Ruby on Rails (RoR) is a popular technology for building web applications. It offers numerous benefits such as faster development, scalability, versatility, and security. If you are looking to hire RoR developers for your project, there are several hiring models to choose from depending on your business needs, budget, and project requirements. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of RoR, the skills required in RoR developers, and the different hiring models available.

Before diving deep into the process of hiring Ruby on Rails developers for your project, let's talk about why should we choose RoR. What benefits it offers to the business in choosing it over others?

Benefits of using Ruby on Rails for your project.

1. Faster Development

Ruby programming language is faster than its competitive languages like PHP and Python. Rails is a Ruby framework that minimizes the amount of code written and thus speeds up the development time. As a result, you save enough time and money and get your high-performance product developed in less time. 

2. Scalability

Scalability is one of the key factors to ensure the success of any service or product.  Any business regardless of its size and niche requires scalability to respond to changing marketing environment. Let us suppose, your company size is small at present, in the future it may expand, without scalability, your app will fail to respond to traffic peaks which increases the number of requests. Ruby on Rails is a scalable technology that allows a timely and immediate reaction to traffic peaks according to the requirements. 

3. Versatility

The community support of Ruby on Rails is diverse that contributes to its development regularly. Ruby on Rails has a large library with numerous tools, functions, and add-ons that have capabilities to enhance your app with more advancement and versatility. They are called gems and are allowed to add functions to create high-performance and feature-rich applications. 

4. Security

One of the most popular topics in the field of software development is cybersecurity. No matter how brilliantly your software is created, how user-friendly it is, or how many cutting-edge features it has, if user data is not protected, you will eventually lose users. Data breaches frequently result in severe reputational damages as well as detrimental financial effects. Ruby on Rails offers great security levels even without further coding. Using built-in technologies, the framework enables a secure development lifecycle.

Skills Required in Ruby on Rails Developers : 

Without having the basic knowledge of what RoR developers do, and what skills should they have, it would be daunting to hire the best talent.

Technical skills:

Ruby on Rails

RoR developers must have expertise in RoR syntaxes like loops, classes, modules, and object-oriented programming. They should have deep knowledge of the Model view controller framework and REST APIs.  They must know performing operations like POST, GET, etc. 

Front-end 

Although Ruby is a backend language, RoR developers should have an understanding of front-end functionalities and features. They don't need to be experts in CSS or JavaScript, but it is very important to have skills to communicate effectively with front-end developers and understand their needs. 

Databases

RoR developers need to understand databases. Before hiring them make sure they have basic knowledge of MySQL, SQL, and PostgreSQL. 

Soft skills 

To have smooth collaboration with clients and colleagues, soft skills are important and have a vital role in the product development process. 

Communication 

The RoR developer you hire should have excellent communication skills as successful development of software requires a lot of communication and teamwork. 

Analytical and logical reasoning

Writing the code to execute takes less time than conceptualizing, designing, and implementing it. Coders can use their highly developed analytical and logical skills to quickly generate and materialize plausible concepts.

Self-learning

Technology is evolving more quickly than any other sector. The difference between a developer and a great one is the ability to stay up-to-date with current advancements and trends. Developers of Ruby on Rails should be willing to learn and educate themselves.

Hiring Models of Ruby on Rails Developers: 

When it comes to hiring Ruby on Rails developers, there are several models you can choose from depending on your business needs, budget, and project requirements. Here are some of the most popular models you can use to hire Ruby on Rails developers:

1.In-house developers:

You can hire Ruby on Rails developers as your full-time employees to work in your office or remotely. This model gives you more control over the development process and allows you to manage your team directly. However, it can be costly and time-consuming to find and hire the right talent, and you'll also need to provide them with benefits and equipment.

Benefits: 

• Dedication
• Simple communication
• Corporate culture 

Disadvantage:

• Limited talent pool
• Higher cost

2. Freelancers: 

You can hire Ruby on Rails developers as freelancers or contractors to work on specific projects or tasks. This model is more flexible and cost-effective as you can hire developers on a per-project or per-hour basis. However, managing freelancers can be challenging, and you may not have full control over the development process.

Advantage:

• Cost-effective 
• Large candidate pool
• Good for short-term projects

Disadvantage:

• Less control
• Unknown level

3.Outsourcing: 

You can outsource your Ruby on Rails development needs to a third-party company that specializes in this technology. This model can be cost-effective as you can take advantage of the company's expertise and resources. However, communication can be challenging due to time zone differences and language barriers.

