How to Hire a Big Data Developer Successfully

Data is the new gold when it comes to day-to-day business operations, such as marketing, conducting product research, or even making periodical projections. Moreover, data interactions have increased by nearly 5,000% over the last 12 years. For this reason, 91% of organizations are channeling significant investments toward AI and big data.

hire big data developer

Big data is beneficial to organizations in many ways. For instance, Netflix leverages technologies to save more than $1 billion annually in customer retention. Businesses also hire big data experts to innovate products faster, optimize operational costs, enhance efficiency, run targeted campaigns, as well as gain an overall competitive edge in their respective industries.

However, hiring a big data specialist can be pretty daunting especially if you are doing it on a clock, or for the first time. Here is a quick guide on how to hire top-notch developers that follow big data current trends. We also highlight the relevant skills and requirements that potential candidates should possess before hiring them to work on your project. Keep reading to learn more.

Demand for Data Solutions: Reasons to Hire Big Data Developer

Why should you hire big data developers in 2022 and beyond? It will help if you understand why organizations are focusing on data in the first place. Consumers generate up to  2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. At the same time, new technologies are emerging, making it even more challenging for organizations.

Fortunately, specialists, such as engineers can help businesses make sense out of raw or unstructured data and turn it into useful chunks. That said, here are the reasons why you should hire big data architects going forward.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Architecture positions reached  2,720,000 openings in 2020 alone. The number keeps on increasing and will likely double in the next few years, given that we are now living in a world where nearly everything is done online. This growing demand signals one thing. Businesses now see data analytics as a necessity, and not just an option when it comes to gaining a competitive edge.

Similarly, hiring data specialists now will save you from making last-minute rushes amid an acute talent shortage. From a long-term perspective, it only makes sense if you find an engineer now instead of waiting for pressure to mount on your full-time employees.

Solve Issues as They Arise

A specialized talent with a problem-solving mindset can help you resolve matters as they arise and succeed where competitors stumble. Big data tasks are getting complex with time, with  77% of businesses reporting challenges in adopting this trend. Hire ambitious professionals today who can improve their skills as technology evolves and tackle your tasks efficiently.

Better Decision-Making Processes

Running a business in this modern era entails making crucial decisions daily. An engineer can help you clear doubts when making such decisions because data science reveals patterns and possible outcomes that can give you a near-proof accuracy.

Big Data is Serious Business

Both small and big businesses have multiple data collection points. This can include complex inventory updates to simple customer information when buyers are checking out. The challenge comes when businesses need to store and use this data securely and legally, especially in compliance with various security and privacy laws, GDPR in Europe or APAC in Asia. A competitive data engineer can ensure that you achieve all these to drive your business forward.

Big data software development encompasses various technologies that are used to achieve various objectives. As an IT-driven company, you should find a team for hire that is well-versed in the following fields:

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics technology is critical when it comes to forecasting future events, based on prior data. An engineer can use this technology to make upcoming inferences, such as market trends and consumer behavior within a specific period. Predictive analytics usually works in tandem with other technologies, such as mathematical models, data mining, machine learning, and statistical modeling.

SQL-Based Technologies

Structured query language, popularly abbreviated as SQL, is a programming language used for structuring data, as well as managing stored or warehouse data. This technology delivers retrieval and accumulation data methods when deployed in web applications. Besides enhancing computations speed in NoSQL, SQL technologies simplify horizontal scaling to multiple devices and increase flexibility when dealing with various sets. Organizations looking to hire professionals versed in this field usually deal with collecting terabytes of user data every day.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence or AI marries various computer science technologies to design smart machines that work at a faster pace, with greater accuracy than human minds. AI augments various technologies, such as machine learning and deep learning to draw intelligence from unprocessed data and aid in decision-making processes.

R Programming

R is the most preferred computer language by statisticians and data miners working on open-source projects. This programming language is popular among full-stack developers as it is available as free software. Besides creating unified building environments, such as Visual Studio and Eclipse, engineers leverage R programming language to visualize and compute statistical data, as well as build statistical software for real-time data analytics.

Data Lakes

Data lakes can include a centralized repository that stores all types of data, whether structured or unstructured, at a large scale. This technology allows organizations to save data from multiple sources, such as click streams, log files, IoT devices, or social media networks as it is. Engineers can then parse this data through machine learning processes or predictive analytics to spot real-time opportunities and drive business growth, sustain productivity, as well as engage customers.

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Skills and Responsibilities of a Big Data Developer

Data Analysis

Hire big data architect developers who have extensive knowledge and experience in statistical as well as quantitative analysis. Typically, data engineers use various tools, such as Hive to facilitate real-time analysis. Hive can help developers parse large-scale data stored in Hadoop HDFS. Big data professionals should also be able to analyze data by visualizing it. That means they should be well-versed with various visualization tools, such as QlikSense, QlikView, or Tableau.

Coding

A big data developer who understands coding should have extensive knowledge and hands-on skills in at least one coding language. Watch out for experts who can code in Scala, Java, R, or Python programming languages. Although these computer languages usually feature the same syntax, the logic is the same. Thus, a candidate versed in one language can quickly learn another one and adapt to the needs of your business.

Data Expertise

Data expertise entails practical skills in mining, as well as machine learning. A talent with mining skills can help your business optimize the processes of data extraction, storage, and processing. The most sought-after mining tools that complement expertise include Rapid Miner, KNIME, and Apache Mahout. At the same time, if you build machine learning team with proper skills and expertise it will help you personalize, classify, and recommend systems that drive business growth.

Transforming Data

Businesses need to transform unstructured data into structured one so that they can make sense out of it. The primary language used to achieve this objective is the SQL or Structured Query Language. The language can help manage and transform structured data stored across multiple databases. Moreover, SQL is the backbone of the field, and getting a talent versed in it is a bonus to your business.

Warehousing Data

Keeping up with structured data can be pretty daunting, given that businesses generate and extract vast amounts of data on a daily basis. That said, warehousing is increasingly becoming an option when businesses complement unstructured data operations with structured ones. Experts should have hands-on skills in NoSQL to store and manage all types of data, including structured, unstructured, and semi-structured.

Special Skills and Expertise

Some skills usually cut across all candidates. However, it will help if you go for talents that possess special skills and expertise, such as Apache Spark, Cloudera, Cassandra, or even MongoDB, and HBase, especially if you are going to gain a competitive edge over other players in your industry. Newxel can help you find big data developers and AI team roles skilled in any tech stack and onboard them to your dedicated offshore team to drive innovation.

Where to Find a Big Data Programmer

You already understand the requirements of a go-to expert, as well as the business benefits of working with these professionals as early as now. But where can you find and hire a big data programmer or developer? Here are the options:

Top Global Destinations for Big Data Experts

You can find and hire big data experts in global destinations, such as Ukraine, which has more than  71 firms committed to this field. Other countries that have extensive talent pools for these experts include Poland, Romania, Canada, Bulgaria, and Portugal.

Freelance Websites

Big data experts are also available for hire on freelance websites, such as Upwork and Glassdoor. However, it will help if you understand the business risks and benefits of working with freelance experts before you choose to explore this route. For instance, you may not have full control of your project, given that you are working with a “freelancing” professional, who might be working on other projects, as well, at the same time. Thus, they may not be in a position to meet your intricate business needs.

Vendors

Alternatively, you can work with vendors, such as Newxel, and build a dedicated team of big data experts from scratch to drive the latest technologies implementation in your business. Companies like ours have access to a wider pool of talents, on a global scale. This means you can hire a big data engineer on the go or any tech stack that is relevant to your project requirements.

Tips to Choose a Data Developer: More Than Skills and Expertise

Development is a tech-driven field that requires strong technical expertise. However, businesses and organizations need to go beyond technical know-how. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to hire a big data programmer who will adapt to your business needs seamlessly, besides bringing a host of technical skills for driving product innovation.

Look for Problem-Solving Skills

A business should proactively anticipate problems and resolve them as they arise before they can be detrimental to the organization. Big data experts with problem-solving skills can help you achieve that by leveraging various tools and techniques. Even better, a problem-solving mindset can help you gauge the potential consequences of a specified risk and lay down necessary mitigation plans to prevent them in the event of the risk.

Hire Candidates with an Innovative Mindset

Innovative thinking is key if you are going to enhance business performance with minimal effort and risks. Big data experts with an innovative mindset can explore multiple possible solutions and evaluate their feasibility before implementation. Your team will give you numerous proposals geared toward driving business growth and product innovation, so that you can stay ahead of the curve, as far as competition is concerned.

Education and Integration of Global Development Processes

We are living in a fast-paced technology world. Big data developers should have an extensive background in education and integration of global development processes geared towards bridging the gap between health, education, and job opportunities. Hiring talents with this background will help you build a sustainable development team with lower attrition rates.

Leadership Skills

Big data experts are like any other employees in your organization. Finding talents that possess leadership skills can transform your business in many ways, such as establishing value, as well as engaging teams to drive better results. An engineer who is a great leader will inspire junior developers to bring new ideas to the table and drive innovation as a team.

Interview Questions to Ask when Looking for Big Data Developers for Hire

Knowing how to hire a big data developer is one thing. However, determining whether they are fit for the job or can match your prevailing needs is a different thing altogether. Here are some interview questions to ask your big data developer candidate before onboarding them to your extended team.

