How to Hire a Programmer: Success Roadmap for 2025

Hiring a programmer is definitely not as simple as it seems, especially when you don’t have tech expertise to hold technical interviews. There are so many details to consider that even professional headhunters sometimes make hiring mistakes. A wide variety of tech tools and programming languages confuse experienced recruiters, let alone a non-tech person.

So, what to do to hire programmers and not to fail? Here are key takeaways we’ll discuss throughout the article:

• Define your project’s needs, budget, and timeline.
• Create a shortlist of IT vendors regarding budget, region and reliability
• Review portfolios and resumes to assess relevant experience.
• Conduct interviews and test assignments to evaluate technical skills.
• Identify the best fit and finalize the partnership.
• Maintain clear communication by setting standards for deadlines and reporting.

In this post, we’ll explain all the tricky moments regarding interviewing programmers, reveal the skills to focus on, explain common hurdles of the hiring process, and share solutions we typically utilize in Cleveroad. Let’s get started.

If you need high-quality software services, you definitely don’t need to spend time on endless hiring processes. Instead, you can turn to outsourcing. Below, we’ve gathered key reasons why outsourcing is the best approach to hire programming experts for digital product creation.

Outsourcing enables businesses to cut expenses without sacrificing quality. Companies can significantly reduce investments by collaborating with external development teams. For instance, according to Forbes, around 66% of US companies outsource at least one department, which represents considerable demand and definitely highlights the cost-efficiency of this approach. As a result, the savings can be streamed into growth strategies, product enhancements, and customer acquisition, making outsourcing a strategic financial move for long-term sustainability.

With outsourcing, businesses benefit from a continuous development process that keeps projects moving 24/7. A McKinsey report highlighted a global hotel chain that reduced its time-to-market by 25% by outsourcing its app development. The decision to hire programmers using outsourcing accelerates the timeline, allows you to launch products faster, promptly address technical issues, and maintain a competitive edge by delivering solutions ahead of schedule.

Maintaining an in-house development team entails substantial costs, including salaries, infrastructure, and administrative expenses. According to Deloitte, 59% of businesses use outsourcing as a cost-cutting tool. By eliminating the need for HR management and office space, companies can allocate resources more efficiently, focusing on market expansion.

Outsourcing offers unparalleled flexibility in scaling development efforts based on project needs without long-term hiring commitments. A survey by Computer Economics revealed that 49.6% of companies plan to increase their outsourcing, with 40% maintaining current levels. This adaptability ensures businesses can optimize resources during peak demand while avoiding unnecessary costs during slower periods, fostering a more sustainable and cost-effective development strategy.

To simplify your path, we’ve created a list of 6 comprehensive steps to help you seamlessly hire programmers and facilitate successful project delivery.

Start by getting clear on your project’s goals and technical needs. Outline desired features and deadlines. Also, decide whether you need a full development team or just a few experts to expand the existing team. Will it be a web app, a mobile app, or both? At this stage, take your time, as a highly detailed requirements analysis will help you hire a computer programmer faster and keep the hiring process smooth.

To hire the right programmers, shortlist multiple IT vendors that match your needs. Compare hourly rates, ensuring value over the lowest price. Assess experience, prioritizing vendors with industry expertise relevant to your domain. Consider the region, as location impacts cost and collaboration. By investing extra time into compiling a well-researched shortlist you’ll increases chances of finding a trusted development partner who aligns with your specific project requirements.

Let’s say you’ve already compiled a selection of relevant IT vendors. Now, it’s time to dig deeper into their technical skills. Look at their portfolio to see if they’ve built similar projects before. Check their expertise in programming languages, frameworks, and tools that match your project’s needs. If possible, request a demo or a code sample to see their work in action. Hiring a computer programmer with strong tech background will help you avoid budget overruns and quality concerns.

Client feedback reveals a lot about a vendor’s reliability. Read reviews on platforms like Clutch and GoodFirms. Primarily, pay attention to what clients say about communication, deadlines, risk management, and problem-solving skills. A few negative or neutral reviews aren’t a dealbreaker, but consistent red flags should make you think twice. Honest testimonials help you set realistic expectations and choose a team that delivers on its promises.

At Cleveroad, we have over 13 years of experience delivering software solutions for businesses across various industries. Below, you can explore feedback from Georgia Beattie, Director at the Australian Rowing Association, on our successful collaboration in developing Row Nation – an innovative fitness app designed to enhance rowing machine workouts.

Every project has different needs, so pick a cooperation model that fits yours. For example, at Cleveroad, we offer flexible cooperation models, including a Dedicated Development Team and IT Staff Augmentation, to match different business needs.

A Dedicated Team works best for long-term projects requiring full-cycle development. The model allows you to hire programmers as a full-fledged development team tailored to your project needs. This team typically includes programmers and a project manager. While the programmers focus on delivering technical tasks, the project manager acts as a bridge between you and the team. They handle task planning, monitor progress, communicate updates, and ensure the project stays on track. This model provides you with direct access to skilled professionals while relieving you from daily management routines.

