3 steps to evaluate a developer

What this white paper covers

A developer has finally answered your job ad. How do you know they are the right person, and how do you convince them to join your project rather than someone else's? This 11-page guide splits the evaluation into three steps, from phone screening to the offer. The PDF is in French; the summary below covers its key points.

It is written for founders, CTOs, lead developers and HR teams hiring a developer: a first hire for a new team, a replacement, or extra capacity for an existing team.

Step 1: the project-matching call

A first call screens candidates before you commit to long interviews. The guide stresses a point often forgotten: it works both ways. You assess what the developer can bring to your project, and they assess what your project can bring them.

The call has three parts:

• Their career goals: what they are looking for, short and long term, before discussing their background.
• Their background: education, companies, types of projects, stacks and tech team set-ups.
• Your project: what you can concretely offer them.

Then compare their expectations with what you offer.

Step 2: assessing technical skills

The technical test, on site or at home, measures the candidate's level and method. The guide lists what it should cover:

• programming concepts;
• command of the language and technical environment;
• architecture, syntax and code quality;
• methodology.

Beyond the test, look at how the candidate prioritises, their curiosity and technical culture. Their GitHub, which often gathers professional and personal projects, completes the picture.

Step 3: meeting the team

Founder, CTO, lead developer, future teammates: meeting the team confirms (or not) the collaboration. The team is also best placed to talk about their work and what they enjoy about the company.

Once these steps are cleared comes compensation: the offer must stay consistent with the rest of the team and with the market. The guide reminds readers that salary is not everything: developers also look at technical challenges and skills growth.

Further reading

• How to assess the professional skills of a tech profile: the criteria to assess and how to weigh them by seniority.
• Startup: which hiring process for your future developers?
• Hiring developers: the strategy to attract the right profiles
• Once you have hired: our white paper How to onboard your new hires?

FAQ

What are the steps to evaluate a developer?

The white paper suggests three: a project-matching call to screen, a technical skills assessment (technical test and GitHub review), then a meeting with the team before discussing compensation.

What should a developer technical test assess?

Programming concepts, command of the language and technical environment, architecture, syntax and code quality, and methodology. How the candidate prioritises and their technical curiosity matter too.

Is the white paper free?

Yes. Enter your work email in the form on this page to receive the PDF (in French).