How To Hire Mobile App Developers: A Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs

Mobile apps are the future for businesses in all verticals. Are you a young entrepreneur or Startup owner looking to convert your mobile app idea into reality? Well, the first and foremost thing that hits your mind will be “How to hire an app developer?”

It seems like a simple question and your answer would be any of these – hiring an mobile app development company, hiring a dedicated freelance app developer, or hiring an offshore app development team to build your app. However, the real problem relies on how you hire an app developer and what are all the processes you should do to hire a reliable app developer for your project.

According to the report published on Persistence Market Research, the market value of the app market is evaluated as USD 191,751.6 Million and it is expected to reach USD 1,115,329.7 Million in 2033. On the other hand, the data published in Statista reveals the number of global app downloads in 2023. The data shows that app downloads stagnated, experienced a 1% rise year-over-year, and reached 257 billion in 2023.

This highlights the potential growth of the mobile app market and the number of apps being downloaded by smartphone users all over the world. To convert your innovative app idea and achieve success and growth, it is essential to hire a professional app developer with sound knowledge of the latest tools and programming languages.

This article briefs the process and steps to be followed for hiring a reliable app developer who precisely suits your development criteria.

Top 4 App Developer Hiring Models

Hiring top app developers with indigenous and cross-platform mobile development expertise can lead to exceptional, user-focused mobile apps that help brands and companies outperform competitors. 

Here are the lists of top 4 app developer hiring models for hiring developers. You can choose the best one that suits your development needs.

1. Fixed Price Model

The fixed price model is the most preferred model to hire mobile app developers around the world. Just as the name suggests, the cost of the app development is fixed while hiring a developer.

To hire mobile app developers using this model, you need to define your project scopes, app developing requirements, milestones, and deliverables with a fixed fee. Often this model is considered as safe as it minimizes the risk possibilities in app development.

Benefits

• Accurate cost and timing – For app development, the fixed pricing model offers a definite budget that makes it easy to determine how much the project will cost.
• Limited monitoring and management – It allows clients to focus on their projects without excessive management or oversight, resulting in a product that lives up to their expectations.
• Accuracy and transparency – This model prevents ambiguity and offers high transparency that guarantees accuracy and better outcomes throughout the product development life cycle.

When to choose this model?

The model is better suited for short-term projects having a fixed budget, clear project scope, and clarity of the app features & functionalities.

2. Hire Dedicated Team Model

If you are conscious of your app data privacy and need constant supervision over the app development process, then preferring this dedicated team model would be the right option. This model ensures there will be no interference in app development as you are hiring a dedicated team that takes full control over the development.

This model of hiring developers will give you the liberty of picking developers of your choice and keeping the project under your control throughout the development process.

Benefits

• Security assurance – The model gives you full control of the app development process ensuring the safety and security of the app.
• Flexibility in choosing developers – This model gives you the flexibility to choose the expert and skilled developers as per your choice with fixed monthly charges.  
• Team expansion – This model gives you the convenience of expanding or limiting the number of developers according to the budget.

When to choose this model?

The dedicated team model is suitable for projects that require developing team adjustment, managing complex projects, achieving high scalability, UI/UX, feature-rich products, and customized software solutions for big business operations.

3. Offshore Development Center Model

The Offshore Development Center (ODC) Model is a kind of hiring model that allows you to set up a development center outside your location. Under this model, you have the flexibility to pick developers and many developers as per your choice.

App Developers hired under this ODC model are maintained by an agency or firm which you have partnered with. However, you will have complete control over the team and the infrastructure.

Benefits

• Cost Savings – You can set up ODC at any location where you can hire developers at a reasonable or competitive price.
• Flexibility – This model offers you great flexibility in adjusting your development team size according to the project complexity at any point.
• Meeting Project’s Need – This model gives you the privilege of wide accessibility to skilled developers around the globe and work in different time zones as per the project need.

When to choose this model?

This model is perfect for long-term projects and well-suited for MNCs or large enterprises that are looking to expand globally. Offshore development centers are a tactical way to access global talent pools and make use of a country’s best resources.

