Geoff CuddAs a business owner who is definitely not a programmer or developer in any sense, I have had to learn when and how to outsource jobs that are well outside of my own area of expertise, like Ruby programming.
Unfortunately, it can be hard to find the right Ruby programmer for your business without first knowing what to look for.
That’s why I put together this step-by-step hiring guide so that you can find the perfect expert for your company.
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What is Ruby Used For?
Ruby on Rails, sometimes just referred to as Rails, works on the server side of development and is written in Ruby. Ruby is a general-purpose programming language, and is often touted as one of the easiest programming languages to learn.
A Ruby developer will usually work for software companies or in larger organizations in the IT department. Their tasks will be to write, test, develop, and implement new software and apps by utilizing Ruby. They will be part of the creation, administration, and maintenance of APIs. Furthermore, they will also work to improve current Ruby software. They will also carry out troubleshooting.
Ruby on Rails is strictly used in web development, whereas Ruby can be used as most other programming languages such as with web servers, system utilities, database work, backups, parsing.
Used in popular websites
Airbnb, WhatsApp GitHub, and Shopify all use Ruby on Rails as part of their websites and applications. About 380,000 sites use RoR. Most of the sites using Ruby on Rails are based in the USA.
What to Look for When Hiring a Ruby Developer
When it comes to finding a strong Ruby developer, there are a few key skills you’ll want to be looking for:
Ruby Required Skills
Here are some of the basic skills that a Ruby Developer is expected to have:
- Complete grasp of the Ruby language
- Ability to access and utilize RoR (Resque or RSpec) and libraries
- Understands continuous integration
- Ability to integrate multiple data sources and databases into one system
Ruby Experience
Ruby developers should have some experience with the following:
- Experience with using Ruby language on various projects.
- Experience in basic principles of application development
- Has experience in APIs, both handling and developing
How to Write a Ruby Job Description
Crafting the perfect Ruby developer job description is critical to ensure that you get in front of the right developers. It's also important to ensure that you set the proper expectations up-front to streamline the vetting process, saving everyone time and money.
Ruby Developer Job Description Template
Company Introduction
Use this section to write 2-3 sentences about your company. Make sure to provide information about the company culture and benefits. This would be a good section to link to your company website. The best candidates will do some advanced research.
Job Description
We are looking for a Ruby developer responsible for building dynamic website applications utilizing Ruby on Rails for both mobile and desktop use. Your primary responsibility will be to design and develop these web applications as well as to work with the rest of the development team in order to create a streamlined experience for all web traffic coming through the application.
Responsibilities
- Designing, building, and maintaining efficient and reusable Ruby code.
- Integrating data storage solutions.
- Creating compatibility with user-facing elements developed by front-end developers with server side logic.
- Identifying and locating issues with bottlenecks and bugs, as well as creating solutions to these problems.
- Helping with maintaining code quality, organization and automatization
- Add other responsibilities here that are important for the project/job
Skills
- Ability to utilize JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3
- Use of automated testing procedures
- Understanding of Object-oriented programming
- Has skills in Git, Mercurial, or SVN
- Knowledgeable in MVC, RESTful
- Demonstrates an interest in the constantly evolving technologies and methods
- Pragmatism, reliability, and curiosity
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills
- Specify other frameworks, libraries, or any other technology relevant to your project/job
- Education level or certification requirements
Ruby Interview questions
When looking to hire a Ruby developer, consider asking some of the following interview questions:
- Explain the difference between Ruby and Ruby on Rails
- How do the alternatives compare to Ruby on Rails?
- Can you describe your last Ruby on Rails project?
- Are there limitations to Ruby on Rails?
- Are there advantages to Ruby on Rails?
- Can you describe RoR Software design patterns?
- What are Ruby gems?
- Can you explain the difference between a gem and a plugin in Ruby?
- Can you describe your experience Ruby on Rails gems?
- What is the difference between a Symbol and String?
- What is DRY code? (Don’t Repeat Yourself).
- Can Ruby support constructors? How so?
- What can cause increased load times with Rails?
- What is a module?
- Are there any specific deployment tools you use? What others do you know of?
- How can you implement caching in Rails?
- Can you explain ActiveJob?
- How is Active Record used in Ruby on Rails?
- What are available relations in ActiveRecord?
- Explain a Rails engine.
Freelance Ruby Developer Rates
Ruby developers have a high demand, and thus are able to charge higher rates. Their costs align with that of most developers with a mean salary of $132,500. Those just starting out typically make $85,000 with the top end earning $170,000 per year.
It’s normal for a freelance ruby developer to charge around $75 dollars an hour or about $600 for an 8 hour day.
Where to Hire a Ruby Developer – Top Websites
Read out list of the top websites to hire a Ruby developer.
Developer Hiring Guides
If you are looking for other types of technical talent, we’ve put together hiring guides for these technologies as well.
- Express
- Django
- Ruby on Rails
- Laravel
- CakePHP
- ASP.NET
- Spring Boot
- Flask
- Phoenix
- Unity
- Salesforce
- iOS / Android
FAQs
Where can I find a Ruby developer?
There are plenty of online resources available for finding a Ruby developer online. It’s always an option to check popular job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed, but remote hiring platforms are wonderful options if it’s a single project. Fiverr, Upstack, and Toptal are great ones, but check out our list of the best freelance websites for developers.
How much does it cost to hire a Ruby developer?
Ruby developers have a high demand, and thus are able to charge higher rates. Their costs align with that of most developers with a mean salary of $132,500. Those just starting out typically make $85,000 with the top end earning $170,000 per year.
It’s normal for a freelance ruby developer to charge around $75 dollars an hour or about $600 for an 8 hour day.
What are the most important skills to look for in a Ruby developer?
They will need a strong understanding of the Ruby language and how to use Ruby on Rails. They should be able to utilize JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3. Additionally, they need to be good problem solvers in order to create the best performance for your server side applications.
What does a Ruby developer do?
A Ruby developer works on the server side of an application or website. They will utilize Ruby code and in most cases Ruby on Rails language. They will be part of the creation, administration, and maintenance of APIs.
Stefan Schulz
