With the increasing demand for dynamic and scalable web applications, the demand for skilled developers has skyrocketed. However, most people you come across will attest that the talent pool to choose from has shrunk in recent times. It is especially the case when you’re looking to hire back-end developers.
Either way, knowing how to find good developers and getting them to commit to your company and its projects is still a lengthy endeavor. That's where this guide comes in. In this comprehensive article, we've rounded up the 16 best sites to hire backend developers.
We’ll also discuss the skills to look out for in a back-end developer, what responsibilities they will be entrusted with, and where to find the best candidates. By the end of this article, you'll have a better understanding of the options available and be equipped with the knowledge to make an informed decision.
16 Best Sites To Hire Back-End Developers For Top-Class Development
Not every recruitment drive is successful as it may seem at face value. Most candidates either end up in the rejection pile for not having the required skills necessary for the job or back out for various personal reasons.
But certain websites and portals can help you find the best back-end developers. We’ve listed the three most prominent sites below.
- Aloa - The best overall site to hire dedicated back-end developers
- Softeq - Backend solutions that drive business growth
- SCAND - Unmatched quality & innovation
We'll take a closer look at the 16 online platforms for hiring back-end developers and determine which one offers the best fit for your back-end development needs.
1. Aloa - Top Pick
Aloa Backend Development: On Time, On Budget, High Quality
Aloa is a global leader in helping businesses scale their backend development teams. Whether you are looking to staff multiple developers or build out a specific product, Aloa ensures that you are working with the best development talent from around the world.
Aloa has vetted 10,000+ software agencies around the globe to identify and hire the best backend developers. Our strict vetting process sets you up for success, giving you a clear path to interviewing top-tier candidates. The developers in our network are well-versed in various programming backend programming languages like Node.js, Python, or PHP.
Aloa will deliver Performance Reports to ensure you receive consistent updates on your project's progress so you stay informed and confident with every step. At Aloa, we make sure that you get your software built on time, on budget, and high quality.
2. Softeq - Backend Solutions That Drive Business Growth
Softeq is a renowned software development company established in 1997. Over the years, the company has earned a reputation for delivering innovative backend development solutions to global brands such as Epson, Lenovo, Verizon, and many others. Whether you need on-premise or cloud-based backend solutions, Softeq has the solution for you.
The company uses advanced and battle-tested latest backend technologies and provides end-to-end security for their backend solutions. They employ the latest security measures to ensure that their clients' data is secure both in transit and at rest.
Softeq places a strong emphasis on quality assurance. They have a dedicated team of quality assurance specialists who test and verify each solution to ensure that it meets the highest standards of quality and performance.
3. SCAND - Unmatched Quality & Innovation
SCAND has been in the business since 2000, and over the years, they have established itself as the go-to company for high-quality backend development services. Their impressive list of clients includes some of the biggest names in the industry, such as NASA, IBM, Cisco, and other Fortune 500 companies.
With over 700 successful projects under its belt, SCAND has proven time and time again that they have the expertise and experience to tackle any challenge that comes its way. They have a team of highly skilled and knowledgeable backend developers who have extensive industry experience which allows them to address and solve even the most challenging product issues.
SCAND's top priorities are quality and security, which is why they are certified to both ISO 9001-2015 quality management and ISO/IEC 27001-2013 information security management standards.
4. Concise Software - Best For Blockchain Solutions
With years of experience under their belts, the back-end developers at Concise Software have honed their skills to deliver custom-made blockchain solutions that bring real value to businesses and end-users.
Their expertise in developing Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs) and Security Token Offerings (STOs) is unmatched and they are dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions that meet the needs of their clients.
The company conducts weekly status calls and provides clients with access to Jira, a project management tool so that everyone is on the same page and fully informed about current project workflows.
5. INOXOFT - Solid Expertise & Problem-Solving Skills
INOXOFT is a well-known software development company known for its exceptional backend development services. Their backend developers are the best in the industry and have an innovative and creative approach to problem-solving. They are not afraid to think outside the box and come up with unconventional solutions that can provide the best results.
