Where and How Can a SaaS Startup Hire Developers?

Let’s start straight with good news: the revenue in the Software as a Service market is projected to hit US$282.20 billion in 2024. The market is expected to grow at an annual rate (CAGR) of 7.33% from 2024 to 2028, reaching a volume of US$374.50 billion by 2028.

So, if you plan on entering the market with your innovative solution, the time is now! We at ProCoders will help you find the main ‘building blocks’ of your success: SaaS developers.

Where do you find this seemingly rare breed of reliable, skilled engineers with adequate hourly rates? How to hire staff that’s going to contribute? What skills to look out for?

Let’s find out!

Who Is a SaaS Developer and How It Benefit Your Startup to Hire One?

SaaS developers specialize in programming and building Software as a service applications and products. This software is hosted on the cloud for delivery to end-users over the web. The development of SaaS has been integral to the rise of enterprise cloud computing within the last decade, especially since it is more scalable than previous models.

Therefore, this article is a highly useful guide for startups looking to hire web developers to build a SaaS product. We explain precisely when, where, and how you can find the programmers you seek.

Benefits for Your Startup When You Hire a SaaS Programmer

• Expertise in Cost-Effective Solutions: A SaaS programmer can develop cloud computing solutions that are affordable and require a minimal budget, making it an ideal choice for startups.
• Enhanced Stability and Uptime: With a skilled SaaS programmer, your applications will experience fewer downtimes and better overall stability, ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Seamless Third-Party Integration: A SaaS programmer can create software that integrates effortlessly with third-party services, enhancing the functionality and versatility of your applications.
• Efficient Updates and Feature Enhancements: By hiring a SaaS programmer, you can ensure that your software features can be extended and bugs can be fixed seamlessly through over-the-air updates.
• Scalability and Advanced Technology: SaaS programmers bring advanced technology to the table, allowing your software solutions to be easily scalable. This means you can optimize the system for maximum productivity and extend its capabilities as needed.
• Enhanced Cybersecurity and Data Protection: A SaaS programmer can ensure that your applications have better cybersecurity measures and data protection. Backups are always available and stored on the cloud to protect the integrity of your data.
• Future-Proof Your Business: With the rapid adoption of cloud computing and the SaaS model, hiring a SaaS programmer is a strategic move to future-proof your business growth and stay competitive in the market.

Skills, Roles, and Responsibilities to Note When Hiring SaaS Coders

Programming – Rich Technology Stack

Cloud-based products can be mobile and web applications; therefore, a SaaS developer must be skilled in handling web-based programming languages, and frameworks (HTML, JavaScript, CSS, C#, Python, PHP, Ruby, and so on), both frontend and backend. You can also look for a full-stack developer who can work with both sides of the app creation. Typically, such a programmer would have a full stack focus, skilled in building both the server-side and the client-side of applications.

Database Design and Management

SaaS applications live in data centers and collect a lot of data from subscribers. To optimize the application workload and performance, SaaS software developers for hire are required to be skilled in database design and management. They should be able to work with several database technologies, such as MySQL, Oracle, Firebase, MongoDB, and others.

Cloud Architecture

A SaaS application is a cloud application. Therefore, a SaaS developer must know how various cloud architectures work. In particular, they must be familiar with the major cloud service providers such as Google Cloud Platforms, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure. They should also be skilled in cloud-specific functions such as data migration.

Agile Methodologies

One of the selling points of the SaaS approach is its scalability. SaaS applications live at the heart of rapid innovation and must be supported by previous efficient application development models. Hire a SaaS engineer who is skilled in modern development processes such as the agile approach and architectures such as DevOps and MVC (model-view-controller).

Security and Compliance

The rise of SaaS software applications has seen a massive increase in the amount of data transmitted every day, contributing to the challenge of securing SaaS systems. A SaaS developer must be familiar with security best practices for developing applications protected from hackers’ malicious hands. Encryption, test execution, and risk management are part of the range of skills and expertise that they must employ, to some extent, in developing SaaS applications.

Where Can You Find SaaS Developers?

SaaS Developers for Hire by an Outstaffing Company

Outstaffing is an engagement model where one company hires a third party’s employees to provide specific services. 68% of US companies have this model in place one way or another. At ProCoders, we specialize in building teams to handle IT projects for clients.

Pros	Cons
Faster time-to-marketOptimized development costsEfficient recruitment processAccess infrastructure for project executionGreater client control over the project	Close supervision requiredPossible communication issues, especially in offshoring. With ProCoders though, our developers are proficient in English and can communicate well across countries.Poor orientation may result in disloyal behavior. However, at ProCoders, we form a meaningful partnership with our clients and even provide ongoing support.

SaaS Software Developers for Hire on Freelance

Perhaps the fastest method for accessing software developers is freelancing. Generalist freelance platforms such as Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr have served many clients well. Other specialist platforms are Toptal, Gun.io, and the likes.

Pros	Cons
Quick recruitment process, especially for short-term rolesRecruitment flexibilityPayment by hours bears less financial risk	Less accountabilityGreater risk of a cybersecurity attackLack of cohesive supervisionAn unpredictable quality of work

Find SaaS Developers by the Hiring Agencies

Hiring agencies maintain a pool of programmers to provide for in-house teams across various positions, and they use a talent-matching system to help companies find professionals to hire. However, unlike in outstaffing, the agencies do not employ the staff. They only serve as a bridge for companies to meet and recruit candidates.

