Hire senior software engineers to save money and speed up delivery

Most software engineering and product organizations face the challenge of developing high-quality software faster, with fewer resources. That makes many people think it’s smarter to hire more junior and mid-level engineers (they’re easier to find), but that’ll cost you more in the long run. You’ll end up doing more code reviews, spending more on maintenance, have slower time-to-market, and won’t retain as many engineers.

Hiring senior software engineers is a bigger investment up front, but you get long-term cost savings, higher quality code, and faster software development with a smaller team. That’s because the value of senior software engineers goes far beyond their individual technical skills. 

They lead the charge on complex projects, avoid unnecessary and costly mistakes, mentor and develop junior level engineers, build higher-quality products and architecture, and speed up your software delivery pipeline. Senior software engineers also attract other senior talent, stay loyal to companies that take care of them, and help your business take advantage of new technology.  

Here’s a look at what makes a senior software engineer, the business benefits of hiring them, and how to hire a team (or teams) of expert engineers to start on your roadmap in 4-6 weeks.

What is a senior software engineer?

A senior software engineer is a blend of technical mastery, leadership skills, and business acumen. They're not just coding experts; they're team players who can guide projects to successful completion. This multifaceted skill set is what makes them invaluable to a company and sets them apart from other engineers – even ones with a long number of years on their resume.

Senior engineers demand higher salaries, but they deserve it. They have architectural vision, top-notch coding expertise, and collaboration skills that increase development velocity and lead to higher-quality code. This helps scale and future-proof your business, reduces maintenance costs over time, and gives you a competitive advantage in your digital transformation initiatives. 

Main attributes of a senior software engineer

• Years of experience: At least 5-7 years of professional experience.
• Familiar with complex projects: Have worked on complex, large-scale projects.
• Deep technical expertise: Mastery over one or more programming languages or tech stacks.
• Architecture knowledge: Ability to design system architecture and make high-level technical decisions.
• Problem-solvers: Can tackle complex issues that junior or mid-level engineers might struggle with.
• Mentors to junior engineers: Willing and able to guide junior team members.
• Project management skills: Can lead projects, manage timelines, and coordinate with other departments.
• Strong communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly collaborative: Works well in a team and can resolve conflicts.
• Adaptable: Quick to learn new technologies or methodologies.
• Strategic thinkers: Understands the business impact of technical decisions.
• Client handling skills: Capable of interacting with clients or stakeholders to gather requirements or present solutions.
• Takes initiative: Proactively identifies areas for improvement and takes action.

While years of experience, advanced technical skills, and ability to solve complex problems all matter, these are few things that distinguish a senior engineer from mid-level or junior engineers. Some engineers can have 15 years of experience at successful companies and still aren’t the senior engineers you’re looking for. 

What really makes a senior software engineer, senior?

It’s not just years of experience or companies worked for. Their ability to collaborate, communicate, and contribute at a team-level sets senior engineers apart. Proficiency in technical skills is crucial, but equally important is the ability to connect with people on a personal level. 

Most challenges that delay software development come through the process and in working with each other. Senior engineers take initiative, know how to inspire others on the team, support junior and mid-level engineers, resolve conflict, and know what matters to your business.

A highly technical engineer with ten years of experience and poor communication skills won’t deliver as much value as someone with six years of experience who’s a great collaborator. 

Skills that set senior engineers apart

• Mentoring and knowledge sharing
• Collaboration and communication
• Leadership and decision-making
• Business acumen
• Conflict resolution
• Time management and prioritization

Ultimately, the long list of skills that every senior software engineer needs to have leads to big benefits for your DevOps team and overall business.

Business benefits of hiring senior software engineers

While the upfront cost of hiring senior software engineers is higher compared to junior or mid-level hires, the long-term cost savings are worth it. Their ability to deliver high-quality code, solve problems efficiently, and reduce costly errors translates into a more cost-effective development process.

The improved code quality and maintainability also lead to lower maintenance costs over the software's lifecycle. As the software evolves and changes are required, having a solid foundation of well-structured code ensures that modifications can be made without causing widespread issues.

Here’s a list of benefits you can expect:

• Faster time-to-market: Their experience leads to quicker problem-solving and decision-making. That accelerates development cycles and enables digital products to reach customers faster.
  
  
• Higher code quality: Senior engineers produce clean, maintainable code that reduces the risk of bugs. This minimizes technical debt and ensures software longevity.
  
  
• Reduced maintenance costs: Quality codebases result in fewer post-release issues. This lowers ongoing maintenance costs and frees up resources for growth initiatives.
  
  
• Effective knowledge transfer: Their mentorship fosters a learning culture that nurtures junior engineers and reduces onboarding time for new hires.
  
  
• Enhanced collaboration: Improved communication skills facilitate better collaboration between technical and non-technical teams, leading to more aligned projects.
  
  
• Lower employee turnover: Senior engineers' stability reduces turnover. This reduces costs associated with recruitment, onboarding, and loss of institutional knowledge.
  
  
• Strategic decision-making: Their ability to align technical choices with business goals ensures a focused and effective development process.
  
  
• Improved customer satisfaction: Quality software delivered faster and with fewer issues enhances user experiences to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
  
  
• Innovation and scalability: Their adaptability and leadership enable teams to innovate and scale projects efficiently. This means you can respond to market demands and behavior changes on the fly.
  
  
• Positive brand image: Delivering high-quality products on time establishes a reputation for reliability and excellence in the eyes of your clients and partners.

How do I hire the right senior software engineers fast enough?

93% of your colleagues are asking themselves the same question. The demand for senior software engineering resources is so high that 41% of companies are paying external teams to build software solutions to avoid delaying their roadmap (Linux Foundation’s 2022 annual jobs report). 

That’s why Codingscape exists. No need to wait 6-18 months to recruit, hire, and onboard senior software engineers. We can build you a team (or multiple teams) of senior engineers in 4-6 weeks to start working on your roadmap. 

We’re not a software engineer recruiting agency either. You scope out the work with us, and we’ll integrate with your team, technology stack, and partner with you for as long as you need us. 

Zappos, Twilio, and Veho are just a few companies that trust us to build software with a remote-first approach. You can schedule a time to talk with us here. No hassle, no expectations, just answers.