It is difficult to find mobile app developers. A wise decision can lead to the desired results: finished apps and features in a timely and efficient manner. A poor decision can result in, well, unexpected delays, massive cost overruns, missing your target windows, and other headaches you don’t need.
When hiring mobile app developers, you must exercise caution. Asking the right questions is also important. The problem is that if you are unfamiliar with mobile app development, you may not know which questions to ask.
Here are seven questions to ask when looking for mobile app developers. I’ve also included follow-up questions for each to assist you in narrowing down to the most important answers.
1. Can you tell me about some of the mobile apps you’ve created?
Obviously, they’ll tell you about their “wins” in mobile development here. That’s great because you want to know what they consider to be their victories. However, when hiring mobile app developers, the most important thing to consider is how these previous experiences relate to your needs. Do they make the connection on their own, or do you have to draw it out of them? And what mobile applications have they released that you can view and investigate?
Follow-up inquiries:
- Tell me about a project you’ve completed that is similar to ours. Describe how you completed it from beginning to end.
- What apps are you currently using from iTunes or the Android Play Store? What have people said about it?
- Describe how one of your customers used an app you created, and what the results were.
2. Tell me about your worst experience developing a mobile app for a client.
You’re looking for problems they’ve encountered as app developers and how they solved them. What matters now is how they respond to those problems. Do they point the finger at the customer? Do they accept accountability? Did they take anything away from it? How have they progressed?
Follow-up inquiries:
- How did things turn out? Is that customer still a customer? What is your reasoning?
- What did you take away from the experience?
- In what ways has this experience influenced your organization? How so?
3. Can you recommend a development platform for our mobile app?
Cross-platform development is the response you want when hiring mobile app developers. If they recommend one platform over another, inquire as to why, but be prepared to end the interview early. The refusal to pursue cross-platform development is a major red flag.
Follow-up inquiries:
- Please explain why I should (or should not) pursue cross-platform development.
- Describe a situation in which cross-platform development caused you or the client problems. How did you solve those issues?
- What tools and techniques do you employ to manage cross-platform projects?
4. Tell me about your development process.
You’re looking for agile development and a project management method like Scrum. If a mobile developer does not mention agile in their response, this could be a bad sign.
Follow-up inquiries:
- Why do you use (or don’t use) agile development methods?
- What is your usual release schedule like? What do you think of ours?
- How do you handle project management? Why do you do it?
5. How will you keep in touch with me throughout the project?
What you’re looking for here is a collaborative approach. You want to meet with your app development team on a regular basis – at Ascendle, we recommend a status review meeting every two weeks. More importantly, learn what to expect at those meetings. During each update, our goal is to show our clients ACTUALLY WORKING SOFTWARE. So you’ll look forward to those meetings for the right reasons rather than the wrong ones.
Follow-up inquiries:
- Tell me about my role on your project team. What will your Product Owner say about me?
- How do you go about requesting a change in the middle of a project?
- How will I ensure that the project’s outcome is exactly what I desire?
6. What are your rates, fees, and payment terms?
Pay attention to how they intend to set up the project. Is it based on time and materials or on a flat rate? If they want to go flat-rate with you, proceed with caution. We always set up projects on a time and materials basis at Ascendle because it allows for the flexibility needed in mobile development – especially when your needs change halfway through.
Follow-up inquiries:
- For what reasons do you charge time and materials (or a flat rate)? What if my needs or requirements change during the course of the project?
- What is the relationship between your fees and milestones and performance?
- What if I’m not happy with the project’s outcome… or the way it’s going? How will you / we deal with this?
7. What is the most important information I should be aware of before hiring your app development team? What distinguishes it from the others?
Find out what they value the most about their company. This reveals a lot about how they see their company and what their core values are. You want to hear about their people’s quality and versatility, excellent teamwork and relationships, and stellar customer service and support. If all they talk about is their technical abilities… run.
Follow-up inquiries:
- Who are the team members I would be working with? What functions do they serve?
- Where can I find your team members?
- How will you support the product after it is released? How long is that going to last?
ADDITIONAL QUESTION: Will I be able to keep the source code once the project is completed?
Of course, you always want to own the source code. Owning the code gives you more options in the future. Whether you require minor changes to the operating system or major changes such as new features or a redesigned user interface, you don’t want to rely solely on that same mobile development team to make every change. What if the relationship fails, they go out of business, or they are unable to work with you when you require it? It’s important to own the source code, and it’s also worth paying extra for.
Follow-up inquiries:
How is source code handled?
- What steps do you take to secure a client’s source code online? What kind of security do you employ?
- What kind of access to the source code will I have during the project?
- It is necessary to hire the best mobile app developers. Choosing the Correct Questions
- Hiring the wrong mobile app development team can be disastrous for your business. As part of your due diligence, do yourself a favor and delve deeply into their processes and experiences. Use these interview questions for mobile app developers as a guide to avoid costly mistakes, and please feel free to contact us as well!
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