Another key factor that sets INOXOFT's backend developers apart is their fearless attitude toward challenges. They are very adaptive to changes which means that they can easily adapt to new technologies and trends and continue to deliver top-notch services to their clients.
The company takes the time to carefully assess the skills and experience of each candidate and they only hire those who they believe have the potential to become top-notch developers.
6. Xmartlabs - Accountability At Its Best
Incorporated in 2012, Xmartlabs is a highly respected software development company to hire a backend developer. The company’s focus is on delivering outcomes and takes full responsibility for the success of its projects and has implemented a robust accountability mechanism to ensure that customers get the results they are looking for.
Xmartlabs also provides a comprehensive set of services to help customers every step of the way. From concept to market and beyond, the company provides guidance and support to help you succeed. The company offers free project scoping which includes time frame and cost estimates as well as recommendations for team structuring.
7. Develtio - Growth-Oriented Back-End Solutions
Develtio has established itself as a leading provider of back-end development services, delivering high-quality and innovative solutions to clients across the globe. The back-end software developers are committed to writing clean and maintainable code that is optimized for performance and scalability.
The developers are proficient in all leading backend programming languages and are highly responsive and proactive. The company's developers have extensive experience in developing and integrating databases into applications and understand how to optimize database performance to ensure fast and efficient data retrieval.
8. Upwork - World’s Leading Platform For Hiring Freelance Back-End Developers
Upwork is a portal for startups and eCommerce businesses where you can hire freelance backend developers for single or multiple projects. Candidates bid on your project and provide you with an hourly wage and it is up to you to gauge their development expertise and hire them.
Upwork provides jobs to thousands of people all over the world but has occasional quality control and accountability issues. It may also not be the best place to look for candidates if you’re working with confidential data.
9. Xfive - Best Client Retention Rate
If you are looking for a reliable and experienced partner to help you with your back-end development needs, Xfive is the solution. Founded in 2005, Xfive has years of experience in the industry and is known for its innovative solutions. This is reflected in the company's impressive 80% client retention rate which speaks volumes about the level of satisfaction that Xfive's clients have with their services.
One of the key reasons why Xfive is such an ideal partner to hire a back-end developer is its focus on meeting deadlines and budgets. The company has put in place processes and systems to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget. Whether you are working on a small project or a large-scale enterprise solution, you can be confident that Xfive will deliver the results you need, when you need them.
10. LinkedIn - Largest Professional Networking Platform
LinkedIn is the world’s most popular professional networking website. The free-to-use website by Microsoft connects millions of employees and employers from all over the world. LinkedIn also has a job section where you can advertise vacancies for your company.
Plus, by building connections and specifically searching for back-end developers, you can find the industry’s top talent in a matter of minutes. They’re then one connection request away from being a part of your team.
11. TeaCode - Objective-Oriented Development Approach
TeaCode is a well-established and globally recognized company with a presence on 6 continents. Whether you are looking to hire a full-stack developer or a team of back-end developers, TeaCode has the solutions you need.
The back-end developers at TeaCode are trained to handle complex projects and perform tasks that truly matter. They are experts in various programming languages, frameworks, and tools, and have extensive experience in developing robust and scalable back-end systems.
At TeaCode, you have the opportunity to interview, analyze skills, and handpick the developers you need for your project. This gives you the peace of mind that you are working with the best back-end developers in the industry.
12. Devision - Most Diverse Back-End Solutions
Devision takes pride in its commitment to quality and security. The company is ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011, and ISO 27001 certified which shows that its processes and systems are compliant with international standards for quality and security management.
