How to Hire a Software Architect?

If you hire a software architect (SA, for short), it prevents costly project changes and problem fixes. In IT, not everything is black and white, and a software architect’s contribution to your project will depend on your team’s makeup and viewpoint. If your engineers are familiar with software architecture and design, a SA may not be needed for small projects.

What is a Software Architect?

Software architects design new products and are involved in all sides: software development, testing, and project management. Application, technical, solution, and enterprise architects are all types of software architects. The position’s core functions are consistent across companies.

Software architects, in the course of their daily job, are tasked with the following:

• Determine the product’s software architecture via consultation with customers, PMs, and developers.
• Take on key decisions in the realm of software development and design.
• Determine which programming languages, development environments, and other technical specifications will be required to create the product.
• Examine the code on a regular basis to make sure it still works and satisfies your standards for quality.
• Assist the development group in meeting its objectives and providing them with coaching and direction as required.

We’ll take a look at the necessary technical and soft skills to hire software architects in the next part to see how they may help them accomplish this goal.

What Skills Does a Software Architect Need?

Most software architects start as programmers, but not all programmers become good architects. How to find a software architect with proper skills? We’ve included many key skills to assist you find a qualified software solution architect.

Technical expertise

Your architect must have extensive project-related technical expertise. This distinguishes architects from developers, who specialize on one technology stack.

They need current knowledge the most. Every day seems to bring a new framework, language, architectural design, or development approach. The best architects are innovative and open to new ideas. The finest architects are those that are always one step ahead of the curve and can readily adopt new techniques and methods.

Coding skills

Although coding experience isn’t required, if you hire remote senior software architects, they should be proficient in the language and apply it in accordance with contemporary software development methods. An SA who sometimes codes is a positive sign. After some time away from the keyboard, a software architecture is merely a theory with hard-to-implement intentions.

However, a good SA should not rely too much on one technology (while a developer should be). Competent SAs see the overall picture and understand how the system works, unlike developers and software engineers.

Communication skills

Software architects construct programs from your requirements. You’ll need to communicate effectively with project stakeholders, business analysts, designers, developers, and software engineers. Architects need good communication abilities.

The SA must communicate the client’s needs to the team in technical terminology, explain complex ideas for non-technical stakeholders, and advise customers of their implementation alternatives.

Creative, independent thinking

Software architects manage. Hire remote software architects that control project direction, unlike developers and engineers, who tend to follow standards.

Successful software architects like working alone and don’t worry about how their ideas will be accepted by the team. They must radiate ravenous pride in their work and judgment. A good architect can convince their colleagues an idea will work.

Flexibility

Systems administrators are called “robots” because they order engineers to employ certain technology stacks. Thus, the technological stack defines the product. This kills creativity.

Good architects listen well (yes, in addition to being confident about their solutions). They’re adaptable and prepared to change a project’s design.

Engineering mindset

A great architect is curious about architecture. When a new system is launched, they study its components and linkages.

Where to Hire a Software Architect?

Several tried-and-true strategies exist to hire senior software architects. For the most part, we find that job boards, recruitment agencies, outsourcing organizations, and freelancing platforms are the most helpful.

Job boards

More specialized job boards have sprung up as the need for IT specialists has increased. The top software architects might be attracted to your team after you create a complete business profile on the board. You should include your company’s logo and URL. To attract qualified candidates, you may describe the company’s culture and atmosphere.

Advantages

• You may reach a wide audience using this method.
• There are many different general boards and niche communities to join.
• Forums may help you build a solid online reputation as an employer.
• Job boards are an essential element of the advertising mix for many companies when it comes to finding new employees.
• The interview and employment process is simplified by the board system.

Disadvantages

• Assume a mountain of resumes to go through.
• There is no assurance that a candidate has suitable expertise, thus it might be difficult to recruit certified professional software architects.
• It’s impossible to know whether the ideal candidate will ever apply.

Recruiting firms

If you don’t have much time to devote to the applicant screening process, a recruiting firm is a fantastic option for finding and to find a software architect for hire. Social media, databases, and cold calling are all tools at the disposal of recruiting experts, who also inspect and assess candidates, set up interviews, verify applicants’ backgrounds, and help with the onboarding process.

Advantages

• Using a recruitment firm might shorten the time it takes to fill open positions.
• As a result, more qualified people will apply for vacant opportunities.
• In-house HR personnel may not have the industry knowledge that an agency’s recruiters have.

Disadvantages

• In consequence, the costs associated with this approach might be rather high.
• Employment agencies that help fill available jobs in the software industry cannot ensure a candidate’s cultural compatibility with the company.
• When you work with an outside agency to identify and recruit staff, you may have to relinquish some influence over your employer brand.

Outsourcing companies

Outsourcing IT is relying on a third party to design, build, and maintain an organization’s computer systems, networks, applications, and related services. What this implies is that you outsource the certification of developers to specializing in software stacks. DashDevs is a leading outsourcing company in the financial technology industry.

Advantages

• It saves money since compensation is proportional to work performed. We won’t have to spend any more money on promotions, bonuses, or anything else like that.
• You may choose from a large pool of skilled individuals.
• A supplier provides financial and legal counsel, business research, and product support beyond its first release.
• This strategy allows business executives to spend more time concentrating on what they do best while still getting the job done efficiently.

