Hire top Airtable expert to build your project fast & affordably

Introduction

No-code development is becoming a popular choice for companies of all sizes to quickly build and scale products. Airtable is a cloud-based, flexible database platform that allows users to organize and manage data in a variety of formats, including tables, lists, calendars, and boards. It can be used for a wide range of tasks, such as project management, asset tracking, and team collaboration. Airtable features a user-friendly interface, integrations with other apps and services, and the ability to customize views and fields to suit specific needs. Due to the growing demand for Airtable developers, many companies are now focusing on building entire Airtable development teams. This guide will provide all the information needed to hire the right Airtable developer, understand their capabilities, and onboard them effectively. Additionally, it will highlight the possibilities and limitations of the Airtable platform. By reading this article, you will be equipped to find the perfect candidate to bring your ideas to life. For assistance in finding the right developer, WeLoveNoCode can quickly match you with the most skilled Airtable developer for your needs. Let's begin!

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Things to Consider When Choosing Airtable

Airtable is a popular and powerful platform, but it does have some limitations. Some potential cons include:

• Cost: While Airtable offers a free plan, it can become expensive if you need to use more advanced features or store a lot of data.
• Limited automation: While Airtable does offer some automation features, such as form submissions and reminders, it does not have as many automation options as other platforms like Zapier or IFTTT.
• Limited reporting: Airtable does not offer advanced reporting and analytics features.
• Limited access control: There are some limitations in terms of who can access and edit certain records and fields.
• Limited data import and export: While Airtable does have import and export options, it does not support as many file types as other platforms.
• Limited security: Airtable does not offer as many security features as other platforms, such as two-factor authentication or encryption.

It's worth noting that the limitations of the platform may or may not be a deal breaker depending on the specific use case and the size of the organization.

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What you can build with Airtable?

Airtable is a flexible platform that can be used for a wide range of tasks and projects, some examples include:

• Project management: You can create a project management system with Airtable by using tables to track tasks, deadlines, and progress, and using views to display information in different formats, such as calendars and Gantt charts.
• Asset tracking: You can create a system to track assets, such as equipment, inventory, or vehicles, by using tables to store information and using views to filter and display data.
• CRM: You can create a CRM system by using tables to store information about customers, leads, and deals, and using views to filter and display data.
• Event planning: You can create an event planning system by using tables to store information about events, attendees, and tasks, and using views to display information in different formats, such as calendars and lists.
• Content management: You can use Airtable as a content management system by using tables to store information about blog posts, articles, and videos, and using views to filter and display data.
• Team collaboration: You can use Airtable to collaborate with team members by creating a shared database for tasks, files, and notes.
• Personal organization: You can use Airtable for personal organization such as creating a budget tracker, recipe collection, movie collection, and many more.

These are just a few examples of what you can build with Airtable. The possibilities are really endless as you can customize the platform to fit your specific needs.

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Hiring Airtable Developer Skills Checklist

Hiring for any technical role can be a difficult and time-consuming process, but good preparation can make it much easier. To help with this, here is a checklist of both soft and hard skills that should be considered when hiring an Airtable developer. These are the skills that many businesses require and may be useful for you to have as well:

• Hard Skills:
• Strong understanding of Airtable's capabilities and limitations
• Experience with Airtable's formula language and scripting
• Experience with Airtable's API and integrating it with other platforms
• Knowledge of database management and design principles
• Experience with data visualization and reporting
• Knowledge of web development and front-end technologies
• Experience in data migration and data management
• Soft Skills:
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work well in a team
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Strong project management skills
• Good analytical and critical thinking skills

It's worth noting that the ideal candidate may not have experience in all of these areas, but they should have a strong foundation in the key skills and be willing to learn and adapt as needed.

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What Type of Airtable Developers Do You Need?

Determining the specific skill set required for an Airtable developer is the first step in the hiring process, but it's important to also consider the type of employment that best fits your project. The options include hiring an in-house Airtable developer, working with an Airtable freelancer, or engaging with an Airtable agency. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to carefully evaluate which one is the best fit for your specific needs.

Permanent Airtable Developer

• Pros: Having a permanent Airtable developer on staff means they will become a integral part of the business and understand its vision. They will likely be more invested in the company's success and have a greater sense of accountability for their work. This option is like having an in-house Airtable team that takes full ownership of the product from start to finish.
• Cons: Hiring a permanent Airtable developer comes with the traditional costs associated with employee compensation, such as a basic salary, taxes, bonuses, and pension contributions. It may also be more challenging, time-consuming, and costly to let them go if their performance does not meet expectations, similar to hiring any other type of developer.

