RECRUITMENT GUIDE

Software Developer

Software developers are responsible for brainstorming, planning, designing, implementing, testing, publishing and maintaining all online systems, applications and platforms. They must be highly skilled in coding and computer operating systems, have in-depth knowledge of programming languages, and be able to keep up with the rapidly changing nature of technology.

The demand for software developers is constantly growing, along with the ever increasing changes and updates to technology, and the increasing reliance on technology on a global scale. Technology is such an important part of society, helping people to connect, communicate, work, get from one place to another, play games, ensure security, as well as many other functions. It is the role of a software developer to ensure that they are designing useful applications, and constantly upgrading, updating and maintaining already existing ones to meet the requirements and expectations of users and stakeholders.

Day-to-day tasks of this role:

Testing software
Designing new features or updates.
Fixing any bugs or issues.
Research and design software programs.
Analyse data to plan for the installation of new software or programs.

Recruitment Process

Understand the Role

Review the skills profile

To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, what it contributes to the organization, and the skills needed.

Understand the Role

Source Applicants

Write a job description based on skills

Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.

Source Applicants

Skills Assessment

Select the ideal candidate

See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customise one for your organization.

Skills Assessment

Interview

Interview top performers

Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.

Interview

UNDERSTAND THE ROLE

Skills profile for a Software Developer

A software developer will need to have obtained a Bachelor of Computer Science, or a Bachelor of Software Engineering tertiary qualification. It is also favourable for candidates to have relevant industry experience when applying for software development roles. There are some common skills required for this position.

A software developer must be skilled and have knowledge about coding. They must have expertise in coding for a particular language and knowledge of a variety of different languages. They must also consistently check for bugs and errors to resolve, and do so quickly to minimise the effects of these inconveniences.

It is essential that a software developer has exceptional problem solving skills. They must have the ability to solve problems quickly when they arise with programming, and respond promptly to colleagues if they are experiencing an issue. They must also be able to brainstorm various ways to solve problems, and analyse each possible outcome to decide the best solution to move forward.

A software developer must also have excellent interpersonal skills. They must be able to communicate with various stakeholders in the business to explain technical terms and project updates. They must be able to listen to stakeholders and take on board feedback for possible changes and updates to the software in the future. They must also maintain updated communication with project schedules to relevant stakeholders, to ensure everybody is on the same page and can prepare for these updates and changes.

Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position.

SOURCE APPLICANTS

Software Developer Job Description

Summary:

Why is this role being filled?
How does this role fit into the organization and the team?
What makes your company unique?
What would it be like to work for you?

Requirements:

What technical skills are needed for this role?
Which soft skills are applicable?
What are the nice-to-have experiences of your ideal candidate?
Include availability preferences in this section

Responsibilities:

What are the key deliverables for this role?
What does the day-to-day of this role look like?

Benefits:

Compensation & bonuses
Employee benefits & perks
Ongoing training benefits

PRO TIP #1
As this is a highly technical role, it is important to include any particular competencies this role requires. This might include listing the operating systems, main coding language, network configurations or software that the software developer needs to be able to work with.

PRO TIP #2
Ensure that the entire recruitment process from job description to assessment to interview reiterates your company vision and values. This will help you identify the right people for the role, and applicants will know whether your company is the right fit for them.

SKILL ASSESSMENT

Sample skills assessment

Create a free account today to access the full assessment and more from our library.

Question 1

Coding

Question Type: Document

What programming languages do you use? What three are you most familiar with?

Question 2

Problem Solving

Question Type: Text

Describe a time where you have run into obstacles or delays in a project. How did you handle these?

Question 3

Interpersonal Skills

Question Type: Video

Describe a time where you had to explain a technical process or term to a non-technical person who didn’t understand jargon. How did you ensure they understood what you were saying?

INTERVIEW

Interview guide for a Software Developer

Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The PDF interview guide contains structured questions against each of the competencies for this role.

This interview guide is intended to be used in conjunction with the Vervoe skills assessment. Where a candidate has scored Low – Medium on a skill, focus on asking more questions from that skill to gain deeper insight into their level of competency.

PDF INTERVIEW GUIDE
Get your copy of the interview guide to complete the hiring process. Includes questions against each of the skill competencies for the role.