6 Tips for Hiring Ruby on Rails Programmers
Ruby and especially the Ruby on Rails framework are gaining traction again and applications developed by this powerful web-based oriented programming language are made quicker than ever before. This open-source server-side web application development platform enables quick, agile, and incremental web application programming in a language that is easy to understand and “doesn’t require colossally extra punctuation” as its inventor David Heinemeier Hansson once said.
It’s a critical task when you are hiring someone to be part of your team. And with Ruby on Rails developer, it is twice as challenging. You need the right person with the right skills who will complement your current team or who will develop your app in a fraction of a time with excellent and clean code. Here are some tips for hiring right Ruby on Rails programmer.
1. Always hire senior Ruby on Rails developer
Every project is different, but most of the time you don’t want to waste your resources and money hiring a junior RoR developer. Always aim for senior Ruby on Rails developer with many experiences under his belt. This way you save time and time means money.
Hiring senior dev brings the problem with a higher salary, but it will be worth it in saved time and resources. Always look for a programmer’s portfolio. What projects did he work on and how successfully. Some developers are presenting themselves as "senior" or with "high skillset". Before you start working with your developer test him with some Ruby on Rails interview questions and code exercises. Senior RoR programmers should have at least 4 years of experience coding in Ruby on Rails. Our agency offers these types of developers with years of experience. Fill the form above and we will find you one.
Look for other programming skills
Your new RoR developer should be proficient in other programming languages as well and must have broader coding skills. This means coding in HTML, CSS, JavaScript (maybe React.JS, Elixir, or Python). But always remember that you are hiring Ruby on Rails developer so his skills should revolve around RoR.
Developers could be sorted into front-end developers (programming what is seen by users), back-end developers (how the app works server-side), and full-stack developers (programmers who know how to code both front-end and back-end). It’s not a rule that a senior Ruby on Rails developer should be a full-stack programmer.
2. Hire a programmer who communicates effectively
The notion of a nerd sitting in a basement is long gone. Your professional Ruby on Rails developer needs to be an easy-going person who is perfect in communication with you and other team members. We can get you exactly these types of programmers when you fill the form above. If you spend your time explaining something to an ego-centric “expert” or someone who doesn’t understand English well enough you will lose money and time. In a worst-case scenario, your whole project can fail. When hiring always look for an employee who suits you as a person too.
3. Describe your project before hiring an RoR developer
A well-written project description saves you a lot of misunderstanding between you and the developers. Your plan should be written on at least one A4 page with all necessary information you care about. Search for “how to write project description” on Google for more information if you are not sure.
What are the goals of the web app?
Is it a new project or continuing an already developed app?
What are your expected man-hours to get it where it should be?
What are the milestones and the timeline?
Make SWOT analysis for new Ruby projects.
4. Look for experiences with open-source platforms
Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework. This helps propagate the Ruby language and make it secure with so many eyes scanning the code for bugs and weaknesses. Also, open-source is usually very well written.
Open-source Ruby on Rails project — Discourse.org
All programmers rely on open-source software and platforms, which means that someone has to develop this free-for-everyone software. That’s why senior coders have experience with working on some open source project — usually without pay. This allows the programmer to “give back” to the community and it’s also a good measure of the developer's skillset. So there is no harm in asking if he ever worked on some open-source project. Again, this is not a key aspect when hiring a pro-dev, but can help you find the right one.
Ask for nontechnical questions too
As we stated in 3. your new developer should be good at communication too. You can ask him these questions to dig deeper into his personality.
Look how he can take responsibility by asking “Tell me about a project you worked on and that failed. What went wrong and what did you take from it?”
Ask about his personality. “Did you have some problems or disagreements with your employers or project managers in the past? What did they do wrong? What was your takeaway from it?”
Dig deep into processes that make him efficient. “How do you track your progress in a project? What metrics do you use? What other tools do you use?”
Ask the developer if he plans to continue his career in Ruby on Rails. “What are your plans? Are you planning to stay Ruby on Rails developer in a near future?”
Be friendly and get to know your developer more. “What are your hobbies and activities that make you happy?”
5. Hire a programmer who cares about security and privacy
One of the most important features of your web app has to be its safety. The code needs to be secure and hard to penetrate by malicious forces. A developer who cares about security can save you a ton of hassle in the future. You never know if your company will be targeted by criminals or could have its data stolen. This usually results in hefty fines, loss of trust from customers, and even collapse of the whole firm.
Most attacked countries from 2006 to 2020 Source: ia.acs.org.au and Specops
Be careful when hiring Ruby on Rails developers to pick from coders, which know how to make secure code and use encrypted communication channels. Our agency has years of experience dealing with high-profile customers which weight security. We have high liability insurance in place as well.
6. Hire a programmer who codes in a clean and easy-to-understand way
Leading tech companies always appreciate clean code writing. Giants like Facebook, Google,, or Apple require their programmers to write in a standard code format that is easy to understand. This makes the process of someone else picking up where the last developer ended straightforward. In firms like this, the code goes through evaluations from different people before it's deployed. If you can do that too — great. If you don’t have the capacity for this always pedantically require clean Ruby on Rails code from your developer.
Example of "self" in Ruby on Rails, source: fullstack.cafe
These tips should help you find the right person for your quest for success. When hiring a person always stick to the principles written above, but use your common sense too. Jupiter Development has years of experience with Ruby on Rails projects, so fill the form above and we will find you the right Ruby on Rails developer.
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