Hiring the best Python developers can be difficult, but it’s vital to your business’ success. Here are the top 10 tips for hiring the best Python developers for your business.
1) Top Skills to Look For
When hiring Python developers, look for a few key skills: experience with TDD and BDD, knowledge of popular frameworks like Django and Flask, strong communication skills. When it comes to recruitment—and hiring in general—look past degrees and certifications. A university degree is an indicator that someone has interest and aptitude in computer science, but don’t let that single metric be your guide when hiring Python developers; people come from many different backgrounds to become good at what they do. Someone who was self-taught might be better than someone with a degree at applying concepts learned through formal education into real-world applications.
2) Ask References Questions First
When hiring developers, it’s a good idea to ask references questions first. This way, you can ascertain whether or not a developer is worth your time. Start by asking: Is there anything I should know about [developer]? What are his or her strong suits? How well does he or she work under pressure? Can he or she get things done on time? If so, how often is that deadline met? It’s important to take all of these answers into consideration when making hiring decisions; if one reference mentions great teamwork skills but another claims that a potential hire needs constant direction and supervision, you might want to consider hiring someone else. References tend to focus on positive qualities instead of glaring weaknesses—so don’t be afraid to press them further if their descriptions seem too rosy.
3) Prepare Your Own Python Developer Interview Questions List
There are few things worse than sitting down to interview a potential hire, only to realize that you don’t know what to ask them. Employers want to talk shop, and so should you. Prepare your own list of questions and try asking them out loud—you may be surprised at how much better they sound in your head compared with how they sound coming out of your mouth.
4) Python Developer Skill Set Matrix
When you are looking to hire a developer, consider adding a skill set matrix to your hiring process. This helps applicants better understand how their skills relate to what you need from them in an employee. For example, you might have a table like: If you are looking for X then these are A, B and C skills that we look for. If you don’t have at least those three things then we cannot hire python developers.
5) How Long Can They Work?
When interviewing potential new hires, one of your most important questions should be: How long can they work? The word work doesn’t need to be specified in hours; it could also mean how many projects a candidate is currently working on, how much time they spend coding outside of their day job, etc.
6) Expectations on Availability?
Expectations on availability can create a situation where your employees feel like they have to constantly be on, because they know if they don’t respond quickly to an email or text message, someone else will get their job. It can also make them less productive overall. When you hire a great developer, give them room to breathe; when you need their help with something, know that they’ll get back to you as soon as possible and stop hounding them.
7) Will They Need Additional Resources?
If you’re hiring a python developer, odds are that they’ll need to bring their own resources and libraries to get your project done. Make sure they have all of these ready to go before agreeing on payment. If not, be prepared to spend additional money on contracts with them.
8) What is Their Fee Structure?
When looking to hire someone new, make sure you know what their fee structure is. For example, if you’re hiring a developer that charges hourly, it may be advantageous to hire them on a retainer rather than paying by hour. This way, you only pay for those hours that are used and don’t have to worry about paying developers to do nothing.
9) Negotiation Issues – When To Say No
It’s important to remember that when it comes to hiring great developers, timing is everything. Whether you need to expand your current team or build out a new one, you’ll have to hire quickly, and if you’re not careful with how you approach negotiations, you could easily wind up hiring someone who isn’t right for your company. There are several negotiation issues where it makes sense to simply say no – but only after thinking through all your options carefully.
10) How Long Before the Contract Begins?
Before hiring a developer, it’s important to clarify how long you will have to wait before they begin work. If you need someone to start right away, you’ll likely want to limit your search to freelancers who have availability on specific dates. If you have some flexibility in terms of when they start, then you can expand your pool of potential candidates.
