How to Hire a Golang Developer
Golang, which is also more widely known as Go, is a statically typed, compiled programming language. It was developed by Google engineers Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson to provide a simpler, more efficient alternative to traditional languages like C and C++.
Thanks to the language’s strong features and fast performance, it is loved by tech businesses everywhere and it’s probably why you’re also looking to hire a Golang developer - someone who can implement it into your projects. Let’s take a look at some skills and responsibilities associated with Golang developers and freelancers, as well as where to find them and what interview questions to ask.
What are the responsibilities of a Golang Developer?
Golang developers are crucial for making efficient and scalable apps. They do many tasks to help develop, maintain, and improve Golang-based applications. Let's dive into the main responsibilities that Golang developers undertake:
Developing and implementing software: Golang developers write clean and efficient code that lead to strong and scalable software.
Troubleshooting and debugging: Fixing bugs and performance problems is important for Golang developers. This ensures Golang-based apps run smoothly.
Optimizing performance: They make apps run faster and more efficiently. Understanding Golang well helps them improve code speed and memory use.
Writing and maintaining documentation: Good documentation is needed for software upkeep. Golang developers should document their work well. This makes it easier for others to understand and fix issues.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams: They work with product managers, designers, and other developers. This teamwork is crucial to making high-quality software that clients love.
What are essential skills for a Golang (Go) developer?
The combination of technical expertise in Go and broader software engineering skills allows Go developers to be valuable assets to any team or organization. Let’s take a look at some important skills for Go developers to have.
Proficiency in Golang syntax, idioms, and best practices: Go developers need to have a strong understanding of the Go programming language, including its syntax, common idioms, and industry best practices. This allows them to write efficient, maintainable, and scalable Go code.
Understanding of concurrency patterns in Go, such as using goroutines and channels: Golang is designed for concurrent programming, so developers must be familiar with using goroutines (lightweight threads) and channels (communication mechanisms) to build highly concurrent and parallel applications.
Experience with web development, building web services and RESTful APIs, and familiarity with Go web frameworks like Gin or Echo: Many Go applications are web-based, so developers need to know how to build web services, APIs, and use popular Go web frameworks.
Ability to optimize performance and minimize memory usage of Go applications: Golang is known for its performance, so developers must be able to write efficient code and optimize applications for speed and low memory usage.
Critical thinking and debugging skills to resolve complex coding issues: As with any programming language, Go developers need to be able to analyze and solve complex problems that arise during development.
Collaboration and communication skills to work effectively in a team: Go developers often work as part of a larger software engineering team, so they need to be able to communicate effectively and collaborate with others.
Experience with cloud platforms and containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes: Many Go applications are deployed in cloud environments, so developers should be familiar with containerization and cloud infrastructure.
Familiarity with other programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, or Rust: While Go is the primary focus, having experience with other languages can be beneficial for a well-rounded developer.
Knowledge of agile development methodologies and practices: Go developers often work in agile environments, so understanding agile principles and workflows is important.
Proficiency in version control tools like Git: Go developers need to be able to effectively use version control systems to manage code repositories and collaborate on projects.
Strong written and verbal communication skills: As with any software engineering role, Go developers must be able to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
These skills are essential for Go developers to be able to design, develop, and maintain high-performance, scalable, and reliable applications using the Go programming language.
Where to find Golang Developers and freelancers
It’s important to know whether you have the resources for making permanent hires. If not, there is always the option to hire freelancers initially. Finding the right Golang developers is easy if you know what your requirement is and then where to look. Let’s see where you can hire for your team.
You can find Golang developers on LinkedIn and other platforms similar to it. It’s a great platform to go through profiles that match your keyword. All you’ve got to do is type in “Golang developer” or “Golang freelancer” in your search bar and you’ll see several profile options in front of you. If you don’t get anywhere by searching yourself, you can put up a job post and see if it attracts any qualified Golang experts.
If you’re hiring specifically for Golang freelancers, you should try finding them on freelancing platforms like Fiverr, Upwork and Freelancer. These all are great places for finding freelancers who have prior experience in Golang projects, who don’t cost an arm and a leg and can get smaller sized projects done for you. Don’t forget to check out their portfolios and reviews before you engage them.
Golang developer communities are also good places to find talent. Github, Stack Overflow, and Reddit are platforms where developers share their work. They often collaborate with others and offer services. You can explore these communities to find developers that fit your project.
Talent boards that are focused exclusively on tech roles are super useful for finding Golang developers. Each category has its own lists so you can find Golang freelancers and experts available for immediate hiring. You can go through their profiles and engage with them.
With these platforms and resources, you can easily find skilled Golang freelancers and/or full-time talent.
Questions to ask when hiring a Golang developer
When looking for Golang developers, it's important for hiring managers and recruiters to check their skills and background. This makes sure they match your project's needs. We’ve compiled a mix of questions, technical and non-technical, to help you prepare better for a Golang developer interview.
Can you provide examples of projects you have worked on using Golang?
The purpose of this question is to assess the candidate’s Golang proficiency and hands-on experience. An ideal answer of this would involve the candidate properly describing relevant Golang projects they’ve worked on in the past and what role they played. Bonus points if they share their screen and have some work ready to show you.
What frameworks and libraries are you familiar with in the Golang ecosystem?
The purpose of this question is to gauge candidate knowledge on Golang frameworks and libraries. They should be able to name them. The answer could include frameworks like Gin, Beego, Echo, Revel, Buffalo, and popular libraries like Gorilla, Gorm, Viper, Cobra, and testify, which are commonly used for web development, database interactions, configuration management, and testing in Go projects.
How do you approach debugging and troubleshooting in Golang?
The purpose of this question is to assess the problem-solving abilities of the candidate at hand. They should be able to provide you with a structured and systemic approach. An ideal answer would involve them explaining how they utilize Go's built-in tools for debugging like the testing framework and debugger, add strategic logging, analyze stack traces, and collaborate with team members to efficiently identify and resolve issues.
Have you participated in the full software development lifecycle using Golang? If so, please describe your involvement.
The purpose of this question is to assess how much and what kind of experience they have working with Golang. The right answer to this question would entail the candidate explaining that they’ve worked on design requirements and gathering, development, testing, deployment and finally maintenance of the Go application.
How do you ensure effective communication within your development team?
The purpose of this question is to assess the communication skills of a candidate. A Golang developer, or any kind of developer would be no use to a business if they are unable to communicate their ideas, perspectives and solutions to their development team. In the answer, the candidate should be able to tell you that they prioritize regular meetings, utilize collaboration tools like Jira, maintain clear documentation, practice active listening, and encourage feedback to foster transparency, alignment, and continuous improvement.
Are you comfortable working in an agile development environment with fast-paced iterations?
The purpose of this question is to determine whether or no the candidate is a cultural fit for your business. An ideal answer would involve them saying yes and following it up with an explanation that involves them explaining how they actively participate in agile ceremonies, such as daily standups, sprint planning, and retrospectives, to deliver high-quality software efficiently within tight timelines.
By asking these and similar questions, you learn a lot about a candidate's skills, how they solve problems, and their Golang experience. All such info helps you choose the right Golang developer for your team. Moreover, hiring Golang developers is not just about their tech skills. Soft skills and cultural fit are just as key. Being able to work well with others, communicate clearly, and embrace your company culture matters a lot.
That being said, we hope this guide helped you. Feel free to conduct additional research and formulate questions tailored to your specific needs. You can also scroll to the top of the page to explore and hire a Golang developer for your project right away.