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Want to learn how to build an agile software development team for your company?
Agile was popularized in 2001 when a group of software developers wrote and published the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Over the years, the manifesto has gained numerous supporters. Modern business environments appreciate its flexible structure.
Among the supporters of Agile methodology are tech giants such as IBM and Microsoft. These companies maintain that an agile approach helps them grow and scale faster than otherwise.
But as appealing as the agile approach may seem, utilizing this methodology to its full potential requires training and restructuring teams and changing the status quo of how you conduct business.
Keep reading to find out more about how to build an agile software development team!
What Is Agile Software Development?
Let’s start with the basics. Agile software development is a software engineering approach that prioritizes collaboration between cross-functional teams and the final users, encouraging adaptability.
What separates the Agile methodology from other methods is its focus on how software developers work together. In the agile approach, collaboration is key to finding solutions.
Team members are self-organized. There is some management involved, but the role of the manager is one of leadership and support, not micromanagement.
In the era of technological advancement and ongoing innovation Agile methodology fits well with an adaptable approach to arising changes and challenges. Rather than focusing on working on the whole project and delivering it at once, it targets client satisfaction and continuous delivery on the project.
Principles of an Agile Team
The agile software development team is a cross-functional group of professionals that have all the necessary capabilities and sufficient skills to create a functional product. Having professionals with different backgrounds and knowledge helps to approach the project from a fresh point of view and bring new ideas to the table.
The size of an agile software development team may vary, but the key roles stay the same – a team leader, team members, product owner, and various stakeholders.
An agile software development team is characterized by its ability to maintain a flexible approach regardless of the complexity of the project. To be able to do this, agile teams are built upon these principles:
- Communication and feedback - regular revision of work make agile software development project move from one stage to the other without experiencing major feedback. Being open to give and receive feedback enables software engineers to adjust the product faster.
- Adaptability - fast-paced agile methodology requires its team members to be flexible and adapt fast to the changing requirements without interrupting the development process.
- Trust - transparency requires each team member to trust the rest of the stakeholders involved in the development process and provide them with a safe environment where mutual trust can be established.
- Collaboration - the foundation of a successful agile software development team lies in the ability to work together to find the best solutions to the project and make sure the whole team has access to new and fundamental knowledge.
- Engagement - Readiness to face changes and keep an open mind while learning from others and respecting their opinion is what helps agile teams move at a faster pace compared to other software development methodologies.
How Agile Teams Interact With Other Departments
All software development teams need to be able to work with other departments that have a stake in the business. This includes departments that manage finances, marketing, design, and more. These departments have a huge role to play before, during, and after product launch.
Without a doubt, truly cross-functional teams perform better. They are more productive and efficient. But while an agile approach is a good fit for the software and information technology industry, you can compel every sector to follow this methodology.
This means that keeping everyone on the same page should be one of your top priorities. Unsurprisingly, collaborating across departments is not entirely different from how software development teams collaborate.
Leadership
Just like the team leader in an agile software development team, having a project manager or business manager to oversee the progress of the project as a whole forge the way to more defined goals and better organization.
The project manager does not have to be an expert in any one area. But they should understand the responsibilities of each team member and relevant departments involved with the project. To put it simply, they are the task manager of the project.
Communication
Good communication is likely the most sought-after attribute in any industry, no matter the job. Having good communication tools and skills will mitigate bottlenecks and boost trust – and this quality isn’t limited to any one role. Everybody on the team and otherwise should be open about their concerns, suggestions, or anything else that might affect the development process.
Goal-setting
Setting goals that all team members and related departments are wholeheartedly invested in achieving is a surefire way to obtain more results-oriented solutions, enthusiastic engagement, and overall a better end result.
The Agile Software Development Team Structure
The agile methodology is heavily dependent on collaboration. Thus, it’s important that you know the titles and roles of everyone involved in an agile software development team structure.
While the internal structure of an agile team may vary depending on what specific methodology you should use generally you can expect to have at least the roles specified below:
- Team lead
- Team members (or developers)
- Product owner
- Testers
The general responsibilities allowed for each role are self-explanatory. However, the specific way in which teams are assigned these responsibilities can largely differ. To clarify, there are 5 different types of agile teams.
1. Generalist
A generalist agile team is basically a free-for-all. Any person can pick up a task at any time. Of course, the disadvantage here is a disorganized process and therein end product. That’s why this type of agile team is best implemented for small teams with clear goals.
2. Specialist
In contrast to a generalist agile team, in specialist agile teams, everyone has a different skill set which each team members use accordingly. The effect is often high-quality software, tests, and data analysis.
3. Transitioning
Transitioning agile teams are teams who have just started working with the agile approach. They don’t use the methodology to its purest intent the first time around and incorporate bits and pieces of the founding principles. For example, the team may do sprints on occasion to accomplish certain tasks.
4. Parallel
Parallel agile teams offer everyone the chance to wear someone else’s shoes. Each sprint, team members change roles. This can be difficult to manage but high--yielding where cross-training is concerned.
5. Product Sub-Team
Agile product-sub teams are self-contained units of a larger team. In other words, the sub-team will be responsible for a specific area of work but the final product depends on all the sub-teams coming together.
6 Benefits of an Agile Approach for Development Teams
Urgency, complexity, team organization, and others define whether or not you should apply it. When you evaluate your project requirements, keep in mind the benefits that agile software development has to offer.
