When we talk about smartphones and apps, Android OS usually comes to mind as nowadays, the Android mobile operating system (OS), developed by Google, is the most popular smartphone operating system currently in use.
According to Statista, the Android market OS share worldwide is currently 72.84% and will reach 87.4% by 2023. Plus, the total global mobile app revenue reached $462 billion in 2019 and it’s predicted to generate up to $936 billion by 2023, with a total number of Android users around the globe of 2 billion people.
Therefore, developing Android apps will surely allow anyone to reach countless users, however, due to the competitiveness of the app market where only 1 from 10K mobile apps survive. On that note, hiring a top Android application developer is vital for any app project to succeed. Here is a short guide on how to find top-notch talent.
Necessary Android developer skills
Before anything, it is vital for any recruitment team to know what are the necessary skills an Android developer must necessarily have. This will help recruitment teams to narrow down their search and look only for capable and skilled top-notch talent, saving companies time and resources. Here are 5 necessary Android developer skills to look for.
- Dominion of Java and Kotlin: The programming languages by excellence to develop Android apps. Any respectable Android developer needs to be familiar with the core concepts of these programming languages, including basics and syntaxes, collection framework, concurrency and multithreading, generics, and functional programming.
- Android SDK: SDK stands for Software Development Kit. Android SDK has everything an Android developer needs to create apps, including tools for storing data, creating action bars, and adapting apps for different screen sizes
- Android Studio: This integrated development environment (IDE) provides a unified environment where developers can build apps for Android devices. It allows developers to divide their project into units of functionality that they can independently build, test, and debug and is a must-have for any Android developer.
- API integration: API stands for an application programming interface. APIs are a key component for Android developers to tap into other existing applications and web services, such as Google Maps, and leverage their functioning.
- Mobile UX/UI: Mobile user experience (UX) and Mobile, User Interface (mobile UI) will allow users to interact positively with any app. On that note, no one should develop without thinking about how the experience of the user will be, therefore the importance of UX and UI knowledge.
How to hire android developers?
Once a recruitment team is aware of the necessary tools to lead a project to success, it is important for them to develop a detailed recruitment plan before hiring any developer. This will help the company to find the right candidate while assuring them that the process will end up with an accepted offer and a new developer on the team.
Step 1: Describe your project
The first and most important thing to do is to outline what the project is about and the result the company is trying to accomplish. The recruitment team doesn’t have to be super detailed, on the contrary, it is best to keep the description short and sweet. It is important to include goals, objectives, and the overall approach, without going too much into detail.
Step 2: Specify candidate requirements
Teams can’t find something they don’t know they were looking for. That is why it is so important for human resources to identify what they are looking for in their next Android app developers before they start looking for them. At this stage, it is important to be as specific as needed; a cohesive list of requirements will help to narrow down the search and help to find the right candidate easier.
Step 3: Choose an engagement model
Once the team has an ideal candidate in mind, it is time to define how to engage with the potential talent and the hiring model that makes more sense to the company. For example, does it make more sense to have a part-time freelancer deliver a project or a full-time employee join the team? Choosing the right engagement model is as important as choosing the right candidate.
- In-house: This model refers to conducting an activity or operation within a company, instead of relying on outsourcing.
- Fixed price: A fixed cost pricing model guarantees a fixed budget for a certain project, regardless of the duration and real expense. The main advantage of a fixed price model is that it allows one to plan and set an exact budget.
- Hourly pay: Also known as wage, this model refers to paying someone an agreed amount of money according to the hours worked.
Step 4: Conduct interviews
Interviewing candidates will ensure that the HR team is hiring only the most qualified developers for the company’s Android app project. For a successful interview project, they need to be sure to have in mind what they are looking for in a potential employee, follow a consistent interview structure, and be clear about what the job will require.
Step 5: Sign a contract
All set! It is also important to have constant and open communication with the legal team and let the Android app developer know a clear date to start working.
Are you ready to start your app developer recruitment process? We hope this short guide comes in handy for your team in your hiring efforts. However, if you still feel a little lost on where to start looking for dedicated developers, talk to us! Let us help you develop your team with highly skilled global tech talent through a nearshore staff augmentation solution. At Intersog, we have a long successful history of providing teams with digital enterprise solutions tailored to their needs.