No matter the determination and enthusiasm, stats show that 1 in 5 startups fail in the first year. The main reasons for that are financial and staffing problems. As a startup founder, one of the challenges you will face is finding skilled and reliable software developers for startups. The demand for developers is high, and the fierce competition makes finding and hiring the right talent difficult.

However, with the right strategies and tactics, you can increase your chances of finding the best developers for your startup. We've tried them out, so you don't have to!

Agree That Talent Search Can Be Challenging When Starting a Venture?

You might have heard about some roadblocks which are inevitable when hiring developers for startups.

Limited resources

Fierce competition for tech talent makes developer compensations grow. On one hand, you need seasoned devs when developing a product or service from scratch. On the other hand, the most experiences talents expect to get incomes which may not alight with a startup’s budget.

Unknown brand

Of course, when you are hiring for Google or Amazon, it’s easier to attract top performers. While you are still working on your brand’s cultural identity, they can hook specialists just for the sake of their names.

This roadblock may become a mind trap for startupers: the more you focus on the idea that people don’t want to work in a startup environment, the more time you waste. Your unknown brand, if everything else looks fine, will not scare away ambitious software engineers who want to be #1 in a small company rather than #1001 in Google.

Multitasking

Startups often require team members to multitask, which can be overwhelming for some candidates. But not for all of them. When the areas of responsibilities are blurred, 2 types of specialists can shine. 1) Those ambitious pros whom we’ve already mentioned, as they strive for independent decision-making. 2) Specialists who aim to get as much experience as possible to level up their CVs and portfolios.

Geographic limitations

If you locate your startup in a region with talent shortages, you might need to scan other regions to find suitable team members. Frankly, there are a lot of tech possibilities to build a remote team nowadays. Asana, Slack, and other software for teams syncs specialists perfectly. A much more serious concern is a necessity to study the local laws related to hiring.

Lack of experience in hiring and retention

Startup founders may be hiring for the first time and overlooking red flags during interviews, which leads to mis-hires. Also, they can lack experience in compensation negotiation, which leads to increased hiring budgets. Then, startupers can lose a part of a hired team because they don’t track the team’s satisfaction at work.

At the same time, for the experienced IT staffers, hiring developers for a startup is not more challenging than for established businesses.

Let me share how to find developers for a startup first, and how to retain them on a team next.

Innovate and Conquer: How to Find Developers for a Startup

To ensure your next candidate is a match made in heaven, you need to spot the right specialist who has a pinpoint skill set, understands your corporate culture, knows your goals, and is dedicated to help you reach them.

Proven tips to hire developers for a new business are waiting for you ⬇️

Understand Your Requirements: How to Find a Developer for Your Startup

Before you search for developers, it’s critical to answer a couple of questions. What kind of developer do you need? What skills and experience are you seeking? What type of project are you currently working on? Thus, you will narrow your search and be able to find the right tech specialist for your project.

For instance, a full-stack developer roadmap suggests mastering different mixes of front-end back-end, data management, and DevOps technologies. I’d clarify the frameworks crucial for your project in the job description and in its title. When you name your job opening MEAN (Mongo.DB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js) stack developer or Ruby on Rails Developer, there will be more chances to hook good candidates.

Decide on Target Countries

Wonder where to find developers for a startup? If you hire globally, it’s easier to fill the skill gaps precisely and find pros within the budget. You need to spot some best countries for software developers with the high level of specialized expertise, not so high cost of living, and hiring laws which you can navigate with ease.

Research, for instance, if a country has a lot of Python devs to choose from, and how much an average Python developer earns there. Then, scan if there are any specific hiring law you should stick to.

If you are from the US, you can terminate team members without any reason. Yet, in Germany employees can only be terminated for specific reasons defined by law (like redundancy, misconduct) and must receive notice and severance pay. In the USA, there is no federal requirement for paid vacation days. Yet, The Working Time Directive in the EU mandates a minimum of 20 paid vacation days per year for all specialists, with some countries providing even more (e.g., France requires a minimum of 25 days).

Compensations for overtime hours, maternity and paternity leaves, non-discriminations laws, requirements of Labor Unions, and many other things could be drastically different in Asia, Western and Eastern Europe and wherever you find a developer for your startup. If you are gathering an international team, I recommend you get a local expert in each country or partner with a global staffing agency, just like Outstaff Your Team.

Pros and Cons of Hiring Across Regions

Region

The USA

Developer hourly rates

Staffing Pros

Potential Staffing Cons

Back-end dev: up to $110

Front-end dev: up to $78

Easy to find culturally fit team members.

Well-developed IT infrastructure.

Highly competitive market is a reason for the highest developer rates in the world and the biggest talent shortages.

Western Europe

Developer hourly rates

Staffing Pros

Potential Staffing Cons

Back-end dev: up to $56

Front-end dev: up to $47

Easy to find culturally fit team members.

