Are you planning to reach out to iPhone and iPad users with your new app? If you are, you have made a smart decision since these Apple platforms have a very loyal and large customer base. Well, this guide will explain how to hire iOS developers.
What kind of developers do you need for iOS development?
The first thing you need to know is Whether you need to hire an iOS developer with only one skill set or a limited level of experience.
iOS development project involves several key tasks, e.g., requirements definition, architectural decision making, formulating a development approach, development, review, testing, deployment, etc.
There are three categories for iOS app developers, which are as follows:
- Junior iOS developers: This level starts with beginners and goes up to around 2 years of experience. Developers at this level always work under the direction of more senior colleagues.
- Mid-level iOS developers: Developers at this level have 2-5 years of experience. They have worked on multiple projects already, and they can work independently.
- Senior iOS developers: Programmers at this level have more than 5 years of experience and have already worked on multiple complex-level projects. They have the skills and experience to guide their junior colleagues.
If you are looking to build an app from scratch, then you’ve to hire iOS app developer from all three categories.
Key considerations when hiring iOS app developers
Now that you know the various levels of experience, let us see the key factors you need to consider when hiring an iOS app developer.
- Portfolio: You should ask about the previous projects the company or developer has done. By this, you can determine whether it is right to Hire iOS App Developer from that company or not.
- Expertise: You must be ensured that the developer will be able to build the features and functionality that you want into your app. They will tell you how they are going to implement a proposed feature and suggest appropriate frameworks that they can implement. You must also check whether the software can integrate with other systems.
- Price: Do not flow with the pricing when you are hiring iOS App Development Services; it is crucial that you get an excellent product and not the cheapest product. Be within your budget but let the quality of their previous work and expertise decide whether they are right for the job or not. Once you have discussed the feature list, ask about the payment methods and terms and how they calculate pricing.
- Involvement: A good company also needs your input, and you must understand your role in the project. What level of involvement will be required, and how many iterations will there be?
- Communication: Ask them how often you will communicate with each other and what communication methods they use. Your company must deliver project updates at least once a week so you can effectively track progress.
- Timeline: Ask them about the estimated project timeline and availability as most companies work on multiple projects simultaneously. How long will the project take?
- Release: You must also ask about their policies for app store submission and how they handle a client’s app release. Any good firm will guide you through the process or submit the app. Search for a company that sticks with you throughout the app lifecycle.
- Maintenance: Once your app is launched, you will have to release updates, fix bugs, or add new features/functionality. That is why it is important to know a company’s app maintenance and support policy.
Choose between native vs. hybrid development before hiring iOS developers
We will start with the first choice that you need to make. Are you planning to build a native iOS app or a hybrid app?
Native apps use device-specific hardware features, delivering a better user experience. These apps offer better security and performance, too. However, you require a bigger budget for native app development.
On the other hand, hybrid apps have one codebase and can run on both Android and iOS. While they fall short in the native user experience, you incur lower development costs, and you can launch your app faster.
iOS development skills you should look for
You now know which language skills you should look for when hiring iOS developers, and that is great! However, you need to look for a few more iOS development skills, e.g.:
- You need programmers that are familiar with XCode, the popular IDE.
- Top iOS developers should be familiar with APIs like Cocoa Touch, UIKit, etc.
- You need iOS developers with good knowledge of the “Core Data framework.”
- What about your UI (User Interface) design? A great UI is necessary in today’s world; you must onboard experience UI designers.
- The basics of the “Human Interface Guidelines” of Apple;
- How to code effectively to take advantage of your mobile navigation menu pattern choice.
iOS developers for hire need knowledge of application security
You are most certainly planning to secure your iOS app from cyber-attacks, aren’t you? In order to do this, developers need knowledge of application security, and this is one of those generic skills we expect from all programmers.
Look for API development experience when you hire an iOS developer
You are planning to develop APIs to implement your core features. APIs enable you to scale your development process since they provide a consistent framework for your application front-end to access the backend.
Naturally, you will need iOS developers the experience in developing APIs. API development is another one of the generic development skills that we mentioned earlier.
In order to develop APIs, programmers need in-depth knowledge of the following:
- API development tools like Postman;
- API documentation tools like Swagger;
- Modern databases like PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.
- Securing APIs using techniques like encryption, digital signatures, quotas, throttling, etc.;
- Designing meaningful URLs for the APIs;
- Formulating effective rules for API req
How to hire an iOS developer?
We have answered your questions about what skills are required for iOS developers. You may find yourself now asking the following questions:
- “Where can I find iOS developers?”;
- “How much does it cost to hire an iOS developer?”
Take a step back and ask a more fundamental question: “Do I really want my iOS app development project to thrive and not just succeed?”. No points for guessing that your answer is a resounding “yes.”
Well, then you need much more than individual iOS developers. Let us examine why.
We have already talked about development, architecture, application security, code review, etc. However, you need a functional DevOps process to succeed with any project.
Your team will not only consist of talented iOS developers, but it will also need testers, DevOps engineers, etc. You need an effective CI/CD (continuous integration/ continuous development) environment to succeed, and this requires excellent collaboration between developers, testers, DevOps engineers, the “Scrum Master,” etc.
You can find iOS developers on various freelance platforms; however, those platforms will not offer you a cohesive team that fosters collaboration. A field expert development team is essential, such as we at JumpGrowth.
Moreover, you need your talented PMs (project managers) to work on several strategic projects. You cannot afford to have them integrate the work delivered by remote teams and freelancers. That is one more reason for you to work with an app development company. So, we have answered all your questions; the only question remains now: What are you waiting for?
Interesting Related Article: “How to Hire the Best Front-End Developers?“