Hiring a developer you will mostly work with over video calls and chat is now normal for businesses of every size. It opens up a wide talent pool, but it also makes it harder to judge who is genuinely skilled and reliable. A polished profile and a confident interview are not the same as code that works and a person who communicates well when things go wrong.
This checklist gives you a structured way to assess remote developers, even if you are not technical yourself.
Before you interview: write a clear role brief
Most hiring problems start before the first interview. A one-page brief helps you attract the right people and compare them fairly.
Include:
- What the developer will work on - a new product, an existing website, integrations, an internal tool
- The technology involved, if known - for example React, Node.js, Laravel, WordPress or Flutter
- What success looks like in the first three months
- Working hours and overlap - which hours you need them available for calls
- Who they will report to and how work will be prioritised
- Engagement model - full-time dedicated, part-time or project-based
If you do not know the technology yet, say so. A good candidate will ask questions to understand your situation rather than pushing their favourite tool.
Step 1: Review real work, not just a profile
Ask every candidate for:
- Live projects you can open and use on your phone and laptop
- A clear explanation of their role in each project - did they build the whole thing, the back end only, or fix a few bugs?
- Code samples or repository access where possible, so a technical reviewer can look at quality
Check the projects for basics: do pages load quickly, do forms work, does the site behave properly on mobile? Ask follow-up questions about what was difficult and how they solved it.
Step 2: Hold a structured conversation
You do not need to quiz someone on algorithms. Ask questions that reveal how they think and work:
About past work
- "Walk me through a project you are proud of. What was the hardest part?"
- "Tell me about a bug that took you a long time to fix. How did you find it?"
- "What would you do differently if you built that project again?"
About working practices
- "How do you use version control such as Git? Do you work with branches and pull requests?"
- "How do you test your work before saying it is done?"
- "How do you deploy changes to a live website or app?"
- "How do you document what you build?"
About communication
- "If you are stuck on a problem for half a day, what do you do?"
- "How do you prefer to report progress?"
- "Tell me about a time a client changed requirements mid-way. How did you handle it?"
Good answers are specific and honest, including about mistakes. Vague, buzzword-heavy answers are a warning sign.
Step 3: Bring in a technical reviewer
If you are not technical, ask someone who is to join one interview or review a code sample. This can be a trusted developer friend, a technical adviser or the company you are hiring through. They can judge code structure, security awareness and whether the candidate's experience matches their claims.
Step 4: Run a small, paid trial task
A short trial task tells you more than any interview. Make it:
- Relevant - a small piece of your actual work or something very similar
- Small - enough to show quality, not a free project
- Clearly scoped in writing, including what "done" means
- Paid - respecting their time attracts better candidates
Watch how they handle it. Do they ask clarifying questions? Do they give a realistic estimate? Do they deliver on time and explain what they did? Communication during the trial is as important as the code.
Step 5: Check communication and time-zone overlap
For remote work, communication habits make or break the relationship:
- Is their written English (or Hindi, if that is your working language) clear?
- Do they respond within a reasonable time during agreed hours?
- Can they explain technical issues in simple terms?
- Is there enough overlap with your working day for calls and quick questions?
Step 6: Verify references and history
Ask for one or two previous clients or managers you can speak to. Ask them:
- Would you work with this developer again?
- How did they handle deadlines and problems?
- Was the code maintainable after they finished?
Step 7: Plan access and security from day one
Before hiring, decide how access will work:
- The developer gets their own accounts, never shared logins
- Code lives in your business's repository
- Access is limited to what they need, and can be removed in minutes
- Sensitive production data is not copied to personal devices
- A written agreement covers confidentiality and IP ownership
Red flags to watch for
| Red flag | Why it matters |
| --- | --- |
| Cannot show live work or explain their exact role | Experience may be overstated |
| Does not use version control | Code is hard to track, review or recover |
| Promises unusually fast delivery without asking questions | Scope is not understood; quality or deadlines will suffer |
| Avoids talking about mistakes or difficult projects | Lack of honesty or self-awareness |
| Slow or vague replies during hiring | Likely to be the same during the project |
| Asks for full admin access to everything immediately | Poor security habits |
| Pushes to keep code in their own accounts | Ownership and continuity risk |
A simple scorecard
Score each candidate from 1 to 5 on each row and compare totals alongside your instinct.
| Criteria | What good looks like |
| --- | --- |
| Relevant experience | Has built similar projects and can explain them clearly |
| Code quality | Reviewer finds it readable, structured and secure |
| Trial task | Delivered as agreed, with sensible questions |
| Communication | Clear, timely, honest about problems |
| Working practices | Uses Git, tests work, documents decisions |
| Fit with your team | Understands your business goals, not just the code |
Hiring through a company vs hiring directly
Vetting takes real effort. Hiring a dedicated developer through a development company shifts much of that effort to the company: they recruit, assess technical skills, provide code review and arrange a replacement if needed. You still interview and approve the developer, but with an accountable partner behind them. This is how our hire developers service works, with in-house developers across stacks such as React.js and Laravel.
Adjusting the checklist for different roles
The core steps stay the same, but what you probe for varies by role:
Front-end developers
Ask to see live interfaces on mobile and desktop. Check loading speed, accessibility basics such as readable contrast and keyboard navigation, and how they handle forms and errors. Ask how they work with designers and design files.
Back-end developers
Ask about database design, APIs, authentication and how they protect against common security issues. Ask how they handle integrations such as payment gateways, SMS or WhatsApp providers, and what happens when an external service fails.
Mobile app developers
Ask which apps they have published to the Play Store or App Store, how they handle app updates and reviews, and how they test across different devices and screen sizes - important in India, where many users have budget Android phones.
WordPress and e-commerce developers
Ask how they keep plugins to a minimum, manage updates safely, and handle site speed. Ask whether they build custom themes or rely heavily on page builders, and why.
After you decide
Once you choose a developer, the first month matters as much as the hiring process. Prepare individual accounts, a short welcome document and a few small starter tasks so they can contribute in the first week rather than waiting for access and context.
Key takeaways
- Write a clear role brief before you start interviewing
- Judge real, live work and ask exactly what the candidate built
- Ask about practices - Git, testing, deployment, documentation
- Use a technical reviewer if you are not technical yourself
- A small, paid trial task reveals quality and communication
- Plan secure, removable access and keep code in your own accounts
- Watch for red flags and use a scorecard to compare fairly
If you would like help finding and vetting the right developer, book a free consultation. Tell us about your project and we will suggest developers from our in-house team, whom you can interview before deciding.