Interview Questions for Soft Skills

  • How can you leverage the knowledge of big data to support and drive business growth in our organization?
  • Have you worked with other BD developers? What was your experience working as an intern or senior developer? Anything you learned on the job?
  • Do you consider yourself a team member?
  • Can you write business reports in multiple languages?
  • What’s your take on time management and punctuality when it comes to big data development?

Gauging Social Interactions and Communications

  • Tell us more about a partner you once worked with but couldn’t get along with. What was the reason?
  • What can you do if your supervisor rejects all your proposals even if they seem to make business sense?
  • Why do you want this job? How can you keep up with the challenges and pressure in our industry?
  • How should you resolve a problem if you disagree with your team members?
  • Do you have anger management issues?

Unexpected Questions that Reveal a Lot About the Talent

  • What’s your take on this whole interview process?
  • Can you tell us more about the 5Vs of big data, and what’s your take on them?
  • Do you find it productive working with real-time job trackers?
  • How can you describe your soft and technical expertise in three words?

Common Mistakes When Hiring a Big Data Developer for R&D Projects

Many organizations hire big data developers often, usually on an ongoing basis, given that the current IT space is pretty dynamic. However, sometimes, even the most experienced HR professionals fail to recruit the right candidates by unwittingly committing mistakes. With that in mind, here are some mistakes to avoid when hiring a talent for your R&D project.

Limiting Talent Search and Pool

Businesses often look up to onshore development teams because they can collaborate easily and have lesser responsibilities when it comes to data privacy and intellectual property management. However, this only limits their talent search within one region. Ideally, you should always recruit on a global scale, where you can find specialized talents at relatively affordable rates than you can imagine.

Downplaying Hiring Experience

You should have a good hiring experience if you want to attract top talents who will participate in the whole recruitment process. For instance, your job description should be as detailed as possible to attract value-matched candidates only. That said, don’t use a convoluted title or vague descriptions with generic requirements. It makes you look unprofessional, not serious at all.

Overlooking Cultural Fit

Big data talents are not AI systems that can be programmed to execute perfect codes in any environment. In other words, they are humans who must fit within the culture of your organization if they are going to perform optimally.

Hiring for Wrong Purposes

Should you hire a big data developer with a recognizable university degree or practical skills and tech know-how that doesn’t encompass formal education? There is no clear-cut answer to this. It all boils down to your project requirements, given that  80% of HR professionals often hire developers with no formal education background.

Bypassing the Tryout Stage

Credentials are good. However, hands-on skills and experience are better when hiring an expert to develop your next data warehouse. It will help if you let potential candidates demonstrate their coding and algorithm skills before onboarding them to your dedicated team. For instance, you would want to test candidates on math, recursion, dynamic programming, as well as graphs and arrays.

7 Steps to Hire Dedicated Big Data Engineers and Engage Budding Talents

Recruiting big data talents can be a daunting process, depending on your project requirements, and the type of tech stack you want to be included in your dedicated team. However, you can recruit candidates successfully in the following 7 easy steps:

  • Define project requirements in detail
  • Job announcement and talent sourcing
  • Recruitment meeting
  • CV collection and personal skills presentation
  • Technical interview, accompanied with test tasks to gauge skills
  • The final interview to approve client needs are met
  • Offer presentation and contract signing

How Newxel Can Help You Hire Big Data Team to Boost Your Business

Newxel can help you hire a dedicated team of developers to drive your big data project in various industries, such as Fintech, automotive, retail, or even healthcare. We hire teams with the best retention rate of up to 94% to ensure that you work with professionals geared towards long-term collaboration, which enhances quality consistency.

Our onboarding process is seamless but thorough to match you with value-matched talents only. We can help you hire big data engineers, predictive analyst experts, or any tech stack that is relevant to your project requirements. Even better, you can benefit from our turnkey services that go beyond recruitment, such as HR and legal support, account management, and offshore office space branding to expand your product outreach to overseas markets. Contact us to get started today.

FAQ

How quickly can I hire big data developers?
You can hire big data developers within 3 to 5 weeks after initiating contact with a reputable recruitment service provider, such as Newxel.
Does a freelance big data engineer suit your business?
A freelance big data engineer can suit your business if you are working on a short-term or one-off project. They might not be ideal for long-term or sensitive projects that require close, real-time collaboration.
What Role do Big Data developers play in project's success?
Big data developers can find trends and market insights by analyzing all types of data, whether structured, unstructured or semi-structured. They also streamline the process of gathering and extracting information from multiple sources to drive innovation.
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