How to Employ an Android Application Developer
In 2019, global sales of mobile applications reached $462 billion and were projected to reach $936 billion by 2023. That seems impressive. However, only some applications are successful. There are too many mobile apps on the market, and apps are expensive, etc., such that just one out of every 10,000 survives. For this reason, the success of your project and company must hire qualified and seasoned Android app developers.
Here is our 2023 guide to locating and recruiting Android developers for your app development project.
Essential skills for Android developers
The development of mobile applications demands a unique combination of skills and experience. Android app developers must comprehend the company’s demands and possess technical expertise and know-how to design a profitable app that achieves specific business goals. Here is a list of essential skills to look for when hiring Android developers for your app development project:
Familiarity with programming languages
These Java and Kotlin programming languages should be understood by the developers, covering syntax and fundamentals, frameworks, multithreading and concurrency, functional programming, and generics. Experience with Android Studio
Android Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) that supports a variety of Android software development kits (SDKs).
Expertise in APIs
APIs connect applications to external services and applications. Using Google APIs, developers may identify consumers, assist them in looking for nearby businesses, or reference a map within an application.
Practical knowledge of databases
Firebase is the most popular way for app developers to store data in the cloud and make it available across devices. Developers should thus be conversant with SQLite databases.
Knowledge of business processes and the SDLC
Developers must understand the rationale behind your company’s actions. It will assist them in selecting critical features, executing the development process, and delivering a mobile app solution that fulfils all business requirements.
Which technology stack is best for your Android application?
Developing a suitable mobile technology stack is an essential aspect of the strategy. And when it comes to Android app development, there might be much discussion over whether the approach, technology, or framework is optimal for your project.
Before picking which technology stack to use for Android app development, you must know the available features and those that will be published soon. It would be best to choose between native and cross-platform software solutions. The cost of your Android app is mainly influenced by the app’s complexity, the quantity of features, and the design, whereas the programming language you employ has little impact.
Before your search, you must decide on your Android developers’ skills and expertise. You must provide a detailed job description to find the appropriate developers for your project.
The tech stack is comprised of requirements, details, and technology. The optimal mix of tools and criteria permits the developing of a superior Android mobile application. Most business owners need help selecting the ideal IT stack. Before commencing your application development project, consider the following development steps:
Consider your demands and company requirements
Consider the application type (native, cross-platform, or hybrid), hardware access, and data utilization. The following characteristics might help you restrict your application’s language and framework possibilities. Choose a monetization model and define the app’s primary objective.
For instance, if you offer subscription plans, your site’s functionality and appearance should reflect this. If advertising is your principal money source, you should focus on the app’s performance.
Determine the type of partnership.
There are several possibilities for building a mobile application. You can utilize freelancers, in-house professionals, or app development outsourcing.
Consider app security
If your app requires access to personal information, you should make it impregnable by resolving all security issues, among other measures.
Specify compatibility and integrations.
Before beginning the app development process, consider any third-party integrations you may need. In addition, you may need to integrate an existing website or backend system with your application, which will impact your choice of the technology stack.
Java for Android app development
Java has existed for a very long time. It debuted in May of 1995 and is still in use today. The Java Development Kit, the Java Runtime Environment, and the Integrated Development Environment are included.
Java is now the most used programming language for corporate applications, surpassing C++. It is frequently used to develop internet applications, government applications, and big data technologies such as Hadoop and Apache Storm.
Kotlin for Android development
The first version of Kotlin was released in 2011, but it took more than five years for it to be formally introduced. Kotlin is a prominent challenger to Java for Android application development. However, JS, Swift, and Python developers also utilize it. Large companies like to engage Kotlin experts to develop Android applications. Uber, Evernote, Pinterest, and other popular applications were developed using Kotlin.
Common blunders made while recruiting Android application developers
If you want to employ Android developers for the role, here is a list of situations to avoid throughout the hiring process.
Do not hire Android engineers that lack an appreciation for product design.
During the development process, working with Android developers with experience with product design may save you a great deal of time and money.
For instance, you may create an app registration page. At first glance, a sign-up page looks to be nothing more than a user and password selection screen. In practice, you will require the following:
To determine which forms of authentication you wish to enable (Facebook, user, password, Gmail, etc.). To ensure validation when it is necessary (for example, if a user inserts their email, check that it is a valid email)
Only recruit Android developers with UI and material design knowledge.
A user interface consists of more than a collection of images. Yes, it should seem elegant and expert. However, it should be uncomplicated to grasp.
You may employ a designer to help you construct an Android app, but more is needed to ensure that the app’s user interface is of good quality. Due to the app’s expected evolution during development, it may be necessary to alter the user interface in light of product revisions or new features.
Employing a designer for every tiny change or alteration may be expensive and impede development. Android has numerous “out-of-the-box” UI solutions in the form of tutorials and libraries. Android developers should be familiar with these situations and libraries based on their prior expertise and knowledge of popular apps.
Using conventional UI patterns is advantageous since it will seem similar to several programs with which the average user is already acquainted. Developing the UI should be simple and quick, owing to Google’s superb resources.
A few of the new UI patterns are influenced by the Material Design concepts introduced by Google a few years ago. Material Design is suitable for mobile devices, especially tiny ones. In addition, Google provides various icons for free, and there are generally sufficient symbols to meet most of your needs.
In addition, they provide tutorials and accompanying resources, such as a color palette for materials. The most incredible Android developers execute most design work, and their applications have a polished, user-friendly appearance.
Only employ Android developers with expertise in releasing apps on Google Play.
