How to Hire Python Developers: Key Recommendations

Python is one of today's most well-known and popular programming languages. As a general-purpose, high-level computer language, Python is chosen for different types of software development projects. It is comparatively easy to learn and to work with, but at the same time, it is rather flexible and can be used to solve many tasks. Given all these factors, it is quite explicable why the demand for Python development services is stably high and why so many companies today are looking for Python programmers for hire.

The popularity of Python developers

To answer this question and to see whether the task of hiring a Python programmer for a project can be a challenging one, let’s focus on this programming language itself. Let’s have a look at its peculiarities and main characteristics.

The first release of Python took place more than 20 years ago. It happened in 1991 thanks to Dutch developer Guido van Rossum, a creator of Python. Though many people may think this programming language is named after a large snake, it is untrue. Its name comes from one old TV sketch series dubbed Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Over the years of its existence, it has managed to win the hearts of developers from all over the world. And today, its community includes over 10 million programmers (data as of 2021).  Being in 2nd place according to its popularity, Python is said to be the fastest growing computer programming language among the established ones.

As we’ve already mentioned, if you hire a Python developer, you can rely on this specialist in the questions of developing websites and different types of software, including IoT apps. Also, this programming language can be useful for data analysis, visualization, and task automation. Moreover, thanks to it being relatively simple to learn Python, it is adopted by specialists who have no programming skills, like economists and accountants. They use Python to solve different tasks in their everyday activities, for example, organizing finances.

Responsibilities of Python developers

For those who are going to hire a Python developer, it is crucial to understand the range of responsibilities of such professionals. Of course, sometimes employers and employees can individually reach some special agreements on the tasks that should be fulfilled. Still, in general, the list of tasks looks the following way:

• To write Python codes;
• To design and implement apps;
• To debug apps to ensure their correct functioning;
• To integrate user-facing elements and server-side logic;
• To accommodate data storage solutions;
• To implement data protection and ensure the security of software solutions.

Some tasks are common for all developers regardless of the programming languages, technologies, and tools that they work with. For example, it is important to ensure that developers efficiently communicate with each other and understand the methodologies and approaches in software development adopted by the company.

Basic knowledge and skills of Python developers for hire

Suppose you have already decided to hire a Python developer (or developers) and even have started your search. But what key qualifications can you expect your candidates and potential employees to have?

First of all, please, do not forget that Python developers (as well as other programmers) may have different proficiency levels depending on their skills: Junior, Middle, and Senior. And, of course, your requirements for junior specialists should not be the same as for senior developers. Below you will see what skills are required at each of these proficiency levels but before we proceed to this difference, let’s look at some knowledge that all Python programmers should have.

• Expertise in core Python. It is the main requirement. Developers should understand all the basic concepts, including object-oriented programming, data structure, data types, and variables.
• Understanding Python frameworks. As frameworks are ready-made sets of tools and technologies that can help significantly facilitate and speed up the entire development process, programmers need to be able to work with them. We can mention Flask, Web2Py, and Django, among the most popular Python frameworks.
• Good knowledge of Python libraries. It is very popular among developers to use codes from libraries. The number of libraries is quite impressive if we are talking about Python. There are over 260K available that cover various domains like AI/ML, data science, and others.
• Knowledge of front-end development. There is an opinion that Python developers deal only with back-end technologies. It is not true. Python developers also need to understand how to make their software meet the requirements related to the client-side and how the client-side will be integrated with the server-side.
• Good understanding of the multi-process architecture concept. It is crucial for a Python developer to clearly understand the peculiarities of such software architecture and how the code works when the environments are being deployed. A developer who gains such knowledge can achieve higher productivity and better results.

It’s also worth mentioning that a talented Python programmer has strong analytical skills, knows the basic concepts of machine learning and artificial intelligence, understands code versioning tools, and is good at unit testing and code debugging.

Which companies hire Python developers?

As Python is one of the programming languages that Google has taken as its official language, it can be named as one of the key companies interested in hiring such specialists.

Among other big names, we should mention tech giants like Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, Reddit, Spotify, Intel, and IBM. Several prominent financial companies like JPMorgan Chase and fintech firms like PayPal also rely on Python.

It is also known that a row of companies that work in the healthcare industry like MIT, Exscientia, and  AstraZeneca, also use software solutions written in Python.

Where should you hire Python developers?

In one of our previously published blog posts, we’ve already explained the key approaches to hiring Angular developers. And we should admit that, in general, they will be quite similar in the cases when you are looking for Python developers for hire.

Actually, you can either hire remote Python developers or find a specialist who will become a member of your staff and will work in your office.

To achieve these goals, there are several approaches: hiring in-house coders or cooperating with freelancers or dedicated teams. All these variants have pluses and minuses, and we recommend considering them before making a final decision. And we hope that our explanations will help you.

In-house programmers

On one hand, it's cool to have in-house developers who are always at your disposal and fully managed and controlled by you.

On the other hand, for small companies whose key activities have nothing in common with software development, it is not feasible at all to hire such specialists.

Moreover, just imagine how much time and effort are required for organizing the hiring and onboarding processes. 

So, when hiring in-house Python developers will suit you:

• When you already have a development team;
• When you are confident that you need to have such skills in your team for a long period;
• When software development is one of your key business activities;
• When you have enough resources for solving all administrative issues related to hiring and onboarding.

Freelancers

If hiring in-house specialists is not a suitable option for you; you can try to find a freelancer with relevant skills. Without any doubt, it's cool to have the possibility to work with the best talents from all over the world and to benefit from their experience. However, you should be prepared for some risks. For example, some developers feel less responsibility when they work as freelancers in comparison to those cases when they are members of the team.

Moreover, communication can become challenging if you cooperate with a person from another corner of the world. And do not forget that freelancers are not always fully focused on your project. Simultaneously, they may have a lot of work for other companies.

When hiring freelancers will suit you:

• When you have some short-term projects and small tasks;
• When you want to save money;
• When you want international expertise.

Dedicated teams

The third option is a golden middle between the above mentioned models. When you need to find developers for your project, and you do not want to deal with all the administrative questions and even hiring procedures, you can find a reliable outsourcing company that can build a dedicated development team per your needs and requirements.

This team will report directly to you and fully focus on your project. What’s even more important, this model is very flexible. If you need to add additional skills or vice versa, you see that you do not need some skills anymore. The team can be easily adjusted. Given this fact, we can say that it is a very feasible and comfortable model, especially for long-term projects.

When hiring a dedicated team will suit you:

• When you do not want to control hiring questions, but you want to control your new team;
• When you need flexibility and space for scalability;
• When you want to reduce your expenses on hiring (especially if you hire offshore Python developers);
• When you want to get access to a rich pool of talents.

Now, when you know how to hire a Python developer, we believe that you will manage to find the right variant for you and choose a business model that will be the most convenient and efficient in your case.

At Geomotiv, we are always happy to help our clients find the best skills for their projects. We have access to a huge international pool of developers, and we are sure we can build the dedicated team of your dreams for you. Contact us to learn more!