Well-developed IT infrastructure.

The most demanding local employment and data protection laws may impact your business ops.

Eastern Europe

Developer hourly rates

Staffing Pros

Potential Staffing Cons

Back-end dev: up to $40

Front-end dev: up to $30

Client-oriented service, many areas with well-developed IT infrastructure, strong tech education.

No potential cons if you hire within the well-known IT clusters like Poland or Baltic States.

India

Developer hourly rates

Staffing Pros

Potential Staffing Cons

Back-end dev: up to $21

Front-end dev: up to $13

Client-oriented service.

Potential cultural differences and focus on quantity that may harm quality.

South Africa

Developer hourly rates

Staffing Pros

Potential Staffing Cons

Back-end dev: up to $25

Front-end dev: up to $15

GMT+2 time zone aligns well with many European countries. Tech talents are motivated, multicultural and proficient in English.

No potential cons if you have a good remote team management strategy, including reliable communication tools.

Singapore

Developer hourly rates

Staffing Pros

Potential Staffing Cons

Back-end dev: up to $70

Front-end dev: up to $58

Strong and diverse tech expertise, business-pro policies.

Team members may take time to integrate into the company culture.

Use Social Platforms to Attract Talent

To find a developer for your startup, you can post a job ad on various job boards, such as LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed. Make sure you include all the necessary details and requirements in your ad, such as job and skills requirements and compensation details. Be transparent and specific about your expectations, so you can attract top-notch tech talent.

Using more specialized platforms like Upwork and Freelancer is also a great way to find developers for your startup. If you post your project on these platforms, freelancers worldwide will apply for the job. You can review their profiles, work history, and ratings to find the right fit for your project.

When posting a vacancy ad on a freelance platform, many founders expect they would get only relevant applications. Chances are you’d need to dig through many profiles to find the one. To save you valuable time, it's helpful to include rules or steps in the application form to filter out candidates who haven't read the job posting carefully, or aren't a good fit for your company. For example, include a specific question requiring candidates to provide a detailed response demonstrating their understanding of the project as well as relevant skills and experience. You could also ask candidates to use keywords in their application to ensure they read everything thoroughly.

Also, platforms like Upwork are useful for startups with limited budgets and short-term projects that require a freelancer or a remote developer. However, they may not be ideal for businesses looking for long-term employees or those who need to find a programmer for a startup with a specific set of skills.

Hire a Staffing Firm

Hiring a recruiter is a go-to option for hiring programmers for a startup. Recruiters deeply understand the market and can quickly found out how to find a developer for your startup. With them, you allocate resources only for what matters most. Moreover, they can also organize the entire recruitment process, including posting job ads, conducting interviews and negotiating salaries.

Hiring remote developers with a staffing firm is a proven path to expand your search and find talented developers worldwide. Remote developers can work from anywhere, and you can tap into a larger talent pool of skilled tech professionals. But how to manage remote teams making reliable tech talent a part of the team ASAP to retaining them on the team? Staffing companies like Outstaff Your Team are your go-to for remote development needs. With access to top-tier talent, streamlined hiring processes, HR Ops management and Employer of Record services, they help you build the perfect remote team.

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Hiring a recruiter or a “staffer” can be an excellent option for startups that have a complex project, lack the time and resources to manage recruitment, or need to find developers with highly specific skills and expertise.

Use Code Repositories

Code repositories, such as GitHub and GitLab, are worldwide-popular solutions to find developers for your startup. It can help you with finding developers who have contributed to open-source projects which are similar to yours.

Code repositories are beneficial for startups working on open-source projects, as they allow you to evaluate the quality of the developer's work and assess their level of expertise.

Conduct Technical Tests

Conducting technical tests is a good option for startups with specific technical requirements who need to evaluate a candidate's technical skills accurately. However, it can be time-consuming and costly, and may not be suitable for startups with limited resources. So, you can try some pre-screening platforms like Coderbyte and see if it works for your case.

Offer Competitive Compensation, Benefits & Growth

When hiring programmers for a startup, make sure you provide a salary and benefits package that align with industry standards. While industry giants intrigue engineers with stock options and unlimited PTO's, it’s worth thinking through and balance your EVP instead of adopting the latest trends. Each business is different, so you make your rules. You can offer extra perks like flexible hours, the chance to work from home, and opportunities to grow professionally.

It’s also important for retention to facilitate growth and advancement. Developers are attracted to companies that offer career progression and development prospects. To keep your developers engaged, provide them with ways to grow and improve, and chart out a clear career trajectory to help them achieve their goals.

Focus on Building a Strong Company Culture

Developers want to work for a company with a clear mission and values that fosters a positive and inclusive work environment. Create a culture that encourages teamwork, creativity, and originality.

