In our most recent #SUS20 guest blog, Codeclan, an organisation focused on upskilling individuals with development and data skills, present their reasoning for why you should consider hiring junior developers for your startup!
Many organisations have a ‘senior-developer only’ approach to hiring because they require little to no training to execute the majority of tasks encountered. However, whilst on the lookout for senior developers and engineers, many businesses, especially startups, miss out on opportunities and benefits that junior developers bring to the table.
What junior developers lack in terms of experience they make up for with ardent passion for learning and being avid go-getters. While a junior developer position is entry level, it does require coding expertise and knowledge of at least one programming language.
Here are some key reasons why startups need to consider hiring junior developers.
Building your army
Companies are built on processes including standards that are critical to follow and experienced developers can often struggle with differences in practices. On the contrary, junior developers can be molded with the organisation’s processes from the beginning.
Being able to train junior developers in your company’s methodologies is significantly simpler, especially when you focus on pair programming. Pair programming ensures every junior developer teams with a more senior developer increasing both parties’ productivity and reducing the number of bugs that require fixing. Junior developers quickly adapt and your workflow could benefit from new ideas and fresh eyes.
If you hire junior developers with the right attitude they will learn from your experienced team members and become the seniors you wished you were able to find.
Statistics from CodeClan noted that up to 40% of our course places were being undertaken by women which makes a strong case for hiring female junior developers to diversify your startup’s talent and foster female representation in the technology community.
Creating progression opportunities
Developers want their career to progress. Creating mentorship and leadership opportunities for senior developers and for junior developers to work towards ensures your team is robust and remains working for you for longer.
This not only breaks the monotony of routine tasks for senior developers but also creates an encouraging learning environment for new developers. Fostering in-house talent is sure to enrich your company with qualifications and experience in the long run.
Inoapps, a multi award winning Oracle Platinum Partner, have hired 23 Codeclan graduates into a variety of roles, many of whom have progressed within the company to lead teams of their own. VP of Ideation, Dermot Murray stated:
“We were able to build a pipeline of high quality candidates with a broad range of skills, backgrounds and experiences. We’ve really benefited from the range of transferable skills, along with the passion and aptitude to learn new technologies and ways of working.”
Zeal & work-ethic
Junior developers bring unconventional thinking to the table. CodeClan noted that the majority of their course graduates held positions in alternate careers prior to acquiring development skills, showing that junior developers, especially those who have switched careers, are often equipped with buckets of enthusiasm demonstrated by their ability to upskill, thirst for knowledge and a strong work ethic.
Armed with alternative thinking they can help identify new strategies to traditional processes. Junior developers tend to have a passion for learning and listening to their ideas makes them feel valued as they become brand advocates and project evangelists for your organisation.
Where do you find Junior developers who are equipped with knowledge of at least one programming language, apt learners and have good work ethics? LinkedIn might be a great place to start and organisations who teach development skills with a practical perspective such as Springboard and CodeClan are great sources of budding talent.
Engineering your startup development team requires balance and is the cornerstone of a successful tech business. Hiring junior development talent is a litmus test for good management practises and is an indicator for profound growth potential. Adding fresh, enthusiastic recruits will increase the motivation of your existing team, help relieve stress of senior developers and bring infectious enthusiasm and passion to your team which is a win-win on all fronts for your startup.
Checkout the #SUS20 Exhibitor Directory to learn more about CodeClan and how they can help you transform your career!
Looking to showcase your brand and connect with a highly engaged audience of entrepreneurs? Get in touch to exhibit at #SUS21!