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Hiring app developers is a crucial task in today's modern software development industry if you want your business to succeed. Every good software developer and company follows a set of key trends that determine the overall success of their app design and function. Hiring app developers who understand the significance of the changing trends can help businesses achieve long-term success.
Our team at Aloa has built a partner network of app development team professionals from tech hubs like Eastern Europe, Latin America, and India. With that, we've gained valuable insights into the rising trends in hiring app developers. As the demand for app developers continues to grow, it becomes even more critical for companies to stay updated on the latest trends to make the best hiring decisions.
In this blog post, we will discuss the different trends when hiring app developers and how each trend impacts the selection of optimal candidates. Each trend has accompanying data analytics that showcases the probability of long-term engagement and success when utilizing this particular trend in your hiring practices.
By the end, you'll understand the best approaches to follow as you start to hire app developers and the various factors that contribute to your ability to source and onboard the best team or individual possible.
Let's begin!
Top 8 Trends in Hiring App Developers
Trends in hiring app developers in 2024 shape the software development industry. Companies can utilize their knowledge to source app developers that benefit their industry while also securing better reliability in the future.
Let's take a closer look at the top 8 trends dominating the hiring practices in 2024:
Trend #1: Cross-Platform App Development Expertise
Cross-platform app development expertise will become a necessary skill that potential employers and project managers will look for as they look to engage with an app development company or professional. Modern devices have varied platforms that allow users to browse through software using different methods. These methods include mobile applications, web applications, desktop applications, and more. Therefore, having app developers with cross-platform expertise will ensure businesses can reach a wider audience and provide seamless user experiences across multiple platforms.
With that, a mobile app development project may also include optimizing the final outcome for web apps, ensuring a consistent and responsive design across different screen sizes and resolutions. By hiring app developers who possess cross-platform app development expertise, businesses can save time and resources by avoiding the need to develop separate apps for each platform.
The top cross-platform mobile frameworks used today are Flutter, React Native, Cordova, Iconic, and more. Hiring app developers who have proven technical skills and experience using these frameworks will become a rising trend for companies and businesses that aim to optimize app development costs and efficiency.
Previously, app developers utilized native development over cross-platform development. While native development benefits software developers to only work on a single programming language, cross-platform development allows functionality over different devices.
However, more time is required to complete software when multiple programming languages are used. Since cross-platform app development proves more efficient for the app development process, top mobile app developers opt to use such a framework when handling projects.
Trend #2: Experience with AI ML in App Development
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are two components currently dominating the market. Most industries typically employ the two options to further improve both the functionality and user experience for their audiences. Because of that, software development companies have learned to incorporate the critical components into app development.
Integrating AI and ML functionalities into applications potentially improves how your target audience interacts with your app, providing a more personalized and efficient user experience. Hiring app developers with expertise in AI and ML will be crucial for companies looking to stay competitive in the market since the final product would include functions that smartphone users benefit from.
In today's more technologically advanced infrastructure, it's beneficial to seek out a dedicated team of software developers with knowledge of utilizing AI or ML for a business. Companies can integrate programs such as predictive text algorithms, route suggestions, email classification, and many more to benefit the company and industry.
Trend #3: Proven Ability To Produce Great UX/UI
AI or ML are not the only key factors that developers use to improve software. Hiring app developers that can produce an effective user experience and user interface can dramatically impact the usability of an application. The primary goal of developing an app is to ensure that the end-users will be enticed to use it. It's more crucial that their overall experience is positive.
Studies show that better management of details, such as user experience, can lead to a 200% potential increase in the conversion rate for an application. Mobile app development also requires an understanding of different screen sizes and performance, which is also a factor that app developers can use to further improve the functionality of their app development.
Companies hiring app developers can also request a portfolio to determine if their approach to both UX and UI aligns with their brand. You can also seek each candidate's opinion on your current website for advice on how they would actively shift the application to a more streamlined user experience.
Trend #4: Increased Remote and Outsourced Hiring
One primary consideration that affects small businesses and startups is investing in in-house software developers to train and manage. Onboarding developers requires patience, training, and multiple benefits that can be costly for companies looking to reduce costs.
Hiring developers remotely or through an outsourcing company allows businesses to cultivate a working partnership that can vary depending on the company's needs. Some businesses can utilize a project-based contract or keep the pay monthly. The flexibility allows companies to control their choice when hiring app developers.
Choosing between in-house vs. outsourced teams when hiring app developers is a decision that many companies face. While there are benefits to both options, increased remote and outsourced hiring has become a prominent trend in recent years.
Skill gaps can also become an issue when onboarding a development team as it requires constant updating on learning new advancements in technology as opposed to outsourced hiring experts that already have the skills necessary to complete a project. Increases in different web frameworks and IT automation are just some examples of potential skills gaps in the near future.
Today, companies like Aloa make it easier than ever to outsource hiring app developers and remote developers. Aloa, a leading outsourcing company, provides a seamless platform for businesses to connect with talented app developers worldwide. By tapping into this network of skilled professionals from different time zones, companies can find the right fit for their projects without the hassle of onboarding and training in-house developers.
