How to Find And Hire iOS App Developers: A Comprehensive Guide

Quick Summary:In today's digital world, "How to find iOS app developers?" is no longer challenging. Finding app developers for remote or offshore locations has become easier to get seamless and high-performance iOS solutions. Get to know a comprehensive guide on discovering expertise in Objective-C/Swift language and the cost to hire an iOS developer today!

Introduction 

An iOS developer is an expert specializing in creating mobile applications for Apple's mobile operating system. These experts code in programming languages such as 

Objective-C and Swift to build feature-rich apps that operate smoothly on iPads, Apple devices and iPhones.

They are also familiar with development tools of Apple like Interface Builder and Xcode to design, code and debug the applications. With a deep understanding of APIs and iOS frameworks, app developers build stunning user interfaces and seamless functionalities. 

Every industry selling its digital products and services needs to hire mobile app developers who have expertise in developing native iOS applications. With iPhone app development, businesses can plan multiple ways to improvise the app products like powerful speed, intuitive interface, high performance and high ROI. 

According to Zippia's recent survey, approximately 16,125 iOS developers are 

employed in the US, counting 13.8% women and 86.2% men. 

49% of iOS developers in the United States of America are likely to work in private companies. 

In this article, we will look into a complete guide on "how to hire iOS developers for app development" and all the critical factors you should consider in the hiring process. 

Recommended Read: How to Find App Developers to build an iOS app for your business

How to Hire an iOS Developer? The Step-by-Step Process

An iOS developer works with the development and design team to create functional apps for different growing businesses. Staying up-to-date with advanced technology and trends is one thing that goes hand in hand when you work on iOS app development. 

Finding and hiring the best iOS developer is a process that takes time and effort. It requires a complete project scope analysis, developer expertise, and a deadline. 

Look into the stepwise guide on "How to hire app developers?"

1. Understanding the Role of iOS Developers 

It is a fact that your concept of iOS app development will be different from the others. There is a question that arises for the role of iOS developer. Would you prefer to hire an iOS developer with expertise in one domain or have a limited level of experience? Most likely, either developer will not fit the bill or needs to have the required skills to develop an app. 

In that case, you should formulate a practical development approach, including requirements, architectural decision-making, development, testing, review and deployment. For that, look for the skills and expertise of iOS developers and their key 

roles in handling different project development. 

Key Skills and Expertise of iOS Developers

Before you start an iOS developer hiring process, you must know the scenario of your app development and the required skills of iOS developers. 

Check out the list of important factors for hiring a mobile app developer in a fast and easy way!

Key Technical Skills of iOS Developers

Swift

For native iOS app development, Swift is one of the programming languages required for coding. It is a modern language widely used to develop apps on various Apple platforms. 

iOS developers with sufficient knowledge of Swift are an ideal fit to develop applications. Working on Swift makes reading and maintaining APIs and inter and return values with specified parameters easier. 

Coders with expertise in Swift can also work on supporting emojis and different languages with Unicode-correct strings. The experts can easily handle memory usage, optimization and work on developing high-performance interfaces. 

When you proceed to hire Swift developers, you should look for iOS developers who can also work on strong genetics, native error handling, fast iteration, multiple values and tuples, protocol extensive, supportive structs and enums. 

The skills required for a Swift app developer are:

1. Sound knowledge of Swift language, including features, best practices and syntax
2. Work experience in Xcode, IDE (Apple's integrated development environment), coding, testing, debugging and deployment
3. Ability to work on iOS development fundamentals like app architecture, Core Data, and UIKit
4. Work experience in using Cocoa Touch framework for interacting with iOS components like networking, UI elements and data storage
5. Knowledge of user interface, adaptive and responsive layouts, drag-and-drop functionality, and UI/UX design parameters
6. Memory management in Swift, covering strong reference cycles, and reference cycles
7. Experience in app optimization and version control to manage Git code challenges, App integration to fetch data and provide dynamic functionality
8. Experience to work on testing tools and methodologies like UI testing and Unit testing
9. Ability to work on iOS app security best practices like secure storage and data encryption
10. Possess strong problem-solving skills to handle complex different challenges during app development.

Advantages of working with Swift iOS developers:

• Fast coding and lightweight language
• Elimination of common coding errors
• Highly readable and easy maintenance
• Best user experience 

Objective-C

It is one of the most dynamic and powerful programming languages in Apple's development ecosystems. It follows a syntax greatly influenced by C and Smalltalk.