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Contractor / Freelance Airtable Developer

• Pros: If your project has a defined timeline, working with a freelance Airtable developer can be a good option. For example, if you're building a prototype and need to test its viability before committing to permanent staff, a freelance developer can be ideal. It's also easier to hire freelance developers with specific strengths for specific tasks within a set timeframe and you don't need them to be as engaged as a permanent developer would be.
• Cons: Freelance developers may be less organized and require more supervision to ensure they're working on your project. They may also lack the long-term accountability that a permanent employee would have, resulting in less attention to detail. It's a common challenge for any type of developer, whether for no-code or traditional development.

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Outsourced to an Airtable Agency

• Pros: A full-fledged Airtable agency typically has a broader skill set and can be better technical partners for large projects. They also provide structure and are generally more reliable. If you choose the right agency, they will offer developers with experience and expertise, allowing you to collaborate at different levels depending on your project requirements. Additionally, as their success is largely dependent on their integrity, they generally deliver a higher quality of results than freelancers. Some agency like WeLoveNoCode combines the benefits of an Airtable agency, engaged no-code developers, and affordable cost.
• Cons: Hiring freelance Airtable developers through an agency is more expensive and may cost as much as 5x the standard fees, particularly if the agency is based in the US, UK, or Europe. Also, if you choose the wrong agency, you may end up with junior developers, causing your project to stall and resulting in wasted time and money. This is particularly true if you opt for "cheaper" agencies that may have a great salesperson but an inefficient development process, QA, junior team members, and lack of work ethics. This advice applies to working with any agency and in any business, as there are good and bad agencies out there.

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Conclusion

When it comes to hiring Airtable developers, the best choice depends on the specific needs of your project. For short-term, small projects, freelancers or project-based teams are a great option. However, if you are an established business looking to expand your existing product, hiring an in-house team of permanent developers or development partners may be the best choice. Working with a company like WeLoveNoCode, which offers pre-vetted Airtable developers with management support, is an excellent choice for businesses looking to quickly build and scale their product.

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How can you identify the right candidate?

When hiring Airtable developers, it's important to remember that the perfect match may not necessarily be the most skilled developer on the market. Instead, it will be the person who best aligns with the specific needs of your business in terms of character, culture, and the phase of your business, including budget limitations. It's crucial to avoid wasting time and resources on bad hires or questionable agencies, and to focus on finding the right fit for your organization.

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Step 1: Assess them before the first call

In the hiring process, it's not always possible to interview every candidate who applies for the role. To effectively evaluate potential hires and narrow down the field, it's important to have a filtering process in place before the initial interview. This process can include reviewing resumes and portfolios, conducting pre-interview assessments or phone screens, and checking references to assess the candidate's qualifications and fit for the role.

CV sifting

When hiring an Airtable developer, it's important to begin by clearly outlining the essential qualifications and requirements for the role. This will serve as a guide for reviewing resumes and narrowing down the list of potential candidates. Anyone who does not meet these criteria should be eliminated from consideration. This approach ensures that the remaining candidates have the minimum qualifications for the role. Once you have a list of qualified candidates, the next step is to assess their technical abilities and cultural fit through interviews and other testing methods.

Check their portfolio

When evaluating a candidate's technical abilities in Airtable, one of the best resources to review is their portfolio website. This is where the candidates would have samples of projects they've worked on, which can give you an idea of their skills, experience and the type of projects they have worked on. By reviewing the portfolio, you can gauge the candidate's proficiency in Airtable, their ability to implement best practices, and the quality of their work.

Ask for a cover letter

Another way to evaluate a candidate's interest and qualifications for the Airtable role is to ask them to submit a cover letter along with their resume. This approach allows you to gauge a candidate's willingness to put in the effort to write something original and show that they have a genuine interest in the role. A cover letter also demonstrates that the candidate has read and understood the job posting, rather than just blindly submitting their CV.

The downside to this approach is that it can deter some potential candidates from applying, particularly if they feel it adds an extra layer of work to the application process. Additionally, it creates an extra task for you as the interviewer to review and evaluate the cover letters in addition to resumes.

Reviews

When hiring a freelance Airtable developer through platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr, you can use the reviews left by previous clients as a way to evaluate and filter potential candidates. The reviews can provide insight into the freelancer's work ethic, quality of their work, and the overall experience of working with them. This can be a useful tool in determining which freelancers are worth considering for your project.

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Step 2: Set up an interview process.

When conducting interviews for an Airtable developer, whether in-person or via video conference, it's important to be well-prepared in order to find the best candidate. This includes having a set of consistent questions ready to ask all candidates, and having the right people in the room to conduct the interview, ideally including fellow developers. As the saying goes, "game recognizes game," so it's important to have at least one person on the interview panel who understands the candidate's job and can relate to them on a technical level.

During the interview, it's important to not only evaluate the candidate but also to make a good impression, as they may have other job offers to consider. Typically, an interview panel would consist of 2-5 people, with a smaller number for startups. However, it's important to have a balanced perspective and compare at least a couple of views before making a decision.

