look for: technical skills. Be sure to give your junior app developer candidates a coding test to really see their skills in action. You can even ask a senior developer or someone with industry expertise to sit in on your interviews.
Still looking for your perfect junior app developer?
You’ve come to the right place. DigitalGrads is a unique company: a training academy and hiring platform all in one. So if you’re struggling to find a junior app developer with all the skills you need, sign up and look through our candidates today!