The 10 Best Ways to Find Your Next Ruby Developer

Finding the best Ruby developers out there and hiring them to work on your next project can seem like a daunting task if you don’t know where to start. Where do you look? What questions should you ask during the interview? What kinds of portfolios should you be looking at? This guide walks you through all the steps involved in finding and hiring your next Ruby developer, so you can get to work on what’s really important—building your product!

1) Use the Big List of Developers

Let’s get real: software development is a highly fragmented market, and it can be hard to find a good developer. One great way to start your search is with The Big List of Developers. A curated list of active developers (with profiles and portfolios), Big List makes it easy for hiring managers—from small startups to big corporations—to find candidates who match their needs. It’s also useful for independent developers looking for clients.

2) Online Ads

Online ads can be effective, especially when you’re looking for remote developers. But depending on your budget, you might need to run them over a long period of time. And what if you don’t have that kind of money? Then consider…

3) Directories

Sure, there are a lot of developers on Elance, but you have to sift through each developer’s portfolio before deciding if they’re right for your company. Once you find one with a good track record and a couple testimonials from previous clients (only choose ones that give glowing reviews), make sure you look at their portfolio for any work that seems like it might not be up to par—poor spelling and grammar is an obvious sign.

4) Social Media Search Engines

People increasingly use social media networks like Twitter and LinkedIn to find new employees. Search engines are an essential tool for finding developers; if you’re not using them, you could be missing out on a lot of good candidates. Here are our favorite ways to find great Ruby devs using search engines

5) Direct Mailings

Traditional direct mailings are still a fantastic way to recruit talent. In fact, according to research conducted by DocuSign, B2B companies that use both digital and traditional direct marketing saw an average of $750 in return on every $1 spent! That’s pretty hard to beat. Make sure you keep your mailing list up-to-date, and once you find someone who may be a great fit for your organization, don’t hesitate—make contact with them immediately!

6) Meetups

Meetups are a great way to meet local developers in your community and build a rapport with them. By getting involved in online and offline communities of like-minded people, you’ll have access to new job opportunities, hire ruby on rails developers. This is also a great time to expand your professional network by letting others know about your search for hire ror developers.

7) Recruiters

Recruiters are a great source for finding developers. However, not all recruiters will know what you’re looking for in a developer. It may be best to work with a recruiter who specializes in finding developers (i.e., Devrecruiter). It is also very important that you communicate what you’re looking for before enlisting a recruiter’s help; otherwise, they won’t have any direction or focus when searching for talent.

8) Employee Referrals

Getting a hiring referral from an employee is a great way to hire Ruby developers. A reference from someone within your company can help you identify potential candidates that already have experience working in your environment and with your team, which will make it easier for them to fit into their new roles.

9) Incentives

One of the most effectve ways for businesses to attract top-notch talent is through incentives. If you’re looking for a new Ruby developer, make sure you sweeten your offer. This can be as simple as offering a signing bonus or by giving employees equity in your company. As with most things in life, it never hurts to give potential hires an incentive.

10) Cold Calls/Inquiries

One of my favorite ways to find a new developer is cold calling and doing inquiries. By cold calling, I mean that you call or email a company and ask them if they’re hiring.