Things to look for when Hiring Ruby on Rails developers


Are you looking to hire a Ruby on Rails developer for your next RoR project? If you do, then you’re not alone. Hiring tech professionals is more complex than you think. As a business, you need to evaluate multiple aspects of the person you’re hiring, including their critical thinking, ability to understand requirements, experience, and skills. On top of that, you must also look into their cultural background and how they can fit into your company. As a company, you must follow specific guidelines to give you the best shot at hiring the most suitable RoR developer. And that’s why, in this article, we’ll guide you through the complete list of things to look for when hiring a Ruby on Rails developer. Let’s get started.


Ruby on Rails Developer Responsibilities


A RoR developer is a technical expert who excels at Ruby and Rails programming language and associated technologies, frameworks, and libraries. It is a highly skilled job and requires a good mix of technical and interpersonal skills, especially when working on large enterprise projects. The developer handles the end-to-end development cycle, including working on server-side logic and databases. Furthermore, they must collaborate with front-end developers to ensure proper project execution. The RoR designers, on the other hand, take care of the app front-end, where testers ensure that the app works with minimal to no bugs.

The responsibilities of RoR developers include:

  • Write clean and maintainable Ruby code.
  • Understand client requirements and create requirement documentation.
  • Develop and design web apps based on requirements.
  • Troubleshoot and maintain web apps.
  • Design, build, and manage APIs (application programming interfaces).
  • Eliminate bottlenecks and enhance the performance of web apps.
  • Integrate data storage solutions and create back-end components.

Specific Skills To Look For In Ruby on Rails Developer


The responsibilities give you an eagle-eye view of what to expect from your RoR developer. However, there are specific technical skills that you would want from your prospective RoR developer. These include:

  • MVC knowledge: Ruby on Rails uses the popular Model Views Controller architecture (MVC). So, if you want someone proficient in Ruby on Rails, he must have practical MVC knowledge.
  • SQL and DBMS knowledge: The developer should be proficient in SQL and various DBMS, with a thorough understanding of their features, depending on the requirements of the project.
  • Active Record:The Active Record Ruby library should also be well-versed in by the RoR developer. Active Record serves as the rails app's default Object Relation Mapper (ORM).

Along with to these specific qualities for RoR developers, the possible candidate should have the following abilities.

  • RoR library knowledge, such as Rspec and Devise, as well as background processing tools like Sidekiq
  • Distribution version control system such as Git or Mercurial
  • Working knowledge with front-end frameworks like Vue, React, and AngularJS.
  • Ability to use Rails Javascript tools such as StimulusJS, Hotwire, and Turbo.
  • Understanding of the RESTful concept.
  • Testing tools knowledge.
  • When writing code, adhere to the test-driven development (TDD) approach.
  • Expertise in managing the deployment of your application on production servers and setting up an automated workflow to maximise deployment efficiency.
  • Use tools like Rubocop to ensure that you follow to the style requirements of the Ruby community and maintain a high level of code test coverage.
  • Experience in server-side templating languages.
  • Effective communication skills to work with stakeholders and the team to deliver the product.

Tips to ensure you hire a competent RoR developer


Before deciding which RoR developer to work with, you must keep these tips in mind. These will help you filter out most developers, ensuring you can choose only from the best.

  • Make sure that you talk about your business before you try to hire them. That'll help you set expectations and provide context, enabling the developer to understand your requirements better. The key here is to keep communication as straightforward as possible.
  • Set an experience cut-off based on your project. Generally, more experienced professionals have higher salary demands. If you're on a tighter budget, you can approach RoR agencies, as they can help you get the required talent.
  • Always hire a developer who has a portfolio. This will help you to identify the developer's strengths and the work they have done. Also, previous work is the best way to judge developers' capacity and skill set.
  • Filter out developers who over-promise by telling you they know many frameworks or programming languages.
  • Take your time during your hiring process, and never rush your decision. It's best to follow a hiring model that reflects your needs and requirements.

Get the Best With Bytecific


Hiring RoR developers is complex. It requires organizations to set up proper hiring processes, invest time and money, and then ensure that they can keep the talent with your company for a more extended period. It can become a repetitive and resource-hungry process for many companies.

That’s where Bytecific comes in. Our web development agency offers the best Ruby on Rails development services. Hiring us gives you the best RoR developers with years of experience working on diverse and challenging Ruby on Rails projects.

Our RoR engineers follow industry best practices regarding the Ruby on Rails project. We follow a strict process regarding understanding, deploying, and maintaining RoR projects. Also, we believe in creating long-term relationships and providing you with post-development support for years to come.