How to Hire Freelance Backend Developer in 2023
Ever wondered what goes on behind the workings of a website? Back-end development refers to the specific development of server-side logic that effectively runs websites and mobile apps from behind the scenes. It typically includes all the code required to build out the server, database and application.
Back-end developers are the experts who are responsible for building and maintaining the mechanisms that process the data and perform the actions on websites. Unlike front-end engineers who control everything you see on a website or app, back-end developers work with data security, storage and other server-side tasks that cannot be seen.
In a team, back-end developers usually collaborate with front-end developers, principal architects, product managers and website testers to create the general structure of a website or app. Back-end developers must ideally be familiar with many different kinds of frameworks and tools, including languages such as Java, Python, and Ruby. They are responsible for making sure the back-end of a site or app performs quickly and responsively to different front-end user requests.
5 Tips to Recruit a Qualified Freelance Backend Developer
Hiring a qualified backend developer is an integral part of the success of your software development project. But whether you’re an old hand at hiring developers or new to the game, it can be a daunting task to select the perfect candidates to join your ever-growing team and to make sure you get the results you are looking for. Here are a few important tips to ensure you’re hiring backend developers effectively:
- Employment level
First and foremost, it’s important to decide whether you need an entry-level backend developer or someone who can fulfill a more senior role. A senior developer or team leader will be managing a team of developers and, therefore, you need someone with prior experience and leadership skills. A junior developer has the experience but will be working as part of a team, so it is important to establish that they can get along with co-workers and follow instructions.
- Available budget
Once you have decided what level of backend developer you require, you will need to establish a market-related budget available for the position. It is important to note that the more you are willing to pay, the better a developer you will most likely be hiring. Although, you also need to be mindful of your overheads and having the best developer in the world does not necessarily translate to profit. As with all things business, negotiation is often warranted.
- Available resources
There are countless hiring platforms online where you can look for qualified backend developers that will suit your needs and the budget you have available. The great advantage of using a recruitment company is that candidates are already vetted and easily onboarded.
- Remote or in-house
It is important to decide whether you need a team that works in your physical office or remotely. There are many different pros and cons to each of these hiring models. Remote teams can be more affordable, while in-house teams are accessible.
- Vetting
If you decide to hire developers yourself instead of utilizing a recruitment agency, it is non-negotiable to vet the candidates. During the vetting process, it’s important to ask for previous projects to check the quality and accuracy of work completed. It’s also essential to include interviewing and testing stages.
The Most in-demand Tech Stacks Among Freelance Back End Developer Candidates
A tech stack refers to the combination of technologies developers use to build a website or application. Tech stacks consist of frameworks, programming languages, databases, front-end and back-end tools, and applications connected through APIs. Let’s take a look at some of the tech stacks most popular among backend developers:
- Programming languages
These languages create logic for websites and apps. The codes created by these languages link websites and apps to a database. Some examples include PHP, JavaScript, and Python.
- Frameworks
Frameworks provide support for apps based on single programming languages. Django, Laravel and Ruby on Rails are a few of the most popular backend frameworks. Modern applications are often built using an MVC-style framework.
- Web Servers
Freelance back-end developer candidates use backend servers to manage client requests. Some of the most common web servers include Nginx, Apache, and Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS).
- Databases
Most applications need an SQL or NoSQL database. Common databases include MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.
The Most Valuable Soft Skills of Backend Developer Freelance Experts
The best part time backend developer experts possess specific hard and soft skills. It is important to consider these skills before hiring candidates to ensure you recruit the best talent for your project. Here are a few of the most crucial soft skills to look out for when you are looking to hire back end developer experts:
- Communication skills
Communication is key in any business and for all employees, no matter the industry. Backend development requires freelance backend web developer candidates to be able to communicate with their team and management to convey any updates and progress. Ideally, they should have excellent verbal and written communication skills to ensure transparency and avoid misunderstandings.
- Ability to problem solve
Developers will often encounter problems throughout the lifecycle of a development project. How they deal with these problems and solve them is what sets developers apart. The very best backend developers can easily identify concerns and find solutions before they become bigger problems.
- Time management
Development projects often work around tight deadlines. As a result, freelance back end web developer candidates should be able to manage their time carefully and stick to set deadlines.
- Ability to work with others
Backend developer part time experts often work as part of a team. So, they need to be able to collaborate with others effectively and efficiently.
- Critical thinking and creativity
Because development these days needs to be innovative to stand out online, back-end developers need to be excellent creatives and critical thinkers. They need to find unique solutions and come up with creative ideas for every project.
- Ability to self-motivate
Coding can be a time-consuming task. As a result, back end developer freelance candidates need to be able to motivate themselves without needing inspiration from management.
- Ability to manage
Often, back-end developers have to lead a small team. So, they need to be able to manage people and delegate tasks without needing to be micromanaged.