Devision is not just a service provider but a partner in progress. Their back-end developers commit to progress and they like to push their limits to deliver exceptional results. The company provides full control over your back-end solutions allowing you to focus on what you do best – running your business. Their field of expertise include:
- IoT
- Healthcare
- Transportation
- Telecommunications
- Energy and Renewables
13. Pragmatic Coders - Best For Startups
Pragmatic Coders is a leading software development company that provides back-end development services to startups around the world. Since its incorporation, the company has been instrumental in helping more than 60 startups reach new heights with its innovative and effective back-end solutions. With a team of highly skilled and business-oriented back-end developers, Pragmatic Coders is the perfect partner for any startup looking to make its mark in the tech world.
One of the key benefits of working with Pragmatic Coders is the company's ability to launch a product in less than three months. This is a testament to the experience and expertise of the back-end development team. The back-end development team at Pragmatic Coders is also highly business-oriented. Whether it's building a new product from scratch or optimizing an existing solution, Pragmatic Coders is always up for the challenge.
14. Tech387 - Nurturing The Culture Of Partnerships
With a strong focus on delivering quality, timely, and cost-effective back-end development services, Tech387 has become a go-to partner for businesses looking to stay ahead of the curve. The company has a unique culture of partnerships and they understand that true success can only be achieved through mutually beneficial relationships where both parties bring value to the table.
Tech387 follows an agile development approach which allows them to adapt quickly to new challenges and opportunities in an industry that is constantly changing. By following this approach, Tech387 can respond quickly and effectively to changing circumstances and deliver high-quality solutions that meet the specific needs of its clients.
15. ElifTech - Hands-On ML & AI Expertise
ElifTech is a premier software development company that boasts a team of experienced and skilled back-end software developers. A significant proportion, over one-third, of ElifTech's software development team, possesses more than a decade of practical experience in tackling challenging projects across a diverse range of industries.
The company has an in-house training program called ElifTech School which offers a range of courses and workshops to help developers keep up with the latest AI & ML technologies and industry trends. Additionally, the company's R&D program encourages developers to explore new technologies and develop innovative solutions ensuring that they are always up-to-date with the latest developments in the field.
16. Unico Connect - Optimizing Back-End Transformation Journey
Unico Connect is a leading provider of back-end development services. The development team prioritizes keeping clients informed with frequent progress reports and updates on critical milestones achieved. This helps in keeping the projects on track and ensures that any potential issues are addressed promptly, reducing the risk of delays or setbacks.
Unico Connect covers all the coding essentials required for building a robust server, application, and database, encompassing everything from database migration to API integrations.
Understanding The Significance Of A Back-End Developer
Back-end development refers to server-side software building and maintenance required for any modern software, mobile application, or website. It is the inner workings of the product that ensures all data is flowing correctly from the user’s side to the server and back.
Back-end developers then are entrusted with the tough task to develop platforms to build high-quality web services and products or help integrate them into existing ones. They are also tasked with the maintenance of existing apps and websites and routinely perform bug-fixing tasks where required.
These developers are required at any software development firm to code the IT infrastructure of their projects, without which, all development efforts remain confined to the front end. Despite their globally shrinking numbers, back-end developers are an essential component of a solid IT team.
As more people gravitate towards hiring full-stack development resources, specifically hiring front and back-end developers can seem like an unnecessary step for most. But splitting up the workflow between two types of developers can provide various benefits, such as:
i. More Time For Tasks
Development firms that hire front-end developers and back-end developers separately notice that their resources have more time to engage in set tasks. Since the workflow is divided between the two types, developers have ample time to dedicate themselves to their part of the job.
ii. Remain Agile
Companies working within the Agile system can ensure all sprints are completed on time and that the workflow isn’t hampered. Full-stack developers have to constantly juggle between front-end and back-end tasks that can eat up productivity times.
iii. Improve Deliverable Quality
Since your resources will have more time to spend on each segment of the development, the overall deliverable quality will be better as well.
Most back-end engineers have specific responsibilities in companies that enable them to slot in seamlessly in the entire workflow. We'll go through a few of the major responsibilities of a back-end developer in the section below.