1. Product Quality
Breaking the project down into smaller more manageable pieces allows the development team to focus on the quality of the product, testing, and collaboration.
Ongoing testing allows the team to make adjustments and improve product quality as they go so that by the time it is ready for the first release, it has been already adapted to the market needs and doesn’t need major changes.
2. Customer Satisfaction
The close involvement of the product owner and testing with the direct and indirect users helps to develop software that meets end customer’s needs in the best way possible. It also allows the development team to deliver the product to the market faster and start generating revenue early.
3. Faster ROI
As mentioned above, the functional product is ready to meet the marker early and therefore can start making money for its owner much faster. By working closely with the product owner, the development team is able to prioritize the functional features of the app and avoid long delivery cycles.
4. Lower Risks
The agile software development method eliminates almost all risk of the absolute failure of the project and allows developers to detect the necessity for vital changes during the early stages of the project.
The mindset that accepts changes as new challenges and the direction for improvement and errors as the necessary information to learn from also helps the team to stay motivated and not get discouraged by smaller setbacks.
5. Efficiency
The collaborative culture of agile software development helps the teams to get their work done faster and minimize the need for going back to fix major defects. Dividing work into smaller chunks and testing it as soon as possible optimizes the product delivery and helps to narrow down the timeline.
6. Adaptability
Adaptability or flexibility of this approach is what gained it so many supporters. It allows the project to navigate the changing market and business needs without the necessity to implement core changes, which saves both time and money for the clients.
Agile Methodologies for Software Methodologies Teams
The most popular agile methodologies include such names as Scrum, Kanban, Lean Development, Crystal, and Extreme Programming. In reality, there are many more methodologies that differ from one another, but all follow the same Agile mindset of continuous improvement.
Scrum
Probably the most well-known methodology of the agile family, Scrum is characterized by having small development cycles called sprints. Transparency, inspection, and adaptation are the three core principles of Scrum.
Advantages:
- Constant focus on quality results in fewer mistakes
- Helps to reorganize priorities, bringing forward the sprints that haven’t been completed yet
- Smaller sprints motivate software developers to meet the deadlines
Disadvantages:
- The roles within the team are not well-defined which can confuse team members
- Focusing on the smaller parts may lead team members to lose track of the project as the whole
Kanban
The main focus of Kanban methodology is continuous delivery. Kanban uses transparency and open communication to maintain the “just-in-time” workflow and not overload the software engineering team with development tasks.
It helps to improve the workflow and optimize the processes thanks to its visual information interpretation.
Advantages:
- Very helpful in task organization
- Shorter cycle times can deliver features faster
- Possible to make changes mid-cycle
- Allows balancing the numbers of tasks every team member carries out
- Helps to implement sudden changes in requirements
Disadvantages:
- The tasks in the Kanban board can be misunderstood or misinterpreted
- No time frames associated with each cycle can lead to delays in delivery
Lean Development
The main goal of Lean Development is to optimize the efficiency of software by eliminating unnecessary waste. Lean Development has 7 core principles at its foundation:
- Eliminate waste;
- Build quality in;
- Create knowledge;
- Defer commitment;
- Deliver fast; respect people; and,
- Optimize the whole.
Related reading: Lean vs. Agile: What Are the Differences and Similarities Between the Two Methodologies?
Advantages:
- Allows the team to focus on the most important tasks
- The clear priorities help to shorten the delivery time
- This methodology can be adapted to most projects of any scale
Disadvantages:
- Requires clear idea supported by documentation to avoid errors during the development process
- The team needs to be dedicated to following the Lean principles
Crystal
The foundation of the Crystal methodology lies in human-powered principles such as people, interaction, community, skills, talents, and communications. The idea behind this methodology is that teams and individuals of different skill sets can still develop the final product without strict guidance.
Advantages:
- Promotes closer communication and interaction within the team to optimize the software development process
- Offers small cycles with frequent deliveries to ensure the quality of the product
- The adaptable approach makes it easier to implement changes
Disadvantages:
- Lack of pre-defined plans may affect the development process
- The constant need to communicate and exchange information requires team members to be based pretty close geographically
Extreme Programming
Extreme Programming or XP is based on the principles of simplicity, communication, and feedback. XP is very similar to the scrum methodology, the difference being in the length of sprints: scrum uses 2 weeks to 1-month sprints, while XP uses up to 2 weeks.
Advantages:
- Constant testing makes the software development process more agile than with other methodologies
- Short timeframe and visible goals will motivate your development team
- Simpler code allows faster revisions according to the feedback received
Disadvantages:
- Needs the team to be based in close time-zones to enable fast-paced communication
- Focus on the code can result in a weak design
These are only a few of the many Agile methodologies that gained popularity. When choosing the right one for your agile software development team you need to evaluate your team capabilities as well as the project requirements in order to choose the best one.
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
The DSDM is an interactive and incremental approach that involves a stringent adherence to fostering business growth. This method is composed of several phases – a feasibility study, a business study, a functional model/prototype iteration, a system design and build iteration, and implementation.
Advantages:
- Stakeholders have a clear idea of the project’s business value
- Strong emphasis on testing means less major fixes later on
Advantages:
- Constant testing makes the software development process more agile than with other methodologies
- Short timeframe and visible goals will motivate your development team
- Simpler code allows faster revisions after receiving feedback according to the feedback received
Disadvantages:
- Strict time and budget requirements
- A narrow focus on rapid application development (RAD) can affect code quality
Feature Driven Development (FDD)
FDD is a lightweight agile method that combines a number of industry best practices. These practices are based on the clients’ assesment of the functionality and/or features of a software product.
