IT Staff Recruitment: How to find a Senior Flutter Developer in 2 weeks

Karina

IT recruiter

Recruiting IT professionals for startups requires unique strategies, considering the dynamic nature of these projects. When looking for IT specialists for startups, it is essential to prioritise professionals who are ready to work in uncertain environments, can promptly adapt to changes, and are ready for a non-traditional working routine.

In this article, we share a success story: within two weeks, our Lead IT Recruiter, Valeria Soboleva, and IT Recruiter, Karina Kovalenok, identified and successfully onboarded a skilled Flutter developer into our client’s team. Remarkably, the developer achieved a promotion to a Lead position in a short period.

Task and difficulties

Last year, an international startup approached us with a not-so-simple task: to identify a Senior Flutter developer who could rapidly transition into a team lead position.

Flutter is a framework tailored for mobile application development using Dart, which facilitates the creation of cross-platform applications for Android and iOS through a unified codebase. It streamlines the development process but also guarantees superior performance.

Requirements:

1

More than a Senior
We were not just seeking an experienced developer; our goal was to find a prospective lead capable of independently analysing, setting tasks and generating ideas.
2

Proficiency in Flutter
One of the primary requirements was a commercial experience of 3-4 years, with a minimum of three years focused on native development.
3

Advanced Soft Skills
In IT recruiting for startups, advanced soft skills play a vital role. The ideal candidate should possess genuine enthusiasm for the product and the ability to establish connections with key figures such as the CEO, tech lead, product manager, and other team members.

Locating a Senior professional with that unmistakable "fire in the eyes" is a challenging yet essential expectation in the startup landscape.

The client proposed standard startup conditions:

Remote work
A mixed team from different time zones
Salary in dollars
B2B contract

Nevertheless, as we delved into the vacancy, we encountered two primary challenges:

In a startup environment, changes tend to occur rather unexpectedly. We experienced it firsthand as we had to pause our research. The shift was linked to the organisational alterations in the company. Additionally, our initial search was geared towards finding a specialist for an entirely new project. Subsequently, we redirected our focus towards securing a professional for an existing product undergoing substantial overhauls and design changes. These situations are typical in startup settings, where requirements and tasks can change within a short timeframe.

Explore Dubai’s startup ecosystem.

Flutter, introduced with its stable version in late 2018, is a relatively recent technology. Identifying a Senior Flutter developer with over five years of experience is challenging since the framework started gaining significant popularity around 2020. In this context, our search shifted towards candidates with a robust technical background in native development (iOS or Android) who have transitioned to cross-platform development using Flutter in the last few years.

How did we fill the vacancy?

As always, we began the search by determining the candidate’s profile. The candidate has to be an experienced developer, ready to take on challenges and start projects from scratch. On top of that, it was important for the specialist to establish connections with the team and show a sincere interest in the project.

Due to the limited availability of Flutter developers with over five years of experience in the market, we broadened our search to include Senior Android and iOS developers. We also considered professionals well-versed in other cross-platform technologies like React Native. Nevertheless, a robust history of commercial experience with Flutter remained a top priority. We viewed professionals with a minimum of three years of experience with this technology.

We used LinkedIn, Telegram, and the Lucky Hunter database to locate candidates. With the collaborative efforts of two recruiters, we swiftly expanded the candidate pool. In a span of two weeks, we examined over 120 resumes, sent 98 emails, and conducted nine interviews.

Here's a detailed report:

Ultimately, the chosen candidate successfully passed all the selection stages and received an offer, which they accepted.

Key Success Factors

Defining the Profile
We created a candidate profile that facilitated the search for a specialist who combined technical and communication skills.
Partnership Principle
The client was dedicated to finding a perfect candidate and provided timely feedback, even during organisational changes.
The professionalism of Lucky Hunter
With their expertise and experience, our recruiters designed an efficient search and motivation strategy and filled the vacancy in a fortnight.

Learn more about the importance of a strong recruiting partner for startup success.

Outcome

Ultimately, our teamwork proved highly successful. We brought the candidate on board in April; by October, he had transitioned to a Lead role. Remarkably, we are currently engaged with him as a client, actively seeking a Flutter developer to join his team.

At Lucky Hunter, we fill various IT positions, including executive roles. Learn more about our services and fill out the form; we will contact you to discuss the details of your case.

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