Android platform is among the most popular mobile operating systems with a market share of around 71.47%. If you decide to build a mobile application, you’ll probably need to hire a dedicated Android developer to do the work.
This article explains how not to waste 100+ hours hiring an Android developer. With thousands of development companies worldwide and even more freelance developers, it might be pretty challenging to make the right choice.
That’s what this article aims to do, providing information on
- Everything to know about Android developers
- 5-step process of hiring Android developers
- Benefits you can get by working with an Android app development company
- Hiring funnel for hiring the best Android app developers
If you’re interested in learning the best techniques for hiring an Android app developer, jump right in.
Everything You Need to Know Before You Hire a Dedicated Android Developer
In this part of the article, you will explore everything you need to know to hire an app developer for Android platform.
An important question that probably interests you most is how much it would cost hiring an Android developer? The price depends on a number of factors:
- Outsourcing location
- Technical proficiency and specialization
- Seniority level and years in the profession
- Seniority of Android developers you choose for the job
- Type of company you decide to work with
- Cooperation model (fixed, time & material, etc.)
- The USA's hourly rate for app development services start at around $150-$200 per hour.
- In Europe, you can find companies providing services for around $100 per hour.
- Ukraine, located in Eastern Europe, often becomes a destination for companies looking to hire dedicated Android developers because of the best price and quality ratio.
The average hourly development cost is around $50, while tech expertise and the quality of the services provided might be even better than in the USA and the rest of Europe.
Curious about the benefits of hiring Android Developers from Ukraine?
Explore our guide explaining how to make the right choice: Ukraine IT Outsourcing: Market Insights & How to Choose the Right Team for Yo. The guide lists details on market size, rates, state of Ukrainian technological development, and more.
Before you start frantically searching for developers, you first must understand what requirements these developers should meet.
Don’t have time to waste trying to hire an Android developer?
Get in touch with MLSDev, a company providing Android development services with experienced developers. We know how to turn ideas into successful products, and we would be glad to talk about your project.
Hire an Android Developer: Roles & Responsibilities
The development of mobile applications requires a specific skill set, knowledge, and experience. Developers should be able to turn business requirements into innovative solutions.
Before hiring a dedicated Android developer, ensure the candidate has the following technical skills:
1. High proficiency in Java or Kotlin
Java and Kotlin are two leading languages for Android app development. Android developers should have deep knowledge of one of the languages, know its syntax, and be familiar with frameworks and programming principles.
Not sure what programming language is better to use in your project, check out main differences, pros, and cons, tech aspects in the following guide: Kotlin vs. Java: Which Programming Language to Choose for Your Android App.
2. Android SDK
An SDK, or Software Development Kit, is a set of re-packed code that allows developers to build Android applications much faster using reusable components. There are numerous instances when you might need to use these components. For example, if you decide to integrate your app with Facebook, you won’t need to create a connection from scratch - instead, include a Facebook SDK.
3. Android Studio
Android Studio is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) where you can build your application. You can divide the project into functional units thanks to structured code modules. This way, you can build, test, and debug these units separately, which significantly speeds up the development process.
4. APIs
An API, or Application Programming Interface, is used to connect applications with third-party services or apps. There are hundreds of APIs that you can use. For example, Google Pay API would allow users to make payments within your app, or you could utilize Google Maps API for geolocation features.
5. UX & UI Design
Material Design is a set of design guidelines that serve as a foundation for UX and UI design. Developers working on Android apps should know the basic principles of the design necessary to create user-friendly applications.
6. Databases
Modern applications rely heavily on databases that handle large amounts of data. For the most part, developers work with cloud storage, such as Firebase and SQLite, if there is a need for offline functionality.
When hiring Android developers, the cost is another factor that will influence your choice. As was mentioned before, hourly development rates are quite different across different countries. If you decide to go with hiring an Android developer from the USA, it can double or triple the final development price. Choosing Europe and Ukraine, in particular, reduces hourly development rates to $100 or even lower numbers.
Factors to Consider Before Hiring Android Developers
Now that you know app developer roles and responsibilities, let’s move on to the next stage. During this stage, you’ll need to evaluate the hard and soft skills of the developers you are considering for the job.