It would be best if you were clear and honest about your expectations, requirements, and company culture to get suitable candidates. Ensure to provide clear and concise job descriptions, and be straightforward about the challenges and opportunities of working for your startup.

We hope these strategies will be of use to you. You can combine them into "management hacks packages" and apply them to an overall company strategy. The main takeaway should be that every step requires preparation and consideration of the future. Before setting a budget for hiring a team of developers, think of the long-term benefits and pitfalls. Will retention suffer from an incorrect hiring strategy? And how will it affect your project in the future? Keeping that in mind helps with hiring and overall EX and works in your favor as a business owner.

Hiring a Developer for a Startup Done Right

Congratulations on finding a candidate for your startup! Now you have to make sure you’re aligned on every level, and they truly get what it takes to be a part of your amazing team. Follow these steps to ensure that.

Gamify the Interviews

Gamified interviews can be an effective way to assess potential candidates. By adding game-like elements to an interview, you can learn more about a candidate's skills and abilities in a more fun and exciting way.

There are many ways to incorporate gamification into the interview process, including role-playing exercises, simulation games, and even video games. These activities can be designed to test various skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, creativity, and communication.

In the interview process, gamification is a scenario-based exercise in which a candidate is given a simulated problem or challenge they must solve in a certain amount of time. This could involve working individually or as part of a team and include strategy, critical thinking, and decision-making elements.

Another example might be a game that simulates a typical workday. For instance, a coding test could be presented as a game where the candidate has to solve coding puzzles and challenges within a set time frame. This approach allows the interviewer to observe the candidate's problem-solving process and coding abilities.

Gamifying the interview process can be beneficial for startups that want to create a unique and engaging candidate experience. This strategy is particularly effective for companies in industries that value creativity and innovation.

Onboarding is a Must

How to hire a developer for a startup to keep them on the team longer? Onboard them properly. The cost of onboarding a new employee should be an investment in the team retention.

To ensure a smooth onboarding process, start by introducing them to your company's culture, values, and mission. Provide a clear understanding of your product or service, target audience, and competitors.

Next, familiarize them with the tools and technologies they will be working with. Consider setting up a mentorship program or assigning a senior programmer to guide them.

Finally, establish clear communication channels and expectations for performance. Schedule regular check-ins to provide feedback. Encourage transparent communication, and ensure they are comfortable reaching out for help.

Use Human-Centric Approach

A human-centric approach means placing people and their needs at the heart of everything you do. This includes prioritizing the experience of potential candidates and treating them with respect and empathy throughout the recruitment process. This means giving timely feedback, even if an engineer lacks latest framework version knowledge, or scheduling the final round while it’s still relevant for a candidate. Even if they don’t fit this time, who knows, they might be a great asset to your team later when your team needs scaling again.

This strategy is particularly effective for companies in industries where work-life balance is important, such as tech or healthcare.

But how can you apply all of this effort while still focusing on other aspects of your business? Outstaffing is the answer! By partnering with Outstaff Your Team — a professional outstaffing company — you can delegate the recruitment, People Ops, payroll, and save time and effort, while still ensuring that you find the right person on your quest of finding developers for your startup.

Our scouting team makes a human-centric experience a priority when working with potential candidates. Even if the IT specialists don't get the job, keeping good relationships and building emotional connections can make a good impression that could lead to referrals in the future.

With this approach, you work with an experienced team of HR and People Ops professionals who are dedicated to providing top-quality talent for your particular needs. Interested? Let’s start building your team now!

Final Thoughts: Build Hiring Around Flexibility

Investing in the right strategies to find developers for your startup can save you time, money, and headaches!

Don't settle for less-than-stellar candidates when you can make the smart investment in your startup's future by implementing these top strategies. Think that engaging top performers will cost you a leg? Outstaff your Team offers you a flexible staffing pricing and a diverse talent pool with a wide range of expected incomes. By increasing job opening visibility, we find the right developer quickly and help you avoid costly hiring mistakes.

With us, you can scale your team step by step, getting the most out of your investments.

FAQ

by Ann Kuss
on June 20, 2024. Share on LinkedIn Post on Twitter

Ann Kuss is the CEO at Outstaff Your Team. After 11 years of expertise in building remote tech teams for startup unicorns and global tech brands, Ann decided to lead a new venture aiming to reinvent the way international tech teams scale. Throughout her career, Ann hired specialists for countless tech positions from more than 17 countries on all major continents. Ann graduated from Kyiv-Mohyla business school, is an MIM Kyiv alumna, and regularly takes part in mentorship programs for junior tech talents. Ann actively promotes knowledge sharing and curates Outstaff Your Team blog strategy, preferring topics that solve practical needs of IT leaders. She believes that structuring business flows (including hiring) is a well-planned journey with predictable and successful outcome.