Advantages:
- Built on set standards that always guarantee success
- The approach is user-centric
- Works well with large-scale and long-term projects
Disadvantages:
- Each feature or group of code is assigned to a single developer therefore team collaboration is limited
- Iterations are not well-defined making testing more difficult
Building an Agile Software Development Team
When you think about an agile software development team you might imagine a group of professionals that function like a well-oiled machine with 150% efficiency and first-rate delivery speeds.
Although that can be an ambitious goal for your development team, building an agile software development team demands intentional and perpetual effort. There is no one perfect solution or secret to building a highly-effective agile team, but here are some tips that can help you put together a solid team.
Don’t Rush It
It takes time for people to get used to each other. Create a trustful environment and learn about the ways the members of your teamwork. Well-organized operation and harmonious work come as a result of failed attempts, mistakes, and misunderstandings combined with determination, resilience, and engagement.
Continuous learning and adaptation lie in the core of the agile approach, so the same applies to people when they first come to work together. Rather than focusing on one grand success that will define your team, focus on smaller improvements and achievements that reflect the progress your team is making.
Get Everyone Involved
Though those in agile teams should have their own duties and responsibilities that everyone has a shared role in the success of the final product. The keyword is team. An environment where everyone is working towards a mutual goal engenders better collaboration and engagement towards finding solutions.
Recognizing everyone's efforts whether that takes the form of peer acknowledgment or praise from leadership is similarly important in sustaining a persistent cycle of feedback and engagement.
Embrace Changes
The agile focuses on the results and outcomes of the project rather than overthinking procedures and processes. This means there are constant changes that must be made to cater to the final product.
The ability of an agile software development team to respond to reoccurring change is much more important than maintaining the status quo. Flexibility within the team requires frequently reevaluating priorities and adjusting processes accordingly.
Every change is ultimately made to improve the final product. Members of agile teams should embrace changes, not dread them.
Collaboration Is Everything
Effective collaboration is undeniably one of the most important attributes of a successful agile software development team. Promoting collaboration within the team is necessary for your business to run smoothly.
Defining and solving challenges together help cross-functional teams come up with more productive solutions where a sole software developer would be overwhelmed. Collaboration within agile teams calls for regular and personalized communication between team members.
Collaborative approaches can lead to conflict. This is why it is important to build trust within the team. No one should feel silenced or discouraged from sharing a difference of opinion. Growth is based on new ideas.
Conclusion
Though it might seem like everybody is making an app left and right, day after day, successful market leases – that is, projects that don’t crash in a couple of months – demand structure and planning.
If you want your next project to be successful, you might consider the agile software development approach. This approach specializes in collaboration and meeting the needs of your customers. There are many ways to go about using an agile approach, but regardless you have to make sure to build a team that is adaptable, communicative, and engaged.
Don’t know where to start? Trio can lend you qualified developers who have been trained to work together on a per-project basis and seamlessly integrate themselves into your business without disrupting normal operations. Reach out today to start your project!
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C is a general-purpose programming language, meaning it can be used for a wide variety of purposes from building operating systems to computer applications. The language also supports a number of features and paradigms including structured programming, lexical variable scope, and recursion.
Structured programming is a programming paradigm that favors one, singular structure per program. In this way, code executes instruction by instruction chronologically.
With structured programming, alternatively called modular programming, code is readable and there is leeway for reusable components, which most developers find helpful.
Lexical scoping refers to the semantic scope of variable names in a function or program. In other words, lexical variable scope answers the questions of whether a given variable has meaning outside of the function it is written in – and this is determined by the surrounding code.
In recursive programming, functions have the ability to call on themselves, whether directly or indirectly. The utility of this feature is to break up a problem into smaller problems. Specifically, coders can use a previously established value to compute a new one.
The C programming language uses a static type system as well. Within the context of programming languages, static type systems involve static type checking where the language checks your code before it is even compiled.
The main advantage of static typing is early error detection. This can help to reduce the time spent debugging later on.
As far as background, C was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972. Its initial purpose was to write operating systems. Low-level access to memory, the use of simple keywords, and a clean syntax makes C easy to use for such a task.
Overall, C is one of the optimal programming languages when it comes to systems programming.
Systems programming is programming where developers build integral software systems that other applications rely on. These systems include firmware, operating systems, and development environments.
C flourishes in this undertaking because it is a middle-level language. Low-level languages like assembly language talk to computers in the most direct format that you can imagine. The downside of this is that humans struggle to keep up with the conversation.
This is why there are high-level languages. High-level languages abstract machine code to where human developers can talk to computers on their own terms. Most coders have found this to be the most efficient way of writing programs.
However, C is a combination of both. It is a middle-level language and as such developers can use it for low-level programming like building kernels and drivers as well as high-level programming like developing software applications.
What Is a C developer?
C developers are closely familiar with the fundamentals of systems programming. They develop code that integrates into base computer systems. Embedded systems, operating systems, and kernel modules all rely on systems programmers like C developers.
C++ is nearly a superset of C. Save a few minor details, the two languages are very similar. Expert C developers may learn C++ as well to increase their effectiveness.