To make the evaluation process more objective, it can be helpful to introduce a simple scoring system, along with a technical Airtable assessment. This system should be based on a set of agreed-upon criteria, weighted based on the most important factors for the role. Examples of criteria to consider include hard skills related to using the Airtable platform, understanding of development and design concepts, cultural fit, communication skills, problem-solving, and teamwork.

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Examples of Good Airtable Interview Questions

1. Can you walk us through a project you've worked on using Airtable and explain your role in it?

2. How do you stay up-to-date with new features and updates on the Airtable platform?

3. How do you approach problem-solving when working on an Airtable project?

4. Can you give an example of a particularly complex Airtable project you've worked on and how you overcame any challenges?

5. How do you ensure data security and confidentiality when working with Airtable?

6. How do you handle version control and collaboration when working on an Airtable project with a team?

7. How do you integrate Airtable with other tools and platforms?

8. Can you describe your experience with automations and scripting in Airtable?

9. How do you approach testing and quality assurance for Airtable projects?10. Can you explain a use case you've implemented using Airtable's relational data model?

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Step 3: Technical assessment

When recruiting no-code developers, particularly those with Airtable experience, many companies now require candidates to complete a technical assessment, also known as a "test task" or "home assignment." This typically involves tasks that are relevant to the role and are designed to evaluate the candidate's technical abilities. Here are some ways to approach a technical Airtable assessment:

• Provide the candidate with a specific problem or scenario to solve using Airtable. This can be a real-world issue that the candidate would encounter in the role, or a hypothetical problem that requires them to demonstrate their understanding of Airtable's capabilities.
• Ask the candidate to build a specific feature or functionality within Airtable, such as an automated workflow or a custom-built form. This will test their ability to implement solutions and think creatively.
• Assess the candidate's knowledge of Airtable's features and capabilities by giving them a series of multiple-choice or true/false questions.
• Provide the candidate with a data set and ask them to analyze it using Airtable's visualization and reporting features.
• Ask the candidate to complete a coding challenge, such as writing a script that integrates Airtable with another platform.
• Have the candidate walk through a sample Airtable project they've worked on to discuss their experience and how they approached the project.

It's important to note that the assessment task should be relevant to the role and be balanced between measuring their skill set and time-consuming.

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Step 4: References

Once you have completed steps 1-3 and narrowed down your list of preferred Airtable candidates, it's important to conduct reference checks with previous employers or clients. This serves several purposes:

• It allows you to evaluate whether the candidate's work ethic and values align with those of your business, which is important for long-term success.
• You can confirm whether the candidate has experience working in similar settings or environments, such as remote development teams or cross-functional teams.
• You can verify if the candidate has relevant experience with specific types of Airtable projects, such as integrating with social media APIs.
• You can learn more about the candidate's strengths and weaknesses, which can help with the onboarding process.

It's essential to reach out to references provided by the candidate, and if they can't provide any or the references don't reply, it's a red flag. And if the candidate has no reference or testimonials, you may want to consider other candidates.

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How to Onboard Your New Airtable Developer

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Congratulations, you've hired a talented Airtable developer! Now it's time to onboard them effectively and help them add value to your team as quickly as possible. Here are some steps to take during the onboarding process:

• Assign a single point of contact who will organize the new developer's schedule and answer any questions they may have. This could be an HR representative or an engineering manager. This person should prepare an onboarding checklist that covers all essential aspects of the job, such as learning the product, tech stack, development process, tooling, and more.
• Create an actionable plan for the first few weeks, including scheduled meetings and small, manageable tasks for the new developer to complete.
• Avoid overwhelming the new developer with too much information at once. Instead, pace the onboarding process and provide them with just enough information to get started.
• Provide the new developer with access to all necessary equipment and software as soon as possible, such as laptops or paid services.
• Give the new developer small Airtable tasks on non-critical projects to help them integrate into the team and get familiar with the company's processes.

Overall, the onboarding process should be well-structured, not rushed, and tailored to the new developer's specific needs. This will help them feel more comfortable and confident in their new role, and enable them to start contributing to your team as soon as possible.

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What should be the budget for a Airtable Developer?

The cost of hiring a Airtable developer can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the complexity of the project, your specific requirements, the scale of the project, the need for custom code, and the location of the developer or agency. On average, a Airtable developer can command a monthly salary of around $10,200. However, working with a freelancer may result in a lower cost.

If you choose to work with a no-code development agency such as WeLoveNoCode, you can expect to pay a monthly subscription fee of around $1999. Keep in mind that this is an average, and costs can change depending on the complexity of your project and the specific needs of your business. It's important to have a clear understanding of your budget and to communicate that to any potential developers or agencies you work with.

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You can hire in a better way by using WeLoveNoCode

WeLoveNoCode is a platform that connects you with pre-vetted, experienced Airtable developers. With our platform, you can easily find the right developer for your project, saving you time and effort in the hiring process. Our developers have been vetted for their skills, experience, and qualifications, ensuring that you are getting the best talent for your project. By using our platform, you can start building your application quickly and efficiently.