Good businesses nowadays employ technology in many forms, whether that be through websites, software, or even digital marketing. Profitable technology is built by highly skilled dev teams. You get what you invest, in most cases. However, there are some tips and trick of the trade to know before hiring a dev team, and we’ll be going over those here.

1. Find Developers You Want to Work With

It’s easy to think of a dev team as simply a group of programming robots. Avoid this mindset at all costs because developers are human too and may have personality traits that don’t mesh well with your company. Also, keep in mind that successful development is about more than whether or not they can complete a project. The team should also comment code and explain the program to you in a way that you can understand.

2. Determine Rates

Rates should be fair to both you and the dev team. Shop around, determine what average price developers are getting paid for what you’re asking them to do. Think about what you want to pay them for. They could become full-time employees, part-time employees, or contractors depending on the size of your business and the scope of your project. Decide if you will be paying them by the hour or by how many finished goods they produce. The best way to figure all of these things out would be to communicate with the dev team directly.

3. Establish Communication

Also, determine whether or not the dev team can communicate in a way that you are comfortable with. Learn about how they prefer to communicate, whether through phone, email or messaging. After you’ve asked about their skills and qualifications, ask about what they enjoy to do. Establish some common ground in order to encourage them to communicate frequently.

5. Understand What You Want

Before hiring a dev team, outline exactly what you want. Don’t give them broad goals like, “increase marketing” or “fix this database”. Although it’s important for them to have a general vision of your needs, break it down for them as well. Help them create smaller tasks from the larger ones to the best of your ability. If you don’t help them know what to do, they’re simply going to do what they’re most comfortable with or used to, and that might not be what you were going for. Dev teams aren’t psychics, so they need direction.

6. Anticipate Company Turnover

Before your project gets started, figure out how long your project or even business will be relevant for. No longer do businesses last 50 to 60 years. We have entered a period of creative destruction, which means that companies turnover at a much faster rate. Don’t pour money into a development project that won’t be cutting-edge in a couple of years. Also, make sure that your dev team operates on a tight (but reasonable) schedule so that the finished project will be available for use as soon as possible.

7. Make Sure They Have the Necessary Software

You wouldn’t want dentists working with subpar tools, and you don’t want dev teams to work with subpar software. Some software can be too expensive for small dev teams. If you don’t already have the software they need on-site, consider purchasing temporary access for them to complete your project. Make sure you have a clear outline of the costs of the software you’ll be purchasing before you agree to a rate. If they decide partway through the process that they need more software programs, consider adjusting the rate. Ultimately, choices will be determined by you and the dev team.

Hiring a dev team is simultaneously one of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do for your business. If you want to up your technology game without having to go back to school or to a coding boot camp, a dev team can help. For the best possible experience with hiring a dev team, use these tips.