How to Find and Hire Remote iOS Developer
There are more than 3,420,161 apps available in the Apple App Store. Building an app for your business is a great way to connect with current and potential customers. You can offer them value over your competition.
If you don’t already have skilled iOS developers on your team, it can be difficult to find someone reliable. How do you know what you’re looking for, especially if app development is outside of your usual wheelhouse?
This guide will go over how to hire an iOS developer and everything you need to know before onboarding a new member to your staff. There are a variety of options you can go with besides directly putting someone on your payroll.
Appvales is a mobile app development company with a great track record of building quality apps for our clients. Working with a company like ours is a guaranteed way to ensure your app is in good hands.
The Roles and Responsibilities of an iOS Developer
iOS developers are in charge of many responsibilities when developing an app. It goes beyond just writing code. They participate in every aspect of app development.
Their goal is to turn your mobile app into a user-friendly product. When you hire an iOS developer, you should make sure they have design awareness. You want them to have a keen eye on how the app functions since they’re responsible for giving your users the final experience.
There are three levels of iOS developers: junior, middle, and senior. If a developer has worked on more projects, they’ll be more experienced in diverse and complex tech problems.
Junior iOS Developer
This is an entry-level position. A junior iOS developer will work with more experienced developers to enhance their skills and increase their knowledge. Going up to the next level takes a few years.
Middle iOS Developer
After an iOS developer has worked on different complex projects, they’ll move from the junior level to the mid or middle level. They won’t have to always work alongside their superiors. They’ll have more independence when working on projects.
Senior iOS Developer
A senior iOS developer has released numerous, successful apps. They’ve experienced a lot of different types of codes. They also deal with security matters, testing, and integration of APIs.
When evaluating who you need to hire, you’ll have to evaluate what you need for your project. The budget also plays an important role as the salaries for each dramatically go up with each level. If your project is more complex, then a junior developer will likely not have enough skills to handle it.
Skills Required for an iOS Developer
It’s important whoever you hire has the necessary skills to adhere to Apple’s standards. Apple is very strict with its apps, wanting them to have standardized frameworks, APIs, architecture, and languages.
iOS development is designed around Swift. Swift is a programming language that was made by Apple. You’ll need to hire a Swift developer to ensure your app is developed properly.
A proficiency iOS app developer needs to be well versed in the following general skills:
- Experienced with Xcode IDE
- Knowledge of Objective-C or Swift programming language
- Basic understanding of RESTful APIs
- Core data framework knowledge
- OpenGL or Metal experience
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines knowledge
For the average person, the above terms are practically in another language. If you’re not experienced with app development yourself, you can be intimidated by the interview process when looking to hire an iOS developer.
Below we’ll go over different interview questions you should ask candidates so you have a basic understanding of what you should expect from people who apply.
Interview Questions to Ask an iOS Developer
Hard and soft skills as equally as important when you’re seeking to hire an iPhone app developer. What are the differences between the two? The definitions of hard and soft skills are:
- Hard Skills: Job-specific and technical skills that are relevant to the specific position
- Soft Skills: Personality traits or general characteristics, like leadership abilities or strong communication skills
Especially when working in a team on a project, soft skills are just as vital in an iOS app developer as hard skills are. You want someone that has strong social skills while also possessing the technical skills needed for the job.
You’ll want to ask interview candidates when you hire a dedicated iOS app developer tailored questions that target both skill areas.
Hard Skills
The hard skills questions should be centered around specific details regarding iOS app development. When you hire an iOS developer, you want them to be experienced in all aspects of the process.
Here are some example questions you can ask potential candidates, along with some background information about each question:
- What’s a Dictionary?: Dictionary is a term used with Swift programming and if they’re knowledgeable about Swift, they should know this answer
- In What Ways Would You Describe a Swift Language?: Again, if they’re well-versed in Swift, they should be able to explain how it’s protocol-oriented, etc.
- What Are Lazy Properties?: Someone that’s experienced in Swift code will know the disadvantages and advantages of each
- Are There Advantages of Using Swift Instead of Objective C?: Swift can access lower-level APIs needed for iOS hardware than Objective C can’t
- What does the backtick in Swift Do?: It’s a bad practice that marks keywords that have the same names as keywords that were pre-determined by Swift
These are just a few example questions that you can ask an iOS developer during an interview to evaluate their hard skills.
Soft Skills
When you hire an iOS app developer, you want them to possess strong social skills in addition to all the technical ones needed for the job. Below are some examples of questions you can ask potential app developers to gauge their soft skills:
- What qualifications do you look for when building a development team?
- What do you do if you can’t meet a deadline?
