Drupal is one of the content management systems (CMS) that is considered to be among the most popular and frequently utilized. It is an open-source platform for managing web content that enables Drupal developers to produce any content according to the desire of the business and improve the digital experience of customers. Because of its robust features as well as its limitless adaptability and scalability, Drupal serves as the backbone for millions of websites and applications. Because of this, businesses need to make sure they hire Drupal developers who are capable of using the potential of the platform in a way that is both efficient and effective to sustainably grow their operations. On the other hand, employing specialist Drupal developers is not as simple as it might first appear. The process of sorting through resumes, conducting screening interviews, and conducting one-on-one interviews can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months at times. In addition, the effort does not end here; the applicant who has been onboarded needs to be brought into harmony with the work environment or the culture of the organization. Because of all of this, the process of recruiting new employees is time-consuming, costly, and intimidating for hiring managers.
When you begin the process of hiring Drupal developers, you may come across some persons who are site builders and create websites by using Drupal’s administrative user interface (UI). These builders do not require the creation of codes or their updating. Because of this, while looking to hire Drupal developers, you need to make sure that the perfect applicant has a solid understanding of many technologies, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (for front-end developers). You might also search for Drupal developers who are experienced in back-end development and are responsible for server-side development utilizing PHP or other languages. However, the most ideal Drupal developer would be one that possessed an all-in-one technology stack in their arsenal. Full-stack Drupal developers are another way of referring to this type of Drupal programmer.
But before you hire any kind of developer, you need to first determine the needs and requirements of the organization, and then make a decision based on those findings. After that, you should move through with the employment process. Nevertheless, determining whether or not you are using the appropriate Drupal developer for your project could turn out to be a challenging endeavor. However, you cannot afford to get this decision wrong. Because of this, we have put together a comprehensive list of pointers that might help you hire a capable Drupal developer who is appropriate for the project you are working on for your company.
Top tips to hire top Drupal engineers: A complete guide
Finding and hiring the best Drupal developers on your own can be a time-consuming and stressful process. You will be in charge of conducting interviews and screening potential applicants for the tech stack positions that you require. Read through these 25+ plus suggestions to hire top Drupal developers fit to be a member of your development team to streamline this laborious recruiting process and make it easier to manage.
- The skillset of Drupal developers – For a Drupal developer, the most important talents to have are demonstrated technical expertise and competent technical knowledge. You have a responsibility to make certain that the developers are capable of generating Drupal modules to fulfill the requirements of the project and that they are also able to construct a custom theme from scratch while still adhering to the core standards.
In addition, you should investigate the kinds of websites that the Drupal developers have created in the past, and you need to be certain that they have worked on a significant number of Drupal websites for your project to be completed successfully.
- Good communication skills –It is essential for Drupal developers to first have an understanding of the needs of their customers and then search for appropriate solutions. The developers typically work in collaboration with cross-functional teams, and it is expected of them that they will communicate with the stakeholders and offer their ideas and problems to them. The ability to effectively communicate saves time, cuts down on errors, and increases production. In addition to this, it plays an important part in ensuring that every member of the team is on the same page, which in turn leads to the creation of a better working environment in which teams may be successful. Therefore, while looking to hire Drupal developers, you should give careful consideration to conducting a comprehensive communication skills test on each candidate. It is important to keep in mind that the ability to communicate is directly correlated with improved growth.
- Ability to work with a team –A competent Drupal developer should have the ability to collaborate well with others in a group setting. Therefore, keep in mind that an excellent candidate demonstrates a positive attitude toward both the other members of the team and the management. In addition to this, you need to make sure that the software developer can quickly adjust to the culture of your company. It is much more essential if you plan to hire remote Drupal developers who can collaborate well within a dispersed team. These abilities are necessary for finishing a project successfully and staying out of any conflicts that may arise inside the group.
- Prior work experience – For a project to be successful, merely having theoretical knowledge is not enough. It places constraints on the developers until they can determine where to apply it. Employing Drupal developers who have a few years of expertise under their belts is a far smarter option than putting your entire CMS project in jeopardy, so if you want to avoid doing that, read on. After all, a lack of practical knowledge makes it impossible to conduct a growth process in a directed and effective manner. A Drupal developer’s knowledge can be defined by their proven job experience, which can also help you determine the talents possessed by a professional.
- Acquia certification –A candidate’s claim to possess the necessary level of technical knowledge and ability for a particular promotion or designation can be verified through the process of earning a professional certification. Acquia certification is the best approach to evaluate a Drupal developer’s knowledge of core web principles, site creation, as well as front-end and back-end development concepts. This certification is designed specifically for Drupal developers.
- Previous client testimonials –When looking to hire Drupal developers, one important consideration to keep in mind is whether or not the candidates have provided testimonials, references, or reviews from prior customers. Therefore, you need to have a conversation with a couple of the previous customers to acquire a general idea of their previous works and how they conduct themselves professionally.
- Innovative approach –To provide an original answer to a challenge, a Drupal developer with a high level of expertise ought to have an approach that is both inquisitive and imaginative. They need to find the middle ground between adhering to the established protocols and being responsive to and open to novel and cutting-edge approaches to problem-solving.
- Price or quality –The problem of hiring the Drupal developer who is the most qualified for the job cannot be solved by just tossing around a large sum of money without first verifying that the candidate possesses the required skills. Neither can the problem be solved by selecting the alternative that is the least expensive and easiest on the budget. You need to strike a careful balance between the amount of money you have available and the caliber of the developer you choose.
