The success of web development projects depends heavily on the engineers involved in it. To make sure you will meet your company’s business goals, satisfy stakeholders and delight users, you need the right experts to help you. In the case of Ruby on Rails developers, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Why hire RoR developers?

Ruby on Rails developers are highly specialized experts who can join a project quickly, deliver tasks at a breakneck pace, and offer priceless advice. This is due to the nature of Ruby the programming language and Rails the web framework. Ruby and Rails come with a large number of libraries, called gems, which can be used to create apps quickly from pre-built blocks. However, it takes deep RoR experience to do this.

Why? Because of the sheer number and variety of gems. A senior Ruby on Rails developer will be able to choose the right ones for any project, adjust them to match business needs, and recognize when none of the existing gems is what the app needs. Additionally, because of the modular structure of Rails apps and the best practices deeply entrenched in the Ruby community, only a team of true experts will be able to deliver a scalable, easy to maintain app. People who are new to the technology might not understand some of its most important principles and make mistakes that will be difficult to fix in the future.

This is why it’s so important to look for the right Ruby on Rails experts for your web project.

Are RoR experts rare?

Ruby on Rails is among the most popular web development frameworks. From the start, RoR developers have been in high demand. This means that, although there are many Ruby on Rails companies offering their services, finding the right team members might be difficult, especially for a more challenging project.

Are Ruby on Rails developers expensive?

It might seem as though the price for RoR development services is steep. However, this does not impact the final cost of a project in the way you might expect. Because Rails allows for rapid development in a modular environment, new features can be added quickly, and making changes mid-project doesn’t take much time. Rails developers are super fast compared to some other technologies, so while their cost per hour may seem high, the number of hours they’ll need to complete their work will offset this.

How to recognize outstanding Ruby on Rails developers

Aside from deep technical knowledge and practical experience, true RoR experts should be able to seamlessly fit into the client company’s processes and culture. To ensure the right level of expertise on both counts, you would normally need someone with technical skills on your team, to check how skilled each candidate is. DEVTALENTS simplifies this process by providing clients with carefully tailored shortlists of pre-vetted senior RoR engineers.

Step 1: Verifying candidate bios

Once you receive a set of candidate bios, which will contain their work experience, skillset and other information useful in your specific case - you’ll need to chose the ones who best match your business needs.

We recommend focusing on:

• Experience with object-oriented programming,
• Deep knowledge of the model-view-controller framework,
• Ability to work with multiple databases, such as SQL, PostgreSQL, and MySQL,
• Experience with REST APIs,
• Knowledge of the most useful and reliable gems,
• Evidence of successful past projects.

Step 2: Gauging soft skills

Software development in general and Ruby on Rails development in particular is highly collaborative. It requires effective, transparent communication, a proactive attitude, and problem-solving skills.

A good exercise for checking problem-solving aptitude is a theoretical conversation about challenges that might arise for a specific app or feature. A developer that can come up with potential pitfalls as well as ways to avoid them is one that knows how to ensure high code quality.

Proactivity is often a result of ambition. That’s why, during our hiring process, we ask candidates about their career goals and professional interests. We’re looking for mentions of cutting-edge solutions, exciting open-source projects, knowledge of current trends, and ideas on how to work more efficiently.

Finally, a senior Ruby on Rails developer may be needed to explain certain concepts and solutions to stakeholders. This requires the ability to communicate comples technical information in an easy-to-digest format, as well as a good understanding of the client’s perspective and business needs.

Step 3: Ensuring team fit

Because effective collaboration is so crucial for Ruby on Rails projects, the experts you hire should be able to fit seamlessly into any team. It’s important for team members to support each other, offer advice, do code reviews when needed, and workshop solutions. Although every company has a unique culture and set of processes, DEVTALENTS’ experts have the right mindset, skills and support to integrate well into any environment.

Step 4: Checking past experience for project synergy

Every development project is unique, with its own business context, market reality, user base and so on. That’s why working with developers who understand your market and specific challenges can be incredibly valuable. DEVTALENTS’ experts have delivered projects for multiple industries, from finance and real estate, through lifestyle and ecommerce, to healthcare and the automotive sector. We’ve gained a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of our clients and partners, which helps us offer helpful suggestions and avoid pitfalls.

When considering a candidate, you can always ask us about his or her past working experience. We’ll be happy to provide client testimonials and showcase some of our past projects.

Step 5: Setting up effective communication

When you empower your team through additional RoR development expertise, it’s important to give them the right communication tools. At DEVTALENTS, we use chat (e.g. Slack), video calls and regular meetings, Trello boards, Jira, file sharing, code versioning, and many other solutions that help us make our work available to the whole team and to keep everyone in the loop at all times.

Should you need a team, several RoR developers, or a single expert?

Each project is different. Some may be best served through the rapidly paced work of a full Rails development team, able to deliver features at top speed. Other times, what you’ll need will be a single RoR engineer to augment your existing team with additional expertise. Both approaches have their pros and cons.

Geographical considerations

Sometimes, clients are worried that time zone differences and culture clash may impact our cooperation negatively. But over 12+ years of delivering commercial projects, the DEVTALENTS team has had no such problems.

Time zone differences can work to your benefit. When developers work is ready for review first thing in the morning, you might be surprised by how much such a system improves your team’s efficiency. Additionally, DEVTALENTS’ engineers make sure to always be available for team meetings and that at least some of their business hours match the client’s.

Culture clash can be more difficult to overcome. That’s why DEVTALENTS provide top Ruby on Rails developers from Europe first and foremost. We pride ourselves on our work ethic, proactive attitude and ability to reach a deep understanding with clients.

How to get started with your Rails development project?

It’s very simple - let us know how many Ruby on Rails developers you need through our contact form. We’ll get back to you within 48 hours with a shortlist of candidates. If the first batch doesn’t quite match your needs, we guarantee that we’ll find more suitable experts immediately.

How long will it take to hire and onboard RoR experts?

You’ll get a list of candidates within two business days - and then it’s up to you! Through long experience, the DEVTALENTS team has gotten very good at processing paperwork lightning quick, so we’ll get the formalities handled in no time. Usually, our experts begin working on a new project within 1-2 weeks. We also ensure a painless, super fast onboarding.

Hire top Ruby on Rails development talent today

Get in touch through our contact form or talk directly to our technology consultant. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have and help you make the best possible choices for your business.