The concept of Agile development has been around for a long time and so have been their benefits. The revolutionary model of software development helps with not just timely delivery of the digital product but also ensuring the high quality of the software.
While in huge demand, the struggle of finding an agile software development team is real. Irrespective of what reasons a business has for going agile (more on that later), it can be difficult to find an agile development team that holds expertise in handling the pressures that come tagged with the model.
In this article, we will be looking into how to hire agile developers in their entirety. Meaning, we will dive into why businesses are choosing agile, agile team structures, what makes a successful agile team, etc.
Let us set off by looking into the benefits of going agile.
Although the above image is self-explanatory in terms of the benefits businesses are drawing from going Agile, let us, nonetheless, talk about the benefits that reinstate why is agile winning.
The Benefits of Agile Software Development
Greater quality
In agile app development testing happens at every stage of the development cycle. This eradicates the occurrence of errors which immensely increases the products’ quality and lowers the development time.
Higher team effectiveness
One of the key features of the model is that the agile software developers work in close collaboration with other team members and clients. Meaning, the role of each member is clearly defined and the team helps each other work in sprint and overcome obstacles. This close collaboration makes the development process extremely efficient.
Continuous product improvement
Since the product development happens on a simultaneous basis, any change or modification is addressed in the initial phases and/or in the mid-stages. The agile solution development team never has to wait for the process to end to go back to the basics and make changes, like in the case of the waterfall app development approach.
What Does An Agile Development Team Looks Like?
In every agile software development company in USA there are usually 5 to 6 members working under three roles:
- The product owner: The PO is often the key stakeholder of the team. They carry a vision for the end product and the goals that the client wishes to achieve. The person makes direct communication efforts and alerts the team of high-level changes.
- The scrum master: They are usually the guardian and feedback givers. A number of agile software development company, us too, denote them as project managers. They look over the day-to-day functions like maintaining scrum meetings, checking with team members, and ensuring that the tasks are being completed on time.
- The team members: They are the project makers – developers, marketers, testers, designers, etc. They carry multiple roles and skillsets and work towards getting the stuff done on time.
While this is the team structure that we follow in our agile application development company capacity, the roles can vary from one company to another. The agile team characteristics however are more or less the same. The team needs to have a quality of both tech experts and team members. Moreover, they need to have expert-level soft skills and an inclination towards working in high-pressure, frequently changing job environments.
Now finding an agile mobile development company that inculcates all these characteristics can be difficult.
In the next and final section, let us look at some of the questions that you can ask an agile software development team before hiring them for your project.
Questions to Ask When Hiring an Agile Software Development Team
1. What are the different teams involved in the product development discussions?
Multi-discipline teams are more likely to develop successful products as they bring different sets of expertise and knowledge to the table. The more teams involved in the discussion stage, the greater will be the chance of getting a successful product.
2. How frequently do you deliver products?
The sign of an agile development team is that they deliver the product’s version every week or once every two weeks as a part of their milestone plan. If you hear a response that you will get the product straightaway at the end of the cycle, see it as a bad sign.
3. How do you keep the clients informed about the process?
One of the most crucial parts of agile software development is communication and collaboration. Opt for a brand that uses multiple tools for ensuring transparency with the clients. It can include messaging apps like Telegram, Skype for Business, Slack, etc., project management platforms like JIRA, Trello, etc., and screen-sharing platforms like Google Hangouts and Zoom, etc.
The questions together can help you make a calculated decision on which agile app development company will best meet your needs. If you are, however, looking to save some hours of extensive research, contact our team of agile developers.