Other languages in the repertoire of C developers might be higher-level languages and frameworks that work well with C like Java, Node.js, and Python.
As systems programmers, C developers have strong problem-solving skills and use structural programming to write clean, reusable code.
Why Use C?
The first and foremost justification for using C would be if you wanted to build an operating system. After all, in the 1970s, C was the vessel in which UNIX was re-designed. But despite the goal-oriented origins of the C language, various elements of its development make it a fitting language to use for an array of needs.
Middle-level
There are only a handful of middle-level languages. And if you were to pick them out, you’d probably come up with Java and C++ in addition to C, and there’s even some dissent there.
Either way, the general consensus is that C is a middle-level language. Because of this, C is one of the best languages for building both systems and applications. Therefore its usage is by definition flexible.
Structured
As a programming paradigm, structured programming allows developers to make complex programs by compartmentalizing their codes into simpler structures via task-oriented functions. Some examples of structural programming in action are if-else statements and for-loops.
Though many languages make use of this type of programming, C may very well be the oldest structural programming language that still maintains its popularity. This is because C is reliable.
Portable
Portability describes how compatible certain computer programming languages are in diverse environments. In the case of C, the language plays a major part in Windows, UNIX, and Linux operating systems, demonstrating its portable nature.
General
C is general-purpose. In effect, no matter what you want to develop, C is there for you – for games, graphics, applications, and more.
Advantages of Using C
C is equipped with a number of supportive features to develop keeping high-level functionality in mind. As the intent of C was to develop operating systems, its features must be fully comprehensive and performant.
Case-Sensitive
C is case sensitive. Lowercase and uppercase letters are differentiated. This can make certain elements of coding far less confusing and more direct. It’s also easier to parse through case-sensitive code.
Dynamic Library
The library C offers is rich with built-in features and is furnished with dynamic memory allocation. What’s more, C has much less library functions than other languages but just as many functions, simplifying their deployment.
Keyword Simplicity
In computer programming, keywords are the smallest building blocks of programming that work as gateways to writing complex code.
Keywords like if, else, and return may be familiar to you. The C language only has 32 keywords, overall only a small number to remember and eventually master.
Embedded Usage
C is the go-to language for developing embedded systems, Embedded systems contain hardware and/or software designed for specific functions. Digital cameras and robots are good examples of embedded systems.
Developers use C for embedded systems because it is flexible. The high-level abstraction of C combined with its low-level alliances make it a great language for this sort of development.
Companies That Use C
- IBM
- Nokia
- Samsung
- VMWare
- Huawei
- Microsoft Windows
Reasons to Hire a C Developer
It’s fairly common for businesses to go the mobile app route in contemporary software development. They’ll cross out a couple of months on their calendar, get a grasp of Java or Swift – for Android or Apple respectively – and be on their way.
App development is an accomplishment no matter how you do it. But when things become commonplace and you follow the lead of your competitors, it becomes difficult for your business to stand out.
If you wish to stay competitive, your business needs to be challenged. Rather than putting an app on the app store, why not develop an entire software.
Adobe, most Google applications, and the entire Linux operating system was built with C. These are software systems that have topped the technology sector and have garnered worldwide familiarity and usage.
Most popular C programs aren’t simply apps, they’re relevant components of daily work and life for millions of users. Depending on the developers you hire, you’ll have the resources you need to do the same.
It starts with a good idea, and the right developers to manifest it. Hire a C developer.
Hire a C Developer
C is well over 30 years old. With languages being built every other fortnight, it’s hard to keep up with the competition. But somehow C has managed all the while.
Of course, old age does come with consequences. The market favors young people who favor young languages. This doesn’t make C less trustworthy or useful, but it is a little tougher to find the professionals you’ll need to program in C.
Trust the process, trust your research. Trio also has resources to help you. Take a look.
How do you hire a C developer?
For those who wish to take the high road and hire C developers on your own, we’re still here to help.
Hiring a developer on your own is a very focused and hands-on process that requires considerable knowledge about software development in general.
The last thing you want to do is trust your hiring process to someone with no technical ability. If you are a non-technical manager looking to learn a thing or two, we have a great resource here for you to learn more about the hiring process in detail.
Otherwise, we’d recommend you contact Trio for consulting and developer allocation.
What should you look for in a C developer?
C developers at a high-level should demonstrate the following skills:
- Proficiency in C and preferably in C++ as well
- Knowledge of high-level languages that are often integrated with C such as Java, Python, Go, or Node.js
- Abstract critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude
- Ability to write and implement algorithms and data structures
How much do developers cost in the U.S.?
ZipRecruiter data reports that the average yearly salary of a C developer is $117,673 On the higher end, C developers can make as much as $155,500 per year. But C developers can also make as little as $67,500 annually.
How much do developers cost in South America?
Due to economic differences between the United States and South America as a whole, the cost of offshoring software development is significantly lower than hiring full-time with U.S talent. For Senior C Developers in South America, the average salary is currently around $100,000 whereas a mid-level developer costs around $76,000.
How much do developers cost in Ukraine / Eastern Europe?
Eastern Europe shares very similar rates to South America, again due to the economic differences. When looking at salaries in Eastern Europe, data shows that a Senior C Developer costs around $100,000 on average.
