• Origin story: Ruby on Rails was created by David Heinemeier Hansson, while working on a project management tool at Basecamp (37Signals at the time) in 2003. Later in July 2004, it was officially released as open source code.
• Widely popular: As of 2019, according to JetBrains, there are more than 300 thousand Ruby on Rails developers in the world and it still is among the first choices for a web development framework.
• Top companies using Ruby on Rails: Top companies like Airbnb, Shopify, Github, Bloomberg, etc. use Ruby on Rails.

• Minimal error: Ruby on Rails has its own testing setup called RSec which ensures your application is tested properly. It can be used to test the functions employed in the application by separately calling them.
• Automated Deployment: Ruby on Rails include libraries that allows the code to proceed to production with minimum effort & less time. With just one-time single line initial setup on command interface it can deploy every change you have done to the production.

The following are some of the tools used by Ruby on Rails developers at various stages of development:

1. Traceroute

Traceroute is a route cleaning tool for Rails applications. It investigates the application's routes definition for checking which routes are mapped to nonexisting controller actions and finds out which controller actions are not reachable.

2. RubyMine

It is a cross-platform IDE that provides various tools to the developers from writing and debugging code to testing and deploying a completed application

3. Brakeman

Brakeman is a free vulnerability and security scanner specifically designed for Ruby on Rails applications. It looks at the source code of the developer's application which saves time to set up the whole application stack to use it.

4. Rubocop

It is a Ruby static code analyzer and code formatting tool that automatically checks if the developer's code conforms to the Ruby style guide from the Ruby community (English/Japanese), or other style guides.

5. Pry

Pry is an interactive shell for Ruby on Rails which can start a REPL within a running program. It features syntax highlighting, a flexible plugin architecture and runtime invocation.

Below are some key points that we at Flexiple have learned through trial and error - a process of filtering through over 15,000 developers. You can use these in your process to hire Ruby on Rails developers.

• Expertise in a specific language: All languages have their peculiarities and nuances. While good Ruby on Rails developers can pick up other languages like HTML and CSS, it’s a plus point to hire a developer who already has expertise in it.
• Years of software development experience: Be specific about the technology you’re looking for and the number of years of experience needed. A proxy to years of experience can be the number of production-level apps worked on.
• Exposure to specific industries: Developers who have built products in certain industries will already know key aspects of laying the foundation for a great product and will be able to predict possible problems.
• Strong communication: An essential thing to look at when hiring a freelancer is excellent communication skills. Since all the interaction happens online, a freelancer should be able to effectively communicate to ensure a streamlined execution of all work.
• Experience working remotely: A developer with past remote work experience is an added advantage as they would have first-hand experience of everything - right from how contracts work to streamlined communication, as well as timelines and deliverables.
• Type of products built in the past: Based on the type of product you are trying to build - social network, SAAS product, etc. - you can prioritize certain developers over others.

Now that you have made a quality JD, it can still be tricky to evaluate the skills of your applicants when you hire Ruby on Rails developers. To help you with that, we have created a pool of questions that a good Ruby on Rails developer should be comfortable with.

It is important to note that the ability to answer these questions doesn't imply that you have a top quality candidate. But it definitely is a big step in that direction.

To help you navigate through these questions, we’ve categorized the interview questions in 3 parts:

A. Basic concepts: Includes all basic concepts used across languages but we've focused on their significance in Ruby on Rails. This will give you an understanding of how strong their programming foundation is.

B. Advanced concepts: Includes all concepts that someone with higher expertise should know.

C. DS/Algorithm questions: To test the logical capability of the candidate.

A. Basic concepts

Coming soon!

B. Advanced concepts

Coming soon!

C. Data Structure/ Algorithm

Coming soon!

That is everything you need to know about hiring a freelance Ruby on Rails developer. As discussed, it isn't easy to find a quality freelance Ruby on Rails developer but this guide makes the process easier for you. To offload the entire hiring process, reach out to us at Flexiple. We've designed a high-quality, 6-step screening process to find the top 1%, freelance developers. You can find the best freelance Ruby on Rails developers here. We've already served over a hundred clients, earning great reviews for the quality of service.

Lastly, to quickly summarize the process of hiring a Ruby on Rails developer for you:

• Note your project requirements and hire accordingly. Do not go for the lowest or the highest-paid developer.
• Don’t hire without vetting- consider asking questions right from the basics to advanced to logical questions.
• Look for companies like Flexiple that help you find the perfect fit when you hire Ruby on Rails developers.

Happy hiring! :)