The table below sheds light on some of the hard skills, which usually include proficiency, expertise level, knowledge, and technical skills.
| Skill | Details |
|---|---|
| Experience | Experience is the most essential factor to consider when you hire developers. When searching for them, you will probably notice that there are Junior, Middle, and Senior developers. These levels are assigned to them based on the expertise gained over the years in the tech industry. Junior – up to 2 years Middle – from 2 to 5 years Senior – over 5 years |
| Hands-on expertise | Expertise defines a developer's experience working on certain apps or projects for a specific industry. For example, if you are going to build a food delivery app, it might be a good idea to look for developers with expertise in the area. |
| Portfolio | The portfolio is not something that you can overlook when hiring Android developers. By checking the portfolio of a developer or a development company, you’ll be able to evaluate their expertise and experience and understand whether or not it matches your requirements. |
| Communication | Communication is one of the key elements of successful cooperation, especially for remote developers. During the screening process, make sure that you’ll have an established communication channel with your remote team and won’t have problems reaching out to them when such a need arises. |
| Time management | A failure to meet deadlines can cost your company a lot. This is why working with an outsourcing company is safer, as the company will usually take on project management and be responsible for their developers meeting all deadlines. |
| Problem-solving | During app development, there will be unexpected issues. A proactive approach to finding a solution to every problem that arises will speed up the development process and team productivity. |
5-Step Process to Hire Dedicated Android Developers
The process of hiring an Android app developer is challenging for any business. In this part of the article, we talk about the main steps involved in the process of finding the best developers.
1. Choose From Among Hiring Options
Outsourcing offers various options for cooperation between a client and developers. You can hire a freelance Android app developer, recruit an in-house development team or choose among IT staff augmentation companies.
Let’s review the key options and define their benefits and downsides.
- Freelance developers
The abundance of freelancers allows you to outsource almost every part of your business, including Android software development.
Freelancers are usually cheaper than hiring Android developers full-time. Still, the lower price hides a lot of downsides, such as:
- Lack of control
- Difficulties with project management
- Problems with deadlines
- Absence of quality guarantee
- Final product may not meet your requirements
While freelancers might be a good choice for a one-time job, they are not the best option for long-term cooperation.
If you are still ready to take the risk, there are many places where you can hire a dedicated Android app developer for freelance cooperation, such as Upwork, Freelancer, Authentic jobs, etc.
- In-house developers
By hiring in-house developers, you eliminate a lot of risks, as you get better control over deadlines, quality, and final results. If you’re hiring an Android developer to be a full-time member of your team, you will get full control over all operations, your employees can work together, and developers have higher involvement in your project as they work only on a single project.
At the same time, this option is not a silver bullet. Startups might find the option of hiring Android developers to be their remote team to be more efficient, as they save time and money on the hiring process. Taxes, office rent, hardware, and software can take a toll on your company. An in-house team is on the payroll, so you must pay salaries even if there are no tasks for developers.
- Outsource Android developers
Outsourcing might be the best option if you are interested in hiring an Android developer with relevant experience quickly and don’t want to deal with bureaucracies.
You can choose between two cooperation models:
1. Dedicated team of developers
This option allows you to hire a whole team of dedicated developers quickly and with minimal upfront investment. The team will work solely from the vendor’s offices on your project, and you will need to pay an hourly rate for every member. The team usually consists of developers, designers, quality assurance engineers, and project managers who control the work of the whole team. In some cases, a dedicated development team might not be a viable option, especially if you don’t have a lot of work for them.
2. Staff augmentation
Outstaffing allows you to hire a talent that your internal team lacks. For example, you can hire an Android app developer if you are working on an Android app or enhance your team with a senior UX designer. Based on this cooperation model, the new employee will work on your project full time but from the vendor’s office. This option offers a number of benefits, such as a faster hiring process, the ability to work with senior experts, and the opportunity to enhance your team with even the rarest talents.
Looking for top Android developers with superior experience and expertise?
Get in touch with our team. We’ll help you enhance your team with specialists who provide superior software quality.