Additionally, choosing outsourced options lets you decide on the location of your team, whether nearshore options like Latin America or offshore options like Western Europe. Outsourcing also offers cost-saving advantages for businesses. Instead of investing in infrastructure and employee benefits, companies can pay for the services rendered on a project-based or monthly schedule. This flexibility allows businesses to align their hiring decisions with their budgetary needs.
Trend #5: Proficiency in Using Cloud Platforms
Hiring app developers who can maximize the usage of various cloud platforms provides more opportunities for data to be collected consistently for better storage and retrieval. By moving the data to a cell cloud, both the company and its users can easily access their data without the need to invest in large infrastructures for storage. Not only does a cloud-computing-based application drastically reduce costs, but it also functions on a licensing service that is easy to upgrade.
Mobile app development requires a thorough understanding of different operating systems with vastly differing computing power. This detail requires mobile app developers to utilize cross-functional capabilities to help transfer these additional mobile program data into discernable information. The best app developers today achieve business goals by combining their technical skills with proficiency in using cloud platforms.
Trend #6: Awareness of Privacy and Data Protection Regulations
Privacy and data protection regulations are essential to ensure users remain secure when using various mobile apps and are required by legitimate app stores like Google Play and Apple Store. These policies are integral to keeping developers from accidentally leaking information and protecting the sensitive data of each user from being doxxed. Carefully test and review each product to ensure that it follows through every regulation required.
It's important when hiring app developers that they understand the significance of adhering to privacy regulations and best practices like GDPR and CCPA to protect both the company and its audience. Legal repercussions for failing to uphold these standards can lead to a costly fee. They could potentially shut down the application itself from the public. Also, better security will improve trust between the user and the industry.
Trend #7: Familiarity with Serverless Architecture and Microservices.
Programming software for an Android app or iOS app requires careful attention to detail to ensure the application functions smoothly and consistently. User experience will be negatively affected when there are long delays when transferring data with every click of a button that they input.
Hiring app developers familiar with a serverless architecture can work towards quality assurance of the code needed to run a program that starts and ends as efficiently as possible. Meanwhile, microservers can aid app development for software handling different microtasks without crashing the server.
Both components serve a benefit to improve, especially for cloud-based platforms in the mobile app market. The programming language knowledge and technical ability of your developers will be the determining factor in how well they can utilize the language to suit your company's goals.
Trend #8: Specialized Skills in Emerging Platforms:
As technology advances, new platforms will start to emerge. Although determining whether a new platform will change the way users will interact with various applications is hard, companies need to focus on hiring app developers who have the flexibility and the capabilities to adapt to these new devices.
Technology such as wearables, artificial and virtual reality, headsets, smart TVs, and more are prime examples of platforms that have started to emerge. These new platforms can serve as a potential avenue for increased customer engagement when you can rely on your developers to support the functionality of existing applications. Having years of experience in developing these emerging platforms will give your app developers a competitive edge in the market.
How to Stay Ahead of The Trends
Businesses that are looking to outsource the development of their applications to a mobile app development company should first determine the goals that their business has in mind. Factors such as the platforms your app will work with, the number of integrated tools like AI or machine learning, and user interface design are all factors to consider when hiring app developers.
Here are ways to stay ahead of the trends:
Continuous Learning
As simple as it sounds, businesses will grow through continuous research and learning. Each new information or development in the industry has the potential to reach new audiences and gain more ground in building your company's brand identity with every research spent.
Hiring app developers who understand the importance of constant market research and learning can help you understand trends as they pass to implement them in your projects with ease.
Adaptive Leadership
Trends have the tendency to rise and fall over time. A manager or company leader must select app developers who can adapt to any changing situation. Being open to changing or coming up with new strategies on the fly showcases the capabilities of your app development to remain future-proof.
Competitive Research
Encouraging your development team to research industry competitors opens up the potential to determine what features they're utilizing. This information allows your developers to improve on factors that they determine as lacking and implement them in your own platform. However, other competitors can also conduct research based on your app development.
Incorporate and Encourage Feedback Loops
Create a feedback mechanism within your development process to allow your app developers to analyze user comments and feedback. More information would mean better usability for testing factors such as performance metrics, customer retention, number of clicks per user, and more.
The feedback loop can help businesses identify areas needed for improvement while also serving as a guide for the natural evolution of your application.
Key Takeaway
Hiring app developers that can provide long-term benefits for your business is essential to ensuring longevity and growth. However, hiring trends can dictate what skills are highly sought after by both users and competitors alike. Further research and knowledge in selecting hiring trends can lead to long-term benefits.
It's also crucial to understand that these trends do not automatically dictate the viability and potential when hiring app developers. Take the time to communicate and establish familiarity with each developer to understand their work ethic, punctuality, and other soft skills to help streamline the hiring process.
If you're ready to take your hiring skills to the next level, contact us at sales@aloa.co to learn more about effective hiring practices.
