How To Hire Kotlin Developers – A Quick Guide

Kotlin has become the first choice of programming language for Android app development. That’s because it’s a modern, expressive, and type-safe language that offers significant improvements over Java.

While mobile development remains one of the main domains for Kotlin, a significant share – almost half – belongs to web backend development. Kotlin is not only for Android!

The active Kotlin community has been continuously contributing to the entire ecosystem. About a third of respondents develop libraries and frameworks for Kotlin.

Besides, the number of people using Kotlin for more than 4 years has doubled since last year – developers  have stayed with Kotlin for a long time.

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Not just that, over 95% of the top 1000 Android apps contain Kotlin code.

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That shows more and more businesses are turning to Kotlin, leading to an increase in demand for Kotlin Developers.

However, when you decide to hire Kotlin developers for your team, you need to understand it can’t be executed overnight. The hiring process takes time, careful planning, and an understanding of what to look for in potential candidates.

Therefore, this guide on hiring Kotlin programmers will help you through every step of the process, from knowing what your company needs to deciding what kind of developer to look for.

Let’s begin with the following:

Kotlin Basics-What’s it

Introduced by JetBrains in 2016, Kotlin is a relatively new language in the programming world, yet it has quickly gained popularity among developers and businesses alike because of its intuitive and user-friendly design. 

It is a powerful, statically typed programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine and is designed to develop modern applications. Kotlin is interoperable with Java and can gradually improve Java codebases, or you can use it for new projects.

In order to start using Kotlin, the developers have to install any of these IDEs i.e. IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio. Typically, it mostly resembles a programming language used to build mobile applications, but it has a wider range of applications.

Kotlin can be used for server-side development, web development, data science, and scripting. Its versatility, combined with its expressive syntax and modern features, makes it a valuable tool for developers across various domains.

If your business is looking for a new language to invest in, Kotlin is a great choice. It’s gaining popularity quickly, has a good community support system, and has been officially endorsed by Google.

Why do Developers Pick Kotlin Programming Language?

Now let’s have a view on the facts that prove why it is favored by Kotlin developers but also help you to judge the candidates who can utilize these features in your projects.

• Streamlined Syntax: One advantage of Kotlin is that the language is versatile and makes it more efficient to work with by providing a more efficient syntax. That is why, according to Daniel Roy Greenfeld, an experienced coder, Kotlin is rather standard in terms of syntactic patterns and quite productive to implement.
• Productivity: As for Kotlin programming, the productivity of developers is high. When implemented, developers can create applications with less code. Some of its features like null safety and type inference assist in eliminating, or at least minimizing, runtime errors and improve performance.
• Interoperability with Java: Kotlin is completely compatible with Java and this indicates that the language can be used together with Java code. Due to this, it is a good choice for projects that need to gradually migrate from Java to Kotlin.
• Popularity Among Developers: Kotlin, with its efficiency and good code structure, has been discovered by JetBrains to be a preferred language by developers once adopted. It has gained much popularity from developers and is increasingly being adopted by big firms such as Google. Google has adopted Kotlin as the primary language to be used in developing many of its Android applications like- Maps, Home, Play, Drive, and Messages.
• Community and Ecosystem: Kotlin is an active project and its community is constantly expanding, and they provide a lot of tools, libraries, and frameworks. This strong ecosystem guarantees that developers have all the tools and support to succeed in their projects.

What is Kotlin Used For?

As it is described in official statistics, many developers still use Kotlin for Android and server-side programming. Within the last 2 years the proportion of multiplatform mobile development has risen by half and the proportion of desktop development has risen by a third.

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Kotlin is widely used:

1. Android Development
2. Server-side Development
3. Cross-platform Development 
4. Desktop Application Development
5. Scripting
6. Native Development 
7. Web Frontend Development

What are Kotlin Developers Roles and Responsibilities

Kotlin developers play a crucial role in software development, especially in the Android and server-side domains. Their responsibilities typically include:

1. Designing and Developing Kotlin Applications:

The Kotlin developers are engaged in writing clean, efficient, and maintainable Kotlin code. Asked to take care of the designing and implementing software architectures and components. They usually collaborate with the other team members to define and refine project requirements.

