Hire Android developers rapidly and remotely without sacrificing quality

Android will command 87.4% of the market share by the year 2023. With over six billion smartphone users spending almost three hours a day on their phones, the app market is an incredibly important consideration for any company developing software. Mobile web traffic now accounts for over 50% of all web traffic, so businesses can't afford to ignore mobile development.

What Is an Android App Developer?

An Android developer builds software applications for the Google Play store and Android devices. These apps are used for Android phones and tablets.  Android app developers can work for large organizations that design their own applications or for software development companies that design software for their clients.

What Does an Android Developer Do? Roles and Responsibilities

Android developers can have a variety of roles and responsibilities, depending on where they work and the types of projects they're working on. Some of the most common responsibilities of developers include:

Designing and building applications for the Android platform

The main responsibility of an Android app developer is, of course, creating apps. This includes using clean, efficient code and trying to avoid any bugs. Apps should have a well-designed architecture and be optimized for performance.

Monitoring the performance of live apps

Once an app is live, Android developers will monitor its performance and try to optimize it by refining its code.

Identifying and resolving bottlenecks and fixing bugs

If any issues are found in an app's performance, a developer will be responsible for finding the cause and resolving it. Bugs are part of the process of developing apps. Whether a developer finds the bugs or they're discovered by the quality assurance team, they'll need to be fixed to improve the security and performance of the app.

Unit testing code for reliability and robustness

Code module testing is an important part of the software development cycle. Apps should be unit tested throughout the development process, and this step is included in the agile development process used by most modern companies.

Collaborating with other teams to design new features

Software development is a collaborative process. Android developers have to be able to work with internal team members and with other teams to enhance the features of the apps. UX/UI designers, back-end developers, and others have an important role in app development as well. Good communication is an important part of being an Android developer.

Working with databases and APIs

The business world runs on data and apps are no exception. Android developers frequently have to work with external APIs and databases.

Staying up to date with new mobile technology trends and protocols

The skills needed by developers are constantly evolving and changing. Developers have to stay up-to-date on new technologies as they become available. Android developers should embrace life-long learning.

Expertise in Android languages, including Java or Kotlin

Java and Kotlin are the official languages of Android development. This includes an understanding of their syntax and structure as well as the following programming concepts:

• Fundaments of object-oriented languages
• Variables
• Loops
• Lists

Android SDK

The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) is an essential part of a developer's skills. Developers should be familiar with the following elements at least:

• Views, view groups, and layouts
• User input
• Accessing data from the web
• Storing data
• Action bars
• Optimizing apps for different screen sizes
• Android documentation
• Third-party SDK resources

Experience with SQL

Almost all apps require some form of data storage. Because of this, apps need to be integrated with databases so that developers can manage the data.

Understanding of XML

Extensible markup language (XML) is used in the development of web solutions. It's used to access web data, so it's essential in many Android apps that require transferring data to the web from the app and back again.

Material design guidelines

Google's material design guidelines were introduced in 2014 as a way to create a cohesive user experience across a wide variety of devices. It covers elements such as colors, shades, element placement, transitions, and more. Apps that don't incorporate the material design guidelines may not be approved for publication in the Google Play store.

Integrated development environments

The most popular integrated development environment (IDE) for Android developers is Android Studio. It helps Android developers work more efficiently with its built-in debuggers and testing tools.

Agile methodology

Although it's not specific to Android developers, all software developers should be familiar with agile methodology. Most modern companies use agile software development in some form.

Business knowledge

Developers need to have at least a basic understanding of the industry they're working in, in order to design effective solutions for customers.

How to Find and Hire an Android Developer?

With Android developers in such high demand, finding and hiring them can be a challenge. You'll be competing with a lot of other companies to land the best talent. Here are some ways to make the process easier and more efficient:

Decide what role you're hiring

Before you go about looking to hire an Android app developer, determine what role you're hiring for and what the standard compensation is.

Junior or Entry-level Android Developer Salary and Skills

A junior or entry-level Android developer can expect to earn an average of around $67,266 yearly or $32 per hour. This is a developer with basic skills but little on-the-job experience. A junior-level developer can work on a team under Android app developers with more experience. They will need a lot of supervision and mentoring, and most of their work will need to be checked before it's delivered.