Developers with expertise in Objective-C build feature-rich and robust applications for Apple devices. They can use powerful extensions to make excellent objective-oriented programming code. 

When you begin your process to hire objective-C developers, you should look for different required skills like:

1. Deep understanding of concepts, syntax and advanced features
2. Great knowledge of iOS app architecture, application lifecycle and user interface components
3. Familiarity with integrated Apple's integrated development environment (IDE) and Xcode to code, debug and test iOS applications
4. Experience with Cocoa Touch and Apple Framework to build iOS apps and iOS components like networking, UI elements, and data storage
5. Knowledge of UI/UX design principles to create appealing user interfaces and memory management concepts to ensure optimal performance
6. Ability to determine and resolve issues and experience in APIs and third-party library integration to add additional functionals
7. Expert in using version control systems like Git to collaborate with other developers and manage code changes quickly
8. Ability to reduce app size, improve load times and minimize battery consumption
9. Knowledge of app test methodologies, including Unit and UI testing
10. Work experience involving security practices such as data encryption and data storage. 

Objective-C offers many advantages, e.g.:

•  This language has powerful extensions.
• Objective-C is the mainstay of Cocoa programming.
• Apple uses Cocoa programming heavily in its frameworks. 
• Many native iOS developers know Objective-C, which adds a great advantage when undertaking a native iOS development project.

2. How to Evaluate an iOS Developer's Expertise?

Junior iOS Developers

Generally, it starts with the beginners who either are new to the iOS domain or have experience in project training, internships or workshops. Their experience counts from 0-2 years. They work under the guidance of senior developer leads. 

Mid-level iOS Developers

They have an experience of 2-5 years and worked on multiple projects. With expertise in different app development projects, they can efficiently work independently on new requirements. 

Senior iOS Developers

They are experienced technical professionals or leads with over 5 years of experience. They have worked on different projects from the mid-range to the complex base. The iOS Technical Lead also conducts a sound training system for their junior team members, adding valuable contributions to various projects- code review and architectural decision-making process. 

3. Defining Your iOS App Development Needs 

App development starts with a business idea of stakeholders who want to step ahead in the marketplace with the product launch. Before searching for an iOS developer, ensure you have done the necessary homework to help them have a proper projection plan.

Determine the Purpose and Goals of Your iOS App

Define your project based on the research in the marketplace before planning to shape your app idea into a complete solution. Knowing the product demand, launch and customer expectations will paint a clear view of whether your iOS app development will work or not. In fact, you can also consult technical consultants to have statistical information and suggestions regarding the app development plan. Based on app features and UI design, you can determine the needs of iOS developers with the required skill set and expertise. 

Identify Target Audience and iOS Platform

What is the selling point of your app? What is your target audience? What iOS platform to opt for app development? These questions must have been considered before jumping into the development phase. Determine users' preferences and requirements and applications' use before planning iOS app development. It would help if you also decided whether it would be a multiple-platform solution or an iOS app. When you are clear with the purpose of your iOS app idea with MVP launch or user surveys, it will help your project the idea well on the native or hybrid platform aligned with the particular requirements. 

Outline Required Features and Functionalities

What are the major functionalities that your iOS app will have? What will be the special features? Working on these queries will clarify an iOS developer's requirements and skill set (Knowledge in Python, Java, C++, etc.) Most iOS app users are more likely to buy paid app subscriptions. With this, you can plan app monetization based on subscription models like (advertising and in-app purchase).

When setting the budget, you can better decide on the world region to hire an iOS developer. For example, the rates for iOS development are two times higher in the US and Western Europe than in Eastern Europe. Yet, the time factor comes into play too. If you need to develop an app quickly, you'd better hire a team in your time zone.

4. What Kind of Developers Do You Need for iOS Development? 

Your app development work model defines the needs of an iOS developer. Based on that, there are 3 ways in which businesses can hire iOS developers:

Freelancer Developers

Many short-term iOS development projects work well in freelancing mode. For that, there are many credible platforms like GitHub, Fiverr, Upwork, etc. The freelancer developers work on the hourly and fixed budget mode. For hiring an iOS freelancer developer, you will need an in-house management team which will directly communicate with the remote iOS developers. You can take online meetings to discuss the project scope, milestones and development process. 

