How to Hire a Good Programmer If You Don't Know Programming

Maybe this is the maintenance of the site and the development of additional functionality, or maybe a program for employees or a CRM system. We offer an action plan in case it is impossible to delegate the search for a specialist to someone and it has already been decided for sure - to be a programmer.

What you need to do before you start searching

Before looking for a programmer, here are three important tips.

1. Answer the question, why do you need a programmer

Understand the basics: what the programmer will have to work with and what programming skills will need to be applied. Forgive me if I scared you, but you don't need to learn anything: you need to determine what specific tasks you need a programmer for. Let's say for website development. Then read on the Internet what skills are needed for this, what IT companies require from applicants. For example, knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, Canvas, Bootstrap.

Don't be intimidated by these names, just take the time and read about these things at least on Wikipedia.

2. Find out the cost of the programmer's services

It is an obvious fact - any good specialist costs money. Start from the average market salary in programming.

Let's say you need a website maintenance specialist and the development of additional functions (feedback forms, product filters, and so on). And of course, you took advantage of the first tip and looked at what skills such an employee should have.

Go to the site with vacancies (HH.ru, Rabota.ru or another), use the search by keywords ("php-programmer", "web-programmer") and just see how much a middle-level programmer is offered, that is, with long-term experience work - not a year, but at least two. Middle is no longer a beginner, and it can quickly get used to your projects. That's about how much you will have to pay such a friend.

3. Leverage your connections

Many of my colleagues were hired through word of mouth: with some I just discussed one-time part-time jobs, with someone I went to courses. Therefore, you will go through your connections, if any. Talk to friends, search the forums. More often than not, valuable people are acquired in this way.

How to choose a good programmer

If you can't find a dream specialist through acquaintances, go to sites with work. And get ready that there will be a lot of people interested in large resources. This is not always good, since absolutely everyone will climb into any good job with a decent salary, and it is simply unrealistic to determine an intelligent specialist based on a resume. How to be? I'll tell you further.

We form a vacancy

First, write big and beautiful. This is how we create the first positive impression of our company. A great option is to see how the vacancies of an IT company are filled out. Take your favorite ad as a template and change it for yourself. Important: if you saw an unfamiliar word, say some AJAX, and did not bother to find out what it is, you better erase it, do not insert it into your vacancy.

Second, write honestly and in as much detail as possible what your employee will do, what skills he should have, for whom he will develop programs. By doing this, you will show what responsibility this position bears in itself.

We filter out

You have compiled a vacancy, sorted some candidates by resume and selected specialists for an interview.

Of course, it is best to weed out the most inappropriate candidates at the stage of the telephone conversation, but this is not always an affordable option if you have little understanding of programming.

However, you can always find out whether a programmer has solved similar problems before and what kind of experience he has. Also find a simple task on the Internet, send it to the candidate by mail and give adequate time to complete it. Yes, this is not a test, but it will help weed out very lazy individuals.

We conduct an interview

1. Prepare a combat mission

You already know what you need, so invite the programmer to complete a specific task right in the office and time it. Before his arrival, warn about the check, but do not name the task itself.

Important! First, find out from an independent source how much time should be enough to complete: ask a programmer friend on the topic forum. You can even check on the freelancers exchange, the main thing is to write "Urgent" and "You need to start right now, how long will it take?" But this is a last resort: they can exaggerate there, so an uninterested source is best.

2. Talk about the candidate's experience

Find out what kind of experience the applicant has, "probe" everything. If even a beginner in programming can impress you with their technical knowledge, focus on successful projects. Ask in as much detail as possible about past jobs.

3. Ask to show the portfolio

Have the candidate show what they have already done and how much time they spent on it. Yes, portfolios can be stolen, so pay attention to how the person talks. Personally, I love my projects, I am ready to talk about them for hours.

4. Find out the reason for the job change

Very commonplace, but important to know. The main thing is that the change of job should not be a consequence of the failure of the candidate to fulfill the tasks assigned to him.

If a specialist quit freelancing, it's not bad: it means he wanted stability. If you were not satisfied with the conditions at the previous place of work, this is also normal. For example, a programmer's clock-based KPIs are exhausting for some people.

5. Offer a trial period

Only your ability to persuade and a well-formed contract play here. I did this: if an employee fulfills his duties, he receives 100% of his salary, if not, 50%. This helps keep costs down for the company in the event of a bad hiring.

Naturally, negotiate the conditions at the very beginning, the person must know what is going on.

Three more tips

1. Drop stereotypes

Programmers are ordinary people, not all of them are asocial and love to stay at home. Many have such a wide range of interests that you will be surprised. So it’s better to do without phrases like “I didn’t imagine the programmer so myself”. This is annoying.

Here's the truth - programmers love to be lazy. Therefore, watch his work, but do not stand above your soul.

2. Make a list of people who can assign a task to the programmer

Let it be a maximum of two people, so that the programmer is not pulled from all sides. This work requires concentration, and when a person is absorbed in solving a complex problem, it is very difficult to switch.

3. Break large projects into stages

This makes it easier to track the process of work. In addition, if suddenly there is some trifle that needs to be done, the programmer will have time for this and the additional task will be perceived with much less resistance.