As Tim Osborne, CTO at Atom Learning mentions: “With the trend towards cloud-hosted services for almost everything in the tech industry, it was only a matter of time before a cloud-hosted/remote development environment became a serious option over the traditional way of doing things.”
Whether you’re a small business or a large conglomerate, hiring talented programmers and a great development team is often at the top of your list. Now and with the current rise of remote work, you can do it remotely.
According to a Fiverr's study, more than 70% of workers have gone remote in the past four years, and another 80% of respondents want to work remotely as much as possible for as long as possible. Given these findings, if you hope to retain a workforce of talented developers, it is crucial you know where to hire remote developers at an affordable price.
Whether it’s front-end development, designing web applications, or a mobile app--there is a pool of amazing talent around the world that you can use for your business. If you are wondering how to hire a remote developer, read our guide below.
What Does a Remote Developer Do?
If you want to hire remote developers, you must first understand what they do. What are their job functions, are they difficult to hire and how quickly can you hire a freelance developer?
In a nutshell, remote developers design and create computer systems and software for the companies that hire them. They work independently and on their own terms, or the terms they negotiate with clients. Though data does indicate that hiring for remote developers is slowing, the fact remains that nearly half of all IT employees work full time from home and another one-third switch between in-office and at-home work.
If you do plan to hire a remote developer, anticipate the process taking anywhere from one to three months to complete. In addition, know that this professional may not reach full productivity until one year from the date of hire.
Why Hire Dedicated Remote Developers?
There are dozens of reasons to hire remote developers, but two of the best are scalability and affordability. With a freelancer remote developer on speed dial, you can quickly and affordably accomplish several tasks and without ever having to hire a full-time developer. Some projects a freelance developer can help you complete are:
- Design and build out a website
- Develop software
- Develop a mobile app
- Create an e-commerce website
- Develop and manage a database
- Analyze and visualize data
- Integrate and automate a new system
These are just a few of the projects that call for a talented freelance developers' skills.
Should I Hire a Freelance Remote Developer?
There are three ways in which you can hire a talented developer: full-time, part-time and freelance. While the former two have their benefits, the third makes the most sense for many organizations for several reasons:
- It saves money, as you must only pay freelancers for the work they do and not the resources they use.
- It gives you access to the expertise and specialization that your in-house team may lack.
- It is more flexible.
- It grants you access to a global talent pool.
Though working with freelancers does come with pitfalls, such as potential communication issues, lack of accountability and risk of subpar work quality, you can negate these issues by hiring through the top sites to hire remote developers.
What Skills To Look For In a Remote Developer?
If you are looking to hire the best remote developer, start by identifying the top skills of a talented developer:
- Comprehensive technical knowledge
- Strong intuition
- Innovation
- Problem-solving capabilities
- Communication skills
- Team-driven mindset
- Past work experience
- Ability to work remotely
This is only a brief outline of what to look for in a remote developer for hire. Ideally, your team should sit down and build upon this list to identify the traits that make up the strongest candidate for your needs.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Remote Developer?
If you hope to hire a strong remote developer for your needs, it is imperative that you are willing and able to offer a competitive salary. The average salary, for all years of experience, is $93,228. The average salary range is from $76,000 to $115,000, while developers on the upper end of the spectrum make nearly $200,000.
Which Freelance Site Is Best For You To Hire a Remote Developer?
In today’s age, it’s impossible to build a strong online presence without the skill set of a great developer. However, the hiring process can be challenging and not finding the right web developer could put a strain on your resources.
Therefore, it’s crucial that the remote developer you hire is thoroughly vetted and brings with them the guarantee of being one of the best. This is where matching services such as Toptal can help--not only do they take away most of your hiring stress but all the candidates in their talent pool are some of the tech industry’s crème de la crème.
You could also consider some of the more general marketplaces such as Upwork and Fiverr if you want to save costs but are comfortable investing more time and energy finding, vetting, and interviewing potential hires.
In the end, finding and outsourcing to the perfect remote developer for hire will depend on multiple factors such as:
- Which programming languages and technical skills do you need to hire for? (Such as PHP, Python, JavaScript, Java, or React Native?)
- How quickly do you need to hire for your development team?
- How much does a time zone difference matter for you?
- How experienced or qualified should the developer be
- What is your project management and onboarding process?
- Are you qualified enough to assess their software development skills and experience for a remote team?
- What are their communication skills, especially in the development process?
- How will they impact the work of your team members on non-remote employees?
- How important is quality to you
- How much time are you willing to invest
Finding the right remote developer can be tough. However, by using one of the 15 sites we listed and utilizing the information here, you can streamline the hiring process and find the best freelance developer for your needs and budget.
FAQs - Hiring Remote developers
- How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Remote Developer?
- Remote developers average around $105,000 annually or $50.50 hourly. Salaries range from $41,500 to $159,900, but most remote developers earn $84,000 to $124,000. Factors such as skill levels, years of experience, and location affect how much you’ll need to pay.
- Where can I find freelance remote developers?
- Some of the best platforms to hire are:
- Toptal
- Guru
- Gigster
- Fiverr
- Upwork
See the complete list of sites to hire Remote developers.
- Why Should You Hire a Remote Developer?
- Remote software developers perform the same functions as their in-house counterparts while working from outside locations. They can design, create, and maintain software systems, programs, websites, mobile apps, and more. Hiring remote developers gives you multiple benefits, such as:
- Flexibility and availability
- Access to a broader pool of talent
- Reduced personnel and overhead costs
- Coverage through numerous time zones
- How Do I Hire Remote Developers?
- Whether you want to hire part-time, full-time, or freelance remote developers, you must first find suitable candidates.
- Determine your project requirements.
- List desired developer skillsets, such as specific technical skills, remote work experience, and communication and critical thinking skills.
- Develop your recruitment and screening plan.
- Compare candidates through screening video calls, technical interviews, and testing. Consider a paid trial period to assess a candidate’s fit with your company and needs.
- Define agreed-upon timelines, budget, and contingencies.
- Negotiate and sign a contract.
- Are Remote Developers in Demand?
- The projected occupational growth rate for software developers between 2021 and 2031 is 25%, much faster than the 5% overall average. When combined with the trend toward remote work, remote developers are absolutely in demand.
- Can a remote developer work from anywhere?
- Yes, remote developers can work from anywhere, so long as they have access to a computer and internet connection.
- What is the difference between hybrid and remote developers?
- Hybrid developers are developers who split their time between in-office and home-work environments. Remote developers, on the other hand, work entirely from home.
- Can any developer work remotely?
- Most developers can work remotely. In fact, since the start of the pandemic, approximately 86% of software developers work entirely from home.