Advantages of hiring freelancer iOS developers:

1. When you hire offshore developers, they agree to work at a lower hourly rate than in-house team developers. 
2. You do not have to provide them with a device or physical workplace. 
3. When hiring remote developers, you do not have to worry about the onboarding process. 
4. As they agree to work in freelancing mode, you have to pay for the work only. 

In-house Developers 

If you have to plan a large-scale business idea that needs a proper team of iOS developers to develop applications, it will work best with in-house developers. 

Advantages of hiring In-house iOS developers:

1. When you work with an in-house team, you can easily communicate and take meetings to discuss the scope of the project, its challenges and solutions. 
2. You can also plan training sessions for the developers who are new to the advanced features of the development phase.
3. A proper time plan exists to study the product market and its latest trends.
4. They are easy to manage and work on flexible work hours.

Outsource an iOS Developer Agency

If you want to launch your app within 3 months or less, then it's high time to outsource an iOS developer agency. There are two ways to work and hire an outsourcing iOS app development agency or company:

Outsourcing

Look for the best iOS development company nearby and plan meetings to discuss the app development project. Analyze the app requirements, and start from scratch to plan the development process. Discuss the app requirement, cost and time needed to plan the launch date. 

Recommended Read: In-House vs Outsourcing: Pros, Cons and Use Cases

Dedicated Team

Many iOS app developers work on project basis requirements. The team of dedicated iOS developers can consider the existing workflows or start from scratch to develop your business app. By working with them, you can begin managing the project or plan a project manager to take the development phases' overview. 

5. Checking the Developers' Skills Required for iOS App 

There are two skills that you should look up to for hiring an iOS developer for app development:

iOS Developer Hard Skills

It includes the developer's area of expertise, grade and relevant experience. It would be best to acknowledge the specific fields where he has succeeded, like working on E-commerce, eHealth, and eBanking projects. Generally, they work at a higher hourly rate than those without experience in these projects. The hard skills that all iOS experts or engineers should have are listed below:

• Xcode IDE experience
• Language proficiency in Objective-C/Swift iOS
• Practical experience with Core Data or Realm
• Standard awareness of UI / UX
• Understanding of Apple Human Interface guidelines
• Proficiency in Advanced code versioning instruments
• Knowledge of OpenGL and Nice Metal
• Knowledge of APIs & API integration experience
• Ability to work on ARKit 3 and Reality Kit

iOS Developer Soft Skills

Besides skill set and experience, if you look into the soft skills of developers like professional work attitude, values and cultural background, communication, leadership, and time management skills, it will add amazing contributions to build a team for your future projects. In a fight to get the best iOS developer, you may find professionals who prefer to work in a peaceful and alone department. In contrast, others are familiar with the team culture.

6. Estimating the Cost to Hire iOS Developers

Cost or budget is the most focused area when it comes to hiring an experienced iOS developer. This question of "How much does it cost to hire iOS developer experts or a team?" should be an important part of your project planning. 

Variation in the economy and living standards of every country affects the cost of hiring iOS app developers. So, this is the area you must consider for any app development that you should conduct with the help of a global sourcing model.

Know more about the factors affecting the mobile app development cost to plan your app budget.

For example, the costliest iOS developers are from London and Silicon Valley. On the contrary, many startups and established firms prefer to hire iOS developers from India as they are budget-friendly.

Working with Indian programmers can make you spend less on quality app development as they prefer to work at a lesser hourly rate than US or Canadian app developers. 

For all reasons, the cost to hire an app developer in India will perfectly fit your budget and app requirements.

7. Navigating the Process to Collaborate with iOS Developers

For fast and hassle-free app development, there is a complete process involving a series of considerations and steps to ensure everything is monitored and worked at the right time with the proper scope. Whether you are a startup founder, businessman or project manager looking to build an iOS app, here is the guide for you.

1. Define your project scope, like objectives, functionalities and features you want in your iOS app, keeping clarity on the target audience, timeline and platform. 
2. Look for a dedicated development team with experience working on similar apps and consider their language proficiency in Swift/Objective-C.
3. Being active in meetings and discussions outlines the development process, timeline, cost estimation and milestones.
4. Consult with the marketing experts to know about the scope of product success.
5. If both parties agree to work on the work parameters, then proceed to work on format contracts defining deliverables, outlines, payment, terms, and intellectual property rights. 
6. Plan app testing, quality assurance, app launch and deployment process.

