5 Top Skills To Consider When You Choose An Android Developer

Android development has many functionalities depending on the developer. There are several essential components of Android app development to be executed by an Android developer and choosing the right developer for your Android app development is as important as the process itself. Three basic components most recruiters would consider is Design, Coding, and deployment of the application.

Design components are more of the appearance parts that make the User Interface suitable for User experiences. Coding the application for its functionality over the user interaction and its deployment over the Android Platform are the very fundamental skills, every recruiter would be interested in. But, will that be all? does a developer need to be skilled more than these components?  Ask these questions to a recruiter and you will find a myriad of answers. So, we dug up some skills that are a must if you are looking to hire an Android developer.

1. An Architect of UI/UX

This skillset is related to the design component of Android applications. There are several optimizations of a simple user interface that an Android developer should be well versed with. Look for these UI optimization tricks while interviewing your candidate:

Text DP/SP
A virtual pixel unit that is used to define UI layout, to express layout dimensions or position in a density-independent method is called a DP. A DP is equal to one physical pixel on a 160 dpi screen. A proper definition of DP ensures the text and layout optimization across screens of all sizes. SP is scaled for a user's font size preference. It is defined as the font sizes that can be altered by users according to their preferences.

ViewStub Knowledge
An Android Developer should be well-versed with this widget from Android that helps to keep the unnecessary layouts at bay and keep the layouts that are essential and functional to be used. This keeps the excess layouts from congesting the UI from too many layouts, ensuring rapid navigation.

Elevation
Look for a developer that can use the elevator property to design the UI with proper spatial relationships between pages and vertical spaces between layers. It also helps define the shadow effects on the texts.

Platform-based Themes
For developers especially on Android, it is better to stick to the platform-based themes as Android provides two classes of widgets and layouts-View and ViewGroups. These classes seamlessly help to develop UI rich in design. While recruiting a developer one should look to know the design ideation and process of a candidate to understand the concepts of designing and app appearance vision of the candidate,

2. The JavaScript Master

The keystone to dynamic programming-JavaScript- it is the first weapon in any developer's arsenal. If you are looking for lightweight Android applications with web pages that effectively connect users with the client-side servers, your Android developer should be a JavaScript master. 

With the Javascript prowess, a developer can render your applications the power of real-time responses and instant feedback on pages of your applications that need inputs as per requirement. The most important factor of JavaScript is its usability for various methodologies of mobile app development that developers can exploit. 

The JS universe is vast with Node.js, React.js, Angular.js environments and frameworks, it is a must on your checklist when you hire your Android Developer. Look for the following skills based on JS usage:

• ECMAScript- Standardization of JavaScript
• Typescript- Superset of JavaScript that provide optional static typing
• Node.js- It is a JS runtime environment
• Libraries- Reusable codes that solve generic problems-jQuery, Express.js, Lodash, Moment.js.
• Frameworks-a set of libraries to solve bigger problems-AngularJS, Vue, React+Redux, and Electron.
• Build Tools-Automation tools that make development fun-Webpack, Gulp, Grunt, Browserify, Yeoman.
• Compilers- JS does not need compilers but to use non-JS, compilers like Babel can be used.
• Other Languages- Should know other coding languages and frameworks other than JS like Kotlin, HTTP, XML, etc.

3. Database Knowledge

Database knowledge is one of the most vital factors in your checklist for your recruitment drive. A database is where data is stored and accessed whenever necessary. Databases can be a physical server or cloud server. Whatever the medium, maybe it is the management of these databases that matter and that is where your developer should know the execution side of DBMS (Database Management Systems) used for Android applications.

The fundamental thing to know while recruiting an Android developer is that he/she knows SQLite, which comes in-built with the Android, It is a lighter version of SQL(Sequence Query Language) designed for mobile apps. It supports all the features necessary for database management in the Android Platform.  

Other DBMS to be considered for the interview

RealmDB

A developer should be well-versed in RealmDB, which is more of an RDBMS(Relational Database Management System) and this makes a good question for your recruitment interview for Android Developer. It is serverless, cross-platform and low memory database. 

ORMLite

Developer should know about other databases like ORMLite-A lighter version of Object Relational Mapping which is an ORM wrapper over any mobile SQL related DB.

4. Innovative Mindset

We are done with the technical prowess of developers. But, if your are looking to hire an Android developer that can build applications that last long and keep updating to the latest innovations, you should look for an innovative mindset in the candidates. 

Today's development of Android applications has seen rapid innovations to make the development lifecycle more easy and innovative in its processes. 

Developers that you choose should be aware of innovative methodologies like agile methodology, low-code infrastructures, hybrid apps, Decentralized applications, serverless development, etc. Developers should also have the mindset to integrate innovative technologies like the Internet of Things(IoT), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into the application architecture.

Speed is an important criterion, though Android SDK provides many such components to speed up the development process, a good developer should know how to leverage the new age low-code or no-code, building-block type infrastructure to develop faster and highly responsive apps for end-users. 

A right candidate that has technical prowess and innovative mindset will develop your Android application that is fast, high on performance and automated with the added advantage of continuous integration and deployment(CI/CD).

5. Business Acumen

It is the simplest of things when you are recruiting a developer for your team. A developer should be in sync with the business side of an application development process.

Whether you are looking for a non-profit Android application or profit-based application, understanding the vision of the organization and integration of the same in the application is quintessential for the development process and this is where the developer's business acumen comes handy. 

The business side of your application deals with various aspects of traffic generation, lead generation, sales generation and service to consumers. To have these attributes in line with the organization's vision and goals is the single most challenge that developers need to culminate in their business-related decisions while building an application.

If your application is an e-commerce business application, the developer should be able to design and develop an application that can provide real-time responses to the users and create APIs(Application Programming Interface) that can provide a seamless experience for the users. 

Check for the developer's experience over several technical aspects and apps built over the years to know the design visions and deployment methodologies. Keep a close eye on the business side of earlier apps built by a developer on the grounds of UI/UX, client's requirements, aesthetic value and performance over the Android platform. 

Other points to be considered while recruiting a developer based on business acumen:

• MVP(Minimum Viable Product) for short term plans and progressive development.
• User-centric approach.
• Creation of apps with premium features on non-premium budgets!
• Results-oriented work and accountability.
• Time management is really important for any developer with deadline pressures.Work Ethics and understanding of data privacy and security regulations for apps.

Concluding Thoughts

Hiring an Android developer that can realize your vision through the application is the prime quality to look for. Another important factor is attitude! Yes, whoever the person might be, the right attitude makes the results tick and you should try and tap into the attitude and mindset of a developer to know the seriousness of the developer's mindset.

Developing an Android application can be fun, but, designing, coding, and development makes the fun side curtailed over a repetitive chore of the same process over and over again. Though there are automation options available, there are constant pressures of results, deadline deployments and design constraints. It may not be easy for you to know how a developer would cope up with such pressures.

But, yet it is better to know the mindset and working capabilities of developers in different phases of an application development lifecycle. In the end, remember to hire a people's person, as the developers mostly work in teams and a people's man with good interpersonal communication capabilities can work effectively in a team. So, grab your checklist and start with your next candidate!