- Can you explain an aspect of a project to me in plain English?
- Have you ever presented your project?
- Explain briefly one of the projects you’ve worked on and how you approached it from beginning to end
- Tell me about an app that annoys you and why
- What do you do when an app you developed stops working?
- How do you respond to negative feedback?
- What’s do you consider to be the biggest challenge of working on app development?
- What do you see being the biggest trends with future app development?
- Have you ever done anything on the job that would be considered unethical?
- What do you do if a team member is writing poorly document code that’s correct?
These questions will help you get a better picture of the person you’re interviewing. You want to see how they interact with different types of people because not everyone on their team will be as tech-savvy as they are.
Sample Job Description for an iOS App Developer
If you decide to move forward with hiring an in-house iOS app developer, you’ll need to draft a job description to place on job boards.
At the top of your description, you’ll want to include information about your company. You can include:
- Your company’s culture
- Benefits
- Perks
- Office hours
- Location
- Work from home options
- Anything else that makes your company interesting
Below is a sample of a job description. Feel free to tweak it as needed.
Job Description
[Company name] is looking to hire an experienced iOS developer. This individual will be responsible for developing and maintaining iOS applications on both mobile devices and tablets. The primary focus of this position will be the iOS app development and integration with the back-end services.
This person will be working alongside other team members, including developers and engineers who work on various layers of the app’s infrastructure. We’re looking for an individual who can collaborate well with others and lead responsibly.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure the quality, responsiveness, and performance of the iOS app
- Design and build iOS apps
- Identify and fix issues and bugs
- Work with team members on new features
- Maintain code quality, automatization, and organization
- Communicate efficiently with non-tech savvy staff members
Skills Needed:
- Proficient with Swift and/or Objective C
- Familiarity with frameworks for iOS
- Knowledge of UI/UX standards
Refer to the earlier skill section for a more complete list of skills required for an iOS app developer. You can also include what level of certification or education you require for this position. You also don’t have to include salary information but potential candidates do appreciate it being included.
iOS Developer Salaries in Different Countries
When you hire iPhone developers from different countries, their salaries will often be lower than that of a US or UK-based developer.
The average salary of a US-based iOS developer is around $117,211 each year. They’re an in-demand occupation, so their salaries are more competitive.
In Western Europe, the average salary is around $80,000 each year. In Ukraine, it’s almost half that. The average salary for a Ukrainian developer is around $48,000.
Even though the yearly salary of a Ukrainian developer is substantially lower than that of a US or Western European one, that doesn’t mean they lack qualifications. Ukrainian iOS developers as qualified as any other developer.
Options to Hire an iOS Developer
There are a variety of options when you need to hire an iOS developer. You can hire an in-house, freelance, or outsourced developer. Before you move forward with the hiring project, you need to understand the scope of your project so you know what requirements you’re looking for.
Write Down Your Idea
Describe your general idea of your iOS app so you have a clear understanding of what type of app you want to be built. You can include a short paragraph in your description that focuses on what problems the app will solve for people. This will help you focus your idea and compile your thoughts.
Set Goals
Determine what your goals are for this app. Do you want five thousand downloads? Are you looking for investors?
When you evaluate what your primary goals are, you can understand the scale and scope of your app. It’ll help give your development team direction as they develop your app.
What’s the Functionality of Your App?
Compile a list of features that you want in your iOS app. More complex features will take a more senior iOS developer. Any potential developers you interview will be able to let you know if they have experience working with that particular feature.
Figure Out Your Priorities
Out of all the features you write down, prioritize which ones are most important. You’ll need to decide what features you want in the iOS app at launch and which can be held until a post-launch update.
Once you have a clear idea of what your iOS app project entails, you can use that information to determine what type of developer you need to hire.
In-House iOS Developer
If you want to hire an in-house iOS developer, you’ll have to offer them a competitive salary. If you’re based in the US, you can see from the information provided above that the yearly salary of a developer can be steep.
There are also additional costs associated with hiring an in-house developer. You’ll have to pay to advertise the position if you want to attract high-quality candidates. There also may be additional training required, which is an added expense.
Their salary isn’t the only monthly cost you’ll have to pay for them. To stay competitive, you’ll have to offer employee benefits and vacation time. Those are both added costs.
Employee turnover is also a concern. If your iOS developer decides to leave your company, you’ll have to go through the cost again of hiring a replacement.
Freelance App Developers
A freelance iOS developer is another option for you to explore. They’re often independent, motivated, and experienced with jumping on new projects. If you’re exploring building a small-scale app, a freelance developer can be a great option for you.
