Spotting a high-quality software developer can be tricky. Not only do you need to find a developer with the right skills, capabilities, and attitude, the hiring process often needs to be completed quickly to attract the best candidates and to get your project started faster. Being able to quickly and easily spot red flags on a software developer’s resume and identify a bad hire means you get better quality developers for your project, your developers are likely to stay with you for the duration of the project, and your project progressed more quickly towards completion without setbacks.
Here are the red flags you should look for when looking at software developers’ resumes.
Red Flags
- Skills vs. Experience – Just because a developer has skills in a particular programming language, doesn’t mean they have experience. It takes more than a single year to really develop expertise with any programming language. Most developers know that it takes only minutes to learn enough of a code syntax to make changes, and a few hours to learn to write new code, but that does not make an expert. Beware of applicants that seem to bluff by claiming expertise after only short experience with a language.
- Keyword Stuffing or Unclear Wording – Using terms like “Familiar with…”, including long lists of programming languages, or misspelling or using language names and terms incorrectly are big red flags that a developer is pretending to know more than they do, or keyword stuffing to get their resume past automated HR software.
- Depth of Experience – While a developer’s resume may include impressive experience with the skills you’re looking for, it’s also important to qualify the extent and value of the experience they’ve had. This can allow you to assess the level of sophistication to which they’ve developed their skills in a particular area.
- Too Many Skills – Developers whose resumes show a range of skills accrued in a short period should be flagged. No matter the span or scope of expertise, without practical experience they may be of little use to your team.
Avoiding a Bad Hire
- Look For Green Flags – On the flip side, avoid a bad hire by looking for ‘green flags’ or signs of quality. This includes a resume which shows steady improvements with projects of increasing complexity over time. Resumes should also show a range of experience over a reasonable time frame which indicates a scope of hands-on practice and the ability to handle different situation and challenges. Certifications in programming also serve as an indication of a level of success or experience in a particular skill.
- Outsource First – If you’re worried about making a bad hire, it can be better to outsource your software development first. This gives you a chance to get to know the developers and ‘try before you buy,’ without getting locked into a commitment that you might later regret.
- Choose A Trusted Company – Choosing to outsource to a trusted company means you don’t have to put it as much time and effort to vet every candidate. A quality software development company can even make the hard choices for you, using an experienced eye to sort and analyze resumes to pick the best candidates for your project. Be sure to consider whether you should outsource to an onshore, offshore, or nearshore company.
Related Content: What is the True Cost of Hiring a Developer?
Avoiding the time, money and effort wasted on a bad hire is essential when choosing software developers. With a wealth of experience, knowledge, and connections, Bydrec can help you identify the best candidates for your project and even put together a software development team for you, so talk to us today about getting your project off the ground even sooner.
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