What do 43% of all global websites have in common? WordPress? You guessed it! And, if you only consider content management systems (CMS), WordPress commands a powerful 64 per cent share of the market! In simple terms, WordPress is vast. It can even be described as a majestic lighthouse that guides businesses toward their objectives. The issue arises when a WordPress expert is drawn to this castle-like moth to the flames.
Unlike other industries where a lack of talent is a clear problem, WordPress is experiencing quite the opposite. Simply put, there are far too many WordPress developers! After all, WordPress was designed to be simple; the WordPress community is friendly and active, and developers of all backgrounds can work on WordPress. This has to be a positive sign, right? That is not the case!
Any recruiting manager who has worked in a competitive marketplace knows that with high volume comes low quality. As a result, you are more likely to make a poor hire. Which will cost your company both time and money.
So, how does one navigate these difficulties to select the best WordPress experts? So, here’s a detailed guide just for you!
WordPress Expert Types
If this is your first time hiring WordPress experts, it is best to become acquainted with the various types of WordPress developers who may cross your path. For a quick refresher, consider the following:
WordPress Experts on Staff
These are WordPress experts who have been hired by the company. They are part of your team, work from your office, and receive all of the employee perks and benefits that your company provides to its employees.
You can feel confident that your project is in capable hands with full-time, in-house WordPress experts. They will work on developing custom and branded solutions that will focus solely on your project and will be easily accessible. Hiring a full-time, in-house WordPress developer, on the other hand, can be costly because you will have to compensate them even if you do not use their services. Furthermore, the requirement to physically attend the office means you’ll have to look for WordPress developers near me, which narrows the talent pool.
Full-Time Remote WordPress Specialists
Because hiring full-time, in-house WordPress experts can be difficult due to geographic constraints, hiring a remote WordPress expert makes more sense.
They perform similar responsibilities to a dedicated WordPress expert, except they do not have to report to work.
As a result, they provide the same benefits while addressing location issues. Furthermore, even though they are still on your payroll, they may be slightly more cost-effective due to the remote nature of the position (61 percent of employees would rather take a pay cut than work from home!). Some may complain that communication can be difficult when working with a remote developer, which is exacerbated if they are in a different time zone. However, given the options for synchronous and asynchronous communication and their widespread adoption, it is not an easy problem to solve.
As a result, even if the teams are separated by geographic location and time zones, they can still work collaboratively.
WordPress Specialists on a Contract Basis
Third-party agencies are used to find contract-based, in-house WordPress experts. These organizations test and evaluate their teams’ skill sets before offering their services on a contract basis. As a result, your developers are ready to start working right away. The costs would be lower, while you would retain some control over the WordPress development project. However, because the WordPress developers will be working out of your office space, you will still need to provide infrastructure. Maintaining a culture in the face of workforce diversity can also be difficult.
Remote WordPress Professionals on a Contract
Contract-hiring a remote WordPress web developer appears to be the ultimate aim among all the different types of WordPress experts discussed thus far! Users benefit from immediate hiring, scalable teams, flexibility, control, project guarantees, access to larger top talent, and low costs. You also won’t have to worry about providing infrastructure to remote workers because they’ll be working on their own devices. You won’t have to worry about managing and coordinating remote developers because a third-party agency will frequently step in to help. The only real disadvantage would be locating a trustable talent agency capable of balancing everything.
How to Find and Hire the Best WordPress ProfessionalsIf you want to eliminate the ambiguity and avoid the trial and error method of hiring WordPress expert, here are a few good tips:
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
As previously stated, certain WordPress projects, such as design, customization, plugin development, and so on, may necessarily require specialized knowledge. As a result, you don’t want to find WordPress experts only to have them politely back out at a crucial time. As a result, rather than keeping a broad goal, try to keep it as specific as possible to prevent losing focus.
Make a project outline
Once you’ve decided on a single goal, you must plan for it. At this point, it is best to create a project outline that includes the objectives, project scope, deliverables, resources, timelines, and so on. Documenting these specifics will set expectations from the beginning, even before you engage talent and begin the project, which is the best form of risk management. If your team includes a project manager, you can always attempt to obtain their advice here.
Create a Complete Job Description
Now that the expectations have been established, you will find it easier to write a job description that aligns with the requirement and reflects the key roles and responsibilities of the WordPress expert. Make certain that the listing is clear, simple, and unambiguous.
Paid Trial Tasks
If you are not in a rush to hire and begin working with a WordPress developer, you can give the shortlisted candidates a paid trial task to assess their skills. After all, their performance in a practical, professional setting would speak volumes about their eligibility – far more than their profiles or CVs. It also allows you to make a more appropriate offer that is proportionate to their skills.
Look for Customer Reviews
Whether you take a do-it-yourself approach to hiring a freelancer or want a dedicated WordPress expert on your team, conducting a background check on the individual or the agency should be at the top of your priority list. To validate their credibility, look up reviews, search their social media, and request referrals, recommendation letters, portfolios, or case studies.
Talk about Communication
Communication will be critical to the success of your project, especially if you have remote WordPress developers on your team. As a result, create a strategy for maintaining synchronous and asynchronous communication, as well as a list of preferred tools and channels.
Prepare for Updates
You’d need a WordPress developer to update regularly (or teams). As a result, it’s best to establish pacing right away. Depending on the length and complexity of the project, you could opt for a daily or monthly update. Furthermore, you can specify the form and format of these updates (sprint meetings, presentations, reports, and so on) to choose a common language.
Make a Contract
Once all of the details have been worked out and the terms of recruitment or engagement have been mutually agreed upon, it is simply a matter of writing such information down as part of a contract. A contract protects your interests and ensures that you are not thrown into the deep end in the middle of a mission-critical project, whether it is between a freelancer, a full-time employee, or an agency. As a result, insist on a contract.
Conclusion
It is not easy to find and hire a WordPress expert. A little guidance and direction, on the other hand, can go a long way in marking these territories. With the information provided above, you can proceed with confidence in hiring WordPress developers who are a good fit for your organization, deliver on time, and are inexpensive. What more could you ask for?
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