If you’re looking to develop a software as a service (SaaS) solution, finding the most competent, talented developers and hiring them should be your first step. But what actually makes a great SaaS engineer? Unfortunately, this question doesn’t have a single definitive answer.
But before we get started, let’s find out what tasks SaaS developers are expected to carry out.
What’s the role of SaaS developers?
SaaS developers deliver mobile and web applications through the cloud. To get access to SaaS applications, users need to pay a subscription fee rather than make a one-off purchase.
SaaS engineers are expected not only to have the necessary tech stack to develop such software solutions, but also a fundamental understanding of SaaS business, such as its common pricing strategies, client retention strategies, revenue models, and so on.
When a developer understands how the SaaS industry works, they’re more likely to make decisions that are aligned with the SaaS company’s goals and can better meet users’ needs. For instance, even a basic grasp of pricing tiers help SaaS developers build a product that is easily scalable and supports a chosen subscription model.
How should you hire SaaS coders?
After spending two years on Zoom meetings, businesses no longer dread hiring remote teams. The global pandemic has proved that SaaS companies can successfully operate not only with in-house developers, but with freelancers and outsourcing companies scattered across the world too. As a result, many entrepreneurs are now wondering which engagement model suits their projects best. If you’re among those facing this hard decision, let’s discuss all your options.
Freelancers
If you choose to work with freelancers, it doesn’t mean you’re going to hire them as a part of your team. They’re independent contractors who complete a task or project and then move on.
Since there’s no commitment to your company, you can’t be sure the freelancers you chose to work with are familiar with your industry, share your values, or that they don’t work on other projects. Therefore, this option is best suited for cases when you have limited budget, need engineers for a short-term project, or have dealt with careless freelancers in the past.
In-house SaaS engineers
Recruiting in-house developers is typically the most expensive option, yet the most common one. When following this model, you’re expected to cover a range of employees’ benefits, like vacation time, retirement plans, health insurance – not to mention salaries and taxes. And let’s not forget about the hiring campaign – that’s also for you to take care of.
But what do you get in return? First, your in-house employees will be more familiar with your corporate culture and values, which will make it easier to achieve the desired project results. Secondly, since your employees will be working in the same office as you, you will be able to enjoy in-person communication with your teammates and quickly respond to changing project requirements or urgent issues.
Choosing to hire SaaS engineers in-house can be a wise investment if you have a big, long-term project with a clear roadmap. But for smaller projects, the effort and cost associated with the lengthy onboarding process and compensation may not be worth it.
Outsourcing company
If you neither want to splash out on in-house employees nor risk encountering shady freelancers, working with an outsourcing company might be your go to. Choosing to collaborate with a software agency means your partner will take care of all nitty-gritty details, like employees’ vacations, taxes, payrolls, sick leaves, accounting, and workspace, while you can focus on the business side of the project.
Tips from experts on how to recruit prodigies
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a pocket-sized Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter or Yoda from Star Wars to turn to whenever you need a piece of advice? Though we don’t have them in-house (yet), we’ve gathered some opinions from SaaS industry experts that might make you stop for a second, get an “aha” moment, and maybe even reconsider your hiring approaches.
- Jeff Lawson, founder and CEO of Twilio, is convinced that recruiting SaaS engineers with strong critical thinking skills is far more effective than hiring for technical expertise.
Though many entrepreneurs still tend to pigeonhole SaaS development as a purely technical skill, the truth is that engineers should first and foremost be able to solve problems, quickly and efficiently. Unlike most technical skills, creative problem-solving and critical thinking are not something coders can develop through a couple of online courses or hackathons. So, when you’re hiring SaaS developers for your project, pay close attention to how they’re able to deal with problems instead of counting the number of their certificates.
- Nate Nead, Forbes business council, firmly believes that SaaS entrepreneurs shouldn’t be obsessed with candidates’ degree or years of experience.
In most cases, quantity doesn’t mean quality, so even when you get a candidate with 5+ years of experience, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will be of great fit. And given the developers’ shortage, you simply can’t afford to sift out worthy applicants only because they lack experience or a college degree.
Years of experience are a huge plus, only if the applicant keeps abreast of the latest practices in software engineering. Otherwise, they may still stick to obsolete approaches and legacy languages.
With that being said, you should try your luck searching for fresh talents. Recent graduates don’t have decades of experience, but are likely to be up-to-date and eager to prove themselves in the field.
Like any SaaS startup, you want to offer value to your customers, hoping they’ll buy from you month after month. To achieve this goal, you should find SaaS developers who don’t complete tasks just to check the box, but try to think what benefits a specific feature would bring to an end user. Such an approach enables software developers to build technology that easily scales and truly resonates with the target audience.