The demand for skilled Internet of things (IoT) application developers has never been higher. While disruptive startups are building cutting-edge connected devices, global enterprises are adopting IoT technologies at a rapid pace to stay ahead of the competition. 

With 70% of technical companies having talent shortage, you might think that it can be quite challenging to find A-class IoT app engineers. But when you know where to look for these developers and how to screen out those who don’t fit, chances are you’ll hire all-star professionals that can make your product a big success on the market. 

Anyways, you don’t have to worry about learning for eternity on how to hire the right talent, as you’ve come across this article, which, fingers crossed, will help to make your recruitment journey a summer breeze. Based on our 7-year experience in IoT application development, the JatApp team would like to share some strategies on searching and recruiting qualified IoT app engineers for your next project.

 

Who is an IoT app engineer?

The IoT refers to a network of interconnected devices that are able to communicate with each other and exchange large volumes of data over the Internet. It can help companies enhance their security, improve efficiency, and offer better client experiences. IoT is developing so fast nowadays that we won’t be surprised, if in a few years your microwave oven will mine cryptocurrency to pay off the gambling debt to the dishwasher. 

 

IoT app developer

 

Joking aside, IoT app developers are those guys who are responsible for that sort of magic. They are software engineers who create applications for different IoT devices to make them transmit data without human involvement. These apps can identify with surgical precision which information is relevant and which may be safely ignored. This data may indicate specific patterns, alert about potential issues in advance, and make recommendations. 

What are an IoT app developer’s core skills?

Due to IoT inherent complexity, an IoT app engineer should have an impressive skill set, ranging from knowledge of hardware components to networking. Let’s discuss some of these skills in greater detail. 

Security

Data exchange has always been associated with cyber attacks, privacy concerns, and data loss. Since IoT projects presuppose communication of large amounts of data, security becomes an extremely important consideration. IoT app developers must be able to provide clients with a secure system that has a foolproof structure in order to prevent unauthorized access and data misuse. 

Networking

Connectivity enables gadgets to interact with each other and communicate with other apps. When implementing an IoT project, an engineer needs to make a network that can easily manage all gadgets. To create such a network, it’s necessary to have sufficient skills in network design. Besides, the knowledge about protocols and network standards is an absolute must in this regard. As IoT devices communicate via the cloud, app developers should also know how to use IoT cloud platforms.

Business intelligence

In IoT projects, you’ll need to gather, store, and analyze the data in order to improve your product or services. An IoT developer should understand how to make sense of this data in order to help you with your business goal. It’s preferable to recruit professionals with higher levels of business intelligence, who will assist you in handling that data. 

User interface (UI)/ user experience (UX) design

Most people will stop using an application, if its design is user-hostile. The software needs to be interactive, responsive, and easy to navigate. This means that hiring an IoT developer with a good command of UI/UX design skill is the right way to go.  

API automation

As we’ve already mentioned, the IoT solutions process a great deal of data and interfaces. Therefore, the IoT operability becomes one of the key components of project success. An app developer must be able to connect manual testing and automatic API to make sure that the device is working as expected.

Mobile app development

While a web-based application can be necessary in some cases, today most IoT solutions focus mainly on mobile applications. Therefore, you’ll need a qualified IoT developer who knows the peculiarities of mobile app development and can build iOS and Android applications to let customers connect to the IoT devices on the go. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)

AI helps to make more precise decisions than we as mere mortals are capable of. Meanwhile, ML helps to learn from data to improve the existing services. An IoT app developer is responsible for designing a solution that would collect a great amount of data and process it to foresee the next outcome. This is why they need a deep understanding of AI and ML algorithms. 

Knowledge about sensors

IoT devices have sensors that help to communicate data in real-time, once it is connected to the network. Clearly, IoT developers need to have proper knowledge of how these sensors work. They should be able to integrate sensors with the system infrastructure. 

What questions to ask at job interviews? 

To find a real gem that stands out from the rest of developers, you need to have a handful of interview questions up your sleeve. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of them. 

  • What is the IoT?
  • Explain the Raspberry Pi.
  • What are disadvantages and advantages of IoT?
  • What are the most common IoT use cases?
  • What are some of the biggest challenges of IoT app development?
  • Define GPIO.
  • What are the appropriate databases for IoT?
  • What is IoT Contiki?
  • What is Zigbee?
  • What is Z-Wave?
  • If you need to reduce the size of the sketch, what would you do?
  • How to write an Arduino program?
  • What are the most common IoT test methods?
  • Why is network in IoT important?

