During the interview process, your mobile developer isn’t expecting you to know the intricate details of the latest software, after all, it’s their job to impress you with their expertise. That being said, you will earn more respect and be able to discuss the technical requirements of the job if you have a good grasp of the subject.

A quick online search of mobile software trends will inform you of the popular (and not so popular) programming languages at the moment. For now, we are going to go over some of the necessary things you should know before you begin your interviews.

Popular Mobile Platforms

Android is by far the most popular platform. There is approximately double the number of Android developers than there are iOS developers. While it might be easier to find an Android developer, both are crucial in mobile app development.

You will run into problems finding Windows Phone developers, as the platform has never really been able to compete with iOS or Android.

The Highs and Lows of Frameworks and Libraries

The platform used only scratches the surface of mobile app development. iPhone, Android, and Windows have been popular for years but recently we have begun to see the rise of cross-platform apps. A cross-platform allows developers to create an app that will function in exactly the same way whether the user is on an Android device or an iOS device.

Cordova is a framework that has been around for some years. 2011 and 2012 saw a huge increase in its popularity and it has remained high since then. Xamarin took a while to gain interest but in 2016 saw a sharp increase when Microsoft acquired it. The youngest framework to make a noticeable presence is React-native.

On the contrary, jquery-mobile peaked in popularity in 2013. Developers can make responsive web apps that are equally functional on desktops and mobiles. Yet it has steadily declined since then.

2015 was a great year for parse.com. It supported mobile apps without the need to create a backend. But in 2016 took a great fall due to Facebook (the owners) announcing it was going to shut down the platform.

If you are going to risk discussing these frameworks make sure you are talking about them in the past tense. If not, your candidate may come across as out of touch with the latest technologies.

Going Beyond Mobile Developers

If you are looking to add a web developer or even a data scientist, you will want to make sure you are well aware of the trends and patterns in the field for you hiring for.

You only get one shot at an interview with a candidate. This is just as much your first impression as it is theirs. A little bit of research will allow you to come across as informed and invested in your product, as well as making your company more attractive for the candidate.