Hourly Rates for Developers
Another way to look at developer costs is through hourly rates. While salaries are good to understand for hiring developers for full-time and long-term, you might just need a developer for a period of 3-6 months or 6-12 months. In these types of situations, it’s best to calculate your costs based on the hourly rates of a developer.
Below is a table that lists the various hourly rates of developers in different locations based on their job title.
Why Hire a C Developer?
Trio C developers are pre-vetted, interviewed, and then trained further to become true software professionals, capable of adapting to situations that are both within and outside of the scope of their general expertise.
At Trio, we hold our developers to a higher standard. Much like how elite special forces units recruit only the best from main branches of the military, we recruit developers who either show amazing potential or demonstrate exceptional skill. We then take their talents and sharpen them even further.
Another benefit of hiring a Trio developer is that you won’t incur the costs of hiring, which can add up to be around 30% of a developer’s salary on average, as well as overhead costs associated with full-time employment.
By working with Trio, you can enjoy a highly experienced full-time developer for a fraction of the cost, along with the added project management assistance.
To learn more, tell us about your project and we’ll get you started.
C Resources
Introduction
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of hiring a Flutter Developer? Perhaps this particular technology is not your area of expertise and are you are unsure how to structure your hiring process. Fear not, as we are here to help you navigate this process and find a skilled Software Engineer who can add value to your business.
By leveraging our expertise in hiring high-level developers, we can help you evaluate technical talent and strengthening your engineering team. With our guidance and support, you can confidently conduct a hiring process with Flutter Developers and enhance the performance of your Engineering Team.
We would like to thank you for taking the time to visit us today. We hope that you will find the information provided to be both helpful and informative. Please stay with us and read on as we share some valuable tips that we believe you will find useful in your daily life.
What’s a Flutter Developer?
A Flutter developer is a software engineer who has proficiency with the Flutter framework to develop mobile, web, and desktop applications. By association, Flutter developers have fluency in writing code using the Dart programming language and are therefore Dart developers as well.
Flutter developers can be web or mobile app developers. As such, they may have prior experience and expertise in other frameworks and languages like JavaScript or Ionic. Some Flutter developers may only be familiar with Flutter.
The Flutter framework is intentionally and wholeheartedly tied to UI design. Widgets are one of its defining characteristics. They must have comparable skill in optimizing graphical interactions for the user.
The role of this type of developer is crucial in the software development industry. The responsibilities of a Flutter developer may vary depending on the project requirements, but some common tasks include:
- Developing and maintaining applications;
- Developing and implementing custom widgets and UI components;
- Integrating third-party libraries and APIs;
- Ensuring the application's performance, quality, and responsiveness;
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including designers, product managers, and other developers;
- Participating in the development process from design to deployment and maintenance.
- Working with cross-platform frameworks.
- Debug and test Flutter code, using tools such as the Flutter DevTools, unit testing, and integration testing.
- Use version control tools such as Git, SVN, or Mercurial to manage their codebase.
What you can build using Flutter
Flutter is a versatile and powerful framework for building mobile applications for Android, iOS, and other platforms. With Flutter, developers can build a wide range of applications, including but not limited to:
- Social media applications: Flutter is a versatile platform for building social media apps that can include a range of features, such as instant messaging, push notifications, and media sharing capabilities.
- Business applications: Flutter is a great option for creating business apps that require robust functionality, such as CRM, inventory management, and project management tools.
- E-commerce applications: Flutter is a great option for creating e-commerce apps that offer features such as a product catalog, shopping cart, payment gateway integration, and more.
- Educational applications: Flutter enables developers to create educational applications such as e-learning platforms, online courses, and interactive learning tools, all while providing a user-friendly experience.
- Gaming applications: Flutter is also capable of building games with 2D and 3D graphics, animations, sound effects, and other exciting features.
In general, Flutter offers developers the versatility and features to create a variety of mobile apps for various industries and purposes.
Companies that use Flutter
- The New York Times
- Square
- eBay
- BMW
- Alibaba
Which are the soft skills a Flutter Developer should have?
As you need to hire a Developer who can perfectly unfold within your team and company taking into account just technical skills would not be enough, and this is when soft skills play a big role. So now let’s dive into some basic soft skills good developers should have.
Some essential soft skills for a Flutter Developer should include:
- Communication: Being able to communicate effectively, especially in remote and asynchronous environments, is a real necessity for any professional nowadays. Communication skills are always in high demand, whether it's through describing ideas, discussing approaches, giving presentations, providing status updates, giving feedback, asking questions, or voicing concerns. The ability to communicate ideas clearly and to understand communicated ideas is of critical importance to ensure a well-aligned, agile team.
- Team Work: Individuals should demonstrate adaptability to various projects and environments. However, it is extremely important for them to value working within a team that allows for easy navigation, knowledge sharing, idea contribution, and learning from other team members. They should also be able to provide and receive feedback, pass on information, ask questions, and offer help when needed.
- Collaboration: Every project involves multiple people, and team members must be able to work with one another effectively. Collaboration is the combination of all of the above qualities in order to effect positive change and move the project and company forward.
- Adaptability: The ability to adapt to new circumstances, situations, scenarios, and environments is vital for professionals to cope with changes, challenges, fast-paced environments, uncertainty, and lack of predictability. It enables them to be more creative and resilient, providing solutions and new strategies whenever any shifts occur.
