How to Get the Right Software Engineers for Your SaaS Business

When growing and scaling your SaaS business for long-term success, having the right software engineers is vital in achieving this. Software engineers are instrumental to your organisation’s product development, from building seamless user experiences to ensuring the scalability of your systems. Their expertise directly affects customer satisfaction, innovation, and your ability to stand out in a crowded market. 

But how do you know if your software engineering team is fully equipped? What steps can you take to ensure you're hiring and retaining the best talent? Our guide deep dives into these important questions. 

Understanding the Role of Software Engineers in SaaS Success

The first area we'll explore is understanding the role of a software engineer in your SaaS business's success. Here are the key reasons: 

• Driving Scalable Product Development - Software engineers are not just tasked with building platforms; they are the great problem-solvers who create cloud-based products designed to scale as user demands grow. They create high-performing code and manage complex technical infrastructures, ensuring your product can handle increasing workloads without sacrificing performance. 
• Delivering Seamless User Experiences - Great user experiences should be the focus of any SaaS business worth its salt. Software engineers collaborate with product and design teams to create intuitive user interfaces and experiences that retain customers and drive conversions.
• Ensuring System Reliability and Security - Software engineers are responsible for keeping your SaaS platform reliable and secure. This means fewer downtimes, stronger security and quick reaction to any potential vulnerabilities. Their hard work is crucial for building customer trust and maintaining your brand’s excellent reputation.
• Cross-department Collaboration - They also collaborate with different teams across your organisations, from sales to marketing to customer support, to align technical developments with wider business goals. 

With such a vital role in your SaaS business's success, how can you evaluate whether your software engineers have what it takes to drive your ambitions? 

Can I Ensure my SaaS Business has the Right Talent?

Not 100% sure you have the right people in your software engineering team? Don’t panic! Here are practical strategies to help you secure and retain quality engineers who align with your company’s goals. 

Conduct Technical Assessments 

So, what are the key assessment areas for engineers in SaaS? Next, we'll break down the critical skills and qualities to assess when determining if your team of software engineers is up to scratch. 

Technical Competence

Your team must constantly stay ahead of the curve when it comes to using and understanding the latest technology. Key competencies to look out for include: 

• Deep knowledge of DevOps practices to speed up releases while reducing errors. 
• Expertise in cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure or Google Cloud.
• Advanced skills in managing large data systems and designing scalable architectures.

Problem-solving Abilities 

Software engineers in SaaS environments must constantly face and solve complex challenges. Whether they are troubleshooting system bugs or discovering ways to optimise and improve load times, having strong problem-solving is crucial for success. 

Collaboration and Communication 

Software engineers need to effectively communicate with non-technical teams to make sure they align on mission, requirements, and any potential challenges. Having excellent communication skills can lead to faster product releases, fewer bottlenecks, and innovative solutions. 

Adaptability 

Working in the tech industry, you'll know that due to its innovative nature, it can change on a daily basis (that's why we love it!), so software engineers need to be on their toes. An effective software engineer constantly learns new frameworks, technologies, and best practices to ensure their output is both cutting-edge and competitive.

Ideas for Technical Assessments 

Are you struggling with ideas on how to assess your team or interviewees? Here are some of the best technical assessment methods: 

• Live Coding Interviews - These can be conducted remotely or in-person using online tools. The software engineer is given a problem to solve and then writes code to help solve it while the interviewers ask questions and observe. This helps to evaluate their coding skills, communication skills, and problem-solving ability. 
• Technical Skills Assessments - Technical skills assessment platforms such as iMocha test an engineer's understanding of programming principles and concepts and familiarity with programming languages, tools, or frameworks. 
• Coding Challenges and Assignments - These are also great for evaluating an engineer's coding abilities. The engineer is given a task through online platforms, such as CodeSubmit and HackerRank, such as building a particular feature or solving a coding challenge. They are assessed based on the quality of the code, their ability to write effective and efficient code, and their problem-solving ability. 

The Debate Around Technical Assessments

The effectiveness of technical assessments has sparked an ongoing debate within the industry. While these methods offer structured insights into coding abilities and problem-solving skills, critics argue that they don’t always reflect an engineer’s real-world capabilities or work environment. For example, live coding interviews may put undue stress on candidates, while pre-screened challenges sometimes fail to account for the collaborative aspects of engineering roles.

This discussion was a focal point at The Big Tech Debate, a recent networking event that brought together industry leaders to share perspectives on balancing assessment effectiveness with fairness. Key takeaways emphasised that technical assessments should be relevant, equitable, and designed to reflect actual job demands. These insights reinforced the value of creating well-rounded evaluations that consider alternative ways to measure talent, such as analyzing project portfolios or employing competency-based interviews.

Ultimately, it’s important to use assessments as part of a larger strategy that acknowledges different strengths and working styles while promoting inclusivity in hiring processes. By striking the right balance, companies can ensure their chosen methods empower qualified candidates rather than exclude them unfairly.

Invest in Continuous Training

 Encourage your software engineers to continuously learn and improve their skills and experiences. This could include:

• Funding certifications such as Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and CompTIA Security+. 
• Providing access to eLearning and online courses. 
• Host internal workshops on agile methodologies, specific programming languages, and coding boot camps. 

This will help close technical skill gaps and increase employee satisfaction and retention. It will also help you in the job market by showing you as an employer who is committed to personal development and supporting you in attracting ambitious software engineers. 

Build a Diverse Team

Driving diversity in your engineering team is key to developing innovation and could be what you need to get an edge in your market. So, encourage the hiring of people from different backgrounds and experiences. Studies have shown that diverse teams consistently solve problems more effectively, helping to bring a wider range of solutions to technical challenges. 

