When you’re looking to hire these days, you have many possible configurations to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should you hire developers through a temp agency or freelance platform? Full-time or part-time? Contract or staff? Remote or in-house? A freelance developer or dev shop<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing which will work best for your business requires a closer look at what is involved with each, and how good of a fit it is with your particular project or role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, we\u2019re checking out the differences (and similarities) between hiring developers through a temp agency or a freelance platform for short-term dev projects \u2014 and seeing which comes out on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure to head over to our in-house vs freelance developers<\/a> post if you\u2019re also considering whether hiring staff for internal positions might be a good option, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for top talent fast? See how <\/em>Arc<\/a> can help you:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u26a1\ufe0f Find developers, designers, marketers, and more Hire top talent with Arc risk-free \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In any working environment, you want to make sure you can trust the people that you\u2019re hiring to do what is expected, whether it\u2019s a full-time senior dev position you hope to sculpt into your CTO one day, or a short contract role, where you have a finite task to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When engaging a developer, you need to know that they will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just what kind of candidates does an agency or platform select and how do they assess whether they\u2019re any good or not? To find this out, you\u2019ll need to find out the inner workings of their vetting processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the first port of call, you can see whether their vetting process is listed on their website. For agencies, it\u2019s unlikely \u2014 you\u2019ll probably need to send an email or call them up to enquire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For freelancing platforms, the process is generally listed. For instance, Arc vets through r\u00e9sum\u00e9 screening, a coding test, a behavioral interview, a small project, and a technical interview. Upwork, a non-industry-specific freelancing platform, only verifies email addresses and shows results of multiple-choice quizzes that candidates have taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: 13 Things Freelance Software Developers HATE Hearing From Clients<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that we\u2019ve determined that many agencies and platforms have strong vetting processes for candidates, we want to check something a little more specific \u2014 the individual that we\u2019re going to hire!<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the agency side of things, we will be able to receive the candidate\u2019s resume, possibly a portfolio or GitHub account to look at, have a chat with them, and run them through any of our in-house vetting processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s pretty much the same over on freelancing platforms. One stand out benefit of choosing a freelance platform is that you can easily glance over recent client experiences and ratings with the candidate, giving you a fairly good idea of what to expect working with the candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also wonder \u2014 “How can I judge the quality of a software developer\u2019s work other than asking whether the thing did what it was supposed to do in the end?” Even this question can be difficult, particularly if you\u2019re looking for a back-end developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong agency or freelance platform vetting process will help to guarantee quality of code, so ensure that you\u2019re familiar with how a candidate\u2019s coding skills are measured during the vetting process, for peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oftentimes, software developers have an online coding imprint. If this is the case, you can view their GitHub accounts as project originators or contributors and check out their Stack Overflow questions (and answers) quickly and easily. Have a senior developer go over their code and grade it to assess the quality of work before you hire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way to ensure quality candidates is to have a risk-free trial period, which is offered by many agencies and some freelance platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: 8 Signs Your Freelance Developer Isn\u2019t Working Out & What To Do About It<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also try <\/em>Arc<\/a>, your<\/em> shortcut to the world’s best remote talent:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u26a1\ufe0f Access 450,000 top developers, designers, and marketers <\/a>Try Arc and hire top talent now \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re using a temp agency or a freelancing platform, you\u2019ll also want to take a look at their testimonials and\/or clients, both on their site as well as on review sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other companies, whether they\u2019re a freelancing platform or agency might list previous clients on their website. If they\u2019ve worked with industry leaders like HBO or Ernst & Young, then you\u2019ll have an idea of the quality of the platform or agency overall<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, quality depends on the trust you place in the agency or freelancing platform, their<\/em> evaluation of the individual, as well as your evaluation of the individual, too. With the right processes in place on your side, you\u2019ll be able to pick up quality candidates both from agencies and freelancing platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which you choose to go with depends on the style of hiring that you prefer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: 21+ Important Freelance Interview Questions to Ask Software Engineers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n For any company or individual looking to hire a developer, the cost is always going to be a factor, no matter what your budget is. To make your dollar go further, take a glance at these key factors that go into pricing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Developers working for an agency have a rate fixed by the agency plus the agency fee on top that makes up your overall cost. This will generally be around the average cost of hiring a full-time developer for in-house development plus extra, for the running costs of their agency and to turn a profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Developers on freelance platforms advertise competitive rates: it\u2019s how they ensure ongoing jobs working in an environment where there is little job security. They may even negotiate lower rates for longer contracts. But oftentimes, software developers with higher rates (and with plenty of good feedback) are true experts at what they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The location of an agency or freelancer is also a huge price determinant. If they\u2019re located in a place with a lower cost of living, their prices are generally lower, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you are located in San Francisco, where the average cost of living is $7,800\/month and your agency or freelance developer is located in Kansas City, where the cost of living is only $3,800\/month (source: Numbeo), you will likely find their rates are lower, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only can you potentially save on rates by looking further afield, but if you have a remote agency or freelancer, you\u2019ll save on costs like office space, new equipment (they\u2019ll have their own), and even tools, as developers generally have their full dev environment already set up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need to be able to have your software developer come in to work on-site, then you\u2019ll need to either hire in your area or have someone willing (and able) to travel to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one case where temp agencies (if there are some nearby!) will generally have the edge. It may prove difficult to find freelancers in your area, or to organize for an agency worker to come to you, especially if they are located internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for the best bang for your buck, then freelancers will usually come out on top. Putting in place reliable systems to expertly manage remote workers is important for smooth workflow if you\u2019re looking to hire remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: Go Beyond the Whiteboard & Coding Skills to Find Talented Developers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you ultimately decide to hire from temp\/staffing agencies or freelance platforms<\/strong>, here are some tips to help you get started. Keep in mind that there are several freelance developer platforms that specialize in providing developer talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read More<\/strong>: 10+ Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions to Ask Your Candidates<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, you can find great developers through either a temp agency or a freelance platform. Using a quality, trusted provider for either can help to ensure a smooth process with quality developers who produce quality output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freelance platforms have the edge in cost and pool of talent. However, if you are looking for an on-site worker, then a temp agency in your area will probably be your best bet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With both options, make sure to run through your own vetting process. As much faith as you can place in both of these two options, ultimately the best developer(s) for you will depend on company fit. With some solid processes in place, you\u2019ll be able to find the ideal candidates for a strong, healthy, and productive working relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also try <\/em>Arc<\/a>, your<\/em> shortcut to the world’s best remote talent:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u26a1\ufe0f Access 450,000 top developers, designers, and marketers <\/a>Try Arc and hire top talent now \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When it comes to recruiting developers short-term, temp agency or freelance platform? We’ve compared both talent sources to help you decide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hiring"],"yoast_head":"\n
\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time remote + fully vetted<\/em>
\u26a1\ufe0f Save up to 80% with global hires<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nQuality of Developers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Quality Gauge 1: Developer Vetting Process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Quality Gauge 2: Candidate Quality of Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u26a1\ufe0f Vetted and ready to interview<\/em>
\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nCandidate Quality Gauge 3: Testimonials and Clients of the Agency or Platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Winner: A Tie<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cost of Temp Agencies vs Freelance Platforms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cost Gauge 1: How Pricing is Determined<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cost Gauge 2: Location, Location, Location<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Winner: Freelance Platforms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Factors to Consider<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Choose the Right Freelance Platform or Temp Agency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Freelance Platforms<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Temp Agencies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
So, What\u2019s the Verdict?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u26a1\ufe0f Vetted and ready to interview<\/em>
\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n