2. Testing and Debugging:

Another role of Kotlin developers is to sometimes perform unit tests, integration, and other types of tests to ensure code quality. They have to debug and troubleshoot tech issues that arose during the testing and development process.

3. Maintaining and Upgrading Applications:

Kotlin programmers are even given the responsibility to keep applications up-to-date with the latest Kotlin or framework version. Contributing to code reviews and providing feedback to other team members.

Specific Responsibilities May Vary Based on the Role and Project:

• Android Developers: Focus on creating Android apps using Kotlin, utilizing Android SDK and frameworks.
• Server-side Developers: Build backend systems and APIs using Kotlin, often working with frameworks like Ktor or Spring Boot.
• Multiplatform Developers: Develop applications that run on multiple platforms (Android, iOS, web, desktop) using Kotlin Multiplatform.

Skills To Look in Kotlin Developers

Now that you know what Kotlin is and why it might be a good investment for your business, it’s a good time to start thinking about your developers’ specific skills. 

When hiring Kotlin developers, there are some essential skills you should look for:

• Strong understanding of OOP(object-oriented programming) and app design patterns
• Experience with Android app development
• Experience with the Java programming language
• Experience with Android SDK and Android Studio is also required
• Knowledge of relational databases (e.g., MySQL, Oracle) and SQL
• It is necessary to be familiar with agile development techniques as well as CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with RESTful APIs and XML is required to link the app to backend services
• Excellent debugging abilities and knowledge of quality control procedures
• Good communication and problem-solving skills

If your business is looking for Kotlin developers with experience in Android application development, it’s important to remember that the Kotlin language is still relatively new. 

Many experienced Kotlin developers might not have much experience with it. However, they should have a strong understanding of object-oriented programming and design patterns.

Let’s get back to our top concern-

How to Hire Kotlin Developers?

There’s never been a better time to hire remote Kotlin developers for your application-building projects. Studies show that today, over 70 of Google’s apps are built with the programming language Kotlin. 

To make your app part of that list, you’ll need dedicated Kotlin programmers. And to bring one to your team, you’ll have to follow some steps to hire the right candidate. Herein, we have shared a few things on how to hire dedicated Kotlin developers for the project.

1. Identifying Your Project Requirements

The first step to hiring the best Kotlin developer for your project is to understand what you need. What type of application do you envision to build? Which one of them is it — an Android application, a web application, or something else? 

Dissecting these particulars will assist you in determining the sort of experience you require. Also, choose the amount of money you can afford to spend on the development team and any time constraints. An understanding of these elements will help you when hiring Kotlin programmers. This will make sure that you get the right candidate for the job.

2. Crafting a Comprehensive Job Description

Writing a great job description is key to attracting top Kotlin talent. A good or great job description includes the following elements:

• Responsibilities: Include writing clean Kotlin code on a day-to-day basis, working with other cross-functional teams, and performing various code reviews.
• Skills Required: The technical skills required include proficiency in Kotlin, experience in Java, and knowledge related to related frameworks and libraries.
• Experience: Indicate whether the job calls for junior developers, middle-level professionals, or senior experience with loads of Kotlin experience.
• Company Culture: Provide insights about your company culture. You can highlight the collaborative working environment, exciting projects, and any avenues for professional growth that your company might offer.
• Benefits: Outline the benefits of working with your team. Mention competitive salaries, health benefits, flexible working hours, and other perks. Note that across the United States, Kotlin developers earn an average of $61 per hour, which translates to about $127,151 annually. This can serve as a benchmark when crafting your job offer.
• Project Details: Provide a brief summary of the projects the candidate will work on. Be sure to specify if the project will be mobile-based, server-side, or integrated with existing Java code.
• Location and Remote Options: Specify the place of employment and remote work options.

With these elements, no doubt, your job description will attract qualified Kotlin developers and will be in line with your project needs and the culture of your company.