2. Finalize Your Goals and Developer Requirements
Before you make the final decision and hire an Android app developer, there are a few things that you need to take care of first:
- Define the dominant platform for your target audience
All projects should start with market research and competitor analysis. Before you hire an Android developer, make sure you know who your target audience is. While creating a target audience portrait, aside from their needs, characteristics, and behavioral factors, explore what mobile platforms they are using.
If Android is the dominant platform among your target audience, you’ll need to find and hire dedicated Android app developers to do the task.
- Select a monetization model
How will your app bring you money?
This is probably the most important question you should ask before starting a project. There are a few options that you can choose from, such as:
- Freemium model
- Advertising
- Referrals
- Subscription model
- Sponsorship model
If you want to know more about the best app monetization models, check out our article covering key strategies: How Do Free Apps Make Money?
- Identify project peculiarities
Before moving on, note project peculiarities. Start with describing the app’s functionality. You can start with the list of features you want to implement without diving deep into tech details.
Prioritize features so that developers can work first on the pillar features and then move on to additional ones. Project peculiarities will help you hire an Android developer with the relevant experience and expertise.
- Finalize budget and deadlines
These two factors are among the most important, as they will directly influence the course of action for your company.
For startups with limited budgets, outsourcing locations like the USA might not be the best option. Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine, offers far more financial benefits and higher levels of services provided.
Regarding deadlines, the more flexible they are, the easier it is to find a perfect match for your project. When you need to hire an Android developer on a tight schedule, consider working with IT outsourcing vendors that have access to a vast talent pool.
3. Match with Developers & Carry out Technical Interviews
After you’ve successfully finalized your project requirements, start looking for developers. Get in touch with IT outsourcing companies and explain your requirements to get a list of potential developers.
To shortlist the best candidates, conduct technical interviews, and check portfolios and overall company reviews. Customer reviews can shed light on the processes inside outsourcing companies and their strong and weak sides.
1. Client-related questions
- Can you provide a list of existing and past clients?
- Can you relate to the clients from a similar business industry?
- How did you add value to the project concept?
- What level of involvement do you require from your clients?
2. Software development-related questions
- What software development methodology and frameworks are used?
- Which guidelines and programming standards do you follow? Explain.
- What are the core features of the project?
- What extra functionality do you recommend that I include?
- What similar features and software have you implemented already?
- How do you perform app testing?
- How do you provide post-launch support?
- How do you react to and fix issues on the project?
- How about the project’s security?
- Do you help with app submission to the app store?
- How do you provide post-launch support?
3. Communication-related questions
- How will you communicate during the development process?
- What level of English do you and your team have? Can you speak English fluently?
- How will you keep me updated about progress and issues?
- How will you communicate during the development process?
- What communication tools do you use?
4. Start Working with a Trial Project or Small Task
Even after you know which of the developers you want to have on your team, you don’t have to sign a contract immediately. It might be better to start the cooperation with a trial project or a small task and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement instead.
Based on the results delivered and their quality, you can decide to proceed to the next step and sign a long-term contract or continue searching for alternatives.
5. Finalize the Agreement and Sign a Contract
At the final stage, you will need to finalize the terms of the agreement with the vendor you’ve chosen and sign an agreement. Based on the type of cooperation, the agreement might cover only the development of your app or cover all the steps, including app support after a successful launch to the market.
7 Benefits to Address Companies like MLSDev to Hire App Developers
So, when should you start the process of hiring an Android developer?
Working with a third-party Android app development company can bring several benefits to your business. Let’s review some of the most important benefits outsourcing companies offer.
1. Expand Your Business to New Areas
App development can be rewarding not only for startups, but for big companies too. For example, a restaurant chain might want to create a food delivery app and expand business into the on-demand delivery industry, which is on the rise right now.
2. Improve Your Product with an External Opinion
If you feel like your project is stuck or you are not sure where to move with it, having fresh eyes take a look at it might help. You can get in touch with such companies as MLSDev for a consultation to identify which direction to move in with your project and how to improve its functionality.