Pros	Cons
Shorter recruitment periodExtensive talent poolUseful insider knowledge	Staffing issues, lack of cultural fitShallow networksHigher recruitment money

4 Steps on How to Hire SaaS Developers

Step 1: Determine who you want to hire

To be clear, you can’t know who you want to hire if you have not determined the project requirements. What matters to you when you hire a SaaS software programmer? What goals are you trying to achieve? What are your objectives? Answering these questions would help you create an ideal candidate profile so you know who exactly you are looking for.

Step 2: Talent Hunt

The inevitable first step is the search for adequate talent. Service SaaS professionals are scarce and in high demand. You can’t wait for the developers to come to you; you must actively seek them out. Therefore, posting the vacancy details on a job board may not be enough.

Super-charge your talent hunt by expanding your network and contacting people you know in the industry for recommendations.

However, you can skip the hassle by hiring a development oustaffing agency such as ProCoders. We already have a pool of skilled, vetted developers for various projects, including SaaS. All you have to do is discuss your project details with us and set your foot on the path of continuous improvement. Then we will build a product team of skilled professionals from our existing pool and engage more developers with a special stack if needed.

Step 3: Interview Process

Once you have completed the first stage, determining who you want to hire, the technical interview process should proceed smoothly. You only need to determine a method for evaluating candidates to ensure that they meet your ideal candidate profile. Depending on the role’s importance, there may be multiple interview steps and checkpoints.

The interview process can be challenging on its own, and you want to ensure you don’t hire wrong. One solution is appointing a hiring manager or outsourcing recruitment to an agency. However, that only takes the decision-making away from you.

That’s why, at ProCoders, when relating with our clients and while assembling a team for their projects, we allow them to interact with and interview the prospective team members to be sure that the developers are fit for the project. Basically, even when outstaffing, we let clients take charge of the most important decisions of their projects so that we can satisfy their needs.

Step 4: Hiring and Onboarding

To hire a web developer for your SaaS startup, once you choose your candidate(s), you must complete the hiring process by finalizing agreements and moving on to onboarding. This can also be a hassle, but it is essential that new hires understand their roles and responsibilities from the first day to deliver a product with the best quality.

This is another area in which ProCoders has attained efficiency. Given that all our developers have worked on other projects together, once the team is assembled, they are ready to start right away, with minimal onboarding required. The SaaS space is one of rapid innovation, and you need all the time to forge ahead of competitors. Therefore, when you hire with ProCoders, you can enjoy a faster time-to-market and a great project result.

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Hourly Rate and SaaS Developer Salary Comparison

The prices below (average hourly rates and average salaries) come from SalaryExpert.com, Glassdoor, and other resources. The rates are grouped according to location to help you make your choice.

Country	Average Mid-Level Hourly Rate	Average Annual Salary
United States	$37,5 – $67,31	$78,000 – $140,000
Albania	$5.67	$18,800
Ukraine	$11	$23,350
Mexico	$20,19-$31.73	$42,000 – $66,000
Poland	$29.33	$61,000
Germany	$53.69	$111,670
China	$40,62	$84,450
India	$7,18	$14,950

Hire SaaS Developers with ProCoders

ProCoders stands out as a software development service provider based in Portugal that helps businesses find SaaS developers and cross-functional teams. Our company is established on the principles of experience, trust, openness, diligence, and people-first. To overcome the challenges that other outstaffing firms face, our business model aims to achieve a true, fulfilling partnership with our tech clients.

When you send us the details of your SaaS project, we assemble a dedicated team of highly skilled developers to execute it. Our hiring process is thorough and consists of four interviews and tests to ensure we only hire the best talent. We exclusively hire middle and senior developers with fluent English and excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our hiring process:

1. Initial Screening: We conduct an initial screening to evaluate the candidates’ resumes and portfolios, focusing on their experience and expertise in SaaS development.
2. Technical Interview: Candidates undergo a rigorous technical interview where their coding skills, problem-solving abilities, and technical knowledge are thoroughly tested.
3. Practical Assessment: This involves a hands-on test or project to assess the candidates’ ability to apply their skills in real-world scenarios.
4. Final Interview: The final interview evaluates the candidates’ communication skills, cultural fit, and ability to work collaboratively within a team.

Our clients also get to interview the developers personally before onboarding to ensure that their stack and hard and soft skills match your requirements. We ensure a seamless integration into your project by personally vetting our developers and allowing client input.

In one of our SaaS projects, the client, Frontegg required plug-and-play development solutions to sell to other SaaS companies. However, Frontegg faced hiring challenges, especially since it was a young startup. ProCoders assembled a team of experts to handle Frontegg’s software engineering challenges, and the project was executed in about a year, accelerating the time to build the core product features by 25%. The startup also saved 38% in human resources expenses, having chosen the more responsive way to develop and release its product.

Conclusion

As a SaaS startup aiming to use cutting-edge technologies, you’re at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide. The demand for top-tier developers remains high, making it crucial to secure the best talent. Your choices for building a strong team include outstaffing, freelancing, or partnering with an agency—each offering unique advantages and challenges. Making the right choice is key to scaling your business goals and staying ahead of the competition.Outstaffing is an excellent approach to save on SaaS development cost and increase efficiency, especially if you partner with a veteran product development company with a proven track record such as ProCoders. If you want to hire SaaS coders for your successful startup or just want to check our mobile application developer hourly rate, just make an appointment with ProCoders professionals to discuss your development project’s stack requirements.