If you need a dedicated developer in India, you will quickly face a long list of profiles that all look good. The way to pick a developer is to read three things first: the test score, the communication score and work history that matches your stack. Keep only the people who are strong on all three.
This matters because a CV is a self-written claim. A score from a supervised test is evidence. Below is how to use each of the three checks, with steps you can run this week.
Why is it so hard to tell good developers from bad ones on a list?
Most profiles list the same things: years of experience, a long row of tools and a polished summary. None of that is checked. Two people can write the same skills and be very different in practice.
A long list of tools tells you what someone has touched, not what they can do. Look for evidence, not claims. That is why the three checks below all rely on something measured or something you can verify.
Check 1: What does the test score tell you?
A test score shows how someone solves problems in the role you are hiring for. It only means something if the test fits the role and was taken fairly.
Ask these questions of any score you see:
- Was the test specific to the role, for example data engineering or backend, rather than a generic quiz?
- Was it taken under camera supervision, so you know the person did the work themselves?
- Do you know what the score covers, so you can compare two people on the same basis?
An unsupervised test can be helped, copied or looked up. A supervised one is much harder to fake. If you want a deeper look at reading these results, see how to read a developer's score before the interview.
Check 2: Why does the communication score need to be separate?
A developer who writes great code but cannot explain a problem will slow a remote team down. When you work across time zones, most of your day together is written messages and short calls.
That is why the communication score should sit next to the technical score, not be blended into it. A single mixed number can hide a weak spot. Two scores let you see the gap.
A simple rule: set a minimum on both. A strong coder with weak communication is a risk for a remote role. So is a smooth talker with a weak test.
Check 3: How do you read work history that matches your stack?
Do not count tools. Match the work to what your team actually runs.
Try this short method on each profile:
- Write down your stack in one line, for example the language, the framework and the database you use.
- Find the roles where the person used those exact tools, not just similar ones.
- Check how long they stayed and what they built or owned there.
- Look for the same kind of problem you have, such as scaling an existing product or building from scratch.
- Note any gaps you want to ask about in the interview.
A person with three years deep in your stack often beats someone with ten tools listed once each. If your brief is vague, this step is hard, so it helps to write a clear role brief first.
How do you combine the three into a shortlist?
Put the three checks into a small table or sheet. One row per developer, three columns, and a simple pass or fail against your minimum.
- Drop anyone who fails any one column.
- Keep only people who are strong on all three.
- Interview the top few, not the top twenty.
This keeps the decision about evidence. It also stops one impressive detail, like a famous employer, from carrying a weak profile.
How Talent Navigator does this for you
The network has 50,000+ developers, and every visible profile has already cleared all four vetting checks: a role-specific technical test under camera supervision, a separate communication score, a video introduction, and verified education and work history. So the weak profiles are not on the page.
You still make the call. You search, shortlist and interview yourself, with no recruiter in between. You can also get a first shortlist in 48 hrs to your first shortlist, and every placement comes with a 2 weeks risk-free trial. For the wider process, see how to hire developers without a recruiter in between.
What to do this week
- Write your stack and your minimum scores in one short note.
- Pull ten profiles and score each on the three checks.
- Cut everyone who fails any check.
- Interview the best three and ask each to walk through a past project in your stack.
- Start the trial period with a small, real task, as described in how to test a new developer in the first two weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look at first on a developer profile?
Start with the test score, then the communication score, then work history. The scores are the quickest way to cut a long list. Work history then tells you whether the person fits your stack.
Is a high technical score enough to hire someone?
No. For a remote role, communication matters just as much. Keep only people who are strong on both scores and whose history matches your stack.
How many developers should I interview?
Interview the top few who pass all three checks. A short, well-filtered list saves time and makes comparing people easier than interviewing a long one.
Ready to try it? Browse vetted talent and apply the three checks to profiles that have already been vetted.