Ruby on Rails development team – how to put it together effectively?

Ruby on Rails is a technology thanks to which information services, social networks, or e-commerce platforms are created. Due to its wide appeal, it is becoming more and more popular. Thus the need for specialists in this field is constantly growing. Despite the increase in demand for specialists in RoR and other programming languages, finding the right programmers is a challenge, and 9 out of 10 HR managers and recruiters (86%) find hiring technical professionals challenging. So what makes having a good Ruby on Rails development team essential, and how to put it together effectively?

Why is development in RoR a good choice? 

Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework for programmers, which means that it is a technology whose license allows legal and free copying. At the same time, it ensures free development, analysis, and expansion of the software by its users. RoR is widely used, mainly by being a free solution but also because it simplifies many repetitive programming elements. And this leads to speeding up the whole process and thus high cost-effectiveness, also in terms of money. A team of RoR programmers is an ideal solution when introducing a new product, improving the current one, or optimizing a company website. Because of its advantages, RoR is perfect for MVP (Minimum Viable Product) development, which is a testable version of your new product.

Managing a team of Ruby on Rails developers 

It’s no secret that the point on which the fate of a company depends is what tactics the people managing it adopts. In translating a well-functioning team of experts, in this case, those specializing in RoR, it’s worth focusing on the management and administration aspects, as you can count on experienced professionals to get along great, but it’s worth focusing on any other roles connected to the team, viz:

• the contact person between the client and the rest of the team (usually the Project Manager) 
• a person who can find and recruit good experts, who will also be responsible for determining the paths of development in the team (often this is also the entire HR department, not just a single person)
• a team leader, a person who will manage the day-to-day aspects of the team and will be a particular link between e.g., you and the HR people. 

Hiring experienced Ruby on Rails developers may involve bringing in know-how and proven business processes and habits from previous projects. When recruiting new people, it’s worth focusing not only on their level of professional experience but also try to select people who:

• share similar values to create a work culture;
• have worked on projects in the industry you are currently recruiting for. It is much easier to introduce into a project people who know the specifics of a given market sector;
• ideally fit the candidate profile but are based in a different location than your company. Opening up to candidates from other areas in 2021 is natural, don’t close yourself off to it! (if you want to know more about how to hire remote developers, we’ve prepared a post on the topic)
• are able to provide references from other clients or employers (by receiving such a document, you can double verify their skills). 

How to effectively compose the right team of tech experts? 

The main goal of a well-composed Ruby on Rails team is to provide technological solutions and production support. Thus, it is necessary to put together people with different experiences and backgrounds in various projects. That’s why an effective team is not just a group of people but experts with different working styles and professional values. Experts complementing each other in their roles will also be quicker to learn new areas and patch up any gaps, e.g., due to a long absence of a teammate, which will translate into the continuity of projects and will not affect the image in the eyes of clients. It is also good that the balance between different roles is appropriate to the advancement of projects. Therefore, bet on both junior, mid-level, and senior Ruby on Rails specialists. Of course, a team of very experienced developers means less chance for possible slip-ups, but it also means much higher costs. And developing young talent within the group is a long-term investment and a massive benefit for both sides – the employee and the employer.  

If you think about the size of the development team, following the agile methodology, it is worth betting on smaller groups. 4 to 6 people should already complement each other in terms of competence and still allow everyone to prove themselves as a team player. Of course, the departments will grow together with the company’s development. If most of your projects are based on Ruby on Rails, it’s natural that you will recruit these specialists the most, some probably among Ruby on Rails Development Companies.

When building a software house, it is worth thinking about the complexity of projects and that roles in the company should complement each other. Thus, while developing the backend team, it is worth thinking about the frontend as well. HTML, CSS, or JavaScript are languages that perfectly complement Ruby on Rails. It is also worth thinking about a person specializing in servers if projects based on Ruby on Rails will often concern websites.

Roles in the development team

The principles above to put the development team together effectively should prove helpful in the team-building stage and connections within the company. However, the clue of the group is the tech experts. 

Developers, as I mentioned earlier, should include different levels of qualifications and team experience. Recruiting 5 people with very similar soft and hard skills will do nothing, as they will work more as individuals side by side rather than putting on team spirit. 

Assuming that the developers have been selected in the right way, the code they write must also be tested and verified. Hence, bet on people who specialize in manual and automated testing, as well as integration verification. The most important competence of these people will be the knowledge of tools needed for automation and the ability of test determinants. 

After checking the quality of the given code, it is worth planning its usability. This is where UX/UI Designers will play their part, as they will arrange the layout and distribution of all functionalities so that the product meets the users’ needs and thus makes it possible to achieve the client’s business goals. At Applover creating a product and development process has clearly defined rules. You can find out more by reading our Process Book. 

How to attract the right Ruby on Rails professionals? 

As you watch the industry and technology market in your region grow, you know that the demand for good professionals isn’t going away. So what steps can you take to attract candidates who will be the best fit for your organization? 

An undeniable factor in a company’s favor is the rates it offers. However, you can be sure that the financial aspect does not just drive many people. Having a choice between two organizations offering similar financial terms, they opt for one of them. What could be the reasons for this? 

Ambitious, large projects are something that will attract every enthusiast to their work. Already at the stage of recruitment, it is worth showing the portfolio, smuggle the details of the project at which the person is going to work, arouse the most significant interest, and show the possibility of development, which is associated with the involvement and implementation of the project. In IT agencies, the diversity of industries is often extensive, which will be beneficial for people who want to work on various projects. On the other hand, in internal IT departments, Ruby on Rails developers can expect more repeatable work. 

Something we strongly believe in at Applover is our culture. We focus on friendly relations and socializing on many smaller and bigger occasions. However, in the main, we are guided by similar values, which we try to convey already at the preliminary recruitment stage so that the teams we create are compatible in many aspects. Stressing on employees’ freedom and initiative is something that will attract many RoR programmers.

Employee development is an organization growth

Building teams means betting on continuous development. Any process in which the human factor is the most decisive is the riskiest. However, with advanced HR procedures incorporating Agile management, you can gain more customers from strength to strength. An organization is its people, so betting on the right ones is the key to success. Betting on recruitment experts gives the possibility to build and develop teams that fit into the organization’s characteristics.