The software development industry employs more than 1.6 million people. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook will likely grow 25% in the next decade. Compared to other occupations, this growth rate is much faster than average.
Demand for hiring top smart contract developers will continue to increase. What does this mean for you? You'll face competition from other firms looking to vet top-level candidates. Additionally, you'll need to know where to look to hire smart contract developers from an ever-growing pool of job seekers.
All this can leave you wondering how to hire smart contract developers. You may need some help.
While companies such as Indeed and Fiverr offer plenty of candidates, the vetting process can get tedious and time-consuming.
Other platforms, such as Cryptocurrency Jobs, have an industry-specific focus but might not offer the rigorous vetting process Toptal uses to find smart contract developers. Toptal, on the other hand, has vetted, high-caliber talent ready to hit the ground running for you.
| Freelance Platform | Trustpilot score | Key point | Vetting | Guarantee | Fee to post projects | Talent status | Rate & Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toptal | 4.8 | High-profile clients | Top 3% Talent. Rigorous Vetting | Pay only if satisfied | $500 as a credit for the first project | Freelancers | Yes |
| 2 | Upwork | 3.9 | Large freelancer marketplace | Additional Expert-Vetted program | Payment protection | None, client pays commission | Freelancers | Yes |
| 3 | Fiverr | 3.8 | Project-based pricing | No | Seller protection (order management) | None, client pays commission | Freelancers | Yes |
Smart contract developers are highly skilled and must stay current with up-to-the-minute process changes and best practices. These talents will remain in high demand for the foreseeable future. Additionally, they will attract the attention of other companies seeking their abilities. When you hire smart contract developers, your company can benefit from an industry authority such as Toptal.
When Should I Hire a Dedicated Smart Contract Developer?
You may wonder: What does a smart contract developer do? Smart contracts are programs stored on a blockchain. These programs automate an agreements' execution and run once predefined conditions are met. Everyone participating becomes immediately aware of the outcome, reducing wait times. Smart contracts also automate workflows by triggering actions automatically in response to certain circumstances.
“Smart contracts based on blockchain technology are one of the most significant interventions in the field of technology.”, Georgia Weston, blockchain specialist with 101 Blockchains
Smart contract applications include reducing friction in international trade and increasing visibility between suppliers and retailers. These contracts function without a middle party and increase cost-effectiveness — no agent, lawyer or broker is needed. Neither company has to hire or place trust in a third party.
| What are Smart Contract used for? | Smart contracts are used in businesses for various purposes within blockchain and decentralized applications (DApps). They automate, verify, and enforce the terms of agreements and transactions, reducing the need for intermediaries. Common applications include supply chain management, financial services, and tokenization of assets. |
| Advantages: | 1. Trust and Transparency: Smart contracts provide trust and transparency as code execution is visible on the blockchain. |
| 2. Automation: They automate processes, reducing the need for intermediaries and streamlining workflows. | |
| 3. Security: Smart contracts, when properly written, are highly secure, and their tamper-proof nature reduces fraud risks. | |
| Disadvantages: | 1. Immutability: Once deployed, smart contracts are immutable, and errors or vulnerabilities are challenging to rectify without significant disruption. |
| 2. Complexity: Writing secure and efficient smart contracts can be complex, and the lack of centralized authority for dispute resolution can be challenging. | |
| 3. Cost and Resource Intensity: Developing and deploying smart contracts can be costly, and it often requires knowledge of blockchain technology. | |
| Related programming languages: | Solidity, VYper, Serpent, Ethereum |
If your firm has applications that would benefit from this streamlined process, you may want to hire smart contract developers.
What Skills To Look For When Hiring a Smart Contract Developer
Technical skills are a significant part of the portfolio for a smart contract developer. Without them, the job cannot be done. They include:
- Data structure
- Cloud computing
- DevOps tools such as Kubernetes and Docker
- Interoperability skills
- Cryptography
- Coding languages, including Python, HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Essential soft skills of a successful smart contract developer include:
- Attention to detail
- Relationship building
- Effective communication
- Organization
- Creativity
Soft skills are vital for long-term success in the tech industry. Codes and programming languages evolve and eventually become extinct, rendering that knowledge archaic. However, a successful freelancer smart contract developer is creative and organized enough to keep learning. People skills can help a developer have a quite successful career.
How To Hire Smart Contract Developers
The need for qualified smart contract developers continues to grow as the world finds new ways to utilize blockchain platforms. Various industries already use smart contracts, including:
- Banking and FinTech
- Digital identity and IP protection
- eCommerce and retail
- Gaming
- Insurance and legal contracts
Although smart contract platform basics remain the same, you may choose to look for developers who have experience in your industry to best meet your business goals.