 

What are the rates of IoT engineers across the world?

“What’s the cost?” is one of the most burning questions startupers usually have, when they come up with the idea for their project. The final costs would heavily depend on the location of your IoT application developer. In the light of that, let’s compare the rates of IoT engineers in different countries to understand which option suits your needs best. 

 

IoT developer's rates

The rank of countries that never give up when faced with a development challenge

The United States

Be prepared to spend a great sum of money for IoT app developers from the United States. Due to the relatively high cost of living in this country, these professionals ask approximately $100-150 per hour. 

Since IoT projects are quite challenging most of the time, it’s important to hire developers not only based on the rates, but also on their ability to persist in their efforts. HackerRank rated different countries to determine which coders never give up on a challenge before progressing in their task. Despite the high prices for their IoT app development services, American specialists took only 29th place. 

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, like in most Western European countries, IoT app developers’ rates are also rather high, reaching $90 per hour. However, you may be lucky enough to find developers who will charge only $45 per hour. In fact, the rates may vary due to differences in the coders’ seniority. 

As for the HackerRank contest, Dutch developers are a bit more tenacious than their American counterparts. Their score allowed them to take 27th place in this competition. 

China

Though undoubtedly cheaper than American developers, Chinese IoT engineers have similar rates with European countries. More specifically, the rates range between $40-80 per hour of their work. 

The country has a relatively high percentage of developers that never give up, when faced with a difficult issue. This allowed China to fall in at 24th. 

Ukraine

You’ll pay top Ukrainian IoT developers something between $30-80 per hour. The rates there are slightly lower than in most Western European countries and China as well as almost twice half the costs compared to American developers. 

The quality of software for IoT is also worthy of praise. Ukraine outstripped the aforementioned contestants by ranking 22nd. 

 

development challenge

The rank of countries that never give up when faced with a development challenge

What are hiring options out there?

Typically, there are three ways for you to hire an IoT application developer. You may invest in hiring in-house engineers, collaborate with freelancers, or work with a vetted outsourcing agency that specializes in the IoT development process

In-house IoT developers

 

In-house developer

 

When opting for hiring in-house IoT developers, you’ll work with a dedicated team fully committed to your company. Also you’ll be able to control your project from beginning till the very end. Your IoT team will be most likely working with you in the office, so communication isn’t going to cause any serious troubles. Still, in-house engineers will cost you money, as you need to pay full-time salaries and cover sick leaves, taxes, and the list goes on.

Freelancers

 

Freelance developer

 

Freelance IoT developers are independent software engineers whom you can assign an IoT project or a specific task without actually hiring them. Taxes, office space, equipment – none of this is going to be your problem, when you choose this hiring method. Beyond all that, freelancers usually ask much less for their IoT software development services. One of the major drawbacks, however, is that the quality of their work is not 100% guaranteed, and you’ll need to put effort into finding a freelancer that is a skillful and diligent professional. 

Outsourcing company

 

Outsourcing company

 

Another viable alternative is to outsource your project to an IoT software development company. In this way, you’ll get access to a wide pool of tech talents. An outsourcing company will take care of developers’ hiring process, salaries, equipment, team management, and so on. Potential barriers to consider are the lack of language proficiency and time zone differences. However, if you choose a vetted provider, like JatApp, you’ll work with developers that have good English language skills and can adapt to your time zone with the help of established communication channels. 

 

Hire IoT application developers at JatApp

When searching for IoT app developers to set up your dream team, the first thing you need to do is to look at their skillset. To assess their competence, you may need to come up with the list of questions to ask during an interview. Then, you should consider the costs of hiring IoT engineers in different countries and select the destination that matches with your project needs. Last but not least, pick the hiring approach, depending on your budget and preferences. 

If you have chosen outsourcing to a third-party vendor, we suggest that you consider partnering with our company. JatApp has completed more than 200 projects over the last seven years, many of which were IoT solutions. Our software agency has been ranked as one of top 1,000 outsourcing companies in the world. Besides, you can save up to 60% on development compared to Western European and American companies.

Want to hire IoT developers at JatApp? Don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll reach out to you as soon as possible.