A Comprehensive Guide to Hiring and Managing Remote iOS Developers

Introduction

Did you know that as of January 2023, Apple has paid as much as US$320 billion to iOS developers who build apps and monetize through the App Store? Impressive, right? The impact isn’t just about numbers; it is rather a reflection of how iOS development (and consequently, the increasing reliance on iOS developers) is growing, owing to the platform’s user loyalty and the premium experiences it delivers. This also points to the massive business opportunity for those who want to tap into this lucrative market.

A reliable, top-tier iOS development team is imperative to make the above happen. However, you may not have an iOS team readily available. Besides, building one from scratch, entirely in-house, is also challenging.

Resources may be limited; you might struggle to bring in specialized iOS development expertise. Additionally, expanding physical office space for a larger workforce can be difficult. And even if you become successful with internal hires, retaining top IT talent is a significant challenge today.

This is where the strategic advantage of hiring remote iOS developers becomes clear; let’s dig deeper into this area.

When Should you Hire Remote iOS Developers?

Consider hiring external iOS developers in the following scenarios:

1. When you don’t have the skills available in your internal teams

If your internal iOS development team lacks specific iOS expertise, let’s say, SwiftUI or familiarity with Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines for inclusive UI/UX, it is advisable to hire remote iOS developers. This allows you to quickly fill skill gaps without dedicated internal hiring or specialized re-training.

2. When you’re struggling with increasing development costs

Hiring iOS developers remotely is an excellent way to reduce overhead, be it related to maintaining larger teams or meeting infrastructural requirements. In fact, even tech giants like IBM have slashed significant real estate costs (as much as $50 million) by relying on remote working teams. These cost savings can be attributed to countless other projects.

3. When you’re unable to meet deadlines

If project timelines are slipping away from your hands, hiring remote iOS developers can be a great way to augment your team and ensure timely delivery.

Why Hire iOS Developers Remotely?

Once you hire iOS developers remotely, you will likely observe the following:

Lower Overhead and Salaries

Because remote developers don’t need your office space or equipment, you eliminate those expenses. These cost savings, combined with access to competitive global rates, allow you to optimize your budget. You can then strategically reinvest those savings, potentially increasing the base salaries of your existing internal employees.

Access to Global Talent beyond Geographical Boundaries

Hiring remote iOS developers also breaks down geographical barriers, allowing you to connect with a worldwide pool of talent. This means you’re no longer limited by the skills available in your local area. You can find highly specialized iOS experts with the exact skills your project requires, regardless of where they live.

Better Productivity and Flexibility

In a recent   conducted by Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom, employees working from home are just as productive, happier, and much less prone to quit. This is because fewer office distractions and a more comfortable and preferred working space create a sustainable work culture. The same is applicable to remote working iOS developers.

Additionally, when working from home, employees are in a better position to adapt to occasionally varying schedules and timelines easily, offering greater agility for your project.

More Focus on Outcomes, Not Hours

Hiring iOS developers remotely also helps you shift your focus from “time spent to results achieved.” When employees are focused on outcomes and are given autonomy to work as per them (while, of course, ensuring timely handover of deliverables), they often feel more motivated and engaged.

Ready to Hire Remote iOS Developers? Here’s How to Do it

Apple has a thriving developer community, and it’s growing by the day. In such a dynamic space, finding ideal iOS developers who align with your project requirements can be quite challenging (given the vast pool of options)

However, if you start by clearly defining what your project needs, the skills you’re looking for, and the type of developer you want to work with, you’ll have a much better chance of hiring reliable iOS developers, even remotely.

1. Determine What you Want

• Start by outlining your project’s scope and listing down all the features that you want.
• Once you have this information, decide what you want to build with (alternatively, the skills you expect the iOS developers to have): Swift, SwiftUI, UIKit, Core Data, or specific frameworks.
• Decide on the experience level needed: intern, junior, mid-level, or senior.
• Don’t forget, soft skills are as necessary as technical ones. Prefer hiring those iOS developers who are good at communicating, problem-solving, and working in teams.

Having this clarity will ensure you target the right candidates when you hire remote iOS developers.

2. Asses the Kind of Support you Need

When considering remote iOS developers, you’ll generally encounter two options: dedicated iOS developers or freelancers. The best choice depends on your project’s scope.

If you require sustained, focused effort over an extended period, a dedicated developer is likely the most suitable. Conversely, freelancers offer valuable flexibility for projects with specific, short-term needs.

3. Start Finding Ideal iOS Developers for Hire

Now that you have completed all the foundational work, it’s time to start searching for and hiring remote iOS developers.

You can begin your search on online job boards like Stack Overflow Jobs and GitHub Jobs. Since many developers are active in communities on GitHub and within LinkedIn groups, you can also check there to see if anyone is available to work on your project. However, both of these approaches require significant time and effort; you will need to scroll through thousands of developer profiles, shortlist some, and contact each one of them.

To save yourself from all this hassle, consider seeking help from agencies or IT outsourcing companies that can help you hire remote iOS developers within a few days. These service providers have a vetted pool of global developers and can shortlist a few that match your requirements. With this approach, you’ll have them on board even before you know it.

4. Interview and Hire

Once you have shortlisted a few iOS developers for hire, carefully review their profiles. Conduct technical assessments, such as live problem-solving and coding tasks. This will help you assess their proficiency in developing and innovating iOS functionalities and features you need.

Cost of Hiring Remote iOS Developers

The actual cost of hiring remote iOS developers depends on a number of factors, such as the location you’re hiring from, the experience level of the developers, and their skillsets. Let’s understand how they influence the cost.

