What is SQL Developer and How to Find the Best One for Your Business

Nothing can work without data from healthcare, e-commerce, banking, education, and government bodies. From the time we know how to read and write, we keep records. Now that we have all this technology, it would be silly not to use it for better data management.

Data is key to making it in the business world. Regardless if you want to analyse data, compare your previous performance with the current one, or keep track of your organisation’s journey.

To make a database, you’ll need a tool for SQL development. You can use this free integrated development environment (IDE) to develop and manage databases.

However, no matter how sophisticated the AI technology gets, humans still do the bulk of SQL development. This means you must hire the right people besides getting the right tools for the job.

So, how do you identify the best potential candidates for this position in your enterprise? How do you test them? What are you looking for, and how do you recognise the right fit? Read on to find out this and much more.

What do SQL developers do?

There are many tasks and responsibilities that SQL developers are in charge of. Their primary purpose is to develop databases. At the same time, they allow you to edit already existing SQL scripts.

They use IED to improve database browsing. This way, you can browse and manage indexes, tables, views, and triggers. Navigation of databases is harder than you think. No matter how valuable the contents, if you can’t find them on-demand, they’re not useful.

Another task that they’re in charge of is data modeling. It allows you to create and modify database schema diagrams. The efficiency of the database depends on your ability to understand and interpret it. So, by using SQL developer, you can make it easier to identify relationships, optimise performance, and simplify the maintenance of your databases.

If you need to move data from one database to another, you will need a skilled and meticulous SQL developer in charge of this task. This can make the data migration process much simpler and more efficient.

While the current capacities of your databases may seem sufficient, the truth is that they’ll need performance tuning sooner rather than later. So, having the right SQL developer for the job might help provide you with that extra scalability layer. In the long run, a specialist will save you a fortune, even if you pay them more than you initially intended. They are also pivotal in improving user experience.

Finally, SQL developers will help with ensuring that data integrity is satisfactory. Databases are useless if they’re not accurate and consistent. It is your responsibility to ensure that this is the case. This is why you want someone responsible for the job.

How do you test SQL developers?

 

Once you open a job application and CVs start rolling in, you’ll have difficulty selecting the right person. In the 21st century, with all the online resources, courses, and tips, everyone knows how to make themselves look good on paper.

So, to avoid being gaslighted by their “stellar previous performance,” you need to find appropriate tests. This will show you how they act in the field of fire.

It’s hard to find just one test for SQL developers that will show you every aspect of their persona as a specialist. Instead, why not subject them to several tests and see how well they fare?

• You can start by testing them on technical issues like PostgreSQL and SQLite (coding) prowess.
• Second, you can see how good they are with CSS, DISC, or HTML5.
• Next, you can test them in fields like critical thinking and whether or not they’re a cultural fit.
• Finally, some tests may even evaluate more abstract aspects of their personality. For instance, you could test their motivation or their attention to detail.

Remember that the selection of tests may depend on your enterprise's specific needs. Since most of these tests take about 10-15 minutes to complete, you shouldn’t shy away from picking several of them.

How you decide to value the results of these tests is completely up to you. It would be ridiculous to assign the same value to their CSS skills and motivation test results (which may be highly unreliable). Just keep in mind that combining the results of all the tests and seeing this as a total score might not be fair or reliable.

How much should you offer to pay SQL developers?

The most important thing about specialists (especially those in demand, like SQL developers) is that they have options. In other words, while they’re applying for your position, make no mistake, you don’t have all the leverage. You need to woo them just as much as they must persuade you to give them a chance.

Now, to do so, you need to offer them fair compensation. The national average in 2023 is $95,509 annually, bringing it to roughly $46 per hour.

Sure, the salary can go as low as $47,000, but it can also go as high as $140,500.

The key thing is that you remember what you’re looking for. You can go a bit lower if you want someone to fill an entry-level job. Ensure you understand these people will disappear when they get a better opportunity. Sure, you can make them stay with the promise of a raise, advancement, and a learning experience; however, income is usually far more persuasive.

While problem-solving is appealing, the truth is that working on databases is not particularly fun. This leads us to the only logical conclusion that people are in this just for the money (big surprise). Unless they believe that you’re paying them fairly, they’ll either walk away immediately or look for the first opportunity to do so.

Also, make a raise plan. While there’s no general rule regarding when you should give people in your employ a raise, you might want to ensure that you don’t spread these instances too thin. For instance, you might want to regularly assess industry standards and employee performance evaluations. This will ensure that you’re competitive within the industry.

What’s the right personality type for this job?

source

Even with a completed test and a list of requirements for the job, the truth is that it will take a while for the developer to show their true colours. The best you can do is set loose requirements (sticking to your requirements too strictly is generally regarded as a bad hiring practice) and trust your gut.

Now, your gut can’t tell you much about their CCS skills. It can, however, help you figure out their personality.

• First of all, they need to pay incredible attention to detail. This is a field in which even a small margin of error can cause major problems. So, if a person makes a spelling error in their CV or follow-up letter, it might indicate that they don’t have a habit of proofreading carefully (or at all).
• They need to be persistent. As we’ve already said, there’s nothing fun about this job, even though it can be creative at times. So, you need someone who will not give up when going gets tough.
• Communication is important. They’re likely to work as a part of a team, so you want someone who can convey simple ideas without being too ambiguous. Fortunately, you can figure this out early in the hiring process.
• Finally, you want something with a passion for learning (or discipline, to be more precise). Look at their resume and see the course of their improvement over their career. This profession requires a lifetime of learning, and you don’t want someone who has just done the bare minimum to qualify.

These traits increase the odds that they’re the right person for the job.

How do you write a good job description?

The last thing you need to do is write a good job description. While this should be straightforward, no two requirement lists are alike. At the very least, you need someone who can:

• Design, develop, and maintain databases.
• Write and optimise SQL queries.
• Collaborate with other developers.
• Troubleshoot database-related issues.

In terms of requirements, you might want to go with someone with a Bachelor's degree in computer science or information technology. Still, a related field will work, as well. Also, ideally, you would look for someone with at least three years of experience in SQL.

Understanding the position of SQL developer is the prerequisite to hiring the right person for the job

By understanding the responsibilities and tasks of SQL developers, you’ll have a much easier job of hiring the right person. Since you can’t completely rely on resumes, you want to find the best tests. Also, without offering the right pay and writing an accurate job description, there’s no talk about hiring top talent.

---

---

Article by Pankaj Shah: DCP London Web Designers