A competent Android app development has a multitude of apps on Google Play.
When deploying an app, there is crucial work to be done, and your application must have experience.
Proguard is a tool that highlights this stage’s relevance. This tool may obfuscate your code and eliminate unnecessary libraries and classes, resulting in a smaller and more secure application. However, previous experience is required for the appropriate use of Proguard. It is a complex procedure, and improper execution might expose your code and bloat your software.
A seasoned developer is always aware that it should only be utilized after an application is published. As your application is not yet accessible to the general public, there is no reason to conceal it during testing before its release.
Remember that you must sign an application before it can be issued. This is to ensure and verify your ownership of the application. The technique calls for a file that has a hash key. This file is required for publication on Google Play.
Nonetheless, it is essential for publishing version updates. If you lose this file, you will be unable to update your app. Thus a knowledgeable Android app developer will know to save it in a secure location. They should adhere to recommended practices for backups and security.
While submitting an app to Google Play is a reasonably straightforward process, understanding the Play Store’s capabilities can immensely aid you in enhancing your app and increasing downloads.
Only employ Android developers with at least one app on Google Play.
When searching for an Android app developer, you’ll likely want to see examples of their prior work to determine their level of expertise with the platform. Check the Play Store to see whether their applications are for the same purpose.
This is vital because it demonstrates that the developer knows how to post an app to Google Play. As previously mentioned, they’re making Android apps because they like doing so and not for financial gain. Working with an Android developer who is enthusiastic about their job is a top priority.
Do not recruit Android engineers that lack experience with full-stack development.
Most applications nowadays, especially those that deal with social media require a database. Your app will also need one.
Hiring an Android developer unfamiliar with databases may entail the appointment of a second developer for that purpose alone. If the task is complex, it may be essential to employ a second developer. In most situations, however, you will not require this in the initial versions of your software because your database will be pretty straightforward.
Databases should be known to Android developers. A developer may administer a database with several services using a simple API. Firebase is a superior service in this industry. Google’s Firebase is one of several services that greatly simplify mobile development.
Do not employ Android developers that offer inaccurate time estimates.
Upon commencing work during the trial period, your application may be requested to perform a job and provide a time estimate. When doing a primary job, the estimated arrival time should typically be correct. Moreover, you will likely want to provide your applicant with modest tasks throughout the trial.
You should monitor if they completed this project within the set timeframe, and if they still need to, you should obtain adequate excuses, which should not be the case for little assignments.
Providing an exact ETA for primary operations, on the other hand, might be challenging due to the possibility of extra product modifications, additions, and faults along the way.
Android developers should likely complete the operation before the ETA expires and alert you if it takes longer for whatever reason—preferably not at the eleventh hour.
Do not employ Android developers that do not provide frequent updates.
Even when assigning minimal duties, it is essential to monitor if the applicant keeps you informed of critical changes consistently.
You may get updates regularly or when something significant occurs.
Regardless, it would be best to consider whether your candidate provides the necessary information. Working with a developer that provides you with less frequent or infrequent updates might slow down and limit the effectiveness of your partnership.
Do not employ Android engineers that provide defective releases.
After you’ve assigned a candidate a job, they’ve finished it, and you’ve been told of the build, you should carefully test it for bugs. This is because it should give information about the developer’s ability to identify and resolve difficulties, or in other words, their product testing skills.
Before releasing new versions, Android developers must have the ability to identify flaws and the knowledge to test their products adequately. If they don’t, they may give you a faulty product, and if you don’t catch it, end-users may complain or post unfavourable reviews on Google Play Store.
As a result, you should pay close attention to the initial build the candidate delivers you, test it thoroughly, and evaluate if it is simple to reproduce issues.
It’s also important to remember that Android includes excellent testing libraries for both logic and user interface testing, and it’s worth determining if the candidate has used them in the past. Even if the trial period for using testing libraries may be too short, it is something that every Android developer should be familiar with.
How to locate and employ Android developers
Only some people have the technical knowledge to create, develop, and debug Android applications. To do this, you will likely need to hire a professional developer. Finding and recruiting developers may be a problem for business owners. Here is a detailed guide to locating the best Android app developers for your project:
Step 1 in hiring Android developers is to prepare a technical description of the project.
Compile all of the tasks and business requirements in a single file. You may easily share the file with app developers when doing a search for them.
Step 2 in hiring Android developers – Pick the best appropriate model.
There are several possibilities for app development. You can hire an in-house app development team, a freelance app developer, or an app development firm. Employing in-house app developers is the most expensive way to construct an application. The majority of business owners, therefore, choose to outsource. Outsourcing grants you access to a bigger pool of developers, allowing you to create your application more rapidly and affordably.
Step 3 in the hiring process for Android developers: Conduct technical interviews.
You must conduct technical interviews and review portfolios and assessments to limit your developer or outsourcing partners. Sometimes, client testimonials are the most effective way to evaluate a possible outsourcing partner.
Step 4 in hiring Android developers is to finalize the agreement and sign the contract.
Discuss all areas of your application development project, define timetables, negotiate the time and structure of your daily or weekly meetings, and get the first project quotes. Remember to sign NDAs and discuss security issues.
Summing up
Now you understand how to locate and Hire Android App Developers to build your Android applications. Even if several app developers are available, it is challenging to hire and keep a talented developer.
You may employ and manage top-tier software engineers with 10Pearls. The Intelligent Talent Cloud powered by AI at 10Pearls enables businesses to remotely source, evaluate, match, and manage the world’s top software engineers.
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