Hire Top Level Php Developers

How to hire a PHP Developer for Your Project in 2022?

Hiring a developer experienced in PHP programming language means getting an expert to create robust, customizable, and scalable applications. However, there are millions of people all over the world that work with PHP. How to find the best fit for your product?

The search process can get complicated especially if you aren’t a technical person yourself. There are many details to consider when hiring a programmer. We’ve made the guide to help you figure out this sphere. Here you can find technical skill requirements for an every-level specialist, questions to ask during the interview, and tips on where to search for developers.

Let’s jump right into the topic.

What skills are needed for a PHP developer?

Searching for the right candidate is not easy. Before starting a hiring process and scrolling through the first CVs, you should know exactly who you’re looking for.

Depending on the level of expertise and experience, PHP developers have different skill sets. All programmers are usually divided into three: Junior, Middle, and Senior.

We’ve gathered the list of skills each level specialist must have.

Junior PHP developer

Entry-level PHP programmers are those who have just started the path in the profession. As they are still growing their skills, Junior developers require guidance and supervision from more experienced colleagues.

Even though Junior PHP developers don’t have that much experience, they should be able to identify and fix bugs found within the PHP code base. Also, they need to know how to write the code and test its functionality. Besides these skills, there are other essential ones you need to keep in mind when hiring a Junior developer:

·   Have up to 1 year of development experience;

·   Fundamental knowledge of PHP and its frameworks;

·   Knowledgeable with Model View Controller (MVC) and/or Model View View-Model (MVVM);

·   Understanding of Structured Query Language (SQL);

·   Knowledge of HTML and CSS;

·   Ability to learn fast;

·   Good communication and problem-solving skills.

Middle PHP developer

Middle PHP developers are programmers that have worked 2-4 years in the field and have several projects in their portfolio. Mid-level specialists can work autonomously without constant supervision. They can work on projects from start to finish, and walk through all the stages of development.

Since Middle developers have more knowledge in building applications, their skill set is different compared to Junior ones. Here are some common requirements every Mid-level programmer must meet:

·  Have 2-4 years of experience in the industry;

·  Ability to write simple unit tests;

·  Experience building, optimizing, and utilizing REST APIs;

·  Experience in Unit testing (PHPUnit);

·  MySQL experience, with proven ability to write efficient SQL queries;

·  Understanding AWS (including EC2, RDS, S3, EB, and CloudWatch);

·  Be able to work in a team;

·  High motivation.

Senior PHP Developer

Senior PHP developers are professionals in the industry. They can create the best solutions that can profit the business. Seniors are also leaders of a team. Therefore, they should be able to provide guidance, sharing their expertise with Junior and Mid-level teammates.

When leading a project, Senior PHP engineers are the main decision-makers. It’s their responsibility to ensure that the application development process goes according to a plan. There are key skills required for every Senior:

·  Have 5-8 years of experience;

·  Experience with full software development life cycle;

·  Proficient with ETL tools (SSIS/Active Batch);

·  Knowledge of jQuery;

·  Expertise in RESTful API Development;

·  Experience with AJAX.

When looking for a Senior developer, don’t underestimate soft skills. They have the same value as tech ones. Here’s what you need to focus on:

·  Leadership skills;

·  Good organizational and time management skills;

·  Strong communication skills to work with clients;

·  Responsibility.

An every-level software engineer should have a basic skill set. Here are the essentials necessary for all programmers:

·  Knowledge of additional programming languages

Knowing PHP code is a must. But for many companies, it won’t be enough. A solid understanding of other programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is a huge plus. It lets engineers spot and correct errors in the web design.

·  PHP frameworks

Knowledge of PHP frameworks is crucial when creating applications. It allows a developer to increase productivity and accuracy while coding.

·  Database languages

PHP developers often work with databases on the internet. Learning SQL is crucial when analyzing data.

·  PHPUnit

PHPUnit is a framework used for unit testing. The tool helps to test individual components of the code, which is useful for detecting bugs early on. Every PHP engineer should master it.

PHP developer’s soft skills

Writing excellent code is not enough to build a successful project. Products are built by a joint effort of the team. A good software engineer must know how to communicate with colleagues and work together to achieve goals. When hiring a developer, consider looking for these soft skills:

·  Good communication

Communication plays a crucial role in every job. Every PHP developer will have meetings, emails, and calls with clients. So, programmers must know how to communicate with people at work.

·  Adaptability

The technological world is evolving all the time. And PHP programming language is no exception. Every software developer should keep an eye on the latest updates of the software to deliver the best solutions.

