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How to Hire a Developer

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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1 min read

Does your growing business need a developer? A developer can help you with all of your technology needs, from programming websites to creating software for your employees to use. Having a developer on your team can help your business run more efficiently and effectively.

Understanding the steps behind hiring a developer, including data about candidates in Canada looking for developer jobs, salaries, and key terms to include in your job description, can help you stand out from the competition to reach, attract, and hire quality candidates.

Hire your next Developer today.

Post a Job

Hire your next Developer today.

Post a Job
8230665144774
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

Developer: What is the cost of hiring?

2025-10-0128000.0077937.91179000.00YEARLY

Why hire a developer

A developer has studied computer science and knows how to write code to keep your websites up to date and help develop programs that your business can use that will help streamline tasks. A developer can come up with creative solutions to issues and can troubleshoot any problems that might come up with the technology you use in your business. Developers are incredibly important in the modern workplace , especially as more work is being done virtually.

Contributions of a great developer:

  • program all websites and intra-web systems for the entire company
  • develop software programs to streamline processes
  • help create an efficient virtual office space

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance developer

Developers have a lot of options when deciding how and where to work. A lot of developers will choose to work for a large company while others will do freelance work. To decide whether to hire a permanent full-time developer or a freelancer, you need to know exactly what you need them for. For example, if you’re looking for someone to help you with designing and developing your website, it might be more advantageous to hire a freelance developer who can work on this project and then move on when you no longer need them. If your company does a lot of work online and needs some help with the different programs you have to run and maintaining your website, it might be better to hire an in-house developer who would work for you alone.

What are the different types of developer?

Developers can work in many different areas, as their main area of expertise is computer programming. Normally, a developer will specialize in a particular type of technology development, as each area has its own programs and coding to get used to. Developers work on websites, video games, app development, software technology, and data science.

  • Software Developer: These developers work on various types of software technology, for example, video games. They specialize in coding programs for business or personal use.
  • Website Developer: These developers work on websites and will make sure your website runs smoothly and stays up to date.
  • Frontend Developer: This is a type of website developer who works on the part of the website the customer can see. For example, if you own a shop, a frontend developer would work on what the website looks like to your customer.
  • Backend Developer: This is another type of website developer who works on what the website would look like to you, as a business. For a shop owner, for example, it would show who is ordering what.
  • Data Science Developer: This type of developer codes programs for companies to collect data on their users or customers.

Where to find a developer

To find the right developer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

  • Freelance networking website: There are a lot of websites dedicated to helping you find freelance workers for your business. Places like GitHub can be a valuable place to find freelance developers who can work for your company.
  • Online tech events: Online tech events are a great place to network, especially if you’re looking to hire a developer. This way, you can find out what your competition might be offering developers and meet some developers who might be interested in working for your company.
  • Remote work networking website: Remote work networking sites will allow you to post your job on their website, usually for a small fee. This gives you access to developers from all over the world, which can be a huge advantage when hiring for your company.
  • Social media: Check if there are any groups of developers that allow for job recruitment . This could be an easy way to find the right developer candidate for your job.

Post your job online: Try posting your developer job on Indeed to find and attract quality developer candidates.

Skills to look for in a great developer

A great developer candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

  • coding skills that are suitable for the type of job you are offering
  • communication skills that will allow them to talk with clients and understand their needs
  • creativity for problem-solving
  • ability to create aesthetically appealing websites
  • ability to handle multiple tasks at a time
  • knowledge about new technologies

Writing a developer job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified developer candidates. A developer job description includes a compelling summary of the role, detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your developer job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on developer jobs, according to Indeed data:

  • Developer
  • Software developer
  • Web developer
  • Software engineer
  • Front end developer
  • Unity developer
  • Game developer
  • Programmer

Interviewing developer candidates

Strong candidates for developer positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

  • Successfully coding a program
  • Development of a website that meets the client’s needs
  • Dealing with clients who do not know anything about technology
  • Updating their skills
  • New developments in technology

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of interview questions for examples (with sample answers).

A group of five people in a modern office setting, two of them appear to be giving a presentation while the other two are seated at a wooden conference table with laptops and a coffee cup in front of them. They all seem engaged in a discussion. The room has a bright atmosphere with natural light streaming in from the side window.

Hire your next Developer today.

Post a Job

FAQs about how to hire a developer

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.