8. Considering Post-Development Support

App testing and post-development support is one of the important aspects of iOS app development. It ensures the scope of continuous support and smooth functionality of the iOS app after its successful launch. The key considerations for constant support at the post-development end are:

1. Identify bugs, crashes and issues 
2. Work on a resolution to fix bug issues and provide swift updates
3. Compatibility updates with the latest OS and screen resolutions
4. Performance optimization: responsiveness, speed and resource consumption
5. Track Apple app store guidelines to avoid rejections
6. Adequate user support for queries, feedback and concerns 
7. Analytics and metrics to locate user behaviour and app performance 
8. Reliable backup system to secure user data and app content
9. App updates and changelogs to add new features
10. Competitor analysis to find the scope of improvement

Key Considerations Before Hiring iOS Developers

When you hire a developer or engineering team to build an app, you should look for the important factors that may help you find the right fit:

1. Technical Skills and Work Experience

Understand the scope of your app development project. Based on that, you can proceed to hire developers with different work experiences. Assess their language proficiency like Objective-C/Swift and knowledge of APIs and iOS frameworks.

2. Portfolios

Go through their portfolio to evaluate the work quality and types of projects they have worked on. It will give you insight into their capabilities to develop your app. Check their exposure to different work industries, overcoming challenges, problem-solving abilities and overcoming technical difficulties. 

3. Communication and Collaboration

When you hire a developer who finds it easy to collaborate with the team, then you do not have to take the headache of going through micromanagement. Ensure the selected candidates can articulate their ideas or concepts clearly and work well in a team environment. The commitment to deliver what is promised will align with your project development before its grand launch. 

4. Reviews and Recommendations

When it comes to the real-time experience of freelancers, you can check their past reviews of working with different clients. You can also check other freelancing portals to check iOS developer reviews and recommendations:

• Social media platform: LinkedIn
• Communities: Github, Gitlab, Clutch & AngleList
• Job portals: Upwork or Guru
• Recommendations by Companies: Goodfirms, Appfutura or Clutch

5. Flexibility and Adaptability

If you have hired freelancer developers, the time zone can be a constraint. Look for a team that can adapt to the changes in project requirements and also suits your time zone. 

6. Budget and Cost

Look for a candidate who can fit your app development budget. You can also prioritize the overall quality and value they can bring to your project's success. 

7. Intellectual Property Rights and NDA

If you want to keep your app idea private from its launch in the marketplace, you should proceed further to sign an NDA with the development team that will not reveal what they are working on.

Common interview questions to ask iOS app developers

• What do you feel about our latest mobile app?
• Are you familiar with iOS app architecture?
• Do you know the different states of iOS app development?
• What is your perspective about the app, and what do you think about the website or business?
• How can you add value to the business?
• What is your production timeline?
• According to you, what makes a great mobile app?
• Which has been the most interesting project for you?
• How complex was the project, and how did they handle it?
• Difference between Swift & Objective C
• Which is the trending iOS technology?
• Do you know how to avoid memory leaks?
• How do you take appreciation and criticism?

iOS Developer for Hire: Why Choose Your Team in India?

In this digital age, “How to hire an app developer? Is not a hard deal with Your team in India. We are one of the best companies with certified and experienced iOS developers to hire for different project needs. With a track record of 100+ app deliveries, we have assisted many businesses in framing and developing products in order to achieve different commercial objectives. 

Our engagement models for hiring developers are based on a specification mentioning - the budget, deliverables, and timeline to ensure that all your needs are met within a predefined timeline.

Our iOS development team has vast experience working on domains like Food and Drinks, E-Commerce, Health and Fitness, Shopping, On-demand Solutions, Transportation and Logistics, FinTech, Education and Learning, Media and Entertainment. 

Our unique features make us one of the most recommended and trusted offshore software development companies in India. What is special about working with Your Team in India?

• Easy onboarding
• Fast development process
• Cost-effective solution
• Increased ROI
• IP protection and security
• Agile mindset
• Fast communication 

With us, "How to hire developer experts or team?" is no more stressful as we have come up with full-fledged and highly experienced iOS developers that can be the best partners to project your app idea into reality!

So waiting for what? Contact Your Team in India to get a fast iOS app development 

solution today!

Takeaway

The above-shared information will help you hire iOS developers that will help you develop your mobile app and incorporate an end-to-end project development that involves design, development, testing, and deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions