The Ultimate Guide to Hiring PHP Developers

Are you planning to use PHP to build your website? PHP is a versatile programming language developers can use to create dynamic web applications. 

And the good part is that many businesses are turning to it and its frameworks, making hiring developers necessary. 

Do you want to hire the best PHP developers? We know it isn't easy to hire an experienced programmer from a large pool of developers. 

So, we have written this article to help you hire the right PHP web developers to work on your project. 

Key Points

• PHP is an open-sourced programming language web developers can use to build a dynamic website. It is beginner-friendly, fast, versatile and has large community support.
• A PHP programmer is a web developer skilled in using the coding language to build a software product like a website or application.
• To hire a PHP coder, you can engage freelancers, hire in-house developers, or outsource your project to a nearshore development company. The last option gives you access to an ecosystem of developers across tech stacks.
• Suppose you want to employ the best PHP web developer. In that case, you must know your project requirements, consider the experience, technical and soft skills, and evaluate the programmer's portfolio before conducting interviews and signing contracts.

What Is PHP?

PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is an open-source server-side programming language that developers can use to build dynamic websites or applications, including Graphical User Interfaces. 

As a coding language that runs on every major operating system, it is used in server-side programming to create desktop and cross-platform applications. Some of the PHP features that make it stand out as one of the best programming languages for building websites are: 

• Beginner-friendly. PHP is easy to learn because it has simple syntax beginners can easily grasp.
• Speed. This programming language is three times faster than other server-side languages, making it perfect for building a fast-loading website.
• Frameworks. PHP has lots of frameworks for web developers to build an application. Since frameworks make web development easy, using one will increase the time to market when building a website for your business.
• Support. You can get plenty of documentation and support online for your web development project.
• Multi-function. With PHP, you can build an e-commerce website for your business. Also, you can create a blog, desktop app, and social media site. 

What Is a PHP Developer?

A PHP programmer is a software engineer specialising in building, testing, and deploying software using the PHP programming language. 

The engineer usually works within a process known as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The SDLC contains six stages: analysis, design, development and testing, implementation, documentation, and evaluation. 

PHP engineers work in a team to build web applications but can work alone as freelancers. Below are some of the roles of a PHP developer. 

• Building, testing, and deploying new websites or applications that meet users' expectations.
• Testing websites on all platforms to ensure that it works as intended and fixing compatibility issues, if any.
• Debugging the code and fixing errors before deployment so that the application will work efficiently.
• Communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders to complete the task effectively and efficiently.
• Provide a detailed description of the application specifications, like the product features, technologies, budget, functionalities, and architecture.
• Create a plan for keeping the web app updated to improve performance. 

Why Should I Hire PHP Programmers?

There are several reasons to hire PHP coders to create a web application for your business. We have listed just a few of them below. 

• Exceptional technical skills. If you want experts to build a product that works for your business, you should hire skilled programmers. Their great technical skills allow them to do various tasks like developing a dynamic website, desktop application, APIs, etc., for their clients.  
• Maintain your website. Another reason to hire PHP developers is that they will help you maintain your website regularly. They can easily do that because they have written clean code and ensured high development quality.
• Guaranteed quick turnaround. Hiring the best programmers to work on your project will ensure the best development quality within the shortest duration and guarantee quick turnaround times for project deliveries.
• Guaranteed access to a better business strategy. Experts offer innovation that few developers can match. So, when you hire a programmer skilled in PHP, you can rest assured that your software development project needs are met because they will follow a business-oriented approach.
• Enough experience. Technical skills are insufficient if a software engineer cannot convert your ideas into a real product. An experienced developer can build a product based on your business idea

Where Can I Find PHP Developers? 

Ready to build your website or application? You must know where to find the right software engineers to build a user-friendly product that is just right for your business. 

There are three ways to get PHP developers. You can hire freelancers or hire an in-house developer. Better still, you can outsource your project to a nearshore development company and get access to numerous software engineers across tech stacks. 

Let's consider the hiring options now. 

Hire Freelancers

Freelance PHP developers are self-employed professionals that develop websites for different clients and get paid for each project. They work from home and are capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously. 

You can hire freelance PHP programmers if you have a less complex, one-time project. But before engaging one, you should know some of the setbacks of hiring freelancers to build your website. 

Web development projects require the service of more than one expert. 

Sometimes, a team of developers is responsible for building a website that meets a business's needs. If you hire a freelancer, scaling your team can lead to issues because the programmers might not be able to work in sync. 

Also, software development projects require a project manager to oversee tasks from beginning to end. You will not have a dedicated project manager if you hire freelancers, which can cause serious issues with the quality of your software product.

Hire In-house Developers

If you don't want to hire freelancers, another option is to engage an in-house programmer. This hiring option is great because the developer will work from your office, and you can communicate whenever you want. 

But you have to write a detailed job description, do interviews, vetted, and onboard the software developer yourself, which is an uphill task. 

Aside from that, you must invest in more resources like office space and tech tools the programmer will use and pay benefits besides a basic salary.

Outsource Your Project

Outsourcing your project to a nearshore development company like Deazy is another way to find expert PHP programmers to build your website. The benefit of hiring nearshore developers is that you will get access to lots of programmers with different skills and technologies. 

If you have to scale your team and hire more developers, you can do that easily. Organising your web development project yourself if you are not a software engineer is difficult. That is why most startups fail when they hire freelancers to build your software. 

When you outsource your project to a nearshore development company, you will get a dedicated project manager to help you plan it from beginning to end. 

Tips for Hiring the Best PHP Developers

Are you ready to hire dedicated PHP programmers? This process requires a careful plan because you have to know the project requirements, interview several experts, check their technical and soft skills and assess their experiences. Let's consider the tips one after the other.