Location

The geographic location has a direct impact on the hourly rates of remote iOS developers employed. Typically, developers in regions with a lower cost of living charge less than those in high-cost areas.

As a result, hiring remote iOS developers from North America (USA), Canada, and Western Europe is the most expensive option. Here is a list of the estimated hourly cost of hiring in these regions:

• North America (US, Canada): $70 – $110
• Western Europe (UK, Germany, France): $70 – $110

Similarly, when you hire remote iOS developers from regions like Eastern Europe, South Asia (India), and Latin America, you incur a significantly lower hourly cost. Here is an estimated range:

• Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic): $30 – $50
• South Asia (India): $25 – $40
• Latin America (Argentina, Brazil): $30 – $50

Experience Level

Let’s take a look at how experience level affects the cost of hiring remote iOS developers:

• Junior developers, who typically have less experience (0-2 years), often charge lower rates. You can expect to pay somewhere between $15 – $30 per hour.
• Mid-level developers, with modest experience in iOS development (2-4 years) and a proven record, fall into a moderate price range. You can expect to pay around $30 – $50 per hour.
• Senior developers, those with extensive expertise and proven experience (5+ years), command the highest rates. Hiring a senior, remotely working iOS developer can cost around $50 – $100+ per hour.

Skillset

Developers possessing typical iOS development skills, such as proficiency in the primary programming languages (Swift/Objective-C), UIKit/SwiftUI, etc., are more readily available for hire, leading to more competitive rates.

Conversely, iOS developers with deeper knowledge and experience in working with advanced iOS technologies, such as ARKit & RealityKit for AR/VR integration and Core Animation & Metal for complex UI design and development, are relatively expensive to hire.

Hiring Tips to Maximize iOS Development ROI with Remote Developers

• Look for Relevant Experience and Projects: When hiring remote iOS developers, go for candidates whose past projects align with yours, ensuring they can hit the ground running without much hand-holding.
• Emphasize Portfolio Reviews: A strong iOS project portfolio is crucial; carefully review it to assess the quality and complexity of their work when looking for an iOS developer for hire. It would be a bonus if their past projects are doing well on the App Store.
• Validate Work Experience and Capabilities: Reference checks, conducted before you hire remote iOS developers, are essential to validate a candidate’s claims and make sure they deliver as promised. This becomes even more important as they’ll be working outside of your office, so you will likely not have direct control over their work.
• Provide Necessary Tools and Resources: While remote iOS development teams save you the hassle of maintaining physical infrastructure, you may still have to provide them with the right software (or even hardware) for seamless collaboration or work monitoring.
• Set Clear Expectations and Goals: Clearly communicate your expectations, including specific milestones and deadlines, to maintain project momentum and ensure everyone is aligned.
• Introduce Team Members and Project Workflow: As soon as you hire remote iOS developers, introduce them to your existing team to foster collaboration and understanding from the very first day.
• Request for Clear Documentation: Discuss documentation approach and frequency in your terms and conditions to track project knowledge and facilitate smooth transitions (even if the remote iOS developers leave).

Some Other Considerations: Legal and Contractual

You may not know this, but the legal considerations of hiring iOS developers remotely are slightly different compared to hiring in-house. Let us break it down for you.

1. When you hire in-house employees, you’re typically bound by the labor laws of the country in which your company is located. On the other hand, if you hire an iOS developer remotely, you will have to consider the labor laws of both your location and the developer’s location, especially if they’re in a separate country. These laws could be related to:

1. 1. Employment classification (employee vs. independent contractor)
   2. Working hours and overtime
   3. Termination procedures

2. Tax obligations are generally straightforward, with standard payroll deductions when you hire full-time, in-house iOS developers. However, they can be complex, particularly with international iOS developers for hire. You may have to seek professional assistance from an outsourcing or staffing company to:

1. 1. Understand withholding tax requirements in the developer’s country
   2. Address potential double taxation issues
   3. Comply with tax treaties between the involved countries

3. When it comes to the nature of contractual agreements, employment contracts are standard in case of in-house hiring, covering terms of employment, benefits, and responsibilities. However, with remote iOS developers, especially those hired for short-term projects, you will likely use independent contractor agreements, which must clearly define the following:

1. 1. Scope of work
   2. Payment terms
   3. Intellectual property ownership
   4. Termination clauses

4. With in-house iOS developers, data security can still be ensured, as it is often managed within your office environment. However, when you hire iOS developers remotely, you must provision for extra security measures to protect sensitive data when developers work from various locations.

Navigating through all of the above while onboarding and managing remote iOS developers can be a hassle. This is why many businesses turn to partnering with trusted outsourcing service providers who can find and help them hire remote iOS developers without having to worry about the process and compliance.

Alternatively, some organizations also prefer outsourcing iOS development services, wherein dedicated external development teams take over the entire project.

End Note

We have established that hiring remote iOS developers is a great way to expand your capabilities without incurring additional infrastructure and overhead costs. However, becoming successful in doing so requires thoughtful planning and adaptable management.

The process begins with deciding on a hiring strategy and shortlisting qualified candidates, followed by communicating your expectations and integrating them into your project. Once you complete this groundwork, the rest will follow naturally. Further, as digital spaces and collaboration tools and technologies evolve, working with global talent has become significantly easier and will continue to do so in the coming years.

So, if you want to augment your teams with global, remote iOS developers, the future holds exciting opportunities—just be ready to embrace remote talent acquisition.