How to Evaluate a Developer Without Being a Developer

“You don’t need to write code to recognize someone who can build great things—you just need the right lens.”

Hiring developers when you’re not one yourself can feel intimidating. How do you know they’re skilled if you can’t read their code? How can you assess technical depth, communication, and problem-solving without speaking their language?

The truth is: You don’t have to be a developer to hire one. You just need the right process, the right questions, and the right people around you.

This blog walks you through a step-by-step, non-technical framework for evaluating a developer confidently and effectively.

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1. Define What “Good” Looks Like — Beyond Just Code

Start with clarity. Don’t just say “I need a full stack developer.”

Clarify:

• What do you want them to build?

• What tools or technologies are involved?

• What level of ownership will they have?

• Will they work solo or with a team?

Break the role into outcomes, not just titles. For example:

• “Build a dashboard that integrates with Stripe and sends daily reports to users.”

• “Migrate our monolithic app to microservices over six months.”

This gives you and the developer a common language, even if you don’t speak JavaScript or Python.

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2. Use Portfolio Work, Not Just Résumés

Ask to see:

• GitHub repos

• Live demos

• Screenshots of projects

• Documentation or code walkthrough videos

What to look for (even if you can’t code):

• Is the project well-documented and explained clearly?

• Does it solve a real-world problem?

• Is the UI/UX intuitive (if applicable)?

• Can they talk through what they did and why?

If they can explain their work clearly, that’s a great sign—they’ll be able to collaborate well too.

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3. Ask Behavioral and Problem-Oriented Questions

You don’t need to ask: “What’s the difference between merge sort and quick sort?”

Instead, ask:

• “Tell me about a time something broke in production. What did you do?”

• “How do you prioritize between writing perfect code and meeting a deadline?”

• “How do you give and receive code feedback?”

You’re listening for:

• Ownership

• Critical thinking

• Communication skills

• Real-world decision-making

These are indicators of a strong, well-rounded developer, not just a good coder.

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4. Involve a Technical Advisor or Peer Reviewer

If you’re unsure about technical depth, partner with:

• A trusted senior developer in your network

• A freelance technical consultant

• A contract CTO

• An external agency that offers tech screening

They can:

• Review coding samples

• Ask deeper follow-up questions

• Score the candidate’s technical test

This gives you objective input without requiring you to dive into the codebase yourself.

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5. Give a Realistic, Paid Trial Task

Instead of a generic coding test, assign a small, paid real-world task relevant to your business. For example:

• Build a one-page product landing page

• Integrate a payment gateway

• Write a Python script to clean CSV data

Observe:

• How they ask clarifying questions

• How they approach the task

• How they deliver and explain their work

Note: Always pay for trial tasks. It sets the tone for fairness and professionalism.

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6. Evaluate for Collaboration, Not Just Code

In today’s remote and Agile setups, you want developers who are:

• Proactive

• Communicative

• Open to feedback

• Aligned with business goals

Try asking:

• “What’s your approach to giving status updates?”

• “How do you handle non-technical teammates who don’t understand your timelines?”

• “Can you explain your last project to someone who isn’t technical?”

These give you a sense of how they’ll fit into your team, regardless of your own technical skill.

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7. Trust Patterns Over Pedigree

Don’t get blinded by:

• Big company names

• Fancy tech stacks

• Certificates from coding bootcamps

Look for:

• Consistent delivery

• Problem-solving mindset

• Curiosity and learning habits

• Results they've created, not just tools they've used

A good developer can be self-taught or come from a non-traditional background — focus on what they can do, not just where they’ve been.

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Final Thoughts: Hire for Builders, Not Just Coders

You don’t need to understand the code.
You need to understand how they think, build, communicate, and grow.

Hiring the right developer is less about being an expert yourself and more about setting up the right structure:

• Clear goals

• Real-world tests

• Collaborative evaluations

Get those right, and you’ll find not just a capable developer — but a powerful partner in your vision.