4. On-Site Model

Under the cost-plus engagement model, a 3rd party agency or firm hires and sends the developers to your location for your development project. Under this model, you are actually borrowing or hiring professionals on lease to work at your workplace joining with your team.

In this model, you don’t need to worry about the developer hiring process. The agency or firm that sends developers takes full responsibility including payments and other wages of the developer.

Benefits

• Time Saving – This model helps companies to hire expert developers quickly and start working with the in-house team immediately.
• High Transparency – This model gives you the privilege of hiring 100% transparency with the hired developers. Since the developers are managed by an agency or firm.
• Easy Access to Expert Resources – Under this model, you enjoy the benefit of accessing reliable and expert resources easily and quickly with a fixed cost.

When to choose this model?

This on-site model of hiring developers, suits well for short or mid-sized projects based on the waterfall methodology. Also, this model is highly efficient only for projects with defined or clear requirements that are unlikely to change.

It doesn’t matter what hiring model you choose, your App developers must adapt to development requirements, considering scope, scale, and industry verticals. This makes sure your app development process goes smoothly and hassle-free. 

Steps to Hire a Mobile App Developers

Choosing the right mobile app developer is the most crucial process that determines the success of mobile applications. Hiring a professional and vastly experienced skilled developer will bring your mobile app idea into reality.

Here is the step-by-step guidance for hiring an expert mobile app developer every business should follow.

1. Get References

Getting references from your trusted sources is always beneficial in many ways. It doesn’t matter whether the reference sources are friends, colleagues, or acquaintances; it will allow you to engage with the known or previously worked developers.

Referrals from known sources will help you to gain some insights about the developer and how they approach the project. More importantly, you can easily verify the outcome and also ensure whether their approach or work mode meets your expectations or not.

2. Determine Your Project Goal & Developing Technologies

Businesses or individuals must understand the primary goals and objectives of the mobile app development project. The goals and objectives of the app should be determined based on the solution provided by the app for solving the user’s problems.

In addition, individuals or businesses should have a clear mindset on what type of platforms and technologies should be used for developing the app. Based on the insights mobile app developers should be hired.

3. Inspect The Recruitment Platforms

Once you have clear thoughts on your mobile app development needs and app goals, start creating a job description. The job description should start with a clear overview of your app development project’s vision, primary responsibilities, and skill sets needed from the developers.

Explore various recruitment platforms like LinkedIn, Freelancer, Craigslist, etc to find the specialized app developers for your project.

4. Review App Developer’s Portfolio

Once you post your job description you will start receiving proposals. Instead of going behind the appealing proposal, review the portfolios of the app developers deeply. Start screening the profiles based on your project requirements and by evaluating their previous work.

App developers should be picked based on their technical skills, coding knowledge, and work history. Proper examination will give you detailed insights about the caliber of the specific developer.  

5. Pay Attention to Feedback and Reviews

As a part of the screening, consider reading the feedback, testimonials, and reviews from legitimate consumers. This will give you a sense of the developer’s reputation and also their mobile app development service quality.

At the same, you should be cautious about identifying the reviews from legitimate consumers. Don’t fall for the spam testimonials and reviews. Always cross-check the projects completed by the developers.

6. Check With Developer’s Expertise

Consider interviewing shortlisted app developers to analyze their technical skills. During the interview, ask about the work experience and technical scenarios of the project. Feel free to ask for feedback from the developers about your app development idea. This will give you clear knowledge of the problem-solving skills of the developers.

Interviews must be focused on identifying the proficiency of the technologies and platforms on which your project is going to be launched.

7. Negotiate Over Budget & Other Items

Once you finalize your developer, it is mandatory to discuss some key terms of the project before initiating the onboarding process. Here the key terms of the projects are contract, budget, scope of work, deadline, milestone, payment schedule, intellectual property rights (including app source coding), and so on.

The budget of the project must be determined based on which hiring model app developers are hired to work. Based on the insights, decide about proceeding further with the onboarding process.

8. Engage With Developers

Once you are okay with all the aspects of the app developers engage with the developer for developing your project. Remember you should maintain an open and transparent approach throughout the hiring process and also while working with the hired developer to achieve your app development goal.