Senior Expert Android Engineer Average Salary and Skills

Senior-level expert Android developers will earn an average of $131,825 per year or $63 per hour. Senior-level developers are capable of supervising other developers and heading up their own teams. They generally have five or more years of experience developing apps for Android. They're paid more because they can be trusted with more responsibility and don't require much direct supervision.

Look in the right places

You have several options when it comes to finding qualified Android app developers. The best choice for you will likely boil down to the amount of time and resources you have to devote to it. Some options are:

General job boards

Large job boards such as Monster and Indeed will generate a lot of responses to your ad. If you have a lot of time to invest in hiring, this may be a good option for you. You'll need to screen a lot of applicants, so you should implement an efficient process for doing so. A lot of unqualified applicants are likely to apply, so you should weed them out before you get to the interview stage.

Technical job boards

Posting your listing on technical job boards will probably result in fewer but more qualified applicants. You can try a site like Android Jobs for a smaller, more focused applicant pool. You'll still have to do your own vetting and testing of applicants, so the time investment will still be significant.

Talent marketplaces

Online talent marketplaces such as Revelo are a great option if you're short on time but still want qualified Android app developers. Revelo connects you with top-notch prescreened Android app developers in U.S. time zones. Marketplaces usually offer a far quicker hiring process when compared to using job boards to find and vet applicants yourself.

Use an efficient process

Being clear and organized in your hiring practices will save you time and money when you're hiring Android app developers. Here are the steps to include in your process:

Craft a concise job description

Creating a clear job description is one of the most important steps in hiring an Android app developer. Your job description should include the following components:

• Job title. This is a brief description of the job that reflects the content and scope of the job. It should be one to four words and as specific as possible.
• Job purpose. This is an overview of the job. The job purpose is the "why" behind the job. Try to keep it to three or four sentences.
• Job duties and responsibilities. This section should contain a detailed list of the fundamental nature of the job and should give the applicant a good idea of how they'll spend most of their working time. Include information about how, why, where, and how often the tasks are performed. Focus on the outcome of the tasks and areas of decision-making.

This section should also include information about the nature of the daily work, such as whether they'll be working with a remote or on-site team. This is where you'll indicate any supervisory roles of the job as well.

You can present the job duties in a bulleted list for easy reading. List them in the order that they're most frequently performed so applicants will know which are the most important.

• Qualifications. In this section, you'll list the qualifications you want the ideal applicant to have. You can separate this list into must-haves and nice-to-haves. You'll want to include the entire range of qualifications the applicants should have including:

• Educational qualifications such as degrees or certifications
• The minimum amount of experience needed for the job, including the type of experience, such as internships or previous employment
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Compensation and benefits. This section should include how much the job pays, or at least a range, as well as the benefits your company offers.

Determine a screening process

It's vital that you have some sort of screening process in place so you don't waste a lot of time on applicants who don't meet your minimum requirements. You can set up a screening test that all applicants have to take before they can submit their resumes. There are services that will let you attach a link to a test to your job listing. Candidates have to pass the test before they can apply for the job.

It's important to strike a balance between your desire for efficiency and making your process pleasant for your applicants. Android app developers are highly sought after, so you don't want to alienate possible candidates during the application process.

Conduct the first interview

The first interview should be a screening interview. It can be conducted by telephone. At this point, you just want to start to get to know the applicant to see if they'll be a good fit and make sure their knowledge lines up with their testing results.

Set up a technical interview

Once a candidate has passed the first interview, set up a technical interview to get an idea of how they work in real-world situations. Ideally, this interview will be conducted by someone who will be working directly with the new hire and knows what kind of work they'll be doing. The technical interview can be done on-site or as a take-home exercise.

Conduct the final interview

If an applicant makes it past the technical interview, set up a final interview with the ultimate decision-makers. This is when you should try to determine if the candidate is a good fit with your company and team culture.

Check references and verify previous employment

Finally, before you start the onboarding process, you should do a background check, call references, and verify previous employment. You can do this in-house or outsource it to a service.

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