3. Sourcing Qualified Candidates

Now that you have your project blueprint in place, doing some candidate research is in order. Where would one start searching for a Kotlin app developer? Start by checking out platforms and networks where good developers are active. Some good sources to find potential talent platforms include LinkedIn, GitHub, and Stack Overflow.

You’ll find a number of profiles of skilled Kotlin programmers; you can then shortlist those that best suit the needs of your project. Also, specify whether you need remote Kotlin developers or whether you will accept developers in-house.

According to a JetBrains survey, 62% of developers prefer using Kotlin for mobile platforms, indicating a strong pool of mobile-focused candidates to explore.

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4. Evaluating Technical Skills

Once you are ready to hire Kotlin developers, it is time to assess the right skillset. Kotlin developers shall be firmly grounded in programming concepts and have a profound understanding of Kotlin as such.

A preferred candidate would be a developer experienced in Android application development, since Kotlin is the recommended language for Android development.

Also, question them if they can use Kotlin with Java, since most projects may require such a combination. Besides, skills of problem solving and teamwork are needed either.

Check their past work: code samples or GitHub repositories that may have been provided. Is the code clean and effective in doing the job while showcasing your knowledge of Kotlin?

Besides, if the candidate has contributed to open-source projects, review their involvement and the quality of their contributions. This can provide insight into their coding standards and collaborative skills.

5. Conducting Technical Interviews

Once you have a pool of candidates, the next step is the interview. That’s your chance to see if they possess all the required technical capabilities and will fit within the company culture. You may ask as many relevant questions as you would wish: 

• What are the benefits of using Kotlin over Java?
• Can you walk us through a Kotlin project you’ve worked on?
• How do you manage incompatibility issues between Kotlin and Java?

On top of that, provide coding challenges or assessments relevant to the needs of your project. Observe how applicants approach problems and their mode of thinking.

Test their understanding and insight regarding Kotlin-specific aspects: null safety, type interference, coroutines, and interoperability with Java. Make sure they fully grasp these very important basics.

Focus on assessing the candidate’s in-depth knowledge of Kotlin. Ask questions about key Kotlin features such as null safety, type inference, coroutines, and interoperability with Java.

6. Assessing Cultural Fit

While technical skills are important, don’t overlook the significance of soft skills. Can the Kotlin developer communicate effectively? Do they work well in a team setting? These qualities are crucial, especially if you hire remote Kotlin developers who need to collaborate virtually.

Conduct interviews to gauge how they handle deadlines, resolve conflicts, and adapt to changes. A Kotlin app developer with strong, soft skills will contribute positively to your team dynamics.

Organize team activities or collaborative tasks during the interview process. This will allow you to observe how candidates interact with your current team members and adapt to your company’s working style.

7. Checking References and Portfolios

Before you hire a Kotlin development company or a freelance developer, check their reviews and ask for references. This helps ensure they have a track record of delivering high-quality work. It’s always good to hear from past clients.

Verify dates of employment, title, and description of primary responsibilities from previous employers to confirm applicability of candidate’s resume.

Ask about work habits, reliability, and the ability to meet deadlines. Inquire about specific contributions they have made on past projects.

If freelancing, request feedback from your previous clients. This is most likely to yield valuable inputs about their professionalism, project management, and how the customer was satisfied.

Furthermore, identify patterns of growth and improvement regarding their career path. Be able to discuss how, over time, they have improved their skillsand taken on increasingly challenging roles.

8. Choosing Between In-House and Remote Developers

Now that you have your project’s requirements, the next thing is to decide whether you will hire in-house or remote Kotlin developers. Can you believe it? Remote work is trending upwards: 16% of companies worldwide are now fully remote. 

Hiring remote Kotlin developers offers theadvantage of flexibility and access to top talents from around the world. However, if you like to communicate with your fellow teammates and prefer to work collaboratively in real time, an in-house team is probably better for you.

9. Making a Competitive Offer

Use the industry standards to come up with a competitive salary for this position. The salary range for Kotlin developers starts from entry-level positions of, up to the experienced developer.

