We live in a quickly-evolving digital world with a pool of talented developers, and it’s becoming tougher to find the right fit for your company. When looking for a remote freelance developer to join your team, it’s essential that you find the absolute best fit for the job. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect person to work on that critical campaign or project, or if you’re looking for a flexible, fit for your team, it’s essential to quickly identify if that person is a successful candidate or not. While it’s true that it is usually quite easy to spot weaker candidates, separating the good from the great can be a bit tougher and takes more consideration.  


Our team at Donestreet is well-versed in the freelance developer vetting process. We know that it can be tough to pinpoint what you should be looking for when sourcing a freelance or remote dev for your team. To help you expedite the process without missing or avoiding any red flags, our team has assembled an easy, actionable list of what we see as the top skills to look for during the freelance vetting process. Here are the top seven things we look for in a remote developer candidate that will help make your search a little easier! 


  1. Collaboration: Is this person a team player? It’s crucial, even for someone who is a freelancer, or remote developer, to seamlessly embed themselves in the existing team. Are they excited about joining your team and eager to help accomplish goals together? Humbleness, and a clear driven personality, can be a great indicator of a team player and if they are willing to collaborate.

  2. Professionalism: It may seem like a no-brainer, but punctuality and professionalism are paramount, especially for a freelance developer. Professionalism means many things and strong communication skills with a high level of English proficiency is one of them. A strong candidate will be able to articulate their thoughts and experiences deftly. If you are communicating via email or collaboration tools (i.e. Slack), a good indicator of professionalism is the timeliness of their responses. Be aware of how they interact with
    you and others, as you want to make sure that they can integrate easily with your team.

  3. A Proven Track Record: There are several things that you may be hiring for when looking for a freelance developer. Chiefly among those is a record of successful remote work, a high project completion rate and strong project management skills. These three pieces will help you determine consistency and follow-through, making sure that you don’t bring someone on that may delay or set back your company’s progress.

    Determining whether or not the potential hire has a proven track record can also indicate whether or not they have strong organizational and time management skills.


  1. Strong technical acumen: From our experience, we find that those developers who are the most skilled and conscientious in their work tend to have a robust and creative portfolio of previous work. Along with their C.V. or resume, look for a personal website, online collection or a list of open-source projects. Find out if they make contributions to a SourceForge or GitHub and ask them to note which parts of a project that they were responsible for. By checking out a candidate’s portfolio and coding samples, you can gain an accurate picture of their technical acumen.

    Taking the time to review pieces put forth by a potential freelance developer candidate, you can strike gold with your next developer hire.

  2. Tech Savvy and a Good Internet Connection: Remote work is uncharted terrain for many, and your company may be bringing on their first remote worker with this candidate. A remote developer’s comfort in a remote work setting is vital. Candidates must have a solid knowledge of the software, programs, and technology that are traditionally used in remote or freelance work, or be resourceful enough to figure things out.

    Further, as simple as it may seem, having a good internet connection is absolutely essential when working with a freelance, remote dev. Making sure that this person has access to a strong, reliable internet before hiring can help avoid future issues.


  1. Grit: Chances are you’re looking for someone to roll up their sleeves and immediately jump into the work. A strong work ethic is a must, and a “get it done” attitude can help in a fast-paced environment. Listen carefully for examples of grit when communicating with the potential contractor; these can include instances of whether they faced a hurdle, in life or at work, and how they persevered. This is an excellent indicator of how they will approach the work that you send their name. 


  1. Passion: This can be tough to pick up on immediately, but if you can read between the lines and identify if this candidate has a passion or a thirst for the work that they do, they will be among some of the best team players, even as freelance developers. They will be able to get on board with the company mission and do quality, purposeful work. 




If you’re in the process of hiring for a remote developer or a freelancer for your team, use these tips to help make sure you find the right fit, fast, so you can get back to doing the more critical, strategy work instead of spending time on hiring. If you’re in the market and need help, DoneStreet is here to take the entire process off your hands. Please get in contact with us today.