Hiring Process for a Flutter Developer
To hire technical talent who is the best fit for your company and project, you should ensure that your hiring process is aligned with your needs. This will provide you with useful and valuable information to help you make an informed decision before extending an offer letter to a developer.
We have listed below some steps that can be implemented in your hiring process to help you ace it and bring on board the right developer for your business.
Main Steps in the Hiring Process
Job Description
A great process starts with a well-written job description. It should contain important information, such as a brief description of the company and project, the main responsibilities of the professional, the seniority needed for the role, technical requirements, desired soft skills, salary, and perks.
An appealing and accurate job description can better attract targeted candidates, providing you with a more qualified list of applicants. It's important to remember that you don't want to get attention of all software engineers available in the market, but rather the ones that are aligned with your company's culture and the specific role.
Sourcing
Unlike other fields, the technical industry has its own unique challenges when it comes to attracting candidates. Simply posting job openings on job boards may not be sufficient to generate a substantial pool of qualified applicants. Therefore, it is important to proactively source candidates from a variety of channels, rather than solely relying on applicants to respond to job postings. Some of the sources that tech recruiters use to find candidates include GitHub, GitLab, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord servers, and consultancy companies.
To use some of the aforementioned platforms, your team should know how to apply Boolean search to filter only candidates that align with your vacancy.
Screening
After gathering a sufficient number of applicants, you will begin screening candidates to determine their suitability for the position. During this part of the process, you may review resumes, portfolios, cover letters, and repositories to ensure that you only got to candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role.
Among the relevant skillset for the vacancy, recruiters and hiring managers typically look for experiences, seniority, certifications, fluency in some specific language, educational background, certain projects or business, main technologies used, location and candidates’ salary expectations.
Screening can be done manually, through a specific platform or an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Choosing the best option for your needs will depend on the company's budget. A robust ATS with integrations with other tools and the ability to filter candidates by their expertise is ideal because it saves a lot of time and resources.
Interview
This is one of the most important steps of the hiring process for developers. It’ll allow you to fully understand if the talent is really aligned to the company and project. A good interview can extract valuable information from candidates that will make it possible for you to decide whether they will continue in the process or not. For that, it’s essential to have good questions to gather answers regarding technical and soft skills.
During an interview, you can ask various types of questions, such as behavioral, situational, competency-based, fact-based, skill-based, and technical questions, among others.
It’s also important that you present the company to the candidate, letting them know more about your culture, working environment, way of working and anything else that defines your company.
Technical Validation
After making sure the developers align to the skillset the role requires, you will need to check their technical abilities to ensure it meets the project’s expectations. Knowing exactly what’s the technical level that the candidates should have can help you design the type of technical validation that best adapts to your needs.
To technically validate candidates you can use technical interviews, technical tests/assessments, pair programming, project executions, live coding, work portfolio/GitHub reviews and team interviews, among others.
If you don't feel prepared to conduct technical interviews with developers because you're unsure of what questions to ask or how to evaluate their answers, you can try Genie, Trio's AI-powered interview question generator.
Hire a Flutter Developer with Trio
Trio Flutter developers are pre-vetted, interviewed, and then trained further to become true software professionals, capable of adapting to situations that are both within and outside of the scope of their general expertise.
At Trio, we hold our developers to a higher standard. Much like how elite special forces units recruit only the best from main branches of the military, we recruit developers who either show amazing potential or demonstrate exceptional skill.
We offer flexibility in terms of project requirements and team size adjusting it according to the project's needs. This allows our partners to scale up their project requirements as needed.
Moreover, we are committed to delivering high-quality apps within a reasonable time frame, with a proven track record of delivering projects on time and within budget without compromising on quality. A Trio developer is that you won’t incur the costs of hiring, which can add up to be around 30% of a developer’s salary on average, as well as overhead costs associated with full-time employment. All in all, by working with Trio, you can enjoy a highly experienced full-time developer for a fraction of the cost, along with the added project management assistance.
Last but not least, we value excellent communication and support throughout the project's life cycle. This ensures that our partners’ requirements are understood, and the project is delivered as per their expectations.
How much do flutter developers cost?
The cost of hiring a Flutter Developer can vary depending on the size of the company, their budget and also the seniority of the role. It is advisable to ask candidates about their salary expectations and compare them to your own budget. This helps to avoid putting candidates through the entire hiring process only to find out you cannot meet their expectations. It is important to be transparent throughout the hiring process.
It is also essential to consider that the cost of hiring software engineers in Latin America is significantly lower compared to American or Canadian professionals.
While hiring developers in Ukraine or Eastern Europe may also yield cost savings, the time zone difference may present challenges depending on the team's availability for collaboration. In such cases, hiring developers from Latin America proves to be a viable alternative as they can readily adapt to the Eastern or Pacific Time Zone.
At Glassdoor you can run some searches about the paid salary for Flutter Developers accordingly to their region.
We hope this guide can assist you in structuring your hiring process. However, keep in mind that you do not have to do it alone, as Trio is here to add value to your business by providing vetted and experienced talent that can easily meet your requirements and navigate across various business and project types. Additionally, Trio simplifies the hiring process by providing valuable insights into candidates' salary expectations, allowing you to make informed decisions about who to hire. Overall, if you require a senior Flutter developer, Trio is an excellent resource to consider.