You can also find amazing talent at cheaper rates. You don’t have to worry about the extra overhead costs of hiring an in-house developer. You can also access talent from all around the world.
However, if you need a team of several app developers to work on your project, it can be hard to coordinate multiple freelancers. They work on their own schedule which may not match up with your usual business hours. That can result in it being difficult to communicate with them and schedule meetings.
Most freelance iOS developers are used to working solo on projects. It could potentially create conflict with your internal team if they’re struggling to work with a freelancer.
Mobile App Development Agencies
If you’re looking for security, a mobile app development agency is a solid choice. Outsourcing your iOS app development to a skilled agency can save you money. You likely only need their skills for a handful of projects, so it’s a better investment than hiring a permanent staff member.
They’re also comprised of highly skilled individuals. They focus on a small number of projects at a time, ensuring that your project is completed quickly. If you have an in-house app developer, they often get pulled to other projects than the one they should primarily be working on.
iOS app development agencies are also experts. The company has done all the hard work for you – they’ve interview potential candidates and only hired experienced iOS app developers to be on their team. You can feel confident that your project is in capable hands.
One downside when working with an iOS development agency is the time difference. Most of these companies work in Eastern Europe and may keep different business hours than you. It can be difficult to find times to connect with them.
However, if they’re a professional app development agency, they’ll coordinate their schedule with yours. They’ll ensure that you’re able to properly communicate about the status of your iOS app development.
Read more: How to Choose the Best Mobile App Development Company
Best Websites to Find Mobile App Developers
Now that you’ve figured out what type of app developer you want to go with, you now need to know where to find app developers. Luckily, you can hire developers online.
The best ways for finding an iPhone app developer for an in-house hire are:
- Monster.com
- Technojobs
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
The hiring process of an in-house developer can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. If you’re inexperienced with app development you can try to prep yourself as much as you can, but hiring errors can occur.
Want to know how to find iPhone app developers that are freelance? There are a few different freelance platforms you can look at to find a qualified iOS app developer. Some sites to peruse include:
- Toptal
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- Freelancer.com
- GitHub
Freelance app developers can be more flighty than you want for this type of project. You want an iOS developer that’s experienced and committed to creating the mobile app you’re envisioning.
Websites to Find Mobile App Development Agencies
A mobile app development agency based in Ukraine is one of the best avenues for you to take. Not only are they a team of highly qualified individuals, but the budget for your project will be significantly reduced. But how to find an ios developer agency?
There are a few sites you can look at to find a mobile app development agency:
What is great about a lot of these platforms is that clients can leave feedback on projects they’ve had with different agencies. You can look through company ratings, testimonials, and their portfolio when evaluating if an agency is a right fit for you. If you want to hire an iOS programmer, an agency is a great option.
Appvales is a company that provides dedicated mobile app developers. We thoroughly vet every member of our team. You’re guaranteed to have the most experienced iOS app developers available working on your project.
Why Appvales is the Right Choice for You
Appvales is a boutique agency that was designed to stay small so we can give our clients our full attention. Providing our clients with the best customer service possible is a key component in the foundation that makes up the company. Deep-diving into each project is essential in the iOS app development world in order to provide users with a flawless experience.
Some things to keep in mind about Appvales include:
- 85% of our projects transition into long-term relationships
- 90% of our clients recommend us
- Each of our developers has an average of five years of experience
- 75% of our engineers and developers are middle to senior level
- Five-star rating on both Clutch and GoodFirms
Appvales can help companies design and built their app. We’ll also test and launch them once complete.
Our team is experienced with handling a project from start to finish but we can also work collaboratively with your in-house development team. No matter what your needs are, Appvales can rise to meet them.
Appvales provides the following services:
- MVP for Startups: Our team will take your iOS app idea to a launchable product that fits within the app market
- Dedicated Developers: Our experienced developers can be plugged into your current team
- Mobile Development: We can deliver native or cross-platform solutions
- Apps for Business: We’ll work together to create an iOS app that connects your business with your customers
- Product Design: We’ll design a mobile experience that works seamlessly for your customers
- Product Discovery: Our team will run your app through testing and workshops to ensure that there’s a place for it in the market
We work tirelessly to create a product execution plan that’s in line with what you’re looking for. Let us handle the recruitment of qualified developers. Trust in Appvales with your iOS app development.
Build an iOS App With Our App Development Boutique
If you need to hire an iOS developer, don’t get overwhelmed with the hiring process and additional cost. A mobile app development agency can provide you with countless benefits while delivering a quality app to your customers.
Ready to take your vision to the next level? Reach out to our team at Appvales today to schedule a consultation and fill out our contact form.