At the same time, IT Staff Augmentation model enables you to hire the required number of programmers who seamlessly integrate into your existing team. These specialists work under your direct management, following your processes, tools, and workflows. This approach gives you full control over their tasks while allowing you to scale your team flexibly based on project demands. It’s an ideal solution for quickly expanding your development capacity without the long-term commitments of in-house hiring.

With all the details in place, it’s time to sign the contract and start. Review everything carefully – timelines, deliverables, payment terms, and intellectual property rights. Set up communication channels and project management tools to keep workflows smooth. A well-structured agreement ensures a strong partnership and helps the development process move forward without hiccups.

If you feel a bit disoriented, you can find a brief shortcut for interviewing programmers below.

Going into an interview without a plan can lead to an unproductive conversation. Prepare a mix of technical and behavioral questions tailored to your project’s needs. Ask about experience with similar technologies, coding challenges, and teamwork dynamics. Well-structured questions help you gauge the candidate’s expertise and problem-solving skills more effectively. A clear strategy makes hiring programmers smoother and ensures you find the right fit for your development team.

Technical knowledge is important, but strong communication and teamwork skills matter just as much. Assess coding abilities through live coding tests or technical questions, but also pay attention to how candidates explain complex ideas. A great programmer not only writes clean code but also collaborates well with others. Finding this balance is key when figuring out how to hire programmers who will thrive in your team’s environment.

Below you can examine the selection of hard and soft skills to seek from programmers:

A candidate’s portfolio provides valuable insight into their skills and experience. Their past projects should align with your industry and technology stack, showcasing their ability to handle complex tasks and solve challenges effectively. The more experience they have in your business domain, the better they’ll understand your needs and deliver tailored solutions. Reviewing their previous work helps ensure you hire a programmer who can contribute to your project and drive its success.

Challenges are inevitable in software development, so a programmer’s approach to problem-solving matters. Ask about times they faced major bugs, tight deadlines, or unexpected project shifts. A strong candidate thinks critically, adapts quickly, and finds efficient solutions. Understanding their approach helps you choose a developer who can navigate challenges and keep your project on track.

Interview templates are a great way to streamline your hiring process and make sure you don’t miss anything important. They guide you through key areas like technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and past experience, plus soft skills like communication. With a solid template, you can compare candidates more easily, ensuring you pick the right fit for your team. It saves time, keeps things consistent, and helps you focus on finding the best match for your project.

Below you can examine comprehensive lists of questions that will help you to assess the candidate’s suitability for a particular position.

• Flutter interview questions
• JavaScript interview questions (and answers)
• Front-end interview questions (and answers)
• Node.js interview questions (and answers)
• Angular questions (and answers)

If you have no tech expertise, these questions don’t guarantee a success. That’s why it’s better to seek help and contact an outsourcing software development company.

Here, you’ll discover the most popular platforms to examine essential information about IT vendors and software specialists and, of course, hire programmers that align with your request,

Clutch is a well-known platform that ranks IT vendors based on customer feedback, market presence, and expertise. It's a reliable source to find skilled programmers who have been reviewed by previous clients. The platform includes detailed company profiles, case studies, and ratings to help you make informed decisions when selecting developers for your project.

By exploring Clutch, you can filter IT vendors and programmers based on their technical skills, industry expertise, and client satisfaction. This ensures you connect with top-rated developers who have a proven track record, making it easier to hire a computer programmer who matches your project requirements.

GoodFirms is another reputable platform that lists IT vendors, including individual developers and development agencies. The site features detailed reviews, company profiles, and ratings, helping you evaluate programmers’ skills and past projects. You can compare different developers based on client feedback, expertise, and work quality.

GoodFirms simplifies the process of identifying experienced programmers who have successfully worked on similar projects. It’s an ideal place for how to hire coders who have a proven record and align with your project goals, ensuring a smooth hiring experience.

Upwork is a freelance platform that connects businesses with programmers from all over the world. It offers a vast talent pool, including experts in various programming languages, frameworks, and industries. You can browse through profiles, view portfolios, and hire programmers for short-term or long-term contracts.

On Upwork, you can hire skilled programmers quickly, whether you need someone for a one-off task or an ongoing project. You can evaluate freelancers based on their ratings, reviews, and experience, making it a flexible and cost-effective way to hire programmers.

Toptal is a platform that specializes in connecting businesses with top 3% of freelance talent, including expert programmers. Toptal screens developers through a rigorous process to ensure only the most highly skilled professionals make it onto the platform. It focuses on providing high-quality talent for complex projects.

If you need the best of the best, Toptal offers a curated selection of programmers who are pre-vetted for their technical abilities and professional experience. This makes hiring a computer programmer through Toptal a highly reliable way to access top-tier talent for critical projects.