Structured one-on-one meetings are like following a recipe, they provide managers with the opportunity to connect with your team members, understand their goals and challenges, provide feedback and guidance, and ensure all the necessary ingredients are in place so that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal. In this guide, we'll explore some best practices for engineering managers hosting one-on-ones with team members.
7 benefits of one-on-one meetings
You can use one-on-one meetings for a variety of reasons, including:
Connecting with team members
Creating a supportive space for discussion can foster a team culture of open communication and feedback. One-on-ones provide managers an opportunity to get to know team members as a person and teammates.
Helping employees achieve their goals
Identifying goals and action items for your employees is an important part of supporting their growth and development. Here are some steps to help you identify goals and action items for your team members:
- Discuss aspirations: Ask about career aspirations and what your employees would like to achieve in their role. This can help identify areas where they are motivated to develop their experience.
- Identify areas for improvement: Review performance and identify areas where employees can improve their skills or knowledge. This can include technical, soft, or management skills.
- Establish accountability: Determine who will be responsible for each action item and set deadlines for completion. This can help ensure that progress is being made and that goals are being achieved.
- Set SMART goals: Work with your employee to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals that align with their aspirations and areas for improvement. These goals should be challenging yet achievable and provide a clear direction for their development.
- Create action items: Identify specific actions individuals can take to achieve their goals. These should be practical, realistic, and aligned with the employee’s skills. Some examples include:
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Attending a training course or workshop
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Shadowing a senior team member on a project to gain more experience and exposure to new skills and techniques.
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Setting up regular 1:1 meetings with a mentor or coach to receive feedback
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Taking on a leadership role in a project
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Collaborating with another team on a project to gain experience in cross-functional team dynamics.
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Writing a technical blog post
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Contributing to an open-source project
Sharing performance feedback
Providing constructive feedback to your peers as an engineering manager is an important aspect of building a strong and effective team. Here are some tips on how to provide constructive feedback to your team:
- Be specific: Provide examples to support your feedback. This will help your team members understand what they did well or what they need to improve on.
- Example: "I noticed during the last team meeting that you interrupted others while they were speaking. I love that you're excited about this topic, but try to let others finish their thoughts before sharing your own ideas."
- Be objective: Don’t making personal attacks or being overly critical. Focus on the facts and be objective in your feedback.
- Use a positive tone: Frame your feedback in a positive way, emphasizing the things your team members did well and offer suggestions for improvement.
- Example: "You did a great job presenting during the last client meeting. However, I think it would be even more effective if you could use more visual aids to support your points."
- Focus on behavior: Focus on the behavior or actions that you are providing feedback on, rather than on the person.
- Example: "During the last sprint, there were a few instances where your communication with the team could have been clearer. Let's work on improving our communication going forward to avoid any misunderstandings."
- Offer solutions: Provide specific solutions or suggestions for improvement. This can help your team members understand how they can improve and feel more motivated to make changes. If you have a solution or action plan right away, that’s OK. You both can take time to brainstorm possibilities.
- Example: "I noticed that you've been struggling with a particular coding challenge. Perhaps some training sessions or taking an online course to improve your skills in that area might help. What do you think?"
- Follow up: Check in with your team member after providing feedback to ensure that they understand the feedback and are making progress towards improvement.
- Example: "Thanks for taking my feedback on board. Let's check in next week to see how things are going and discuss any further"
Addressing concerns or issues
Giving your team a safe environment to discuss concerns or issues allows managers to identify and resolve hiccups before they escalate and become bigger problems.
Prioritizing career development
Helping employees identify areas for growth and development, as well as provide guidance on how to achieve their career goals is essential for long-term success.
Aligning team members Bringing team members together
Carving out time on a regular basis (i.e. monthly) to review team objectives, discuss progress, and identify areas for improvement is key to making sure your team is working toward the same goals.
Offering recognition and rewards
Recognizing and rewarding team members for their hard work and achievements can boost morale and motivation. Regularly acknowledging successes, offering praise, and discussing rewards creates an environment in which everyone feels trust, safety, accountability, and equity.
How to prepare for one-on-one meetings
Be consistent but flexible
To create consistent and open communication, establish a regular cadence (weekly or bi-weekly) for one-on-one meetings with each team member. However, leaving room to adjust as needed is crucial. For instance, if a team member is struggling with a particular issue or project, you may decide to increase the frequency of your one-on-one meetings to provide additional support and guidance.