US-based Kotlin Engineers usually make around 138,000 USD per year, while most of the Kotlin Engineering salaries fall in the range of 100,000 USD to 198,000 USD per year.

Which means that if you make less than 100,000 USD, then this could be a good time to have a conversation with your boss about a raise or finding another higher-paying Kotlin Developer job in the United States.

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When you hire a Kotlin expert, it’s essential to offer a competitive package that reflects their skills and experience. Include benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and bonuses to sweeten the deal. Additionally, consider offering remote work options, as this flexibility is highly valued by many developers today.

10. Onboarding and Training

A well-designed onboarding process helps new recruits integrate with your team easily. Offer extensive resources and support to hit the ground running. Here’s how to do it:

• Welcome Kit: Design a welcome kit with the necessary tools, access credentials, and company merchandise that every hire will like when they join on the first day of work.
• Documentation: Provide detailed documentation on project architecture, coding standards, and development workflow.
• Mentorship: Pair up new developers with experienced mentors who will be able to guide them through their first few tasks and generally support them afterward.
• Training Sessions: Hold training sessions on critical technologies, tools, and practices relevant to your project. 
• Codebase Familiarization: Give an overview of the existing codebase and assign small tasks for them to get themselves familiar with it. 
• Regular Check-In: Set up regular check-ins to address questions and concerns and give constructive feedback.

Also, it is easy to make introductions to the team for a sense of belonging and teamwork. With these onboarding and training practices, you are going to set up your new Kotlin developers for success and guarantee that they become very productive members of your team as soon as possible.

How do you Find the Right Kotlin Developers?

It is now highly likely that you understand what you should expect from the potential Kotlin developers; it is time to discuss where to search for them. Here are a few tips:

1. Search the Internet for the Next Developer

Online job boards are very useful but also very basic to begin your search for Kotlin developers. In addition, they have a big database of potential employees, so it is also convenient to sort them by skills, experience, and geographical location. For this search, it is suggested to visit websites like Glassdoor.

2. Not Sure How to Get Referrals?

Overall, it is always helpful to ask your network when you are looking for a new hire in the company. Besides, it is highly probable that you are acquainted with someone who is acquainted with someone else in search of employment.

To hire Kotlin developers, we suggest asking friends, relatives, coworkers, etc., if they know someone who has worked with Kotlin. It never hurts to ask. Besides, you might be surprised to find out how many people you know.

3. Go to a Kotlin Conference or Kotlin Meetup

It is possible to find experienced Kotlin developers at Kotlin conferences and meet-ups. You will get to see some of the latest Kotlin technology in action but it will also be pretty cool to meet the face behind the technology.

Furthermore, it is crucial to tell the truth that all the Kotlin developers are not similar to each other. While some may be more experienced than others, you should endeavor to ask for portfolio samples and go through profiles carefully before hiring.

4. Use a Recruiting Agency

The second way to find Kotlin developers is to use a recruiting agency. Recruiting agencies have a big database of potential for the organization, and they understand how to locate the right talent for your business.

Besides, be ready to spend a considerable amount of money on recruiting agency services, but in most cases, it is worth trying to attract the best candidates.

5. Host a Kotlin Coding Challenge

You can also host your own Kotlin coding challenge to find the best Kotlin developers. This is a great way to assess candidates’ skills and see how they think on their feet.

Coding challenges can be time-consuming and expensive to set up, but they are a great way to assess candidates’ skills. With a coding challenge, you can see how candidates think and how they solve problems.

What Questions Should You Ask Kotlin Developers While Hiring?

Once you have found a few potential Kotlin developers, it’s essential to ask them some questions to see if they are a good fit for your team. Here are a few questions you can ask the deserving applicant:

• Can you tell me about your Kotlin’s experience?
• What is your experience with Android app development?
• What is your experience with object-oriented programming and design patterns?
• Have you ever worked on a project in Kotlin? If so, can I see the code?
• What are your thoughts on Kotlin’s potential for Android development?
• What are your thoughts on Kotlin’s potential for app development?
• What are the most significant benefits of using Kotlin for Android development?
• Are you familiar with any frameworks or libraries specific to Android app development?
• What questions do you have about Kotlin?

