Hiring an entire software development company can be a daunting task. There are a lot of trained and qualified developers out there but finding the right team that works well together and with your existing team can be a huge challenge.

Software development can come in all shapes and sizes, from simple landing pages or websites to complex app development or systems architecture. It’s critical that you find a software development team that has the right skill set for the job and understand the scope of the work. That means your first step is defining your project so that you attract companies who have worker with the right skills. But, before you write the job specs, you will want to clearly define the project scope.

Your definition will frame up the project for potential candidates and help both of you to set a realistic budget and timeline. The more time you spend outlining your needs, the better your project will go.

Defining The Scope of Work

Before you start your search, it it vital to scope the project you want to hire for. It helps to sketch out a the sitemap, key software functionality, ad necessary requirements needed to make the software work. Feature sets can have a significant impact on pricing, so you need to think through the things you need. For example, if the software team can leverage existing tech some feature may build faster than if the software needs to be developed from scratch. A five-page website is going to be priced differently than fully integrated, complex software.

When you’re getting started, dream big. Make of list of must-haves and nice-to-have software feature. Most developers think in terms of an MVP – a minimally viable product – when first launching. You want to make sure you think to the future and find a software team that will be able to build now and be available down the road as your software needs to expand.

Traditionally, software development scope will cover:

• Discovery Phase – software strategy is defined
• Prioritizion – List the features that must happen and the dependencies.
• Design & Requirements – annotate designs with the technical requirements

Only after defining these items can you properly search for a development team and then ultimately start software development.

Writing the Job Description

Once you’ve internally defined what you will build and the skills you will need from a software development team, you an start to create a proper job description.

Start with a title that clearly spells out the type of software that you’re looking to build and the industry you’re in. This can help attract developer teams that have experience in your business category. In addition to putting a posting out and receiving inbound interest, you should also conduct your own research and seek out development firms that have finished similar projects..

Often, the best way to find a great software company is via word-of-mouth. Ask co-workers or mentors what software teams they have used in the past. Do some research on those companies by googling them and seeing their websites. Often, they will have examples of their work and other customer reviews.

Interview The Team

The final step, when evaluating custom software development companies, is to interview the lead members. When hiring a team, it may not be possible to meet with every member, rather, talk to the project manager and lead software developer to understand skills, bandwidth and software development style. If you have a preference for specific programming languages, or experience with specific API integrations, make sure you spell them out. Also talk about communication styles and how often you will receive an update on the progress.

Finally, you will want to provide your expected deadlines and specific deliverables.

It’s also a good idea to tell them a little bit about your company and anything else that’s important to you.

Think “Job Scope” And Not “Job Description”

When you’re looking to hire a software development company, think of your description as explaining the scope of the project rather than developing the type of job description you would for an employee. You are looking for a team that can bring their unique perspective and skillset to solve your software problems. Understanding what you want the end product to be will help you communicate your needs and find a team that can deliver.