Ask Your Dev Team for references

That’s right, before you hire a software development partner, I encourage you to ask for references.

Think about it like another part of their resume. If you were the hiring manager, you’d want to see work experience that clearly aligns with the role you’re filling. Next, you’d want to see names of past associates, preferably past managers that you can call to verify the other details on the resume… right?

Well, hiring a software developer, or a team of software developers, isn’t any different. You can, and should, ask for examples of their past work, and you should absolutely ask for references.

Why references matter

• Past performance: You’re assessing this developer’s track record by talking with those best suited to tell you about it. A good reference is a past client that can empathize with you.
• Expertise and experience: Ideally, the reference isn’t incentivized by the business you can give this developer. So you can expect them to be honest and candid with you.
• Communication and collaboration: Feel free to ask the reference “what it felt like working with them.” This question should elicit a sense of that developer’s working style.
• Project management: Ask direct questions about the developer’s ability to deliver things on time and on budget. Simply asking “did they complete the project on time?” should be enough to provide a yes or no, and subsequently, all the information you might need to know.

Who is providing the reference?

When connecting potential clients to references, good developers try to align on relevant industries, company size, technology, or project size.

If a potential client is a 10-person healthcare company building a new web portal, they shouldn’t be connected with a 1000-person HR platform reference. Your project and your situation have nuances, and the references you’re given should match up closely.

It’ll unlikely be a perfect match, but make sure your developer explains why they think a particular reference is a relevant one for you to talk to.

Pro tip: Whenever possible, ask your developer to provide you a list with the company and LinkedIn profiles for their references. Then, after doing your own research, tell the developer which of those references you’d like to speak with. This helps you avoid a situation where the developer has “stacked the deck.”

What to ask the references

Project management:

• “Was the project delivered on time and within budget?”
• “Was the developer flexible and responsive to changes in scope or requirements?”
• “How did they handle challenges during the project?”

Experience and quality:

• “Was the quality of work up to your standards?”
• “Would you recommend this developer to others, and why?”
• “What’s one thing they insisted on that you initially resisted but later appreciated?”

The hard questions:

• “What would you do differently?”
• “How did they handle scope creep?”
• “What surprised you about working with them?”

If the answers leave you a little concerned, don’t be afraid to ask about the areas in which the developer could improve.

Keep perspective

It’s not uncommon for a reference’s answers to sound conflicting, and that’s okay. Software projects can be challenging and span many months, even years. The answers may vary based on the specific project and personal experience. That’s why it’s a good idea to get multiple references and build a well-rounded understanding of your developer’s capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Your goal should be to assess this developer’s integrity, and sometimes the best way to do that is by hearing how they’ve overcome past obstacles.

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I hope this issue helps you hire with confidence. Go build something and expect better from your development partners.