There are many scenarios where a Salesforce customer would need the specialized skills of a Salesforce developer. Whether it’s customizing a Salesforce environment to a particular use case or business need, automating a specific process, developing mobile apps or products on Force.com, or integrating multiple systems with Salesforce, employing the right development talent is key to making any solution come to life.
When hiring a developer, going with a full-time employee could be the best option if you’re dealing with a long-term project or deep knowledge of internal systems is required. In most cases, however, partnering with an independent developer is the way to go.
Why Salesforce customers should consider independent developers
Sourcing and hiring skilled Salesforce developers is a time-consuming and costly challenge. And, once engaged, that talent can be even harder to keep. The good news is, however, that developers are not typically needed on a full-time basis. Sometimes you just need specialized talent to solve a unique challenge and advance your program. On-demand developers allow you to fill the gaps on your team, extending their bandwidth and providing essential skills to get the work done more efficiently and faster. In fact, many of the best developers we know love solving new problems, and that passion lends well to project-based, contract positions.
How Salesforce customers stand to benefit from on-demand Salesforce developers
When it comes to partnering with independent developers, Salesforce customers stand to gain increased:
- Accessibility: Generally speaking, most developers have focused specialties. By going with an independent consultant, you gain access to the specific skills you need and choose who you work with based on those.
- Efficiency: In comparison to hiring a full-time employee or a GSI, it’s faster and easier to get an independent developer started, especially with smaller tasks. Going with a large consultancy is one option, but even after you’ve run the gauntlet of the traditional sales and SOW process to get in their queue, it can still take you 6-9 weeks to get started. Talent brokers and on-demand talent communities can typically connect you with an expert in less than a week.
- Affordability: It’s no secret that hiring a FTE takes time, money, and focus. Research we gathered in 2018 shows that it can take on average 62 days to get a full-time developer onboard, and can cost more than $22,000 USD in recruiting expenses. With independent consultants, you only pay for the hours you use.
Where to connect with independent Salesforce developers
Working with hundreds of Salesforce customers over the years, we know firsthand how difficult it is to find skilled and vetted Salesforce developers. It also doesn’t help recruitment efforts when they’re in especially high demand right now as companies double down on digital transformation initiatives. With that, you have three options to turn to:
- Referrals: When it comes to finding the top independent developers, it seems that their own networks are their overwhelming choice for finding new clients. In fact, only 11% of the independent experts in our survey cited Salesforce AppExchange as a source for clients and projects. Start by asking your industry peers or business colleagues if they can recommend and vouch for a developer they personally know.
- Talent marketplace: When looking for independent talent, your instincts may tell you to first look at a freelance platform such as Upwork or Fiverr. However, in our recent survey of independent Salesforce experts, only 30% said they used those platforms to find work. Our analysis would indicate that those platforms, while good for finding a wide variety of skills, aren’t tailored to providing the most experienced and vetted Salesforce talent. If you’re looking for a similar platform, the Salesforce developers jobs board is active with Salesforce professionals looking for new projects.
- Salesforce talent broker: Salesforce-specific talent brokers are dedicated to vetting talent and connecting them with customers in need of their specialized skills. A good broker should act as a valued partner to both the talent and the customers, and that means gaining a deep understanding of a company’s unique needs. Brokers are also typically able to negotiate better rates for customers than they may have gotten on their own.
The most important hiring criteria for Salesforce developers
The vetting process is essential to hiring the right developer. This person will be serving as an extension of your team, so it’s important you feel confident they’re the right technical and personality fit before getting work underway.
When it comes to assessing their hard skills, you may feel inclined to rely on their certifications as the holy grail of how proficient they are. We advise taking certifications with a grain of salt. They don’t necessarily validate an expert’s in-the-field experience, and many Salesforce program owners (81%) have experienced a situation where a candidate or consultant claimed to have a certification or specific experience they did not have.
Soft skills are just as important as proficiency. These individuals are going to be an extension of your team, so gauging their personality, communication style, and organizational skills will also help determine if they are a fit for the business and your team.
Start by asking questions based on your desired outcomes. Things like “Can you describe a time you helped a sales leader working with Salesforce?” and “How do you work with non-technical stakeholders?” can provide great insight into whether someone is aligned and capable of meeting your needs.
Determining the right rate for the right talent
Most independents have a standard hourly rate they charge but know it is often a starting place and can range significantly based on experience, skill set, location, length and complexity of the project, and sometimes most importantly, how much they want the work.
As seen in Mason Frank’s Salesforce Salary Survey, the contract market rates remain lucrative. Here are the average freelance Salesforce Developer rates by country:
- US: $79–$138 per hour
- UK: £500–£700 per day
- France: €500–€650 per day
- Australia: $1,000–$1,350 per day
How to get started with an on-demand Salesforce developer
In 2021 and beyond, no company can afford to ignore the growing talent pool of skilled, on-demand Salesforce developers. For more in-depth learning about sourcing and partnering with independent talent and how to effectively manage the relationship, download our latest resource, On-Demand Salesforce Talent Guide, or contact the 10K team today to find the developer you’ve been looking for.
