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Development ServicesWhen we talk about smartphones and apps, Android OS usually comes to mind. Initially, the company Android Inc. was based in California and developed systems for digital cameras and mobiles; in 2005, Google acquired the company intending to enter the mobile market.
Two years later, they released Android as a mobile operating system to the consumer market. Nowadays, the Android mobile operating system (OS), developed by Google, is the most popular smartphone operating system currently in use.
According to Statista, the Android market OS share worldwide is currently 72.84% and will reach 87.4% by 2023. Plus, the total global mobile app revenue reached $462 billion in 2019 and it’s predicted to generate up to $936 billion by 2023, with a total number of Android users around the globe of 2 billion people.
On that note, developing Android apps can help you reach countless users; however, due to the competitiveness of the app market, where only 1 from 10K mobile apps survive, hiring a top Android application developer is vital for you to succeed while creating a profitable app to stand out from the crowd. Here’s our short guide on how to find top-notch talent and some best practices for you while hiring an android app developer.
Necessary Android Developer Skills
Before you start your android developer hiring process, it’s crucial for you and your recruitment team to know what are the necessary skills of an Android developer so you know what to look for precisely in your quest to find top-notch talent.
Java
One of the cornerstones of development, including Android app development, is a programming language. Well, the language by excellence to develop Android apps is Java; therefore any respectable Android developer needs to be familiar with the core concepts of this programming language, including basics and syntaxes, collection framework, concurrency and multithreading, generics, and functional programming.
Kotlin
The other excellent programming language is Kotlin, as Android mobile development has had Kotlin as a priority since the 2019 Google I/O. Since its creation, Kotlin has evolved continuously, not only as a programming language but as a whole ecosystem with powerful tooling.
Now it's fully integrated into Android Studio and is commonly used by many companies for developing Android applications. Therefore, an Android app developer must master Kotlin.
Android SDK
SDK stands for Software Development Kit, which is a fancy name for a set of pre-packaged code. Installing the Android SDK is one of the essential tasks for any developer. This development kit has everything an Android developer needs to create apps, including tools for storing data, creating action bars, and adapting apps for different screen sizes.
Android Studio
The integrated development environment (IDE) of choice for Android developers is called Android Studio. This IDE provides a unified environment where developers can build apps for Android devices.
Android Studio’s structured code modules allow them to divide their project into units of functionality that they can independently build, test, and debug. Android Studio also features many of the capabilities developers expect of a full-featured IDE, therefore is a must-have for any Android developer.
API integration
API stands for application programming interface, basically a set of definitions and protocols for building and integrating application software. From a developer’s perspective, APIs are a key component for Android developers to tap into other existing applications and web services, such as Google Maps, and leverage their functioning.
Databases
Most apps these days need to use a database. Therefore, chances are, any Android app will need to use one as well. As every app needs to store data and thus integrate it with a database, having experience with various databases is a fundamental skill for any Android developer.
The right candidate will know how to choose the proper database for a particular project. On the contrary, if you hire an Android developer that doesn’t know how to manage databases means that you might need to hire an extra developer solely for that purpose.
Mobile UX/UI
Mobile user experience (UX) refers to the positive experiences during the use of mobile devices and applications or services running on such devices. In contrast, Mobile User Interface (mobile UI) is the graphical and usually touch-sensitive display on a mobile device that allows users to interact with the device's apps and features. Therefore the importance for an Android app developer to have Mobile UX and UI knowledge, as you can’t develop without thinking about how the user experience will be.
Mobile app security
Mobile app security refers to defending a mobile app from fraudulent attacks like malware, hacking, or other criminal manipulations. Mobile apps without proper security protocols can put extreme risks to both users and developers as they may become targets to hackers for malware attacks or data breaches.
Therefore, it is crucial to look for Android developers that know how to provide the latest security features to protect user privacy and data.
Where to find Android developers?
Now for the million-dollar question, where and how to find android app developers to begin your recruitment process? Our first advice here is not to limit your search and hire options; think out of the box and utilize all resources available to you. We gathered some of the best places for you to look:
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Freelance platforms
Hiring a freelance Android developer is an excellent option for companies to get access to talents from all over the world while reducing costs. Freelance platforms offer many candidates and make collaboration safer with the help of quality controls, reviews and ratings from users.
However, be careful to rely solely on freelance work; freelancers are used to working independently, and they often have their schedules, so managing a team of freelancers can turn your project into a living logistical hell.
Moreover, without a proper service contract, a freelancer can leave your project anytime, hampering your project and budget.
IT Outstaffing agencies
Outstaffing is a type of remote employment in a company when some of the staff is taken out of it. An intermediary, who is an out-staffer, settles the employment relationship between the employee and the company.
Recruiting through IT Outstaffing agencies allows you to hire top-notch developers without paying high taxes, insurance, salaries, etc.
Plus, the IT outstaffing firm acts as the legal employer of your remote team, so you have no employees legally and, therefore, fewer legal obligations.
Nevertheless, hiring through outstaffing agencies comes with some challenges you must keep in mind. For example, as you act as the “unofficial employer”, you might come across some disloyal treatment by workers. Also, as everything is carried out through an intermediary, you’ll need to have a higher control for your contractors to handle the duties and avoid them receiving imprecise instructions.
