June 2023

Top 8 Tips for Hiring the Right Java Developer

Hiring AdvicePeople StrategyFinancial Technology
Two Java developers working together at a fintech firm

Java is one of the most popular programming languages, with over 9 million developers worldwide, making skilled Java developers highly sought after. 

Due to this high demand, hiring and expanding your Java team can be challenging, but finding the right talent is absolutely essential for scaling your financial services company and meeting your unique programming needs.

Discover why hiring the right Java developer matters and what eight essential factors every company should consider during the recruitment process. 

Before you can pique the interest of potential candidates, you must first identify the needs of your applications and software. These considerations should include the processes and steps that need to be taken to improve your current standard of programming.

Assessing your long-term goals, user needs, unique features, and final product expectations will help to identify suitable Java developers with desirable experience and skills.

Describing your Java development requirements ensures only appropriate candidates apply for the vacancy and that your hiring team has a clear and concise understanding of the position and what is required from the successful applicant.

When creating a Java-based application it is important to know what will be required during the development process. Every Java application project is unique with its own development requirements and technological needs.

Establishing a detailed breakdown of the program you wish to create will allow you to target and hire Java IT professionals based on your specific application requests. This refines the hiring process by allowing your business to consider only Java developers with the niche skills you need.

Due to the varied needs and requirements of each individual Java application, you will need to identify a Java developer with a particular set of talents. For this reason, it is recommended you mention desired characteristics and candidate requirements in the job description.

A detailed Java developer job description will often mention the required number of years of experience, level of expertise, and the primary responsibilities of the project. In some instances, job descriptions also mention company culture, employee benefits, and linked opportunities.
From reading the job description, the candidate should understand the expectations for the position.

Some Java developers may obtain relevant qualifications and skills but lack the ability to apply them in a work setting. To avoid making the wrong hiring decisions, you should use skill tests to assess the candidate's Java skills in practice.

Hiring the wrong talent can lead to a loss in productivity, morale, and money. Bad recruitment can have a detrimental impact on business, so it is crucial to test candidates on their skills and knowledge during the selection process.

The best way to examine and verify Java talent is by utilizing the Java online test. This test uses ‘scenario-based and code-tracing questions to evaluate knowledge of Java concepts’. By using this recruitment method, you can identify the most suitable Java matches.

Vertical industry knowledge refers to the understanding of operations, issues, and trends within a specific industry. Whereas horizontal development focuses on expertise and skill, vertical development applies that knowledge into practice.

In some instances, a lack of vertical knowledge can be the reason behind high turnover and low retention rates, so it is important to understand the value of vertical knowledge.

Through Java, developers can certify their expertise and demonstrate a high standard of work. By earning these, developers become qualified to complete difficult coding tasks, detect faults, fix issues, and apply their skills in industry scenarios. Such Java certifications can confirm an interviewee’s ability, expertise, and dedication, and therefore should be considered during the recruitment process.

In addition, by obtaining these accreditations, developers also demonstrate a proactive learning approach.

As standard, Java developers should have an in-depth working knowledge of Java virtual machine programming languages, frameworks, and tools. These are the primary functions that Java developers use and as a result, should be aware of and competent using them.

The level of competence is dependent on the project and candidate experience but in general, Java developers should have at least a basic understanding of multi-threading, concurrency, cache coherence, SQL queries, memory management, and data structures.

Reaching the right people can be one of the main challenges when hiring a Java developer. Traditionally, recruitment methods heavily relied on potential candidates making the first initial move, but to keep a competitive edge, companies may benefit from maintaining an active presence within developer communities.

Online forums, specialty platforms, developer conferences, and ‘hackathons’ are excellent opportunities to interact and meet with Java developers. Even if you do not have an open vacancy, attending developer community events is an ideal way to expand your network and meet potential future hires.

Of course, you can also work with a specialist talent partner like Selby Jennings - our team will utilize our global network of highly skilled professionals to keep you informed when suitable Java professionals specializing in finance applications are looking for new opportunities.

Why choose us?

At Selby Jennings, we provide financial services organizations with access to industry-leading talent and are experts in identifying the right candidates for niche positions.

We are a leading specialist java developer talent acquisition partner with the latest recruitment news, trends, and knowledge to elevate your hiring process. Advertise your Java developer vacancy via our website to access innovative talent .

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