3. Reduce Your Risk of Project Failure
There are numerous reasons why projects may fail. Poor management, a lack of technical knowledge, or an inability to delegate tasks successfully can all undermine the success of your projects.
When you’re hiring an Android developer, you don’t need to be a tech guru. You can rest assured that your project is in the hands of capable experts and concentrate on business tasks instead.
4. Get Specific Expertise
Knowing everything is impossible, especially when discussing the ever-changing digital world. There are some instances where you might realize that your team lacks some specific expertise, for example, someone who knows how to build an Android app for an eLearning company or an NFT marketplace.
Instead of figuring out the puzzle, you can find and hire a company with relevant experience. In the long run, this could save you hundreds of wasted hours and a lot of expensive bumps and bruises.
5. Improve Employee Productivity
Android app development can significantly improve productivity within your company or organization. All you need to do is to take a step back, analyze employees' ordinary working day and you’ll see areas of improvement.
For example, for doctors’ offices, it might be necessary to create paperless software to elevate the practice, automate mundane tasks, and improve productivity.
6. Reduce Expenses
Every business looks for ways to save money and become more cost-efficient. The decision to hire an Android app developer can potentially reduce expenses, as you won’t need to pay a salary, cover office expenses, deal with bureaucratic problems, and so on. Depending on the cooperation model you choose, you might need to pay only for the hours the developer spends working on your projects.
7. Speed Up Your App Development
When a deadline is approaching at lightning-fast speed, hiring an external developer could be a lifesaver. If you can find a company providing hourly-based development services, you won’t need to waste time looking for a suitable candidate. You can find someone who’ll jump into the battle with you in a matter of days, if not hours.
Hiring Funnel to Find Best Android App Developers at MLSDev
At MLSDev, we guarantee that you will be able to find an expert that will become a valuable extension to your team. Aside from development we also provide business analysis services, UX/UI design, and DevOps services.
We carefully select candidates to avoid unexpected issues in the future. We take on all recruitment challenges, so you don’t have to.
Our employee selection process includes the following steps:
- Collection of requirements – we create a list of your business and technical requirements and transfer an approved ideal candidate portrait to the recruiting department.
- Specialist search and interview process – we have an established process for selecting the perfect employees for specific projects. We conduct interviews, check soft skills and English knowledge, test programming skills, and verify the expertise required for your project. As a result, you don’t have to spend time interviewing dozens of prospects.
- Communication with short-listed candidates – we arrange interviews with 2-3 short-listed candidates for you to determine who you want to work with.
- Onboarding process – after you’ve made the final choice, we organize the onboarding process, including all legal aspects.
- Employee retention guarantee – we provide your outsourced employees with a healthy working environment and focus on employee retention.
Need help turning your idea into a digital project?
Get in touch with our team for a free preliminary consultation. We would be happy to help you with hiring Android developers to help you with the task.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I hire dedicated Android developer for hourly or project-based tasks?
Some IT outsourcing companies work with big projects that require full-time dedicated developers, while others provide services on a project basis. Of course, hiring an Android developer at an hourly rate is possible.
How much does it cost to hire an Android app developer?
The average hourly cost of hiring Android developers is around $50 in Eastern Europe, and Ukraine in particular. If you look to the USA as your outsourcing location, you will need to pay around $150 per hour for developer work. This is why the final app development cost directly depends on the outsourcing location.
What are the benefits of hiring an Android developer from MLSDev?
MLSDev is a professional [offshore software development company](https://mlsdev.com/ "dofollow") that works with SMBs, startups, and big brands. We help our clients build software from scratch, provide solid expertise, take on all the hiring and retention tasks, and help improve the business concept. We can help you create a Minimum Desirable product in just 3 months to kick-start your idea and test the concept on the market.
How could you tell if an Android developer for hire is skilled enough for the project?
There are several steps that can help you evaluate developers’ expertise before hiring them. First, look at the portfolio of successfully delivered projects, specifically those similar to your idea. Second, check the seniority level and the years of experience. Third, don’t forget about communication skills, English knowledge, and time management skills. You can do all of the above yourself or hire a company like MLSDev to speed up the process and avoid having to deal with these issues.