Before you can build your team of developers, you must first define your project. Outline details such as:
- Goals, nature, and scope
- Timeframes and duration
- Number of developers you need
- Budget
- Role description, desired and required qualifications
You must also decide whether to hire employees or freelancers. Each structure has pros and cons, but utilizing freelancers has many benefits.
The base rate you pay freelancers is often less than employees, but you get the same quality of work. Hiring employees means additional payroll tax, overhead, and benefits costs; you won’t have these expenses with freelancers.
It is often challenging to source developers with rare or niche skill sets in local talent pools; you can take advantage of global freelance talent networks like Toptal to find these developers. With video conferencing capabilities, your team can collaborate from wherever they are.
You will need to decide if you’ll hire entry-level, mid-, junior-, or senior-level developers. For an extensive smart contract design project, you may need a combination of skill levels and a smart contract engineer for advanced needs. Smaller tasks requiring only a few developers may indicate a specific skill level, but how do you know?
Skill levels basically reflect the amount of experience developers have using a particular skill. Senior developers may or may not possess complex skills, but they likely have project management experience. Engineers typically have more qualifications than even senior developers.
One skill level isn’t necessarily better than another for some smart contract creation needs. Your budget may be a determining factor because developers with more experience typically charge more.
Tips For Writing a Smart Contract Developer Job Description
With the high demand for smart contract programmers, they can be picky about the positions they accept. You need to craft an appealing job description that convinces these developers that they should choose your company over others.
Paint your company positively, describing its culture, brand, goals, achievements, and projects. Explain the project you’re about to launch and the specifics of open positions. Include relevant details, such as:
- Responsibilities
- Project type, goals, and projected duration
- Hiring method (part- or full-time, remote, or freelance)
- Desirable and required qualifications
Use the top sites in our list to source and identify the best candidates for your team. If you’re uncomfortable performing technical interviews, choose sites like Toptal that pre-vet every developer.
Business owners should create questions and a scoring model for all potential candidates to align with fair and unbiased hiring practices when preparing for interviews.
Common Interview Questions To Ask When You Are Looking To Hire a Smart Contract Developer
Even if you choose pre-vetted candidates, you should still ask a few technical questions during interviews. The questions and answers themselves aren’t necessarily as important as how developers respond. Do they have to think carefully before replying, or does the information come easily?
Ask questions such as:
- Do smart contracts have legal standards?
- Would you use dApps for my project?
- Do you prefer Vyper or Solidity, and why?
You can gauge how solid each answer is, along with the applicant’s comfort level, confidence, and communication skills.
You probably won’t interview candidates without the right technical skills. These conversations allow you to assess crucial soft skills and determine how well a candidate will integrate into your team. Desirable soft skills include:
- Active listening, verbal, and written communication skills
- Ability to work well under pressure
- Collaboration and leadership skills
- Confidence and self-worth (without arrogance)
- Creativity, innovation, attention to detail, and critical problem-solving skills
Design a purposefully vague situational question. Your goal is to make candidates ask for the details you omit before they provide answers. This technique offers invaluable insights into multiple soft skills.
How To Find Freelance Smart Contract Developers For Hire
The way to hire the best smart contract developers is to enlist the help of experts. Choosing the right job board or marketplace makes the task efficient and effective, streamlines the hiring process and ensures you find smart contract developers for your company.
As you consider sites to hire smart contract developers, keep the following questions in mind:
- How fast do you need to hire?
- What is your budget?
- How important is talent quality?
- How much vetting can you do on your own?
- What experience level do you require?
The platforms listed above can lead you to qualified candidates and help you find and hire smart contract developers for your company. Ultimately, it boils down to the time and energy you have to invest in your search. Toptal and Gigster, for example, do the heavy lifting for you, whereas Upwork, Fiverr and Indeed allow you to find your own candidates. The skills that smart contract developers use are currently in high demand in several countries, including the U.S. You can be sure many companies are vying for these workers, so getting high-quality assistance can work to your advantage.
The skill level required and the high demand for smart contract developers can make your search challenging — these top sites can serve as a recruitment tool for your company.
Hiring Smart Contract developers - FAQ
- Are Smart Contract Developers in High Demand?
- The job outlook for software developers will grow by 25% in the next decade. Smart contract developers are among these high-demand professionals.
- How Much Does It Cost To Hire Smart Contract Developers?
- Your rates depend on the developer's experience and the quality of services. Arc indicates that rates to hire smart contract developers average between $60 and $100 per hour.
- How Do You Hire a Smart Contract Developer?
- When you need to hire smart contract developers quickly and require high-quality candidates, sites such as Toptal, Gigster and Gun.io are excellent platforms on which to rely. Other sites such as Fiverr, Indeed and Upwork cast a wider net but require more legwork from your hiring manager.
- Why Should You Hire a Smart Contract Developer?
- Your company should hire smart contract developers if you can benefit from the efficient and trustless process that smart contracts offer.