5 Major Responsibilities Of A Back-End Developer
While most of the responsibilities are relevant to coding and programming, others are necessary too. Let's go over some of the responsibilities of back-end development that you should expect when hiring a resource.
1. Writing Clean Code For Functional Web And App Development
App and web development relies on programming hundreds of thousands of lines of code and getting it to run well. Once front-end development is complete on any project, the task to connect the front end to the server side is the primary responsibility of a back-end developer.
Back-end engineers work with the development team to ensure the designs of the websites and mobile apps are translated well enough to function without errors and defects. Clean code also plays an important role in ensuring web development is efficient and does not have any unnecessary elements.
2. Gather And Address Technical And Design Requirements
Communication with other departments in the company is also a vital part of a back-end developer's responsibilities. Product managers brief design and development teams on the technical and design requirements of any project before work on it commence.
A good back-end software engineer takes these requirements and ensures they have a roadmap built for the project and the expertise to determine the best course of action. This trait comes in handy if businesses are working in the traditional Waterfall methodology and require planning and work on an individual level.
3. Participating In The Entire SDLC
SDLC or the Software Development Life Cycle is the entirety of a project’s lifespan from the start of its development till it is ready to ship. Developers need to understand all the necessary steps of the company’s SDLC and ensure that the entire team, and their work, are on schedule to meet the deadlines.
This practice is important when developers are focused on their part of the project, and especially when younger or junior-level developers are struggling to complete their part of the work. Ensuring everyone is working at maximum efficiency to drive productivity is a key responsibility of a back-end developer.
4. Perform UI Testing To Optimize Performance
Development isn’t a faultless job and nor does it follow a linear progression toward project completion. Most development of web applications and websites requires developers to become the first line of defense before the project is offloaded to QA testers. Ensuring the algorithm works, and every aspect of the project works as intended is an important role of a developer.
It is especially true when back-end developers are concerned since their job is to link the user-facing side to the server and ensure there is no loss in efficiency during operation, and that every facet of the software works.
5. Stay Up To Date With Emerging Technologies
Any developer that is confined to technologies, languages, and frameworks they’re familiar with isn’t going to progress as the company evolves. And this stagnation will be more evident as you receive more complex projects that require familiarity with newer technologies.
It is thus important for top back-end developers to stay up to date with emerging technologies and practice working with them. You never know when you might need programmers who break away from conventional working methods.
4 Skills Every Back-End Developer Should Have
Web and app development is a complex task that requires developers to have a certain skill set at their disposal to complete projects well. The most important skills are mentioned below.
I. Knowledge Of Front-End Technologies
While it may sound counterintuitive for a back-end developer to know front-end technologies, expertise in this domain is vital. A back-end developer needs to be familiar with the frameworks and languages used to program the user side so any manipulation or changes required can be made in runtime.
Some of the essential front-end technologies include design principles and software, familiarity with CSS, HTML, Angular.js, and Javascript, and a handful of other languages such as Python and C.
II. Back-End Programming Languages And Frameworks
In the programming world, languages are the foundation for any developer to build their career. Back-end programming is no different and requires a solid grasp of critical languages that help code for server-side applications.
Some of the languages you’ll want in your back-end engineers are:
- PHP
- Ruby
- Python
- Oracle Java
While developers will often know other languages too, assessing their technical grasp on the previously mentioned three should be the priority.
Similarly, knowledge of frameworks is also required for most coding projects. The framework is the backbone of the language of a program on which a developer works. Some of the ones to watch out for are:
- Django
- Laravel
- Node.js
- React.js
- Express.js
- Ruby on Rails
Alongside languages and frameworks, version control systems such as Git and GitHub are also important elements every back-end developer should know. These systems are important as they help keep track of code changes.
III. Databases And APIs
Developers must understand that the storage of data and a decent command over the database is necessary. Back-end developers are responsible for creating relational mapping to enable data retrieval when necessary. They’ll need to be familiar with MySQL, SQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.
