How can you evaluate freelance developers for your business?

When you’re seeking to build a website, application or software, having a freelance developer on hand can be very beneficial. Not only do freelance developers hop on and off projects at crucial times, lending a hand in times of need, they can also work out more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee or agency.

Depending on the team you have in-house, a freelance developer can supplement your knowledge and add significantly to your team. Bringing a fresh pair of eyes, and the skills necessary to build your dream product, a freelance developer can be an ideal asset for any business.

But how can you choose the right one? With so many freelance developers out there, choosing who to work with can be the main challenge. We’re unpacking the best ways to evaluate a freelance developer to give you a head start.

5 Questions To Ask Before You Hire A Freelance Developer

Evaluate a freelance developer for your business, with these 5 questions.

• Are they a good team fit?

Before all else, it is crucial to consider how they would fit into your team. This evaluation should be done both in terms of their personality and ethics, as well as their practical skills. 

Will they fill skills gaps and have the attitude needed to take on this challenge? Look for someone highly skilled, likeable and with a good work ethic. At BorderlessMind, this is always the first thing we consider when adding a freelancer to our growing pool of talent.

• Do they have the relevant experience?

Looking at what kind of projects they have worked on before will give you good insight into how they will handle your project. Ideally, you need to choose a developer who has worked on similar projects with success in the past. 

This is where a portfolio of work can be very helpful to assess the kind of work the professional will produce. Look at their previous work and assess whether it fits what you’re looking for.

• Do they have the technical skills you need? 

Then, it comes down to the technical skills. You should have a good idea of the technical skills that you need to build the website, app or other online product that requires coding.

Once you have those, you need to remove the candidates who don’t have those programmes on their resume. Web development isn’t a one size fits all, and people can be highly skilled in some coding languages, but weak in others. 

Finding out candidates strengths will help you remove those who don’t have the technical skills you need.

• Do they have Remote Working experience?

Working remotely vs in the office can be very different. Ideally, look for a candidate who has remote working experience and will be able to manage their own workload. As a freelancer, you want them to be able to get on with their role and deliver results.

Yes, working in a team is important. However, if you’re going to be working remotely, having prior experience of remote working is very valuable and will help them crack on with work independently.

• Do they have strong communication skills?

Another key skill for a freelance developer is having the communication skills to speak with people who don’t necessarily understand the technical side of development. Being able to communicate well and translate these hard topics into everyday speech is a vital skill.

Find out how they like to communicate and which platforms they are comfortable with. Do they use Email? Slack? GoogleDocs? Asana? Trello? Monday? Or are they someone who prefers a video call? Ensuring this aligns with your company is vital to success.

With a risk free trial of BorderlessMind, you can benefit from skilled remote workers at your fingertips. Why not reach out today and find the perfect freelance web developer for you?