Furthermore, the answers to these questions can help you determine if the developer is a good fit for your team and your project. Remember that not all of these questions will be relevant for every candidate, so use your best judgment to decide which questions are most important.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Kotlin Developer?

Otherwise, if you are in quest of hiring Kotlin developers, your question would probably be about the cost. No, the truth is, there isn’t a single correct answer to this question. For hiring a Kotlin developer, the cost will vary based on the developer’s experience and skill level, as well as his location.

Let’s break them down:

1. Experience Level: Generally, the experience level is directly proportional to the cost. While a junior Kotlin developer would charge anywhere between $25 to $50 per hour, a senior Kotlin developer could command an hourly rate anywhere from $50 to $100 or even higher. Everything depends on the depth of their expertise and the complexity of projects they have done.
2. Location: It goes without saying that the location of the developer will play a huge role in determining the cost. For example, Kotlin developers from India are generally more budget-friendly, with rates ranging between $25 and $75 per hour. In sharp contrast, hiring a Kotlin developer from the United States may cost a great deal more, typically running from $75 to $150 per hour. Living costs and the demand for a certain service in the local labor market feature big here.
3. Project Difficulty: If you want to hire a Kotlin programmer to develop some easy app, then this will be less expensive compared to cases when a complicated and big enterprise application is required. The more complex the project is, the more experience and time a software developer will have to invest in it, raising the final cost.
4. Freelance/Full Time: Do you want to hire a freelance Kotlin developer or full-time Kotlin programmer on your team? Freelance developers are more flexible and can be more budget-friendly for small projects. In case of long-term support, it is worth hiring dedicated Kotlin developers or a Kotlin development company.

This is a reasonably wide range, so be sure to ask for quotes from several developers before deciding. Also, remember the cost of hiring a developer will vary depending on your location and the currency exchange rate.

Why Hire Kotlin Developers from India?

This brings me to the question that you might be asking yourself right now, why hire Kotlin developers from India? This may be just because India can provide a large talent market at affordable rates with quality services. 

Indeed, as stated by the report by NASSCOM, India turns out over 1.5 million engineers per year. Is it that much to select or pick from dear?

Here are some reasons to consider India for hiring Kotlin developers:

1. Competitively Priced Solutions: Compared with their counterparts in the developed world, Indian Kotlin developers offer fairly affordable app development services that allow companies to get the most out of their investments.
2. Huge Talent Pool: India has a lot of young IT talents, which is why there are many skilled Kotlin developers out there. Here, when it comes to freelance Kotlin developers or full-fledged Kotlin developer teams, you can easily get good ones.
3. English Proficiency: In any development project, communication is very central. On the brighter side, the majority of Indian developers are able to comprehend and speak fluent English, which helps in collaboration.
4. Flexibility and Time Zone Advantages of hiring Kotlin developers from India are virtual working culture is acceptable and guarantees round-the-clock service delivery. This will mean there is no delay in workflow and your project continues apace.
5. Technical Expertise: Indian developers are proficient in different modern technologies. They do bring technical expertise to the table to make sure your project is built with the best industry practices.

Wrapping Up!

There are several approaches to finding a Kotlin developer, and the ideal one relies on your requirements and budget. You can find developers through recruiting agencies, online job boards, or by hosting a coding challenge.

Once you have found a few potential Kotlin developers, it’s essential to ask them some questions to see if they are a good fit for your team and your project. Ask about their experience with Kotlin, Android development, and object-oriented programming. 

Moreover, you can always consult experts for help in finding the right Kotlin developers. You can reach out to top-tier Kotlin development companies like ScalaCode, ready to provide a list of certified Kotlin developers in India. We have a specialized team of pre-vetted Kotlin mobile app developers that has already been trained to provide our global clientele with end-to-end Kotlin app development solutions.