Elixir is still a less-known programming language than some of its counterparts but due to a lengthy list of advantages, it quickly gains popularity in the professional community. Impressive fault-tolerance, the potential for scalability, compatibility with Erlang Virtual Machine, and other amazing features ensure that more and more companies choose Elixir for the development of their newest apps. But with the number of IT professionals proficient in this language still relatively low, finding the right one can be a tricky task. In this guide, we will talk about some top tips for outsourcing expert Elixir developers.
Set clear goals
Before you even start contacting outsourcing companies, you will need to set crystal clear goals for your future app, make a list of features necessary at launch and ones that can wait for a little, and think about the development team structure. With Elixir’s ability to be highly scalable, you can start with basic features and build upon them later, which can really help your budget.
Choose cooperation model
When you have a clear blueprint for an app and a plan for the team structure needed for its development, you can think about a cooperation model. If you have some in-house IT specialists on your payroll, you can go with augmentation services, simply hiring Elixir developers for certain stages of the app’s creation. If you need a lot of professionals all at once, a great option will be a dedicated team, already assembled by an outsourcing company, that probably worked together on past projects. Finally, you can provide a firm with a list of tech specialists needed and hire them separately for specific needs.
Research about company
Outsourcing company’s fee may be more budget-friendly than hiring an IT staffing firm, but still, you’re paying extra and need to make sure that services will be adequate at least. Don’t neglect online research, try to find all reviews about agencies from previous clients, you can even contact some of them and ask about their experience. Confirm the company’s social media presence to avoid being scammed. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions in the negotiation stage, and find out more about additional services, like product support after launch or legal counsel for offshore hiring. And remember, never choose an outsourcing vendor based solely on price, this can backfire and set the app’s development back, actually costing you more.
Choose a destination
If you decide to go with Elixir software development outsourcing, cost reduction is probably the main reason. Of course, you save a lot on office space and supplies, but the main source of economical advantage is hiring specialists abroad. You will need to research all of the most popular outsourcing destinations and find out more about local talent pools, average salaries, cultural differences, time zones, and other factors. Based on your budget and personal preferences you can find foreign outsourcing agency or work with a local one that hires developers remotely. Just make sure that a foreign firm has employees with good English proficiency to avoid any troubles with communication in the future.
Confirm candidates’ hard skills
Of course, you probably can offload the whole development process on the outsourcing vendor’s shoulders and just wait for the final result, but we recommend taking part in the interviewing process. You can bring someone with a tech background with you to help you confirm candidates’ hard skills or find some typical questions online. For example, you will need to find out if a developer is up to date with the newest Elixir updates, with it being a new and still evolving language, their experience with Erlang VM, and familiarity with OTP principles among other things. Don’t be shy to ask for additional examples of past work and code samples.
Don’t forget about soft skills
Of course, with an outsourcing company, you won’t have to communicate with developers as much, but soft skills are not only about communication. You will need to find out if a candidate actively participates in online Elixir communities, keeps up to date with the newest additions to the language, and never stops learning. Their ability to use the newest instruments in the app’s development will help to make it more scalable and maintain high performance, also making it easier for other coders to add new features down the road.
Be open
While working with an outsourcing company, don’t be afraid to openly voice your concerns. During the negotiation stage clearly define what services are included in the standard package, who is responsible for what in the development process, and always put that in writing. If you’d like an outsourcing vendor to provide you with something off the list, just ask. Try to understand the company’s project management policy and get regular updates as often as you like, remember that this is your app and you are a paying customer here. But don’t be too controlling and try to trust your team.
Don’t forget about security
While working on a new app it is crucial to remember about data security. Try to find out more about outsourcing agency’s technologies regarding that and the standards they implement. Even if your business is still a small one, leaving data security to chance can hurt you in the future a lot. Also, don’t forget about the legal side of your partnership. Clearly define in writing who is an owner of a final product and all code it includes and sign a confidentiality contract if possible. This will [protect your company down the road and make the development process safer.
Final thoughts
Elixir is a new and exciting language with growing popularity all over the world. Writing an app with its help is a smart investment in the future, but finding a perfect developer for the right price can be a headache due to the still low number of specialists. Outsourcing agencies can help you provide thousands of candidates from all over the world and with our tips, you can easily establish successful partnerships with IT professionals in high demand.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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