Finding the right mobile app development partner is a non-negotiable factor to the success of your app. There is no scarcity of mobile app developers or development companies, but finding the suitable candidate for your app, requires more than your usual hiring routine. You need a sound recruitment strategy and plan to find the perfect developer from the thousands of resumes now available at the click of a button. The right developer can build value in your app and add in more ways than just coding a perfect app, to maximize revenue for your business. Let’s take a look at some ideas that can help shape your recruitment strategy:

1. Be specific and precise in your job description: Is experience more important or expertise? Is flexibility and willingness to learn preferable to an unbending yet intelligent candidate? Whittle your job description down to the bare skills and experience that are requisite: For instance, you could use the following under skillset: “Experience in cross platform app development with Xamarin.” Learn to differentiate between the deal-breaker qualities versus the nice to have ones.
2. Gauge developer aptitude: The right developer should be able to provide inputs and helpful suggestions. He/She must be genuinely interested in the business value of the app and the problem it is trying to solve, not merely in coding and getting it done with. An experienced developer will have some useful insights and inputs based on past experience of developing apps. 
3. Ask the right questions: You can learn a lot if you ask some relevant questions to the potential developers. For instance, you could ask what phone the developer uses. A developer specializing in iOS development would need to use an iPhone. Ask them about specific client challenges they have resolved. An important question to ask is “How can my app make money?” This is a very crucial test of the developer’s ability to monetize the app and understand the revenue model. 
4. Turn to the app stores: Browse the app stores and make a list of apps that really made an impression on you. Now try to find out the developer or development company that built those apps. One way of figuring this out is also by looking at developer portfolios on their website and singling out the ones who impressed you the most. 
5. Boost your employer brand with content marketing: It is important to have a strong employer brand for hiring the best candidates. Branding to attract the right talent is critical to survival. This doesn’t mean expensive ads or hiring a branding manager. The internet has a wealth of opportunities to publish content in a cost effective way. One key rule of content marketing is to share your knowledge to attract your audience. Ask existing developers or senior members of your organization of sharing their expertise on company blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora or even a short blog on Medium. Create an active social media presence for your company across channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and show what a great brand it is.
6. Thinking out of the box: There are more than a dozen websites to hire freelance resources. Sites like Toptal, Machist, Gun.io have a stringent screening process and only accept the best candidates to their network. This can save you a huge amount of time spent on resumes or studying developer profiles on job boards. The services also ensure the quality of work you receive from the developers. You could also use your company’s employee referral program to announce the requirement. LinkedIn is a valuable resource for reaching out to hundreds of developers quickly due to the viral nature of the posts.

Summary

Recruiting top talent – especially in the mobile application domain can be quite challenging. To make things simpler for yourself, have a clear job description and set the expectations right at the recruitment phase.  What are some other innovative ways of hiring the right candidate? Please let us know in the comments below.