Similarly, an Application Programming Interface or API makes connections between different applications. Back-end developers use APIs to enhance user experience. Key APIs to watch out for are, JSON, SOAP, REST, GSON, etc.
IV. Soft Skills
Any professional needs certain soft skills to ensure their product development journey in the company and those they work with are smooth and collaborative. All back-end developers need to have a passion for improvement and learning, should be good team players, and exhibit leadership qualities when called upon.
Most of all, they should have efficient communication skills to ensure they collaborate well with other departments and that their points and feedback are delivered appropriately when required.
Once you understand the responsibilities of a back-end developer, it is vital to know how to reach out effectively to begin shortlisting potential candidates for your next project. If successful in your endeavors, you’ll soon have a bustling team of software engineers gunning to work with you on your next development project.
7 Steps Involved In Hiring A Back-End Developer
Let’s take a look at the steps that we have established to help you with the hiring process:
Step 1: Analyze Your Requirements
Every job placement and recruitment drive starts in the same place; highlighting what you require and what may be surplus to your requirements. The following questions can help you get into the details of what you may require from your resource.
- How soon do I require them to start?
- What is the timeframe for the project?
- Will I need a full-time or part-time resource?
- What skills should they have for the project?
- What project will the developer be working on?
- Will I require them to work in-house or can remote work suffice?
Once identified, you can then move on to the next step. But since every project is different and requirements change, it is important to have a detailed conversation with your shareholders regarding the specifics.
Step 2: Building A Job Description
A job description summarizes a few key elements about any open position at a company. These are:
- The location of the job
- The skills and experience required
- The timeframe of the hiring process
- Any additional educational background
- The nature of the job (roles and responsibilities)
You must have a detailed job description that prospective candidates can assess and apply to. But tread a fine line between detailed and extensive. You want your job description to be clear and concise, have all the necessary details for the candidate, and not sound too verbose or too lengthy.
Step 3: Posting The Job
Find an appropriate job portal where you can post an advertisement for the position. Most websites allow for free postings while others may require you to purchase a membership or plan for detailed insights or greater coverage of the post.
Some websites you can try are LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor. While plenty of other websites exist, these four have the most candidates and are frequently updated by other companies too. You may even choose to post a link to your website’s career page on your social media handles for greater coverage.
Step 4: Screening Of Resumes
Development positions receive a lot of attention. Be prepared for the sheer amount of resumes you’ll soon get in your company’s HR email address or the websites you posted your job alert on. It can be a painstaking process to review hundreds of resumes but investing in software can make this process much quicker.
Resume screening software such as Zoho Recruit, Sage HR, and RecruiterBox are essential for any HR team that requires extra help sorting large volumes of resumes and cover letters.
Step 5: Interviewing
Once you have shortlisted the best candidates for the role, it is now time to call them and see if they can come in for the interview process. This process is headed by the HR teams and the project manager to assess the capabilities of each applicant.
This may be a good time to assess in-house candidates and any future hires for remote work. The interviewing process can take anywhere from several days to weeks to complete, depending on how many applicants you have shortlisted for the role.
Step #6: Shortlisting
Further shortlisting commences once the interviewing process is complete where a final decision is made for a handful of applicants that have exhibited their skills and industry knowledge to be a part of your team.
Step #7: Make An Offer
The final step of the recruitment process requires you to make an offer to the shortlisted candidates and assess how soon they’d be willing to join. Salary expectations are discussed as well and the candidate(s) most suitable and within the company’s budget is ultimately hired.
Conclusion
Hiring skilled back-end developers isn’t an easy task by any means. Familiarity with the job role and its responsibilities is the first major step toward hiring great resources for yourself. Our guide aims to provide you with all the necessary information about the 16 best sites to help you hire back-end developers.
With Aloa, your hiring endeavors are made even simpler and risk-free. Aloa takes the stress of recruitment away from your HR department and provides the best talent to get started with the development process immediately.
You can reach out to us at resources@aloa.co to further discuss your needs, and we will be happy to assist you.
