Putting Together a Dream Ruby on Rails Development Team

If your company needs to hire Ruby on Rails developers, this article will guide you through the challenges you may encounter. You’ll learn who should be in your dream team, how big it should be, what RoR developers are going for, and where to start your headhunting.

When do I need Ruby developers?

If your business operates on the Internet or mobile devices, Ruby on Rails is the go-to technology. RoR is an open-source framework for web developers. They use it to create web applications, web services, and websites. Even though it’s a popular technology, it may be difficult to find and hire both talented and experienced RoR developers. 

It’s commonly used because it’s free, and it simplifies repetitive development tasks. Creating an app or webpage with RoR is quick and cost-efficient. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so popular among MVP creators. Furthermore, many companies have Ruby on Rails in their tech-stack for social networks, e-commerce solutions, and even marketplaces.

So, the Ruby on Rails development team will support your organization no matter if you want to enter the market with a completely new solution, transform your current business, or boost your marketing with a superb website.

RoR development team vs RoR freelancer

What’s better for your business? Hiring a Ruby on Rails freelancer or hiring the whole team of RoR developers at once? Of course, it depends, and here you’ll learn what factors should shape your decision.

Let’s start with your competencies. Do you or someone on your team know how to spot real experts? Moreover, do you know how to organize and manage the development process? If answers are “no”, it doesn’t mean you can’t hire just freelancers, but some managerial support will be handy. On the other hand, a comprehensive developers team will take care of themselves.

The experienced team brings know-how and understanding of various development processes. A complete team should also include people specializing in various fields needed for software development projects. Therefore, it will be easier for a close-knit team to provide comprehensive service.

On the other hand, you could think about building a team of freelancers, but it will cost you time and money to transform them from a loose group of developers into an actual team. Fortunately, there’s a solution to that as well. Even though there will be more things to take care of (contracts, payrolls, holidays, etc.), you can still have a highly effective team based on freelancers. Such a team will consolidate and become sort of a part of your company. The most hassle-free solution would be to outsource team administration, so you don’t need to bother.

Now, let’s look at the complexity of your project. Smaller projects should be easier to cope with, even if you lack the experience of a Project Manager. Let’s say you need to create the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). It’s perfectly fine to hire a freelancer for such a job. However, as the scope of your project grows, let’s say you’re building a whole new marketplace, you need to consider hiring or creating the whole team. 

Yet another thing is the importance of the project. Is the software vital for your business? If so, you better find yourself a development team. Hiring a whole development team is also a better solution for R&D projects because of their uncertainty and complexity.

Finally, a proper RoR development team can handle the post-production support so you won’t stay alone with the application maintenance and future updates.

What a model Ruby on Rails development dream-team looks like?

First and foremost, the team is more than a group. And it’s not about the size, but the synergy that emerges when people influence each other and work together towards a common goal.

Speaking about numbers, the best size of a development team (especially for Agile software development) is between 4 and 6 people. It’s big enough to cover all the requirements of a project and small enough to stay flexible and consistent.

Who do you need to have onboard then? Your dream Ruby on Rails development team should include experts in different fields. They need to have complementing skills. You don’t want 6 or 10 people who are best at exactly the same stuff. Do you remember “The Fellowship of the Ring”? Or “Oceans 11”?

What are the skills that they need? Thorough understanding of Ruby on Rails, of course. They need to know the possibilities, as well as the constraints of RoR. If you want to learn more about the desired skills of a RoR developer, we’ve published a guide for you. 

Moreover, you want someone who’s an expert in front-end technologies that can support RoR. JavaScript, HTML, and CSS will be a good start. In addition to that, you want an expert who will take care of the back-end side of your application. A developer who knows how to work with the server-side would be nice.

Even before that, you will need a specialist who can handle designing your software’s architecture. It should also be someone who will be available throughout the project cycle, as in agile software development, there may be a need for changes in the architecture. Similarly, (although it requires a different skillset) a proper UI designer should support the team, at least at the initial phases.

Writing the code and building an application won’t be successful without quality assurance. That’s why your team needs testers too. They’ll perform manual and automated tests, as well as some integration verification. Familiarity with testing procedures and automation tools will be handy.

Finally, depending on the chosen project management methodology your team will need a Scrum Master, a Project Manager, or another type of manager who will take care of the process and procedures. He or she will make sure that your Ruby on Rails developers spend their energy on what they’re best at.

Apart from the technical competencies of your developers, we advise you to pay attention to the familiarity with the industry in which you operate. It would be great if they understood the business justification for your project and your company’s conditioning.

Before we set off, there’s one more issue: the experience. To optimally use all the skills and know-how of your team, it should consist of all senior, mid-level, and junior developers. It’s unwise to hire just juniors, but on the other hand, a team of seniors will be too expensive and its cost might be unjustifiable.

How to attract Ruby on Rails developers?

Now that you know, who do you need, let’s find them. It won’t be a piece of cake though. There are thousands of RoR-related job offers waiting for developers and development teams. Perks, holidays, or casual Fridays might be not enough. What can your company do to win the best of the best?

A competitive salary is always a good idea. However, good money isn’t the reason why software developers do their things. Most of them are motivated by their passion. An interesting and challenging project is something that can easily seduce plenty of IT specialists. Try to get them interested in your project by explaining why you need this new software. What problems you want to solve, and why their expertise is needed. Moreover, it’ll be salient whether Ruby on Rails is the dominant technology in your company, or you’re just experimenting with new things.

The next thing that lures developers is the know-how they can acquire and all the career development opportunities you can offer. RoR developers’ passion is visible not only in their commitment to work on interesting projects but in their pursuit of knowledge and mastery.

The factor people usually don’t associate with tech-geeks is culture. Your company culture may be the main reason why people want to work with you. On the other hand, you’ll want to hire people who share similar values. So, let them know how much freedom you give to your employees. Do you ask them for new ideas and improvements? Is Agile your default approach? Do you facilitate their well-being and work-life balance? The way you shape and speak about your company culture can help you interest the best RoR developers in your offer.

How to pick the right people for the Ruby on Rails team?

Assuming you’ve already drawn the RoR developers’ attention, here are some tips on how to choose the right people.

• Check if they know your industry and understand your product or service. It’ll be much easier to cooperate
• Do they fit your company culture? If possible, choose people who share similar values.
• Find a developer with RoR experience. Newbies have their place too, but not without developers experienced in a particular technology.
• Check the developer's portfolio. Have they worked with similar projects? Were they successful?
• Ask for client references. You’ll see with whom they’ve worked and it’s an opportunity to double-check their experience.
• Don’t let the price make the decision. The cheapest isn’t always the best choice. Consider other factors like expertise, skills, or industry fit.
• Don’t limit yourself geographically. It’s 2020 and you can work with RoR developers from all around the world. To reach the best quality-cost ratio, enrich your team company with experts from Central and Eastern Europe.
• Get some expert help. It’s difficult to distinguish a real expert from an impostor. To avoid this problem, ask another expert for help.

Where to Find Ruby on Rails Development Team for Hire?

You know how to choose, but still don’t know where to start? Web developers can be easily found in their natural habitat, the Internet. But how to find the whole team of Ruby on Rails developers? Furthermore, how to check their competencies and factors like experience in a particular industry or company culture fit? We know the answer.

Our talent network consists of a wide range of experts. We provide holistic business support and connect companies with developers, designers, testers, PMs, and anyone you might need to move your business forward. We take care of administrative issues and make sure your company can hire a comprehensive team of RoR specialists.

Stop wondering who will be the best match. No matter if you need dozens of individual developers, or a couple of teams. Contact us, so we will help you build your RoR dream team from scratch.