Businesses of varying verticals and scale have gone online in the 21st century, and the backbone of this transition are web-based applications. To develop cutting-edge web-based applications, you need a Laravel developer.
Laravel is a free-of-cost and open-source PHP framework for developing web applications. Laravel offers all the best features of a PHP framework with an MVC architecture on a safe platform. The framework helps in developing the most complex websites and applications without much difficulty, boosting the professional's efficiency and enhancing the app's performance.
Laravel application development has been increasing since its inception in 2011, thanks to its ease of use, scalability, and intuitive environment. Companies across the globe are looking to hire Laravel developers from India who can develop a variety of web apps and handle multiple projects.
Who is a Laravel Developer?
A Laravel developer is an expert in developing customizable and feature-full websites and web-based applications on the Laravel framework. The developers must have basic knowledge of the framework, including installing Laravel and configuring it for development, customization, migration, and enhancement.
However, identifying and hiring the right Laravel developer is not easy, especially in the 2020s. The tech professionals are available in large numbers, and the hiring processes require choosing only the right candidate down the funnel.
Here we are going to discuss tips that will help you in finding and hiring the right certified Laravel developer for your needs.
4 Tips to Hire a Laravel Developer
Owing to the increasing utility of web-based applications, the number of Laravel developers is lower than the requirement. However, hiring the best talent is challenging, as a typical hiring process involves numerous steps - right from JD creation to onboarding.
Before you start advertising the vacancy, consider these tips to find the right Laravel developers:
#1 Analyze the Scope of Your Project
Understand the scale and demand of the projects at hand before kickstarting the hiring. Analyze if the project is long-term or short-term, the complexity of the tasks, and the budget at hand. This will give you valuable insight into the kind of profile you need as per your requirements.
#2 Prioritize Skills and Experience
Look for certified Laravel developers with decent experience, a variety of skills in programming languages (especially PHP and HTML), and the ability to handle complex projects. Sift through the resumes to perceive their working experience, the kinds of projects handled, their contribution to the past organization, areas of strength, and command over various programming languages. You can also ask the candidate for a web portfolio to get a better understanding of the kinds of projects they have worked on.
#3 Establish Good Communication with the Developer
Good communication with the developer will help you both align with the common goal and develop camaraderie. It will also help the developer understand the project at hand and contribute to brainstorming to come up with better or unique strategies. Feel free to ask them unique questions that test their decision-making and creativity.
#4 Freelance? Outsourcing? Full-time
Can a freelancer handle your project for the relevant time? Freelancers are a good option if your project is short-term and you have a tight budget. Outsourcing is also prevalent when you are short of time and need a dedicated team to handle the project as soon as possible. Full-time candidates are the best when you are some time to hire the right talent and enough budget.
Consider these factors and make an informed decision before hiring the right talent.
Key Traits to Look for in a Laravel Developer
Owing to the popularity of Laravel, there are numerous developers available in the job market. Hence, you must look for certain traits in the candidates to filter the right ones for your organization. Once you identify the right set of candidates, the subsequent hiring steps become much easier.
Look for the following traits while hiring a Laravel developer:
In-depth Understanding of Web Technologies
A Laravel developer with a good grasp of web technologies will always stay in demand. Since Laravel is a back-end framework, the developer must have a good understanding of other fundamental web technologies, such as HTML5, CSS4, PHP, and JavaScript. With hands-on experience in these languages, the developer will be able to work on the framework and deliver clean codes easily.
Proficiency in Database and Query Optimization
Aside from web technologies, managing database systems is also a desirable quality for Laravel developers. Working experience with MySQL, Microsoft SQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, and good command over relational database queries is essential for a candidate looking for a big career as a Laravel developer.
Expertise in API Services, OOP Concepts, and MVC
A certified Laravel developer must have good proficiency working in API services like RESTful, SOAP, OOP, and MVC. This is because Laravel development also involves dealing with MVC architecture and extensive use of APIs. Hence, a good understanding of these concepts and techniques will help the developer understand various use cases.
Knowledge of Server Tools
While going through the skills section of the candidates, look for professionals who are familiar with server tools like PHP-FPM, Apache, Laravel Forge, and Nginx. Laravel Forge is a hosting and PHP server platform developed by Laravel itself. Since the framework depends on server-side programming, experience with server tools is essential for the developer.
Understanding of Thorough Testing
Unit testing in Laravel is very efficient, as it allows the developer to test each module of the web-based application and fix errors quickly. Developing and testing a web application are two different tasks, and any professional with ample experience in both will have a significant advantage. Laravel developers with application testing knowledge understand how to elevate the user experience and improve the end product.
The Knowledge of Agile Project Execution
Agile project management reduces the complexity of the projects, ensures productivity, and improves transparency. Hence, certified Laravel developers with hands-on experience in Agile software development will be able to create cutting-edge web applications with much ease.
Final Words
As mentioned above, finding the right certified Laravel developer is difficult in the present job market, which is filled with hundreds and thousands of web development and testing experts. However, the steps discussed in this guide will assist you in hiring the best talent for your web projects.