You should not forget that hiring app developers for your project is just the beginning. Working with full cooperation and correspondence will determine your project’s success.

What to Avoid While Choosing Mobile App Developers for Hire?

Due to rapid advancements in technology, finding the best and expert developer, whether it is iOS app developer or Android app developer, has become a daunting task.

Whether you’re going to begin a new project or want to enhance your ongoing project, it is very vital to analyze in-depth, tactics, and considerations so that you refrain from mistakes while hiring an app developer and select skilled experts.

Here are the lists of a few common mistakes to be avoided while hiring a mobile app developer.

1. Not Interviewing Developers

As the app market continues to grow, it is important to hire developers after interviewing them. Interviews should be done in such a way as to analyze the developer’s in-depth knowledge of app development frameworks and platforms instead of just depending on their reputation.  

Effective communication with the developers will pave the way for successful app development. By interviewing developers you can share your app ideas or vision and get feedback from developers. This will allow you to judge their app-developing skills and how much they understand your app vision  

2. Don’t rely solely on developers in the local area

Approaching Local mobile app developers may seem beneficial in many ways, but blindly relying on them will lead to a huge error. It will close your door to finding the best talent for building your application.

Hiring a non-local mobile application developer who understands your app concept will exceed your expectations on app development. Moreover, preferring to hire a local mobile application developer will give you more opportunities to work with expert developers from anywhere.

3. Prioritizing cost over expertise

Most of the start-ups and young entrepreneurs will make the mistake of hiring app developers based on the price amount they quote. Although price is one of the most essential considerations for start-ups or firms with limited resources, that doesn’t mean the cost of the project acts as a guarantee of the quality.

Always pay attention to the developers’ skill sets and ability to build complex applications as per the requirements within the allocated time frame. Otherwise, you would end up with a badly designed underperforming application.

4. Hiring developers with no prior experience

It’s critical to choose app developers with expertise in the field and in building mobile applications for enterprises that are similar to your own.  Hiring an entry-level app developer could be a waste of time as they might not have prior expertise in the field.

Working with an inexperienced mobile app developer can result in a subpar product that doesn’t differentiate you from the competition. Also, developers with no experience will find it difficult to understand what your expectations are or fail to understand your business behavior.

5. Not Owning Source Code

When it comes to app development as the business owner and app owner, you must own the product’s source code at any cost. It is common for businesses to skip this source code ownership in their contracts, which might lead to big problems when they intend to switch agencies. 

The primary owners or stakeholders of the app own the intellectual property that makes up its core codebase. App owners should have undisputed ownership of the app’s source code, and it is essential to sign a non-disclosure agreement with the developing agency to avoid future conflict.

6. Continuing With the Same Mistakes

Hiring an app developer isn’t an easy task to do; it requires a lot of focus and consciousness. It is okay to make blunders in the hiring process. But you should not repeat the same mistakes again and again.

If you are facing issues or conflicts in the app development process, always consider hiring a team of professionals who have greater experience in app development instead of depending on the same team. 

To save time, money, and resources, you can try to modify or upgrade the existing source code of the poorly developed app by hiring experts.

It is one of the essentials to focus on candidates’ abilities rather than the degrees and certificates they possess during the hiring process. Also, avoid considering the previous positions of the developers as a measuring tool for their potential.

What Are All The Skills To Look For While Hiring Mobile App Developers?

Here are the lists of aspects and skills you need to focus on while hiring a mobile app developer for your app development project.

• The first and foremost skill of an app developer is the strong problem-solving skill. This will give developers the ability to overcome all sorts of issues and find creative solutions.
• The app developer should have a sound knowledge of the best programming languages like Java, Object-C, etc, and expertise in leading mobile app frameworks like Flutter, React Native, etc.
• App developers must possess strong work experience in cross-platform app development.
• App developers must have the ability to design user-friendly interfaces with sufficient knowledge of mobile app design principles.
• It is essential to hire developers with the ability to integrate SOAP and REST web services along with the knowledge of accessing & integrating databases like SQL, NoSQL, and so on.
• App developers should be aware of implementing the latest security measures and must have the skill to optimize app performance in all aspects.
• It will be a great addition if the developer possesses the knowledge of using testing tools and debugging techniques.
• Finally, developers should be aware of the app submission process on all platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows.

