How to Hire Software Engineers in 2024: A Complete Guide

Recruiting developers in 2024 as a small business or startup? Here’s what no one tells you: 81% of employed developers aren’t actively looking for jobs (Stack Overflow 2023). Yet while big tech throws $350K packages chasing the same 19% of active job seekers, smart companies are playing a different game. The data is clear: 65% of developers value learning and growth over brand names, and 58% rank flexibility above compensation. 

The best engineers aren’t on job boards – they’re heads down, building great products at their current jobs. The difference between good and great hiring? Knowing how to find and attract these hidden talents. 

Stop trying to hire like a big tech company when you’re not one. Your size isn’t a weakness – it’s your superpower. 

In this post, we will show you how to hire software engineers even though you don’t have FAANG-level salaries or global brand recognition.

Skills to Look Out For When Hiring a Software Developer

Before you bring a software engineer into your development team, you need to ensure they possess certain skills and characteristics. They include: 

Communication

Software development projects usually require multiple people to work together. They may need to collaborate with other engineers or explain complex software information to non-technical stakeholders. 

For example, a software developer may work with artists, UX designers, QA testers, project managers, etc. Hence, developers must know how to communicate effectively.

Teamwork

Speaking of communication, that’s what happens in a team. You need to find a software developer who can work with others, articulate project needs, listen, accept criticism, and respect other team members. While software development is a solitary act, software engineers must be able to collaborate with others.

Advanced Technical Skills

A skilled software developer must have a strong command of programming languages, such as Python, Java, C++, C#, HTML, and PHP.  The potential hire must also know different frameworks and tools relevant to your project. Look for engineers with experience working with technologies you use or intend to use.

Problem-solving

Software projects usually involve highly complex challenges that require creative problem-solving. Find a software developer who can demonstrate their ability to analyze problems, break them down into manageable components, and develop efficient solutions.

Adaptability and Continuous Learning

Technology constantly evolves, and the best software developers evolve along with it. They can easily get up to speed with new technologies and methodologies. 

So, find candidates who keep up with industry trends and are passionate about continuous learning, especially on the subjects of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

Attention to Detail

Top software developers are thorough when creating and proofreading project materials like code and documents. They are committed to producing high-quality work that meets best practices and coding standards. 

Now you know what to look for in a software developer. Let’s move on to the hiring process.

How to Hire a Software Engineer

Recruiting for any position is already tough, not to mention finding tech talent. There aren’t just enough professionals with the necessary skills. However, with the right strategy, you can find software engineers that suit your needs. 

Here are three phases of the software engineer hiring process:

Phase One: Pre-hiring

1. Define Your Hiring Needs

The first step is determining the kind of software developer you need. You have many options, such as front-end developers who are more user-focused and back-enders specializing in server-side programming. Then, full-stack developers can handle front-end and back-end tasks. 

If you need to build a mobile app, mobile developers are the logical choice. Likewise, web developers are the ideal option for web development projects. You may also seek experts like AI/machine learning engineers or DevOps professionals to fill specialized roles. 

The one you choose will be influenced by your project scope, its complexity, and proposed technologies.

Afterward, you need to determine the flexibility and commitment you require from your potential hire. If it is a long-term commitment, hiring a full-timer who can focus solely on your project makes sense. Meanwhile, working with freelance software engineers is a suitable choice for short-term projects. 

Once you’ve worked all of these out, you can set a realistic budget. Of course, your budget will be influenced by the project requirement, experience level, location, and current market rates. 

One effective tip to cut costs is to consider hiring remote software engineers. This allows you to access global talent at more competitive rates while still maintaining high-quality output.   

It is now time to prepare the job description.

2. Flip Your Job Description: Stop listing requirements. Instead, show impact

When writing a job description for a software engineer, start with a brief introduction about your company, including its mission and culture. Clearly state the job title and summarize the role, explaining what the engineer will do and how it fits into the team. 

The most effective job descriptions focus on outcomes rather than just requirements. Instead of saying, “5+ years of Java experience required,” highlight what the candidate will achieve: “You’ll architect and implement scalable solutions that serve millions of users daily.”

Here’s how to create an impact-focused job description:

• Highlight Growth Opportunities: “You’ll lead the development of our next-generation AI-powered platform, mentoring junior developers along the way.”
• Showcase Real Challenges: “Help solve complex data processing challenges as we scale from handling thousands to millions of transactions per second.”
• Emphasize Impact: “Your code will directly improve user experience for over 100,000 daily active users.”.