Advantage:

• Wider talent pool
• Cost saving 
• Faster time to market

Disadvantage:

• Lack of communication and control
• Quality concern
• Data security risk

4. Dedicated development teams: 

You can hire a dedicated team of Ruby on Rails developers to work exclusively on your projects. This model gives you more control and flexibility over the development process, and you can scale your team up or down as needed. However, it can be costly and time-consuming to set up and manage a dedicated team.

Advantage:

• Cost-effectiveness
• Flexibility
• Reduced risk
• focus on core competencies

Disadvantage:

• High upfront cost
• Dependency on team
• Communication challenges

Why RoR is the best choice: Top 4 use cases

Ruby on Rails is a common choice for web application development because with RoR you can develop websites faster with minimum code. You can launch your app ahead of your competitors who are still in the development process. Apart from that, RoR has unmatched support for caching and authentication. In this section, we have enlisted five use cases where RoR is a good choice to solve your problem. 

1.eCommerce Projects

RoR is the perfect choice for e-commerce projects. RoR has all the features that are required to develop an e-commerce platform such as search engine optimization, social media integration, caching, data security options, etc. Ruby on Rails is a stable framework that is commonly used by high-traffic websites. 

One popular e-commerce platform using RoR is Shopify.

2. Social Networking Apps

If you are planning to develop a social networking app, then Ruby on Rails is the best choice for you. Rails have all the required features to develop and run a scalable web app. So, you don't have to worry about your app infrastructure. 

A social networking site, Dribbble use RoR in app development. 

3. Healthcare

RoR developers built customized solutions that are easily adaptable to the client's needs. Due to its flexibility, RoR is a perfect choice for any web application working in a real-time and dynamic environment. 

Both the website and app of MyFitnessPal are built on Ruby on Rails.

4. Entertainment

RoR is a strong framework that can be applied to a wide range of applications, including entertainment websites like Hulu. The developers can quickly add new features to their apps and make ongoing improvements because the code is simple to read and alter.

How to hire the best Ruby on Rails developer for your project? 

Many companies require skilled RoR developers to meet their business needs. We have enlisted the following hiring process for those companies to get the best talent. With the right hiring process, you can hire some out-of-the-box talent and have them work like professionals to help you create a fantastic software product.  

Here are the steps for hiring a Ruby on Rails developer.

1. Determine your requirements: Before you start looking for a Ruby on Rails developer, determine your project requirements, the skills, and experience you're looking for, and the budget you're working with.

2. Post a job ad: Post a clear and concise job ad that accurately describes the position and its responsibilities, and highlights the qualifications and experience required. Make sure to mention any specific technologies or tools you require.

3. Screen resumes: Once you start receiving resumes, screen them carefully to identify candidates who meet your requirements. Look for candidates with experience working on similar projects and who possess the skills and experience you need.

4. Conduct initial interviews: Conduct initial interviews with the most promising candidates to get a sense of their skills and experience, and to assess their fit with your team and company culture. Ask questions that will help you evaluate their technical abilities and communication skills.

5. Ask for code samples: Ask promising candidates to provide code samples from previous projects. This will give you a better idea of their coding style, their ability to write clean and maintainable code and their approach to problem-solving.

6. Conduct technical interviews: Conduct technical interviews to evaluate the candidate's technical skills and knowledge. Prepare a list of technical questions related to Ruby on Rails, web development, and other relevant topics, and ask the candidate to solve coding challenges and problems.

7. Evaluate soft skills: Evaluate the candidate's soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities. Look for candidates who can work well with others and who are passionate about the work they do.

8. Make an offer: Once you've identified the top candidates, make an offer to the candidate who best meets your requirements and fits with your team and company culture. Be prepared to negotiate salary and other benefits.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Ruby on Rails is a great technology for building web applications, offering faster development, scalability, versatility, and security. When hiring Ruby on Rails developers, it's important to look for the necessary technical and soft skills, such as expertise in RoR, knowledge of front-end development and databases, communication skills, analytical and logical reasoning, and self-learning ability. 

There are several hiring models available for Ruby on Rails developers, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. It's important to choose the model that best fits your business needs, budget, and project requirements. With the right talent and hiring model, you can successfully develop and launch your high-performance Ruby on Rails web application.