Disadvantages

• The reputation of your company’s employees has nothing to do with outsourcing.
• While you may be sure of your developers’ expertise, you may not always know who they are.

Freelancers

Companies all around the globe often recruit freelancers because they are more cost-effective than full-time workers and have the flexibility to collaborate with developers in any location.

Advantages

• It’s a low-cost substitute. Everything from paid time off to medical benefits to workplace supplies is handled automatically. All compensation is based on a worker’s actual time put in.
• You may choose from a large pool of qualified and experienced financial developers from all around the world.

Disadvantages

• It’s possible that management challenges are being exacerbated by time zone differences and a lack of in-person contact.
• Freelancers are capable of producing high-quality work but, in comparison to permanent staff, they are generally less involved in and motivated by their work and may settle for producing a mediocre financial services website.
• You should be ready for the potential that a developer’s boasts about his or her fintech expertise are overstated, if not outright false.

Tips How to Choose a Good Software Architect

To increase the likelihood of finding a qualified software architect for your app, our recruiters have provided the following suggestions.

• Interviewees should be encouraged to discuss a recent accomplishment. We suggest you have them sketch it out for you.
• Watch how they move and how they react emotionally. The finest architects get their “fuel” from sketching out solutions, explaining them, and having in-depth discussions about them on the whiteboard. They are likely to be a unique talent if you can sense their energy and excitement for the subject they are working on.
• Pay close attention to the way in which a solution is described. It’s a positive indicator if you can readily grasp what your applicant is saying (regardless of the complexity of the system). The ease with which they communicate difficult concepts bodes well for their capacity to provide straightforward solutions to difficult problems. It’s also a sign that you’re a superb communicator.
• Provoke them by saying something like, “I’ve seen organizations tackling identical challenges with a lesser budget”, or “Why did you select to utilize this or that technology?” A credible authority would gladly address your concerns and consider your recommendations. You may also suggest another approach, which, if they haven’t thought of it yet, will be readily included into their system as long as it makes sense. Because of this, you may be certain that the applicant is not only adaptable, but also a reliable collaborator on any given project.

Interview Questions to Ask when Hiring a Software Architect

These are the kinds of things we ask while deciding whether or not to recruit a prospective SA. Knowing whether or not they have the necessary experience is crucial.

1. What is the nature of the business issue that this application is meant to address?
2. Describe the framework that supports the application that you are working on now or have previously worked on.
3. Explain the limitations you faced while planning a certain architecture layout.
4. Can you explain your preference for one technological option over another?
5. Can you tell me the best way to document the evolution of a product’s design?
6. In what ways can you document the structure of your program?
7. What does a typical software architecture document contain?
8. Can you name the architectural features, such as scalability, dependability, etc., that apply to this scenario?
9. How would you design functions to verify the aforementioned structural properties?
10. How would you ensure that the application’s code quality is constantly monitored?
11. How would you ensure that any externally-used libraries are in line with your open source library guidelines?
12. In your current project, how do you handle the technical debt?
13. Describe a recent instance in which you performed an architecture trade-off analysis.
14. How can you make sure you’re always aware of what’s happening in the world of technology?
15. Give an example of when you and your employer worked together to communicate the technical difficulties faced by your team to the appropriate parties.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Software Architect?

Let’s have a peek at how much a software process consultant earns per hour throughout the world. We combed through many regional job boards to arrive at these hourly rates, using additional data from Glassdoor and Payscale.

The rates are the following:

• United States ($65/hour),
• United Kingdom ($50/hour),
• Germany ($42/hour),
• Ukraine ($32/hour).

As can be seen, a Ukrainian architect specialist costs 1.5 to 2 times less than an American or German software engineer consultant, although having the same degree of knowledge and competence. As a result, an increasing number of companies are opting to hire software architects remotely.

Why to Hire Software Architect at Dashdevs?

Financial software is an area of expertise for DashDevs. We have successfully concluded over 20 digital banking projects, and our typical customer relationship spans over six years. We have been dedicated to creating and implementing a microservice-based architecture for the last seven years.

Additional benefits of partnering with the fintech developers at Dashdevs:

• The process of pre-screening. The first step in DashDevs’ hiring process is a careful examination of each applicant’s resume. Then, we have our recruiters get in touch with the best people working in software and invite them to a video interview, where we can assess their communication skills and provide them background information about our company.
• Acceptance on an English-language level. In addition, we demand a high level of English proficiency from all of our experts. All of your development tasks will be handled by fluent English speakers.
• In-depth discussion with a technical professional. The third step of our recruiting procedure involves an evaluation of a candidate’s technical skills by our project managers and senior tech professionals in the field of fintech software development. Commonly, we give them jobs that are meant to put their acquired talents to the test.
• The client’s final interview. The DashDevs crew will offer you with a final round of highly competent software architects and developers. It’s up to you to interview potential applicants and choose the ones you think are the best fits for the job.

We can help you save time by giving you an honest, objective assessment of what will and will not work, in addition to offering technology direction, expert execution, timely delivery, and ongoing support. You are welcomed to get in touch with us if you’re interested in collaborating on the release of a ground-breaking product.