Below is an example of what a compelling job description looks like:

3. Forget Traditional Job Boards for Sourcing: The real talent isn’t desperately refreshing LinkedIn

Next, you need to find the right candidates. Doing so ensures that you dedicate time and resources to only those with the relevant tech and soft skills. 

While traditional job boards have their place, the most talented software engineers often aren’t actively job hunting. Here are more effective sourcing strategies:

Leverage Developer Communities

• GitHub: Search for developers contributing to projects similar to yours
• Stack Overflow: Engage with developers who demonstrate expertise in your required technologies
• Tech Meetups and Conferences: Network with professionals in person or virtually
• Open Source Projects: Identify developers actively contributing to relevant technologies

Utilize Specialized Tech Platforms

• AngelList: Popular among startup-minded developers
• Hired: Pre-vetted tech talent marketplace
• TopTal: Platform for top 3% of freelance developers
• HackerRank: Assessment-based recruitment platform

Build a Strong Employer Brand

A solid company brand can also help attract passive candidates through word-of-mouth and organic discovery. You can accomplish this by maintaining an engaging tech blog, sharing your engineering culture on social media, participating in tech community events, and highlighting your team’s technical achievements.

However, if you want a tailored solution, consider partnering with IT recruitment agencies like DistantJob. These firms handle everything from sourcing and screening candidates to scheduling interviews and facilitating negotiations. 

This takes us to the next phase: hiring.

Phase Two: Hiring

4. Screen Applications

If you have executed the pre-hiring phase correctly, you should get a lot of applications from qualified candidates. Evaluate these applications and create a shortlist of the most promising candidates. Now, conduct a screening call to discuss the candidates’ background, motivation, and fit for the role.

5. Assess Technical Skills

Organize technical interviews to evaluate the candidate’s problem-solving and design abilities. Don’t just run cookie-cutter software tests. Top talents don’t appreciate run-of-the-mill processes.

Instead, conduct tests relevant to your project or in real-life contexts. This way, you can assess the candidate’s ability to operate on the fly and handle unexpected challenges. Show that you respect their time by paying them to complete these assessments. 

Let them critique your current architecture. As a result, you tell them that you trust their judgment and value their expertise. Another effective interview method is involving the candidate in product discussions. Doing so allows the candidate to visualize their potential impact and give them a taste of what working with your team would be like. 

Finally, be transparent by giving them access to your whole team. When candidates interact with potential teammates, it gives them insights into your company culture and work dynamics.

6. Conduct Behavioral Interviews

While technical skills are important, you want a developer who can easily integrate with the team. So, ask behavioral questions. These questions help you understand a candidate’s personality and experience. 

Examples of questions you can ask include: 

• Name a challenge you’ve faced in the past and how you overcame it
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a co-worker who was behind on a project. How did you handle the situation? 
• Think about a time when you disagreed with a client or stakeholder on a software engineering best practice. What did you do to resolve the situation?
• Describe the traits your ideal product team would have

7. Perform Background Check

This is a crucial part of the recruitment process. You don’t want to hire software developers with criminal or questionable backgrounds. 

Contact the candidate’s reference to verify their performance. Vet their employment history and certifications to ensure they are legitimate and accurately represented. 

You should also confirm that the candidate has no existing non-compete clauses that would prevent them from working for your company. 

8. The Real Secret? Move Fast When You Find Them

After the developer passes the background check, it is time to make them an offer. However, you need to make the decision as quickly as possible. Top software engineers usually receive multiple offers simultaneously, so speed and decisiveness are crucial. 

Propose a competitive package that meets industry standards and reflects the candidate’s experience and expertise. Let them shape their roles and responsibilities by giving them autonomy over technical decisions and project direction. 

Show them the direct impact they’ll have. Highlight growth opportunities, decision-making authority, and potential career advancement paths within your organization. 

Include bonuses, such as paid leaves, equity, and health benefits, in your package. Be open to some of the candidate’s other demands, such as remote work options, flexible hours, or tailored benefits.

Assuming you can come to an agreement with the candidate, you can now move to the next phase: post-hiring.

Phase Three: Post-hiring

9. Onboard the Engineer

To ensure your new software developer hits the ground running, a well-structured onboarding process is essential. 

