Top 6 Tips When Hiring .NET Developers

Josephine Mariñas

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August 18, 2023

.NET (pronounced “dot net”) is a versatile, cross-platform, and open source framework that runs on Microsoft Windows. Due to the wide range of platforms built using .NET, the demand for skilled .NET developers is quite high. Scouting for talented developers can be a pain, here are simple tips you can practice when hiring .NET developers.

Tip #1: Know the basics

It’s important to understand the basics of the language and its developers to help you know what to look for when hiring .NET developers, and where to find them. Try to be familiar with industry terminologies as much as you can.

What you need to know about the .NET framework and .NET Developers:

.NET developers work with the .NET framework and use one or more of its supported programming languages such as C#, VB.NET. In addition, they also know most of the .NET stacks like ASP.NET, WPF, and WinForms, and other popular frameworks. It is best to know the required skill set so you can find your ideal .NET developer.

.NET frameworks for Front-end development:
• SaaS
• Angular JS
• Bootstrap
• JavaScript
• CSS
• HTML

.NET frameworks for Back-end development:
• .NET Web API
• .NET MVC
• Signal R

.NET developers should also have a good understanding of:
• Object Oriented Programming concepts
• .NET Programming concepts
• .NET framework
• Windows Controls
• Windows Workflow foundation

Tip #2: Specify your job description

After gaining an idea and understanding of the .NET framework, it is important to clarify your desired skill sets. Make sure to state a brief description of the job role and responsibilities, what are the required programming languages, methodologies, experiences, and all other requirements. A detailed job description allows you to attract and gather the right developers who will best fit your position.

Note: Even though most companies look for .NET developers, some, if not most, developers prefer to be called as C# developers. This is why it’s important to provide a detailed job description.

Tip #3: Go to where they spend their time

Sites such as LinkedIn are great places to start with, however, to access a larger pool of .NET developers, consider sourcing them at places where they usually spend their time online.

To help you out, here are some top online spots where you can start looking for .NET developers:

Github - One of the world’s largest community of developers, this is the perfect place to look for skilled .NET developers.

Forums - Online forums such as Microsoft’s ASP.NET forum, Tek-Tips.com, and the VB.NET forums are places .NET developers share information and ask questions.

Stack Overflow - Another large online community, this is where developers across the globe build their reputation by answering questions from other programmers.

Reddit - There are a few subreddits on the topic of ‘recruitment’ where you can post job ads or recruit promising developers.

Meetups - Going to meetup.com, and by joining relative groups allows you to source potential .NET developers in person.

Quora - An advantage of this platform is that it allows you to know a person’s profession and fields of expertise. Try sourcing for developers among the people answering questions about tech, programming, and .NET.

Blogs - Many great .NET developers actually have their own blogs or websites. Search for the most popular .NET blogs and start scouting from there.

Note: For a successful recruitment, the best action is to take a multi-channel approach. At the same time, keep in mind that these channels are not meant for job huntings so it is best to be patient when sourcing through these channels.

Tip #4: Focus on promising candidates

While there are many great .NET developers available, it is important to remember that when hiring .NET developers, you should only entertain those who fit your criteria. This may be an obvious thing to do, however, due to the tech shortage in most countries, the lack of programmers make some recruiters settle for developers who either do not fully fit the requirements or who are simply “affordable”. Zero in on promising developers. It will save you time, effort and resources scouting for talented .NET developers.

Related article: 8 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Programmer

Tip #5: Make sure to ask technical questions

The interview process is the most important part when hiring .NET developers. This is where you will thoroughly get to know your .NET developer’s. Aside from the usual questions such as “What have you accomplished?” and “What are your strengths?”, it is best to ask questions tailored to your requirements.

Consider asking this kind of technical questions to gauge your candidate’s understanding of the .NET framework:

Explain what is OOP, and its relation to the .NET framework.

Answer: OOP stands for “object-oriented programming” and has four basic features: abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. OOP languages such as C# and Visual Basic.NET are core languages supported by .NET. OOP also enables .NET developers to create modular programs that can be assembled as applications. It is also a technique that allows a .NET developer to create classes that contain properties, events, methods, fields, and other logical modules.

Differentiate a Stack from a Queue.

Answer: The two are examples of collections. A Queue processes elements in a FIFO (First in First Out) order meaning the first item in the Queue is read first. Meanwhile, a stack processes elements in a LIFO (Last In First Out) order meaning the last item added to the Stack is read first.

Differentiate a class from an object, and explain its relation to each other.

Answer: Object is a collection of entities that have an identity, behaviour, and attributes. On the other hand, a Class is a collection of objects of a similar type. As for their relation, the two are related to the fact that a class describes the properties and states that are common to a group of objects.

What is the difference between managed and unmanaged code?

Answer: Managed code refers to code compiled to an intermediate language rather than to a machine code. It also runs on CLR (Common Language Runtime). On the other hand, unmanaged code refers to code compiled to a machine code and directly executed by the OS. Both codes are interoperable meaning they are able to exchange and use information.

Note: This question shows .NET developers understanding of CLR which is an important part of the .NET framework.

Tip #6: Do technical tests

This seems like a normal part of an interview process, but, surprisingly, not all companies require a technical test. When hiring .NET developers, or any developers, make sure to do technical trials to see your candidates’ capabilities. This will actually show the extent of their skills and experience, and their fittingness to the role.

For more on developer hiring tips, here are 11 Great Practices to Help You Hire Software Developers.

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.NET Developers