Here’s how you can ensure you attract and retain diverse talent in your business: 

• Carry Out Unconscious Bias Training - Train your hiring managers and other decision-makers to recognise and manage unconscious biases. This ensures candidates are assessed fairly based on their skills and potential, not stereotypes or assumptions. 
• Rewrite Your Job Descriptions with Inclusive Language -  Review your existing job posts to remove gendered or biased terms and adopt more neutral and welcoming language. You should also clearly state your commitment to diversity and inclusion to appeal to a broader and more diverse candidate pool. 
• Use Diverse Interview Panels - Build interview teams with people from different backgrounds and experiences to offer fresh perspectives, reduce bias, and present your company as a welcoming and inclusive employer to potential candidates. 
• Promote Your Inclusive Culture - Shout about your culture by showcasing testimonials and case studies from diverse employees and promoting your DEI initiatives on your social media and website. 

Why is Building a Diverse SaaS Team Important? 

While inclusion is important, having a diverse team brings fresh ideas and different ways to tackle challenges. Here are a few other advantages: 

• Different perspectives lead to innovative ideas, helping your team solve problems in ways others might not think of.
• A mix of backgrounds and experiences sparks creativity, driving better solutions and new opportunities.
• Diverse teams can understand and serve a broader range of customers, making your product more relatable and effective.
• Healthy debates and fresh viewpoints reduce blind spots and improve decision-making.
• It’s not just about inclusion for its own sake. It’s about building a smarter, more adaptive team that can outpace competitors.
• Employees in inclusive companies often feel more valued, which boosts morale, retention, and overall team performance.

How to Retain a Diverse SaaS Team 

Building a diverse SaaS team takes thoughtful strategies to align goals, build communication, stay competitive with compensation, and nurture forward-looking engineering. 

Below, we explore these key areas in detail:

Aligning Goals with Your Company’s Vision

A cohesive team starts with aligned goals. Developers are often project-driven, thriving on milestones before moving to new challenges. To retain this talent, have regular conversations about their future within your organisation. Are their aspirations in sync with your company’s direction? Offering clarity on growth opportunities can transform short-term contributors into long-term partners invested in your success.

Retaining Talent Through Open Communication

Many developers are project-driven, often staying with a company until a major milestone is achieved before moving on to new challenges. To keep your best talent, it’s vital to maintain open dialogue about what lies ahead beyond the immediate project. Asking questions like “What does the future look like for you here?” or “How do your personal and professional goals align with where we’re headed as a company?” can show employees that you’re invested in their development.

Retention requires proactive communication. Employees who feel valued and connected to your mission are more likely to stick around. Regular check-ins help identify their motivations and career goals. When leadership listens and provides support, it builds trust, making employees more invested in staying and evolving with your company.

Staying Competitive with Compensation

Competitive pay is essential to retaining top SaaS talent. Developers often leave for better salaries or benefits. Regular reviews of your compensation and benefits ensure you remain attractive in a dynamic market. Are you ready to match offers? Partnering with recruiters can provide market insights, helping you stay ahead of trends and meet changing expectations.

Creating Architectural Thinking

Great engineers do more than write code. Encourage them to think holistically about your SaaS platform's design. Focusing on scalability, security, and performance ensures your product can handle growth and deliver consistently. This forward-thinking approach is vital for building a reliable, competitive platform in the fast-paced SaaS industry.

Building for the Future

Aligning goals, building open dialogue, offering competitive compensation, and promoting mindful engineering all lay a strong foundation for a thriving team. Intentional efforts in these areas not only help retain top talent but also position your SaaS platform for scalable, sustainable growth.

Partner With a SaaS Recruitment Expert

If you find that your team doesn't have the talent it needs, then you need to hire fresh engineers. However, searching for and hiring the right talent can be an arduous and lengthy process on your own. There is a solution! Working with a dedicated SaaS recruitment agency (like MRJ!) allows you to access a network of pre-vetted, industry-experienced software engineers. A SaaS recruitment partner can ensure a perfect match in both technical skills and cultural alignment, saving you a lot of time and effort! 

Here are a few key ways that we can support you:

• Extensive Networks - You'll get access to a vast network of the best software engineering talent, including passive job seekers open to new opportunities. 
• Cost Effective - A bad hire can cost your business up to 30% of an employee's first-year salary. So your finance team isn't stressing, our expertise and ability to screen candidates to match your needs and culture means you'll only be connected to engineers who we're confident will drive your long-term success. 
• End-to-End Support - Our SaaS recruitment team handles the entire hiring process, from arranging job listings to onboarding your new professionals. This means you can focus on what you do best - growing your business!
• Unrivalled Industry Knowledge - We have comprehensive industry knowledge and always make sure we are up-to-date with the latest trends, market insights, and challenges businesses face.

The Right Software Engineers can be the Ultimate Advantage!

Strategically building an effective software engineering team is one of the best investments your SaaS business can make. Software engineers are at the very core of your operations, with their incredible work directly impacting your product’s usability, scalability, and security. When equipped with the right skills and surrounded by the right company culture, they will be ready to drive your mission and scale your business for long-term future success. 

To make sure that your software engineers are aligned with your wider business goals requires regular assessment and investment in their growth. By developing a culture of innovation and excellence, your engineering team will become a key drive of product and business success.

Struggling to Find Great Software Engineers? We’ve Got Your Back!

If you are struggling to find the right software engineers for your SaaS business, we are here to help. Hiring in this space requires significant expertise, networks, and insight, which, luckily, we've got in abundance. 

We specialise in helping tech businesses attract and hire the very best engineering talent. From assessing a candidate's technical skills to ensuring their cultural alignment, our team can help you build a world-class team that drives success long into the future. 

Contact our dedicated SaaS recruitment team and find out how we can help you secure the talent you need.