10 Steps to Hiring a Great Ruby Developer

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Rashid Hassan

There are two types of business owners: those who have hired and fired employees and those who haven’t done either yet. Unfortunately, if you’re reading this article, then you’re likely in the latter category — that means you’re facing one of the most stressful experiences an entrepreneur can go through, looking to hire your first full-time employee, specifically a Ruby developer to help your growing business grow even more.

Define the Job Role

The first step is to determine exactly what kind of role you need to fill. Do you need a one-off hire or do you want someone on board full time? A freelancer or an employee? Once you know what your ideal candidate will be doing, it’s easier to search for and hire that person. Some companies struggle with how much freedom they can give their new hires but there are ways around that which we’ll cover later in step #5.

Create a Shortlist

Once you have several developers in mind, it’s time to create a shortlist of candidates. This may seem like an unnecessary step, but we encourage you not to hire until you have a solid shortlist. Remember that hiring is not just about finding someone who can do your job; it’s also about finding someone who will fit into your team and culture. So get all your potential hires on-site and take advantage of all interviews!

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Screen CVs and References

Before you make any offers, set up phone screens with at least three candidates (more if you’re hiring more than one developer). It’s important that you speak with references and previous employers before extending an offer. You don’t want to waste your time interviewing someone who won’t be a good fit for your team. CVs and references can also be useful—but only if they’re up-to-date.

Prepare an Interview Plan

The best developers are in high demand, so it pays to put careful thought into your hiring plan. What kinds of candidates will you be looking for? How will you attract them? Will potential employees have to take a test or submit examples of their work before moving forward with an interview?

Structure Interview Questions

It’s important that you ask good questions of your candidates, but it’s equally as important that you ask questions designed to give you useful information. Remember: interviewers and interviewees are trying to game each other, so structure your questions with deception in mind. Ask for an example of how your candidate has dealt with pressure or conflict on a job before. Ask them about their biggest weakness and what they plan on doing about it.

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Give In-Person Interviews

If you’re looking for great developers, look no further than your local developer community. Most cities have technical meetups or groups—join these and be on the lookout for skilled developers who are willing to interview. If you find someone who interests you, give them an in-person interview. Seeing how they act during an in-person meeting (and doing a quick background check) can tell you if they’ll be right for your company or not.

Run Phone/Skype Interviews as Backups

If you can’t get an in-person interview with any of your candidates, phone interviews are better than nothing. I usually start off these interviews with some general small talk about hobbies and interests (e.g., What do you like to do outside of work?). Then, I’ll ask questions based on my candidate’s resume.

Negotiate Salary with Candidates

When you do sit down with your potential new hire ruby on rails developers, make sure you’re prepared with salary expectations. You may want to take some time up front and discuss market rates, but ultimately it’s important that you’re upfront and honest with candidates about what they can expect in terms of pay.

Test Candidates’ Skills During Interviews

When you’re searching for developers, it’s tempting to just ask people if they have experience with programming languages like C++ or Java. However, asking these questions can also be an easy way out; because they’re standardized and predictable, few experienced developers will admit they don’t know how to do something.

Negotiate Contract Terms with Candidates

If you’re hiring for a contract position, be sure to include non-compete clauses and other employment details in your job offer. Candidates tend to negotiate harder if they think they have more leverage, so make it clear from day one what your expectations are regarding compensation, working hours and more. If you aren’t comfortable doing so yourself, enlist an attorney’s help when hammering out these terms. It may seem like overkill now—but it can definitely pay off down the road.

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