Give ample time
The length of one-on-one meetings between a manager and a team member can vary depending on the needs and goals of the team member and the availability of the manager. However, a typical length for a one-on-one meeting is between 30 to 60 minutes. It's important to note that the length of the meeting should not be the primary focus, but rather the quality of the conversation and the outcomes achieved. The meeting should allow sufficient time to cover the key topics on the agenda and provide an opportunity for open and productive communication between the manager and team member. The one-on-one meeting should be focused on the team member's goals, challenges, and development. Give the team members ample time to speak and share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
Provide an agenda
Before your one-on-one meetings, take some time to review the team member’s recent work. This will help you identify any areas where the team member needs additional support or guidance. Use this information to create and share an agenda 24 hours prior to the meeting that outlines the topics you want to discuss. Here's a sample agenda:
|
Topic |
Summary |
Time |
|
Check-in |
Begin the meeting by asking how the team member is doing and if there are any updates or concerns they would like to discuss. |
5 mins |
|
Progress and accomplishments |
Review the team member's progress on current projects and discuss any accomplishments since the last one-on-one meeting |
10 mins |
|
Challenges and obstacles |
Discuss any challenges or obstacles the team member is facing and work together to identify potential solutions. |
10 mins |
|
Feedback |
Provide feedback on the team member's performance, including strengths and areas for improvement. Encourage the team member to provide feedback on your performance as well. |
10 mins |
|
Goals and development |
Set goals for the team member, both short-term and long-term, and identify actionable steps to achieve them. Discuss opportunities for growth and development within the team or organization. |
15 mins |
|
Action items and follow-up |
Recap the key takeaways from the meeting and identify any action items and next steps. Follow up on action items in the next one-on-one meeting. |
5 mins |
|
Wrap-up |
End the meeting by thanking the team member for their time and contributions, and reiterate your support for their success. |
2 mins |
Questions to ask yourself before your next one-on-one
|
Career desires |
What does each team member see as their next role? |
|
Does each team member have a career plan, or are they seeking guidance? |
|
|
What are their aspirations for their next role and how can we help them get there? |
|
|
Team skills |
Who are your high performing team members? |
|
Which key skills does each team member own? |
|
|
What do they enjoy doing the most? |
|
|
Which projects did they excel at? |
|
|
What is their main area for improvement? How can I help them improve? |
|
|
Who works in a close capacity, and which team members rarely speak with one another? |
|
|
Strategic team alignment |
Does everyone on the team feel on the same page? |
|
How is team communication? |
|
|
Are there frequent fire drills, and how are fire drills handled? |
|
|
Is anyone carrying significantly more weight? |
|
|
How are they feeling about their workload? |
|
|
What obstacles are they running into with their current work projects? |
|
|
What makes their job harder? |
|
|
Is there anything I can do to be more helpful leaders to them? |
|
|
Do team members know the strategy for the quarter and year? |
Questions to ask during one-on-one meetings
By asking the right questions during one-on-one meetings, you can encourage your team to share thoughts and ideas and support development and career growth.
Here are some questions to ask:
|
Type |
Use case |
Example |
|
Open-ended questions |
Use open-ended questions that encourage team members to share their thoughts and ideas in detail. |
"What's been challenging for you lately?" or "What do you think could be improved on this project? |
|
Clarifying questions |
Ask clarification questions to ensure you fully understand your team members’ perspective. |
Example: "Can you explain what you mean by that?" or "Can you give me an example of what you're referring to?" |
|
Follow-up questions |
Ask follow-up questions to explore a topic in more detail. |
"How did that make you feel?" or "What do you think we could do differently next time?" |
|
Goal-oriented questions |
Ask goal-oriented questions that help your team members focus on their development and career aspirations. |
"What are your career goals in the next 12 months?" or "What skills do you want to develop in your role?" |
End the one-on-one meeting on a positive note, acknowledging the team member's progress and accomplishments. Provide clear expectations for the next meeting.
How to handle difficult conversations
Listen
Actively listen to your team member's concerns and show genuine interest in their perspective. This can help build trust and encourage more open and honest communication.
Stay calm
Keep the conversation focused on the issue at hand and avoid getting emotional.
Focus on solutions
Brainstorm ideas together and come up with a plan for moving forward.
5 reasons why taking notes matters
It’s important to capture key points and action items, but also to be present and engaged in the conversation. Your notes don’t need to be a transcript, rather use a consistent format or template to recap the conversation. You can use a shared document or note-taking app, to keep your notes organized and easily accessible. Here are five reasons why meeting notes are essential to success.
- Document progress: Taking notes can help you document the progress of your team members and keep track of their goals, accomplishments, and areas for improvement.
- Prepare for future meetings: Notes can be used to prepare for future one-on-one meetings and ensure that you are following up on action items and addressing any ongoing concerns.
- Identify patterns: By taking notes on common themes or issues that arise during one-on-one meetings, you can identify patterns or trends that may require further attention.
"John expressed some concerns about workload and time management. - Provide feedback: Notes can be used to provide feedback on the team member's performance and identify areas for improvement. "Steve has been struggling to meet deadlines lately. Let's work together to identify any obstacles and come up with a plan to improve."
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Demonstrate active listening: Taking notes can demonstrate to your team member that you are actively listening and engaged in the conversation.
4 tools to enhance your one-on-one meetings
There are many tools available for capturing one-on-one meeting notes and actions as an engineering manager. Here are some we’ve found helpful:
- Note-taking apps: Apps like Evernote, OneNote, and Google Keep are popular for taking notes during one-on-one meetings. These apps allow you to create notes, tag them for easy organization, and share them with others.
- Task management tools: Tools like Trello, Asana, and Monday.com can be used to track action items and deadlines discussed during one-on-one meetings. You can assign tasks to team members, set due dates, and track progress.
- Communication platforms: Platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat can be used to record notes and actions during one-on-one meetings in a dedicated channel or chat. This allows you to easily reference past discussions and keep all related information in one place.
- Dedicated software: There are many dedicated software solutions available specifically for one-on-one meeting management. Examples include Lattice, 15Five, and Reflektive.
By prioritizing regular check-ins with your team, you can improve communication, foster stronger relationships, and ultimately drive better business outcomes. If you're looking to take your staff augmentation efforts to the next level, Trio can help!
With our experienced team and comprehensive solutions, we can provide the support and expertise you need to achieve your goals.
Visit our website today to learn more.