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The Ultimate Guide on How to Hire PHP Programmers 

Choosing the right programming language for your project is an important decision that affects not only your software but also the success of your entire organization. The PHP programming language has been the most popular and rational solution for web development for over two decades. ​​According to W3Techs’ data, nearly 80% of the world’s websites will be empowered by PHP in 2022.

What makes PHP so attractive when it comes to web development? It’s pretty simple to learn, runs on almost any web server, and has a vast number of frameworks. Nevertheless, the ultimate success of your next project lies in hiring the right professional. In this article, you will find out what to look for when hiring a PHP developer and where to find the best programmer for your web app development.

What Makes a Great PHP Programmer?

When hiring a PHP developer, you need to ensure the candidates have the right experience and coding skills to make a positive impact and help you achieve your business goals. A good PHP programmer goes beyond writing and maintaining code for web pages. A competent coder is able to work on complex projects that require a good amount of problem-solving and analytical skills. 

Here is a list of skills you should refer to when choosing a PHP Programmer:

  • Knowledge of PHP programming language;
  • Knowledge of jQuery, Ajax, and MySQL;
  • For a full-stack developer, good understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS;
  • Experience with frameworks like Laravel, YII2, and Symphony;
  • Knowledge of OOP (object-oriented programming);
  • Good communication skills;
  • The ability to think critically.

How to Screen PHP Developers?

Avoid asking stereotypical questions

Often, recruiters ask stereotypical questions such as “What is PHP?” and “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” during the interview. Asking these kinds of questions will tell you nothing useful about a candidate. Instead, it is better to ask questions that will give you insights about candidates’ technical strengths to match your needs, such as:

  • What is the biggest PHP project you have worked on so far, and what was your contribution?
  • What were the major upgrades in PHP 7?
  • How can you enable error reporting in PHP?
  • What are the main error types in PHP, and how do they differ?

Use a skills assessment to test candidates’ technical abilities

Developer resumes are often inflated and may not present the true picture. To avoid making a biased decision, we recommend conducting one or a series of assessment tests to check candidates’ technical skills. You can use pre-made PHP online tests or create a custom assessment with the combination of skills required for your job.

Where to Find PHP Developers 

Freelance marketplaces

There is a wide range of specialized websites where you can find qualified PHP programmers to complete the project for you, the most popular being Upwork and Fiverr. On such platforms, developers advertise themselves and their skills. Freelance developers work great for short-term projects which require web development without much wrapping in the whole project.  

Job networks 

Job networks mirror the traditional mode of hiring. Indeed, ZipRecruiter and Hired are the most well-known hiring marketplaces. You can post a detailed job description and wait for PHP developers to apply with their resumes. You can expect that many developers will apply to your open position, but not all will be qualified to do the job. Therefore, it is your responsibility to thoroughly screen applications and choose those that match your job criteria. 

Partner with a Tech Recruitment Agency 

Freelance marketplaces and job networks are good locations for hiring PHP developers to help you with your next project. However, waiting for a qualified developer apply for your open position or sourcing candidates on freelance marketplaces can take weeks or even months. Therefore, a better decision may be to partner with a specialized recruitment agency that will find a top programmer for you. 

On average, recruiters charge around 15% of the hired developer’s first-year salary, but some agencies offer better deals. For instance, Employa helps find and hire developers just for a 10% fee. In addition, its AI-powered software significantly reduces your time to hire as it takes just seconds to screen candidates. Employa Agency ensures high-quality hires as its technology is designed to screen for applications thoroughly and choose only those who exactly match your requirements. 

Technical recruiting services

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