Start with an orientation session emphasizing company values, work culture, and overall expectations. Next, provide access to tools and resources, such as codebases, documentation, and a laptop. If the new hire is a junior engineer, assign them a mentor or buddy to guide them through their initial days. 

Creating a 30-, 60-, 90-day plan can also be beneficial during this period. It allows the new hire to gradually ramp up their responsibilities and become fully integrated into the team.

Finally, schedule regular meetings such as monthly feedback sessions, especially for remote developers.

10. Monitor Progress During Probation

Most organizations usually set a three-month probationary period to evaluate the new hire’s performance and fit within the team.  

To execute this, define specific goals, offer consistent feedback, and ensure they’ve access to the necessary resources. At the end of the trial, carry out a comprehensive review. Then, decide whether or not to offer permanent employment based on their performance.

Is the ‘Shortage of Developers’ Actually a Thing? 

All kinds of industries are demanding tech professionals. The Culprit?! Digitalization! If your business isn’t digital,  it won’t survive for a couple of years. Currently, all kinds of companies are looking for the best tech talent to develop their websites or apps. And billions of companies are looking for the same thing as you: a talented software developer.

However, the shortage is not only based on average tech professionals. It’s based on quality rather than quantity. Most businesses want to recruit talented software engineers with exceptional skills. And the main problem is that talent is out there, but it’s harder to look for it. 

Is it hard to recruit software engineers? As with anything, it depends on what you are looking for. But it becomes easier when you know how to avoid the most common mistakes when recruiting.

The first mistake companies tend to make is to stay within a defined radius, trying to find talent nearby when talent is everywhere with 26.9 million software developers worldwide. The second mistake is not knowing how or where to look for this talent. It’s at this point that IT headhunters are crucial for finding tech talent. They have the contacts, know the field from A to Z, and know exactly where to find the candidate you’re looking for. And I’ll let you in on a little secret between the two of us. The talent you are seeking? It’s not in the US. Why not consider hiring Eastern European developers?

Challenges of Recruiting Software Development Engineers

“Why is recruitment important in software engineering?” you may be wondering.  Well, if you want to find skilled developers for your projects, having a good recruitment strategy is nothing short of essential.

But recruiting software developers comes with a host of challenges and pitfalls that both business owners and recruiters should be aware of:

• Recruiters not being in the know: To have a successful recruitment process, your recruiters must know the business of the people they are trying to hire. Only then can they ask the important questions and filter the best people for the job.
• Not looking in the right places: software developer recruiters need to know how to find software developers. Depending on the technologies needed, there are online communities and even specific job listing sites that can help you find the people you need.
• Recruitment costs: A good recruitment strategy will inevitably add costs to the budget. It’s important to evaluate how much effort you are willing to spend and if you can afford it.
• High competition: Just like you, many other companies are looking for talented developers to bolster their ranks. It’s important to stand out from the pack, so candidates feel more enticed to accept your positions.
• Recruitment speed: If you take a long time to recruit someone, odds are they will find a position in another company. It’s of vital importance that your recruitment process is not only fast but maintains constant communication with your candidates to keep them in the loop.

Closer Look Into the U.S Software Development Engineers Situation 

9 out of 10 business owners in The United States struggle to find and hire talented tech professionals. The big competitive companies with aggressive hiring goals swallow them all up like Willy munches on krill. This hits startups especially hard, as they find themselves competing with big brands that offer a bigger paycheck and better benefits.

Because of this talent shortage across the U.S, companies are willing to pay extremely high salaries. Let’s look at the graph below with the average salary (per year) across the states with the highest percentage of software developers: 

State	Average Salary for a Software Engineer
Virginia	$84,018
Washington DC	$97,164
Massachusetts	$86,942
Maryland	$82,355
Colorado	$84,988
New Jersey	$74,581
California	$106,259
Delaware	$84,020
New Hampshire	$74,549

Skip the Hard Work and Hire Global Software Developers with DistantJob

Working with the right software engineer for your small business can be the difference between success and stagnation. So, ensure to find candidates who can communicate effectively, are problem-solvers, are meticulous, and have advanced technical skills. Then, follow the steps above to find a developer that suits your needs.

However, this is easier said than done. Recruitment is a lot of work for most businesses, especially when you want to hire a talented remote software engineer. 

But why resign yourself to struggle and headaches during this process when there are much simpler solutions? Like… us! 

We are an IT staffing agency specializing in headhunting remote tech talent. We care about your company, and we want every business, no matter its size, to have the best talent worldwide.