Trouble Recruiting Ruby/Rails Developers?
I’ve been at the both sides of the fence, so I can say that it’s not easy finding talents and even harder to find a good gig. Here are the factors I think is affecting this weirdness these days.
Economics 101
I have a degree in Economics and Finance, so naturally, I point the problem to disequilibrium in the market. If we were to achieve the perfect equilibrium, people hiring will have to pay more. However, there’s a nasty thought out there that Ruby and Rails developers are cheap. That’s not true. They are cheap because we can produce more bang for the buck. Until this misunderstanding is cleared, we’ll continue to have disequilibrium.
By the way, don’t compare us with developers working on other language/framework.
Working Conditions
As I mentioned in my “sweatshop” post, people hiring us demand that we work in shitty environment and work ourselves to death for their own benefits. Granted that Rails is used mostly by the startups, but provide your co-workers with the necessary tools and the environment.
The Treatment
Grow up! Don’t be an asshole!
DHH and others have criticized about being “professional”, but the fact of matter is, you have to treat people with kindness, understanding, and yes, professionalism. I’ve seen some behaviors that makes me want to puke.
People generally don’t want to be treated like a commodity. Treat them well and be amazed at what they give you in return. This is one lesson I learned throughout the years of managing that got me through incredible challenges.