Apart from those skills, make sure you are about to hire an app developer with strong communication skills and a profile highlighting the ability to handle complex projects.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Mobile App Developer?

The cost of the app development depends upon several factors such as the complexity involved in app development, and the features & functionality of the app. In addition to that, the geographical location from where you are hiring iOS app developers or Android app developers plays a major part in determining your app developer’s cost.

The cost of hiring app developers varies according to the geographical location. The owners must pick the right location where they can access a pool of talented app developers for reasonable rates.

Be it for iOS app development or Android app development, if you prefer to choose a developer from Europe or the United States, the cost of app developers ranges from $40 to $120 per hour. However, if you choose Asian countries for hiring an app developer for your project, the price might range from $20 to $40 per hour.

Also Read: Android App Development Cost Guide 2024

How to Hire Mobile App Developers from MultiQoS for Your Project?

Here are the lists of a few experts’ recommendations to follow for hiring the right app developer for your app development project.

• Study Your App Requirement – It is mandatory to have a clear understanding of your app’s requirements and what type of app you are looking to develop, along with the desired tech stack for the development. This will help you to approach the developer who has relevant experience and expertise.  
• Analyze Developer’s Portfolio – It doesn’t matter whether you are about to hire an individual developer or an end-to-end development agency for your project; never miss the opportunity to analyze the developer’s portfolio. This will help you to examine their expertise and pick the right one that matches your preference.  
• Cost Analysis – Cost for the app development could be the biggest factor in determining the app developer for your project. Always consider the app development cost as an investment for your business. Now start analyzing whether such an amount of investment is worth it and make a decision accordingly.  
• Check Reviews & Feedback – Checking honest reviews and feedback from real clients of the developer will help you uncover the hidden details of the developer. This will help you make an insightful decision when you are uncertain about choosing a developer for your project.

How to Reduce App Development Costs?

Here are some practical ways that will help you to reduce your app development cost without compromising or impacting the quality.

• Carefully plan and finalize your app requirements in a document right from when you start envisioning the app. So that it ensures developers and other professionals involved in app development stay on the same page.
• Creating clickable prototypes using various tools will play a major role in reducing your app development cost.
• If you don’t have an in-house development team, it’s better to outsource your app development project to a reputed development partner. This will save a lot as you are skipping part of hiring and training teams for your project development.
• Building MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for your app will scale down the features and functions of your app to satisfy the target audience group. This will pave the path towards building a lean and high-quality product by testing mobile applications using various testing scenarios.
• Prefer automating repetitive tasks, this will reduce the risk of errors and also save a lot of cost and time.

The Ultimate Choice: Which App Developer Hiring Model Should You Go For?

Figuring out the best hiring model for recruiting an app developer is not an easy task. It depends on various concerns like app requirements, budget, timeline, and so on. Here are some aspects you need to consider before picking the right hiring model for your project recruitment.

• If your app development project has a tight deadline, then preferring the fixed price model for hiring app developers would be the best. Hiring an app developer or agency with years of experience and expertise on a fixed rate will know how to handle strict deadlines efficiently.
• In case your app development project requires a specific pool of talent then you can prefer going for staff augmentation services. In such scenarios, you can choose the on-site hiring model or the offshore development center model. Both these models will give you the privilege of hiring developers with specific skill sets either by you or by 3rd party development agencies.
• If you have a tight budget for your development project, then it’s better to outsource to a development agency that agrees to all your requirements and budget.  Instead, you can also go for an on-site hiring model where developers are hired and work under the control of a 3rd party development agency.

Let’s Conclude:

The process of hiring an app developer should be carried out based on experience and expertise. Prefer hiring developers who are willing to adhere to the core values of your app development idea and business objectives.

A good developer should always be in pursuit of excellence to overcome all the operational challenges, optimizing the workflow to achieve efficiency and turn innovative app ideas into reality. The above-mentioned guidelines will help you to hire the right app developers who ensure your business disruption in the diverse marketplace.