Know Your Project Requirements

What kind of software product do you want to build with PHP? Do you need a core PHP developer to code your website or application? Or do you need a programmer proficient in open-source frameworks like Laravel or Symfony? 

You have to know your project requirements to hire the right developer for the task. If, for example, you want to build an e-commerce website with a PHP framework, you need a programmer with e-commerce experience. 

Also, it would help if you tried to write a clear project description to help the software engineer have an idea of what to do and when to do them. The more specific you are about the deliverables, the easier it is to hire the right fit to work on your project. 

Consider the Experience 

The experience level of the developer matters when hiring a PHP programmer. You must determine the experience based on your project's complexity. There are three types of programmers to choose from - junior, mid-level, and senior developers. 

• Junior PHP programmers. These developers are new to PHP development and can handle a less complex project. They know the basics and can build some of the functionalities. While they may charge less for a project, remember that they cannot handle large and complex projects and are often supervised by senior developers.
• Mid-level PHP programmers. Unlike junior developers, mid-level programmers have some years of experience and can handle most tasks given to them. They usually charge more than junior programmers because they are skilled in core PHP and frameworks like Laravel or CodeIgniter. Aside from that, they can develop a market-ready software product for your business.
• Senior PHP programmers. These professionals are very skilled in building websites or applications using PHP. They have years of experience and can develop a go-to-market software product for your business. While senior PHP developers may charge more, they are the best option if you want someone to turn your idea into a product that meets your business needs and users' expectations. Their skill level is high because they are competent in core PHP and major frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, etc. 

Consider Technical and Soft Skills

When hiring a PHP developer, you must evaluate the technical and soft skills to know if the engineer is the right fit. Some of the tech skills a developer must have are: 

• Knowledge of core PHP. Every developer must know core PHP data types, structure, variables, arrays, loops, functions, object-oriented programming, etc.
• Front-end technologies. The programmer must have a working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript because they are the languages used to create web pages. Since PHP is integrated with HTML, in-depth knowledge will help a coder build a dynamic website.
• PHP Frameworks. Frameworks make it easy for a developer to code a website or application fast instead of writing code from scratch. If you want a scalable web app, the programmer can use frameworks like Laravel or CodeIgniter to build it. So, you should hire a PHP coder with enough knowledge of different frameworks.
• Database management. PHP experts must be able to build a database using languages like SQL, MySQL, etc. Also, the developer must be able to connect to the database and store, retrieve and update information.
• Content Management System (CMS). Knowledge of CMS such as Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress can help a PHP expert to create and maintain customised web apps. CMS like WordPress can help you streamline your company's content management process. That is why you should hire a PHP programmer that knows CMS.
• Communication. Written and oral communication is necessary when working with a PHP web developer. If problems arise, communicating with the team members and the project owner is essential to get the job done quickly. Hire a PHP engineer with exceptional communication and collaboration skills.
• Collaboration. Web developers must collaborate with their clients to understand a project and fulfil all the deliverables. You should engage a PHP programmer who can work as a team.
• Organisation and time management. The developer must be able to organise activities to build a software product fast. It will help if you watch out for an experienced programmer with excellent time management skills.
• Problem-solving skills. Problems or setbacks do occur when developing software. How a developer handles them depends on the experience. 

Check the Programmer's Portfolio

Most PHP developers have past projects they have done for clients that you can examine before making your decision. 

So, check past works, the technology used and verified reviews. If you outsource your PHP project to an IT outsourcing company, you can review their website for past works. 

Interview the Programmer 

After shortlisting different programmers, you must interview them to understand their portfolio and experience. The interview process will help you become better acquainted with the developers and decide whether you will hire them. 

Before the interview, you must prepare technical questions to ask those you have shortlisted. Here are some technical interview questions for PHP coders. 

• How do you enable and handle error reporting in PHP?
• How will you connect to the database in PHP?
• Which database technology can you use?
• What are objects in PHP?
• Define composer.
• How will you store, retrieve and update information from a database with PHP?
• What are classes and inheritance in PHP?
• How do you test and debug code in PHP?

You can hire when you are certain that the developer can answer all the questions you ask proficiently. 

Sign Contracts

The contract details must include every deliverable, deadline, budget, and technology used to build your software product. You can sign contracts and hire a PHP coder when you are sure that everything is in order. 

Conclusion

To hire PHP developers, you must do your homework and better equip yourself with all the necessary information if you know little about software development. You have to describe your project details, list all the deliverables, choose a hiring option, interview the shortlisted programmers and check the portfolio. 

Are you ready to build your software product with PHP? Outsource your software project to a nearshore development company like Deazy, and we will assign the best PHP developer to work on it. 

Book a call to learn more today. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Hire a Dedicated PHP Developer?

There are three ways to hire a PHP developer if you have a web development project. You can hire freelancers and in-house developers or outsource your project to a nearshore development company. Outsourcing your project will give you access to a team of programmers with different skills and guarantee that only the best developer handles your project. 

What Is PHP Used for?

PHP is a scripting language used to build dynamic websites. It is a server-side programming language that makes it easy to connect to the database to store, retrieve and update your clients' information. A PHP web developer can use the language to build an interactive site or app and content management system.

References 

https://radixweb.com/blog/tips-hiring-php-developers

https://www.clariontech.com/blog/how-to-hire-best-php-developers-for-your-web-development

https://www.turing.com/resources/guide-to-hiring-professional-php-programmers

https://www.trio.dev/blog/hire-php-developer

https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/what-is-php/

https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/role/php-developer

https://www.simplilearn.com/how-to-become-a-php-developer-article 

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/skills-required-for-php-developer

https://www.turing.com/resources/why-hire-php-developers