How to hire a software engineer in Mumbai

On this page

  1. What level of software engineer do you need?
  2. Skills and tools to ask for
  3. What to put in the job description
  4. How to check real coding work
  5. Area and hybrid work in Mumbai
  6. Common mistakes when hiring a software engineer

Start here

What level of software engineer do you need?

Titles differ from company to company. Decide the level by the responsibilities you want to hand over. The same person might be junior in one place and mid-level in another.

  • Junior

    Takes small, clear tasks and needs regular guidance and code review.

  • Mid-level

    Builds a feature from start to finish with little supervision.

  • Senior

    Plans the work, makes design choices and handles hard problems alone.

  • Lead

    Guides other engineers, reviews their work and talks to the business.

Ask yourself who will check this person work. If no one on your team can read the code, hire someone who can work independently and write clear notes.

Skills

Skills and tools to ask for

Name the languages and frameworks you actually use. Do not add a long list of fashionable tools.

  • Your main language

    For example Java, Python, JavaScript or Kotlin, whichever you use.

  • Data and APIs

    Building and calling APIs and working with a database such as SQL.

  • Testing

    Writing tests and finding the cause of a bug.

  • Version control

    Using Git with branches, pull requests and clear commit messages.

Also useful, depending on your work:

  • Giving and taking code review without ego.
  • Writing readable code that others can maintain.
  • Basic design sense: breaking a problem into small parts.
  • Asking clear questions and giving honest time estimates.
  • Working with a simple deployment process.

The job description

What to put in the job description

Describe the product and the first piece of work. Keep it short and include these points. More on this in how to write a job description.

  • The title and the office area, with any remote or hybrid days.
  • What the product is and what the person will build first.
  • The languages and tools you use today.
  • The responsibilities that set the level, such as working alone or reviewing others.
  • How the team works: code review, testing and releases.
  • Your pay range, to be given honestly on the first call.
Title
Software Engineer
Location
[Your area], Mumbai. [Number] days in office, rest remote.
Experience
3 to 5 years building and shipping software. Able to take a feature from idea to release with little supervision.
Skills
[Your main language], REST APIs, SQL, Git, writing tests. Docker is a plus.
The work
Build new features for [your product], fix bugs, write tests, review teammates code and help plan the next release.
Hours
[Days and hours].
Salary
[Your range], to be discussed on the call.
To apply
Share a code link or a project you are proud of. We will call you if your profile matches.

This is an example only. Replace the brackets with your own details, and delete any skill you do not need. For help with pay, see how to set the salary for a role.

Check

How to check real coding work

A resume lists tools. It does not show how someone thinks. Use two or three of these checks.

  • Ask for a code link, such as a GitHub page, or a live app they built.
  • Ask them to walk through one project: why they built it that way, what was hard and what they would change.
  • Read a small piece of their code together and ask what it does.
  • Give a short practical task of an hour or two, and talk about their solution. Pay for longer tasks.
  • Ask how they handle a bug they cannot find, and how they use code review.
  • Ask what they did personally, not what the team did.

Use our first-call questions to keep the first call short. To decide between a new graduate and an experienced person, read fresher or experienced.

Where

Area and hybrid work in Mumbai

Software work can be done remotely, but many small teams do better with a few days together. If you need office days, the commute decides who accepts and who stays.

Search the locality of your office first, then the next stations along the same line. See hiring by Mumbai locality.

Search in plain words, for example “Java developer with SQL in Thane”. See how to use the resume database. If you know the exact kind of role, these may fit better: full stack developer, Android developer and QA engineer.

Avoid these

Common mistakes when hiring a software engineer

Mistake

Better

  • Mistake

    Choosing the level by years alone

    Years do not show what someone can own.

    Better

    Write the responsibilities and check them in the talk.

  • Mistake

    A long list of tools

    It leaves you with almost nobody.

    Better

    List the language and framework you use and two or three key skills.

  • Mistake

    Judging only by a puzzle test

    Better

    Use a small task close to your real work.

  • Mistake

    Skipping the code walk-through

    Better

    Ask them to explain code they wrote; it is hard to fake.

  • Mistake

    No plan for the first month

    Better

    Prepare a small first task, a person to ask and a simple plan for the first weeks.

FAQ

Common questions

How do I decide between junior, mid-level and senior?

Look at the work, not the years. A junior needs guidance and takes small tasks. A mid-level engineer finishes a feature on their own. A senior engineer plans the work, makes design choices, reviews others and can be left alone with a hard problem.

Which programming language should I ask for?

Ask for the one your product already uses. A good engineer can learn a new language, but that takes time, so if you need someone productive in the first month, match your stack. Say what you use in the job description.

Is a coding test needed?

A small, realistic task is the best way to see how someone works. Keep it short, tell them how long it should take, and talk through their solution afterwards. Pay for anything longer than a couple of hours.

Should I hire a fresher or an experienced engineer?

It depends on whether you have someone who can guide them. A fresher can grow well in a team with time to teach. If you have no one to review code, an experienced person is safer.

Related reading

  • Resume database for recruiters
  • Pricing
  • Hiring by Mumbai locality
  • Search from a job description
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  • Check experience
  • Set a fair salary
  • Fresher or experienced
  • Fill an urgent vacancy
  • Replace someone who quit
  • Seasonal hiring
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