Best Way To Hire A PHP Developer

Mayank Pratap
The Startup
Published in
5 min readJul 8, 2019

Driving a web development company or running a standalone application, you would always need someone to get your projects done. In a world where there thrive multiple programming languages, choosing either of them is a tough task and tougher is hiring someone who can proficiently render solutions of web development.

Taking into consideration the statistics of the programming language used by websites, it appears that around 79.8% web run on PHP based applications. So, of 10 websites that you come across each day, 8 are PHP driven. Call it the flexibility of the language or the ease to use interface, PHP is one such language proven to deploy strong web applications. However, the language alone cannot be credited for creating dynamic websites. The curious minds that aid the development of PHP based applications are the ones responsible for turning its fate. Efficiently developed applications have a promising future as compared to loosely tied applications. But how do you hire someone who is capable of developing feature-rich applications?

How To Recruit PHP Developers?

True that there are plenty of choices when it comes to hiring a PHP developer. You can opt for a PHP development company or look for a freelancer. However, finding the appropriate one might appear as looking for a needle in a haystack. Before you decide on who to choose, you need to be clear on the process of hiring a PHP programmer or to be precise, you need to know the process of recruiting someone who is capable of delivering function-oriented applications.

Clearing the clutter, let move straight towards the process of hiring PHP programmers. There are three different aspects that you would need to consider before hiring someone.

Categorization

This primarily is the type of programmer you prefer to work with. Based on the proficiency level, one can segregate programmers into three kinds.

  • Beginners: Whether a developer or a development company, beginners are ones that have just started on the journey of PHP development. They currently thrive in the growing phase and yet to render effective applications.
  • Mid-Level: These are the ones that have had industrial exposure. Such companies have developed few projects in the past and can deliver effective solutions.
  • Experienced: The ones that excel in PHP development, experienced programmers excel in developing PHP solutions that add value to your business. They can encapsulate ideas to blend them into real-life features. From designing to developing, integrating and maintaining, they are one step ahead of all.

Now, on the basis of what your project requirement is, you can choose either of the above three. However, the fact that a web development company has a team of developers, you are sure to find people having different experiences and so whether you choose a beginner, a mid-level or experienced, you are entitled to find all under the same head.

Sources To Hire A PHP Developer

Once you are done with making your choice in the category from which you wish to hire, you are now a step closer. While there are many sources that help in the hiring process, there again exist three sources.

  • PHP Developer Community: PHP being a versatile and widely accepted programming language, it has huge community support. While looking to get hold of someone who would help you develop a PHP project, such communities are worthy enough to give a look.
  • Freelance Portals: Technology has unraveled several domains and the most successful one has been job search. Giving people the ease to work at their own convenience is what freelancing is all about. Today, there are more than 57.3 million freelancers working. So, your next option is to hire one from the available portals.
  • Certified PHP Development Company: The first term, itself boasts of its capabilities. There exists a multitude of developing companies that cater to the minutest requirements of your project and pledge to deliver optimal results. Such companies hold expertise in their domain (here, PHP) and once you hand over your project to them, your job is done. They take over the task and would do all to develop efficient web solutions.

Based on the above two elements, you would have shortlisted some proposals that suit best your requirements. Now, it’s time to scrutinize them and find the ideal one.

Things To Consider:

  • Experience: No matter whether you choose an experienced or a mid-level programmer, it is always, desirable to reassess the experience of the company. The greater the number of projects served, the higher is the knowledge base. And this is where a PHP development company outstands individual developers. Different people have varied experience add to the total value provided by them
  • Past Projects: This is one of the crucial aspects while you choose to hire a PHP development company or a developer. True that you would have gone through the experience level of the same, but you should scan through the projects done by the potential company. See what the earlier clients have to say about them, the website’s performance and additional details to better assess the capability of developing PHP driven websites. The fact that development companies work on multiple projects simultaneously, they are proven to have an extensive set of completed projects
  • Technology Stack: While PHP is used as one of the server-side languages, it is desirable to add more layers to the web page. This could be in terms of technology or functions. And hence, no matter who you choose, they must have hands-on experience in integrating varied features. Also, one who has a vast knowledge of different frameworks like XHTML, HTML, AJAX, MySQL, Zen and Cake PHP is preferred. Of course, blending technologies help develop modern solutions.
  • Creative Skills: Web development is not just about creating solutions, but also giving them a distinct way to outreach targeted users. One that has the capability to think out of the box are more proficient than others. It is not always the quantity, but the quality of development that gains user traction. Here again, a PHP development company appears to be one step ahead than individual developers. With a team of developers, there arises a bundle of ideas and suggestions for a single project. This in a way helps them come up with the best solution.

Conclusion

Now that you have taken a ride through the process of hiring, you would have realized that both developers and development company have their area of expertise. Where one offers a team to cater to your requirements, it’s counterpart is less expensive. Where one needs to be tracked, the other doesn’t require constant monitoring.

Yet, lacing up all the plus and minus, it goes without saying that PHP development companies are one step ahead of individual developers. They not only narrow the process but at the same time guarantee developing applications capable of driving traffic and enhancing brand image.

But the choice always remains locked in your hands. So be wise before you check the price.

--

--

Mayank Pratap
The Startup

Co-founder of supersourcing.com | Writer at Entrepreneur| Co-founder @ Supersourcing ! Featured in Forbes, Fortune Magazine. ! Future of Works ! FirstchequeVC