An Overview of the Best Sites to Hire Part-time Freelance Backend Engineer Candidates
As previously pointed out, there are many resources available to assist you in hiring the ideal part-time freelance backend engineer candidates, including a variety of hiring sites. Here are a few of the most popular sites to hire talent:
- Upwork
Upwork was established to connect businesses with independent professionals around the globe. On the platform, businesses can search for the exact type of talent they require and also set their ideal budget. All the available developers on Upwork work remotely.
- freelancer.com
Like Upwork, freelancer.com is an online job marketplace that offers a means for freelancers and businesses around the world to collaborate for mutual benefit. The fair hourly rate for backend developer experts on this platform depends on the freelancer’s experience.
- Toptal
Toptal is a global remote online platform that connects businesses with freelancers, enabling them to scale their teams, on demand.
- Fiverr
This is the world’s largest marketplace and digitally streamlined transactional platform for digital services offered to both buyers and sellers. The backend web developer hourly rate on this platform starts from as low as $5.
- Mobilunity
Mobilunity is a popular global provider of Ukrainian-based, dedicated development teams for companies, big and small. They take care of everything, from sourcing and remote recruiting talent to ensure partnerships between businesses and talent run successfully.
Hiring a Freelancer Vs Hiring Services of a Part-time Developer in an Outsourcing Agency
As a business owner or someone working in management responsible for hiring new talent, your number one priority is to avoid risks and hire staff that will bring success. With the hiring models available, it is essential to compare them before you start the process. To help you decide, we have listed a few of the pros and cons of using a freelancer vs an outsourcing agency to hire backend developer freelance candidates below:
Freelancers
Freelancers typically work on several projects at a time, remotely.
Pros
- Hiring without significant risks
- Talent is available at very reasonable rates
- Big talent pool available
Cons
- Can be hard to verify skills and experience
- Freelancers have limited availability due to working on numerous projects at a time
- Language barriers may be present
- Communication can be difficult
Outsourcing Agencies
Outsourcing agencies source candidates and take care of the entire recruitment and onboarding process.
Pros
- Staff are vetted, so you know you get experienced developers
- Access to a big talent pool
- Can easily confirm skills and experience
- No need to deal with the hiring or onboarding processes
- Talent is dedicated and available
- Great support available
Cons
- May be slightly more costly compared to hiring freelancers
- Communication may be troublesome
- Time zones may be demanding
The Cost of Freelance Backend Developers
Another crucial factor to consider when hiring developers is the hourly rate for backend developer candidates involved. Understanding the average salaries can help you budget better. The hourly salaries of freelance backend developer candidates vary largely between countries, as well as the level of knowledge and experience of candidates. Let’s explore a few of the freelance backend developer salary hourly costs from different levels and different countries:
*Ukrainian salaries are provided based on Mobilunity’s Recruitment Team research on the local job markets. All salaries are net and do not include the service fee (in case of hiring on a dedicated team model). The salaries are provided for comparison purposes and could be not entirely accurate. Contact us to know the exact cost of hiring a developer corresponding to the required parameters.
From this, it is evident that the backend developer hourly rate from Ukraine is cost-effective. This is because the cost of living in Ukraine is so affordable. As a result, many businesses around the world choose to hire from this country. They get access to excellent talent at a very affordable junior and senior java backend developer per hour pay.
It’s also important to mention that specialized developers may also ask for different hourly rates. For example, a remote PHP 8 developer may have a higher hourly rate compared to a general backend developer. So, for highly specialized projects, companies may pay more compared to straightforward tasks and projects.
Mobilunity as a Reliable Provider of Backend Development Teams
Mobilunity is a Ukrainian-based provider of talented freelance back end developer candidates and other IT specialists to companies around the world. With many years of experience, we understand our clients’ requirements and go out of our way to source only the very best talent for their unique needs.
For companies that want to grow online, we specialize in offering dedicated remote backend developers with proven track records. They are highly skilled and experienced to lead development projects successfully. These professionals work hand-in-hand with their clients to ensure projects are finished on time and within budget.
So, what sets Mobilunity apart from other outsourcing companies in the world? Our clients choose us because our working process is very simple but incredibly effective. It involves the following key steps:
- We find out what our clients’ needs are.
- We help them with finding the most qualified and ideal candidates and put them through sufficient testing and vetting processes to ensure they are the right fit.
- We also help with the onboarding processes and ensure both our clients and their chosen candidates collaborate well throughout the partnership.
Mobilunity works with clients in a variety of different industries, including consulting, communication, information technology, hospitality and more. We don’t mind how big or small a business is, we work hand-in-hand with our clients to make sure every need is met, and often exceeded. Some of our clients include i-doit from Germany, XPLG from Israel, Esurance from Switzerland and Zenchef from France.