- Excellent task & time management skills – Developers typically have too many duties to tackle at the same time, which is why a skilled Drupal developer needs to know how to organize their tasks and prepare ahead of time to prevent going over the deadlines that have been established.
- Continuous learning ability –Drupal developers typically already possess a diverse set of talents in addition to extensive expertise in their respective fields. On the other hand, there are constant technology improvements and updates taking place at a quick pace. As a result, you need to make sure that the Drupal developers are willing to learn new ideas, concepts, and even technologies to suggest new features or improve or enhance the ones that already exist.
- Active participation in Drupal community –A community is the physical location of a gathering of developers, both experienced and inexperienced, who are working toward a shared objective. This is the best location to receive help and have your questions answered by the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the area.
- Highly proficient in PHP and its framework- Drupal is built on PHP, it only makes sense that a Drupal developer is fluent in this programming language and has an in-depth engagement with the main frameworks that are available for it.
- Knowledge of other third-party applications – Integration with third-party services is essential if you want to add new features and tools to your company. It grants you access to other apps and enables a communication line to integrate and intertwine with one another. Additionally, it gives you access to other programs. To facilitate rapid development, improved functionality, and protected data access, a Drupal developer needs to have a solid understanding of the process of integrating third-party applications. (Applications such as CRM, ERP, marketing, and logistic systems are examples)
- Command-Line Interface or CLI –Drush is a command line interface (CLI) tool that is used to control, manipulate, and administer Drupal websites. Developers working with Drupal should be familiar with Drush. Because of this, Drupal developers can make repeated jobs more manageable, which results in a significant increase in the efficiency of several tasks.
- Constant support and maintenance – For a Drupal system to operate in a way that is fluid, secure, and seamless, regular upgrades and maintenance need to be performed. Therefore, anytime such upgrades or maintenance are required, your Drupal developer needs to be available to perform them.
- Troubleshooting and debugging –These are the two ideas that any developer, not only Drupal developers, should have a solid understanding of and experience with. The process of locating faults and determining their origin is referred to as troubleshooting. On the other hand, debugging is a process that is used to fix mistakes or flaws in a product so that it is of higher quality. Debugging takes up the majority of a developer’s time, as opposed to troubleshooting. A Drupal developer who is well-versed in the techniques of troubleshooting and debugging can alleviate a significant amount of frustration.
- Proficient with Drupal theming – The use of themes is an essential component of Drupal. It is a layer that the visitors to the site see in the browser that they are using. It is expected of Drupal developers to either design new, unique themes from scratch or improve upon the ones that already exist. As a result, the Drupal developer you hire ought to be familiar with both what Drupal themes are and how they function.
- Aware of Drupal security best practices – For the vast majority of companies, security has consistently ranked among their most important concerns, if not their highest. To protect Drupal against potential dangers and flaws, Drupal developers need to be familiar with the Drupal security practices that outline what should and should not be done. In addition to this, they should submit mitigation techniques as necessary to maintain the website’s ideal health.
- SEO support –SEO, or search engine optimization, is an organic process that helps websites acquire more visitors and a higher rating on search engines. To maximize their online presence and increase the number of opportunities to convert prospective visitors, businesses need to implement robust SEO tactics. To accomplish so successfully, an SEO background is required of a Drupal developer.
- Cross-browser compatibility –This prevents the possibility of different users accessing your website using the same browser because there are a variety of popular browsers that range from little to huge and are favored by different people. Employing a Drupal developer who can ensure cross-browser compatibility on your website is something you should do if you don’t want to lose out on the potential business of these clients.
- Website optimization –Website optimization takes into account a variety of aspects, including loading speed, performance, search engine optimization (SEO), and conversion rates. These are the essential components that must be included to enhance the user experience and, ultimately, turn users into devoted clients. Because of this, you need to be sure that the Drupal developers you choose have a strong capacity to identify any defects or loopholes that could be affecting the speed of your website.
- Proven experience with version control systems – Any competent Drupal developer worth their salt should be familiar with using version control systems such as Git, SVN, or Mercurial. The use of these tools enables developers to monitor all of the modifications that are being made to the codebase. The developers can easily roll back to a previous, more reliable version of the codebase if any mistakes occur.
- Template engine –Twing is a template engine that is supported by Drupal, and an experienced Drupal developer needs to be capable of implementing the engine to accelerate development.
- Understand the design process –To manage the development of the Drupal project as a whole, it is required to have an understanding of the design process or methods utilized by Drupal developers. They should be able to make full use of the capabilities offered by the tool to manage the development process expertly from beginning to end.
- Ask about their expectation from you –Inquire as to what they anticipate receiving from you. Unclear expectations can result in feelings of annoyance and discontent. Because of this, when you hire Drupal developers, you need to make sure you have a list of the things they anticipate from your organization. In this manner, you will have sufficient time to supply them with the necessary particulars or information, and after they have been onboarded, they will be able to begin their work without any difficulty.
Final thoughts
We hope that through this post you were able to know the best ways you can hire a Drupal developer. However, if you are looking for a Drupal development company that provides dedicated Drupal developers then you should check out Appic Softwares.
We have an experienced team of Drupal developers that can be hired on an Hourly, Weekly, monthly, and annual basis. So, what are you waiting for?