The world of programming is vast, and so are the languages in it. Beginning from basic C to Python, development languages have come a long way. Unlike others, the programming language that has grown massively in popularity is Java. Today, it is widely used to develop various top-rated apps, websites, games, etc.

As per the Stack Overflow survey 2021, Java bagged the number one position ninth time in a row. The vast popularity of Java has made developers inclined toward it. Though there are countless Java developers out there, all of them may not possess the required expertise.

Therefore, if you are in the process to hire Java developers, you have to be careful. Moreover, it is super crucial to have a strategy. Here in this article, we will help you curate a strategy that will assist you in shortlisting the best Java developers.

How to hire the best Java developers?

A typical process to recruit Java developers is a bit comprehensive. There are a lot of aspects to keep in mind. If you are going for a hit-and-trial method, it may not get you the ideal person. You have to dig a bit deep into the requirements, skills, project scope, etc.

Analyze the scope of your project

The first step to hire Java programmers is to know what your project is and what it demands. For example, if you are making a game based on Java, the requirements will be different. Moreover, if it is for an app, the needs will be different.

To get the best developer for your Java project, you need to analyze the various critical aspects of the project. They may include but are not limited to the following:

• The features
• Functionality
• Goal
• Market
• Budget
• Marketing needs

When you have information about them, it will become easier for you and the developer to know what they are heading towards.

Other than this, you also need to check what kind of project it is. For instance, if it is a Java game development project, Java app development, website development, migration, upgrade, etc. As the expertise required for each one is different, having the knowledge of the project category is imperative.

On one side, game development requires excellent graphics skills, but web development needs expertise in web technologies.

The operating model is the third aspect you need to analyze before hiring a developer. Are you going to hire new developers for the existing team? Are you going to hire remote developers or a remote team entirely? Based on the choice, your requirements may get affected.

Lastly, consider your current team! Do you need a developer for some specific need or for the overall process? Make sure you have answers to these questions before beginning your hiring process.

Draft an awesome job description

After the top-down analysis of the project, it is time to create a job description. Though it may seem like a simple task, it is not. A well-drafted job description can play a pivotal role in the hiring process for you. Therefore, you need to ensure that it is done right.

First, you need to pinpoint the exact need. Is it one specific developer you need or a team of developers? Do you need an in-house developer, or do you want offshore Java developers? 

Based on these questions and their specific answers, your job description will vary. For example, if you want to hire more than one developer, it will be better to go offshore if your budget is tight.

When you know about the type of developer you need, you need to work on making a job description. Based on the level of expertise required, you can include the following:

• The title of the job (junior, senior, or lead developer)
• The role within the team
• Reporting officials
• Key responsibilities (designing, developing, maintaining, and managing Java applications.)
• Objectives
• Soft and technical skills required (communication, core Java, Java EE components, etc.)

Find the developers

After you have crafted the best JD (job description), you can circulate it and find the best developers out there. You can begin by searching via various methods such as:

• LinkedIn: Whether you want to hire a Java development company or a single Java developer, LinkedIn can be the best place to start.
• Freelancer platforms like Upwork: The best way to hire a Java developer is through a freelancer platform such as Upwork, Fivver, etc.
• Events and referrals: If you are fond of attending tech events and conferences, they can be perfect hotspots for Java developers. On the other hand, you can use your social circle for referrals.
• Job portals: You can craft a JD and upload it on an online job portal like Indeed. It will definitely attract job applications.
• Consultants: A job consultant can reduce your hiring hassle by a great margin. Consultants are hired by firms to speed up the hiring process. As they have a proper list of candidates along with their expertise, they can reduce a lot of hassle for the companies.

Interview and Shortlist

When you are done posting the job description online, you will get numerous resumes of potential candidates. Here you need to shortlist them based on their skillsets, experience, certifications, projects undertaken, etc.

Java has been in the development world for a long time now. It has seen numerous upgrades and additions. So, when you hire Java consultant, ensure that they have the required skillset. You can easily make out from their resume or from their hands-on skills in the interview.

Here are some of the technical skills required by a Java developer!

1. Basic Java concepts like OOP, abstract classes, serialization, data structures, algorithms, etc.
2. Web technologies like HTML, JQuery, CSS, React, Angular, etc.
3. Java EE and other components like Servlets and Java Beans.
4. Java frameworks like Play, Spring MVC, Struts, Spring Boot, etc. Spring Boot is a tool that makes application development faster if you are using the Spring framework. A developer should be skilled in this and other similar Java frameworks.
5. Application containers
6. Java testing tools like TestNG, Selenium, JUnit, etc.
7. SOLID principles for better quality
8. Java IDE (Intellij IDE, Eclipse)
9. DevOps and build tools

On top of technical skills, you also need to check the non-technical skills to hire Java developers for application development. Your hired developer should have the following skills:

1. Time management
2. Communication skills
3. Ability to work in a team and with different teams
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Ability to keep up with all the latest upgrades, changes, and trends

After you assess the skills, it is time to practically analyze them. For this, you need to interview the candidate! Here are some tests that will make it easy for you to judge the candidate.

• Core Java aptitude test
• Advanced Java test (for senior developers)
• Java MCQ test (for Java architect roles)
• Liferay online test
• Full-stack developer test
• Spring boot online test

After the results of these tests, you just have to test the basic technical and non-technical skills. You can make a questionnaire based on the type of skillset you need in a candidate.

Hire the ideal candidate

Based on the comprehensive process of testing and interviewing, you can hire the ideal candidate for your Java development company. Make sure that the following things are clear to the new candidate!

1. Project roles
2. Project requirements
3. Salary or compensation package
4. Quality standards
5. Working hours
6. Communication channel
7. Organizational hierarchy and culture

Having a planned and organized onboarding process allows the new developer to gel into the company environment.

How much do you have to pay a Java developer?

One of the crucial questions here is, how much should a Java developer be paid?

Well, as per Glassdoor, the average yearly pay of a Java developer is $93,118. A fresher in Java development can be paid anything equal to or above $68,000.

Java is one of the choicest languages of today, and so are its developers. If you are planning to hire developers for your Java development services, you need to be careful as all the developers may not fall in the ideal category. Your process should be strict, qualitative, and comprehensive. 

As the hunt for developers can be pretty tough out there, Inexture Java development services can make it easy for you. Inexture is a reputed development company that has one of the most skilled crews of developers. If you are looking for professional services, Inexture is the answer for you!