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that also serves as a recruitment tool. It’s an excellent place to find programmers, as you can search for developers based on their skills, work experience, and endorsements from colleagues. You can also join groups and communities where developers share knowledge and opportunities.

LinkedIn gives you direct access to a large network of professionals, allowing you to find programmers with the exact expertise you need. The platform’s endorsement system and the ability to view recommendations make it easier to evaluate potential candidates before making a decision on how to hire programmers.

When exploring how to hire coders, you might expect certain challenges along the way – and you’d be absolutely right. This process requires attention, so we’ve listed key challenges you may encounter during the programmers’ hiring process. Apart from this, we’ve explained how Cleveroad finds solutions to common complexities.

Finding a programmer with the right skill set can be tricky. Resumes and portfolios don’t always reflect real tech abilities, and without an assessment process, you may risk hiring underqualified developers. A wrong candidate can lead to poor code quality, project delays, and increased costs.

Cleveroad’s solution: We perform CV screenings within 24 hours and arrange interviews within 3 days, ensuring a quick yet thorough hiring process. We negotiate terms and finalize contracts in 1-2 weeks, signing a Service-Level Agreement (SLA) to define the scope of work. If you need a dedicated team, we form a self-managed group of experts on our side. Once candidates are selected, onboarding take just 1-3 days, ensuring your new team members are up and running smoothly.

Poor communication and a lack of transparency can slow down development and lead to misunderstandings. Without clear workflows, businesses struggle to align expectations, track progress, and manage changes efficiently.

Cleveroad’s solution: We set up structured collaboration using Agile software development methodology, regular progress reports, and dedicated project managers. Our team ensures smooth workflows, timely updates, and seamless coordination, making hiring a computer programmer a stress-free experience while keeping your project on track.

Usually, programmers working on multiple projects at once may lack focus, leading to slower development and inconsistent results. Without dedicated attention, projects may face missed deadlines and quality issues.

Cleveroad’s solution: Our team is fully integrated into your processes, joining your project within 1-3 days and working exclusively on your needs. We establish a clear communication plan with project managers, ensuring prompt responses to any questions. Proactively, we identify potential challenges and resolve them before they escalate. This focus ensures our experts are aligned with your project's success, undistracted by third-party tasks, and committed to delivering quality results.

Maybe no topic hit sharper than the cost of hiring a programmer, especially when hourly rates come into play. Generally, specialists' rates differ depending on multiple factors, including level of tech proficiency, experience, and, of course, destination.

Below, you can examine programmers' hourly rates worldwide:

As the picture shows, regions such as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE region) and Asia provide significantly lower rates compared to North America or Western Europe while still delivering top-tier software solutions that meet global standards. In terms of programming outsourcing, the CEE region, Estonia in particular, is one of the outsourcing leaders in the Central European destination due to its well-developed infrastructure and wide pool of specialists. Moreover, the software development industry of Estonia is in third place due to its export activities. Besides, Estonian hourly wages for IT services are the lowest among the countries of Central Europe ($35-50).

Cleveroad is an outsourcing software development company that provides full-cycle software development services for startups, small and medium-sized firms, and enterprises. We’ve delivered more than 200 successful projects to our clients in different parts of the world.

Turning to Cleveroad, you’ll receive the following benefits:

• Reliable and certified partner as Cleveroad operates under ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and ISO9001:2015 certifications, ensuring structured methodologies and high-quality, secure web development backed by professionalism and trust.
• Experienced web development team with over 280 in-house engineers—75% at senior and middle levels – Cleveroad delivers top-tier expertise, creating efficient and scalable web solutions tailored to your business.
• R&D centers in Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, in the US, and Norway (This is critical for outsourcing).
• All-out Project Management Office (PMO) for overseeing your projects to perform them on time, within the budget, and in line with your business requirements.
• Flexible engagement models including IT staff augmentation or a dedicated development team, so we provide adaptable cooperation options that align with your timeline, budget, and project requirements.

We provide software development assistance for businesses in 9 domains, including Logistics, healthcare, eCommerce, FinTech, and more. Below, you can examine our real-world cases of delivering industry-specific software solutions:

• Logistics. Transportation Management System (TMS), with automated route planning module
• FinTech. Platform for investments in property, a digital ecosystem covering all processes of investment procedures
• Social networking. Social networking platform, the iOS-based social media app designed to connect people
• Blockchain. Video-on-demand NFT marketplace for linking digital artists and their fans and buyers
• Healthcare. IoT-based hydration system to monitor the hydration level in the human organism
• FinTech. eBanking software for internal banking processes automation and optimization

Our team is ready to bring your software concept to life, no matter the complexity. Contact us, and our experienced business development manager will connect with you within 24 hours to discuss your needs, requirements, and key features that set your business and desired software apart.