When your business does not have its app on Google Play, it is probably trailing behind the bigwigs. You don’t want this.
Statista reports that there are now almost four million apps on Google Play for Android devices. These apps span various industries, from healthcare to sports. However, business owners are thinking twice because of this sheer number – isn’t the competition so fierce? It is, but things don’t work in such a way that it works on platforms like Facebook, where businesses can have pages without subscribers or reach.
On the app store of Google, apps are found and downloaded on a per-needed basis. They really don’t have to compete. To build your app, you need programmers and developers. Before you hire Android programmer or hire Android developer online, what are the best questions to ask? Read on. But first, a tidbit of information.
Responsibilities of Android Developers
From app design to staying updated, Android developers are known for their myriad of responsibilities:
- They translate designs and wireframes into user-friendly and fully working applications. Codes are written using various programming languages.
- They also thoroughly test apps for bugs, performance mishaps, and security vulnerabilities.
- They optimize applications for performance, making sure they run smoothly and efficiently on your customers’ Android devices.
- They ensure existing applications are properly maintained, addressing updates, fixing bugs, and enhancing features.
- They collaborate with product managers, UI/UX designers, and QA engineers to ensure everything will work smoothly.
- They adhere to and implement security measures to protect user data and prevent attacks.
- Lastly, they stay updated with the latest operating systems on Android.
Questions To Ask Android Programmers
Just like how employees go through intense questioning before they get hired for a job, the employer asks them questions. For Android programmers, these are the best questions that must be ticked off your bucket list:
How Were You Able To Communicate Technical Information To Non-Technical Stakeholders?
To start with, don’t be afraid to ask mind-blowing questions. Most of the work is under pressure, so they must know how to, right at the beginning.
Part of being Android developers is working alongside other developers in the team or those who share the same goals and vision. Part is working with people who don’t know much about your work. Once you see how they can handle communication with non-technical stakeholders, that’s when you see how skilled they are. A jack of all trades? Prefer this.
What Types Of Android Development Projects Are You Most Passionate About?
As they say, dreams don’t work unless you do, and dreams won’t work until you love what you are doing. Continue the interview by asking them which projects they connected well with. Probably, those are projects they are most passionate about. Even if your niche is on ridesharing, if they are passionate about creating programs for cooking and food, you can take advantage of their interest by relating it to food delivery.
Describe How You Would Implement A Custom Lifecycle-Aware Component In Android
Too advanced a question? Not if you want to find only the best. Their answer here may involve several approaches. Hire those whose ways match the needs of your business.
How Would You Design And Architect An Offline-First Android App That Syncs With A Remote Server When Online?
Also another advanced question, this question shall test their knowledge scope on data layer design, synchronization strategies, and conflict resolutions. If they have not handled such stuff yet, perhaps you may need to move to the next candidate.
Questions To Ask Android Developers
For aspiring Android developers for your business, the questions you must ask include:
What Experience Do You Have In Developing Android Apps?
This question must be on your mind. It evaluates the aspirant’s experiences with Android app development. Their answer will give you a feel for their expertise level and how well they can manage the most complicated projects.
Seek the following answers. The best candidates are those who can provide specific examples of how they succeeded in working with apps in the past. They should also be able to expound on how they contributed to the development of the app, including their roles in design, coding, and app testing.
Walk Me Through The Development Process You Follow
Alright, they may have the education and the skills, but the real expertise starts with the real work. This question will offer insights into their app development process. Does it align well with your needs and goals?
The best answer includes a detailed explanation of the steps, not just a general view. They must be able to share how they gather tools, commit to project planning, design the user interface, write the code, test the app, and deploy it to the store. What technologies are used?
Describe The Most Challenging Android App Project You Worked On And How You Overcame It
This question is not to degrade their skills and capabilities but to see how prim and proper they act when strong tides come along. Their answers will assess their problem-solving skills and how they overcame them.
They should remain confident when discussing the challenging project they succeeded in resolving. The answer must include details of the technical challenges, including how they identified the root cause of the issue and the steps they took to provide a solution. Did they collaborate or seek the help of another team member? This information should also be in their response.
The Android Programming Quiz
Casually, you may also ask them the following Android trivia questions:
- What is Android architecture?
- Explain Android Toast
- What languages does Android use?
- What are the disadvantages of Android?
- Elaborate on the Android activity lifecycle
Plus, so much more. Do they have to answer those questions correctly? Of course!
Conclusion
You’ve probably come across several resources online discussing the qualities to look for when starting a deal or testing the waters with your prospect Android developer or programmer. But above those, you should also gather a list of questions to ask your potential developer. It does not need to be too formal, as in a job interview, since some aspirants will be from freelancing platforms. The objective is to get to know them and their work better. That’s the message across.