Mobile app development company
A mobile app development company provides various services, including custom mobile development on Android platforms. Hiring through this type of company can help your team ensure excellent assistance in defining system requirements and a proven experience in software development to suit your needs.
However, you need to be aware that hiring Android app developers through mobile app development companies means that the technical knowledge will remain outside your company, making you dependable to outside talent. Plus, this type of hire usually involves higher costs for you.
Professional social networks
Nowadays, there would hardly be a professional who is not using social media or professional social networks like LinkedIn in their daily recruitment process.
LinkedIn states that the majority of its users are ‘passive candidates’, in other words, professionals who are not actively looking for a new job but are very much active on LinkedIn, making them the perfect target for recruiters.
Also, experienced developers generally have detailed LinkedIn profiles and a well-established network of contacts, making your recruitment job easier and faster.
Having “passive candidates,” however, can also play against you; unless developers find a job particularly interesting, being contacted by a recruiter in this regard may be time-consuming with little payoff.
It’s true that professional social networks allow you to access a massive pool of talented app developers, but keep in mind that if candidates have poorly written profiles, it will be difficult for your team to find the right person for the job.
Job sites
Publishing your Android app developer job on job sites such as Indeed and Monster it’s a powerful tool for finding an excellent candidate to join your team.
As these platforms are widely used, your job posting ad will surely be viewed by thousands of possible candidates.
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Also, some platforms, such as Elevated Careers, use predictive algorithms to match job seekers with vacancies based on skills, culture, and personality.
One of the biggest downfalls of this type of platform is the presence of spam and redundancy, as recruiters attempt to take advantage of the high exposure of the sites, ruining the UX and frustrating possible candidates.
Forums
The main advantage of an online forum is that it encourages discussion; therefore, having a solid presence in online forums regarding your industry is an excellent way of spotting potential new hires.
For example, if a potential candidate adds a comment to your post, that might suggest interest in joining your team.
Also, recruiting in forums allows you to target specific groups of people for the available vacancies easily. For instance, you can try to share job postings in Android-specific groups.
However, one of the most challenging aspects of recruitment through forums is the high level of anonymity of candidates and the unreliable information of profiles.
Professional groups in social networks
Social networking changed the way we communicate with each other. One of the most significant advantages of using professional groups in social networks for your Android app developer recruitment process is the opportunity these platforms provide you to reach people from anywhere in the world.
As long as there is a web connection, there’s a potential candidate. Also, social networks allow people from different backgrounds to connect with companies, thus increasing the diversity of their applicant pool.
One of the most significant issues of recruiting through professional groups in social networks is the tendency for employers to be biased toward people with good social network presence, compared to people who are not as active online but could be better candidates for the job.
How to hire android developers?
Now that you have more insights on how to find world-class talent, your team needs to develop a detailed recruitment plan before hiring an android developer. This will help you to find the right candidate while saving you time and resources. Here, let us tell you more about it.
Step 1: Prepare a technical project description
The first and most important thing to do is to outline what your project is about and the result you are trying to accomplish. You don’t have to be super detailed; on the contrary, it is best to keep the description short and sweet. Be sure to include goals, objectives, and the overall approach, without going into detail.
Step 2: Specify candidate requirements
You can’t find something you don’t know you were looking for. That is why it is so essential for you to identify what you are looking for in your next Android app developers before you start looking for them. Here is where the above list of skills comes in handy. Be as specific as you need to; a cohesive list of requirements will help you narrow down your search and help you find the right candidate easier.
Step 3: Choose an engagement model
Once you have your ideal candidate in mind, it is time to define how you are going to engage with them and the model that makes more sense to you and your company. Do you need a part-time freelancer or a full-time employee? Choosing the right engagement model is as important as choosing the right candidate for your team.
- In-house: This model refers to conducting an activity or operation within a company instead of relying on outsourcing.
- Fixed price: A fixed cost pricing model guarantees a fixed budget for a certain project, regardless of the duration and real expense. The main advantage of a fixed price model is that it allows you to plan and set an exact budget.
- Hourly pay: Also known as wage, this model refers to paying someone an agreed amount of money according to the hours worked. Hourly rates vary depending on the region. For example, an Android developer rate in the USA ranks between 15-35 USD per hour, while in India is 6.8 USD per hour. Other regions to look at for competitive salaries are Mexico, with an hourly rate of 10 USD per hour, and Ukraine, which pays its Android developers 9.87 USD per hour.
Step 4: Find candidates
Once you identify your engagement model and have the right candidate in mind, you are all set to start finding candidates.
You can start your search using the suggestions of places we gave you above and reach out to professionals with just the right skills and experience you need from the perfect Android developer for your project.
Step 5: Conduct interviews
Interviewing candidates will ensure you are hiring only the most qualified developers for your Android app project. Be sure to consider what you are looking for in a potential employee, follow a consistent interview structure, and be clear about what the job will require and what you are looking for.
Step 6: Sign a contract
You are all set! Be sure to have constant and open communication with your legal team, and let your Android app developer know when to start.
Are you ready to start your app developer recruitment process? We hope this short guide comes in handy for your team in your hiring efforts. However, if you still feel a little lost on where to start looking for dedicated developers, talk to us! Let us help you develop your team with highly skilled global tech talent through a nearshore staff augmentation solution. At Intersog, we have a long successful history of providing teams with digital enterprise solutions tailored to their needs.
