Since its creation in 2002 .NET technology has become one of the most popular ones in multiplatform software development. Now the majority of multiplatform apps are created by implementing the .NET framework and its supporting tools. Naturally, the number of IT professionals with the skills necessary is at an all-time high, but still, struggle to meet demand. So finding and hiring expert .NET software engineers can be a pretty challenging task for any business owner. 

Why Choose .NET

First, let’s talk about why you should go through all this trouble and hire .NET developers for your project. This Microsoft technology and its frameworks allow you to create all types of apps, including cloud, back or front-end, mobile, desktop, web, cross-platform, even games, anything you can put your mind to. And you don’t have to do it in any particular programming language too, .NET framework supports about two dozen of them, including all of the most popular ones. 

Of course, due to all of this developing apps using .NET is more cost-effective and less time-consuming. But based only on those two factors, this Microsoft technology never would be so extremely popular. Applications written with .NET tend to be more scalable, have high performance, and increased data security. All of this makes it a go-to development solution virtually for every scenario. 

Skills To Look For

Before you start the whole hiring process, you will need to have at your hands a clear and detailed blueprint for your future app, a list of basic features at launch and the ones you can add in later stages, a preferred team structure and size, employment model and many other things. Only then can you begin to hire a .NET developer. Remember, that there are three types of software engineers, full-stack, back-end, and front-end, all with a different set of skills and professional qualities needed for the job. 

Full-stack .NET developers are experts in both front and back-end aspects of app creation, but for this type of IT specialist, you will need to really break the bank. Because of their vast set of skills, they will ask for a really high salary, but we still recommend having at least one full-stack developer on your team. They can serve as a team leader and a tech lead, helping some rising talent and guiding you through the rest of the hiring process. 

Generally speaking, all types of .NET professionals need to be familiar with said Microsoft technology and its supporting tools, basics of web design, C# as the main programming language used in .NET development, testing tools, DevOps, SQL and databases management, and modern engineering practices. A more particular list of necessary hard skills for every team role you can find online in mere seconds. 

You need to pay close attention to soft skills with any type of IT professional, but with .NET specialists, this aspect is absolutely crucial. Of course, candidates need to have good communication abilities and a work ethic. Because of the incredible variety of tasks, you can achieve with this framework, the software engineers you hire need to have great imagination, problem-solving abilities, and attention to detail. It needs to be mentioned that .NET is constantly updated by Microsoft, so your future employees need to always learn about its new features and participate in a professional online community. 

Hiring Options

With .NET software developers’ salaries being pretty high and only growing in recent years, you may try your luck at sites for freelancers. Of course, chances of hiring top-notch IT professionals there are always thin, and with the majority of quality .NET experts being already occupied with numerous projects, don’t get your hopes up. But you can always bring freelancers on board for short-term tasks to save some money, and generally speaking, diversifying your search is never a bad thing. 

Because of .NET’s overwhelming popularity and constant updates by Microsoft, an online community around this technology are really impressive. You can try and find your ideal candidate there, using sites like Reddit, StackOverflow, Github, Facebook, or Twitter. There you can take a glimpse at developers’ samples of code, and learn about their previous employment and general attitude about learning new things in their professional field. Also, don’t neglect professional conferences and meetups, both online and offline. At those events, you can meet some already vetted IT professionals who may be seeking employment. 

For business owners who can’t find available .NET engineers by themselves, maybe it is best to ask for professional help. IT staffing agencies like High5 have impressive databases full of developers for any type of project. Just remember, when using professional recruiters can be an easy option, it is also a costly one. As we mentioned earlier, the average salary even for a .NET developer with six months of experience can be pretty hard on your budget. Combined with staffing agency’s fees it can be too much for you, so think everything through. 

Another really popular option for product owners who can’t hire tech talent on their own is outsourcing. Companies specializing in it will present you with a list of viable candidates in the foreign country of your choice. Remember, if you are located in North America or Western Europe, almost any place on earth has considerably lower salaries for IT professionals due to the lower cost of living and different currency exchange rates. So, with .NET being extremely popular with software engineers all over the world, you can choose your outsourcing destinations based on different factors and online research, saving up to fifty percent of your salary budget. Even combined with the outsourcing vendor’s fee, this option is still considered cost-effective. 

Conclusion 

Hiring expert .NET developers can be a real headache, but with this technology’s numerous advantages, there is really no way around it. Just remember, with thorough planning, a clear vision for your app, quality research, and knowledge about all hiring options available, you can find .NET professionals for your team even in this market  when specialists with knowledge of this Microsoft framework are in extremely high demand.