·  Problem-solving

No one is safe from the possibility of errors while working on the product. A PHP developer has to know how to deal with unexpected bugs. It’s the programmer’s responsibility to maintain the code quality.

Hiring a remote PHP developer

The pandemic has revealed the endless benefits of remote work. And a boost in remote employee productivity has become valuable for many companies. Is it worth hiring a remote team? That depends on the business. We’ve gathered the benefits and drawbacks of hiring remote developers to help you decide.

Major benefits:

·  Time flexible (Remote employees are not time-bound. They can complete tasks any time of the day and work at their maximum efficiency);

·  Cost-effective (You don’t have to spend money on equipment and office space);

·  Better productivity (Less noise and distractions let employees focus on work);

·  Talents from all over the world (Remote teams aren’t limited to location, so you can search for talent across the globe).

Drawbacks:

·  Reliance on technology (There’s a need to buy additional software to track employee’s progress, plan schedules and provide communication channels);

·  Different time zones (It’s harder to plan the schedule for people living in various time zones);

·  Decreased teamwork (Due to the time difference, remote employees might find it difficult to get in touch with their colleagues on time);

·  No social interactions (To avoid burnout, you’ll have to find a way to bring your team together).

Template for PHP developer job description

We’ve created a universal template that you can customize and post to employment websites.

Who are we?

Here you can write a paragraph about your company. A short description will help potential employees to get to know you better. Talk about your business, core values, and key advantages of working with you.

Position overview

We’re looking for a motivated (Junior/Middle/Senior) PHP developer to join our team of professionals! You’ll be responsible for writing PHP code at a high standard and improving the overall codebase of our products. Your primary focus also will be ongoing software development from the initial specification to testing and launching.

Your responsibilities will include:

·   Build efficient, testable, and reusable PHP modules;

·   Fixing bugs in existing projects;

·   Testing new features thoroughly to ensure they perform the correct task in all cases;

·   Documenting code so other developers can understand and contribute to it;

·   Integration of data storage solutions;

·   (Add other responsibilities).

Our ideal candidate:

·  Have 1/2/5 years of experience in product development;

·  Good grasp of HTML, CSS, and PHP;

·  Know object-oriented PHP programming;

·  Familiarity with SQL/NoSQL databases and their declarative query languages;

·  Ability to create support documentation for all new applications;

·  Ability to work independently.

What questions should be asked at the PHP developer interview?

When you start getting the first CVs, it’s time to think of the interview process. It’s better to divide the interview into several stages and take some time to evaluate the essentials. Ensure to prepare questions for hard and soft skills. Taking into account both skill sets will lead you to the best candidate.

Questions for hard skills

·  What do we use PHP for?

·  What are the characteristics of PHP variables?

·  Tell us about the most common PHP error types.

·  How do you define a constant in PHP?

·  Name some of the popular frameworks in PHP.

·  An error has occurred in the code. How do you identify and solve the issue? Describe the process step by step.

·  How do PHP and HTML interact?

Questions for soft skills

·  Tell us about your last project. What was your role in it?

·  Describe the situation when you faced a major obstacle while working on a project. What was the issue? How did you handle it?

·  Give us an example of when you didn’t agree with other team members about the changes in a project. What was the outcome?

·  Imagine that you have to explain how PHP works to your non-tech colleague. How do you do it?

·  Tell us about your goals. Which ones have you already achieved? And how? What are the next ones?

·  Describe the recent stressful situation that you had. What was it? How did you handle it?

How to find and hire PHP developers?

Here are the places where you can find PHP developers:

·  Professional networks

The most popular professional network is LinkedIn. There you can see the candidate’s profile, portfolio, and resume.

·  Oustaffing companies

IT outstaffing agencies can provide a specialist for your project needs. They already have a pool of available candidates to choose from. Such companies also take care of details like employment, payments, and taxes.

·  Freelance platforms

This is an ideal option to hire a temporary employee for the project. Platforms like Toptal, Upwork, and Freelancer allow you to see developer’s reviews, portfolio, and a list of completed projects.

·  Personal connections

Sometimes you can find a good programmer with one call. It’s always worth asking your friends, colleagues, and partners. They might have someone to recommend.

How can we help?

Our company connects businesses with the right people. We look for the best candidates on the market to work on your projects. Our process is transparent and simple. This is how we help you to achieve your goals:

1. Understanding the basics

We start our process with an inquiry about your needs, requirements, and wishes. We analyze all the given information and start searching.

2. Introduction

We will find the best fit for your company within days. You don’t have to worry about details. We do all the paperwork.

3. Trial period

We give you an opportunity to work with a developer for some time. You can pay only if the candidate met your expectations.