Vetting

Vetted software developers: what to know before you hire

Before you hire, read what the candidate tells us, then order what the candidate shows us. What the candidate tells us is free. What the candidate shows us is paid. That is what to know about vetted software developers.

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What to know before you hire

Vetted software developers are people you can check before you hire. You check two lists. What the candidate tells us is free. What the candidate shows us is paid. Read the free list for many people. Order the paid list for the few you like.

Free to read, paid to prove

What the candidate tells us

This is free after you sign up and sign the Arca.ph Client Agreement. It is expected pay, location, working hours and US time overlap, the resume, LinkedIn activity and recommendations, DevPost wins, published apps, and testimonials. Some of this is what they report. Some of it is public information Arca.ph gathers.

Expected pay. The pay they ask for each month.
Location. The place they live.
Working hours and US time overlap. The hours they can work, and how those hours match a US team.
Resume. The jobs they have done.
LinkedIn activity and recommendations. What they do on LinkedIn, and words other people wrote there.
DevPost wins. Prizes from public build events.
Published apps. Apps people can open and use.
Testimonials. Words from people they worked with.

What the candidate shows us

This is paid. Proctored means a real person watches. It is proctored English, cognitive and coding tests with or without AI, the AI-build hackathon, the pair-programming Fire Drill, and recorded reference checks. You pay for the tests you order.

Proctored English. A real person watches them speak and write English.
Cognitive and coding tests with or without AI. A cognitive test shows how someone solves a new problem. A coding test shows how someone writes code. Some coding tests allow AI. Some do not. A real person watches.
The AI-build hackathon. This is a 2-hour build. AI is allowed. A real person watches.
The pair-programming Fire Drill. This is a live session. The developer talks through choices while they build.
Recorded reference checks. These are recorded so you can play them back.

The test menu is on Proctored tests.

How to vet a software engineer

How to vet a software engineer is a short path. Arca.ph is a network of remote engineers from around the world. Your own AI agent searches and sorts that network. You still choose who to meet.

Sign up free. Create an account and sign the Arca.ph Client Agreement. Profiles are free to view.
Write the job. Name the skills, the expected pay, and the working hours, including US time overlap.
Let your AI agent search. An agent you already use, such as Grok, Claude, or ChatGPT, searches and sorts the network (How it works).
Read what the candidate tells us. This is free. It is expected pay, location, working hours and US time overlap, the resume, LinkedIn activity and recommendations, DevPost wins, published apps, and testimonials.
Ask for an introduction. Arca.ph contacts a developer only when you ask. If the developer says yes, that is an introduction.
Order what the candidate shows us. This is paid. A real person watches each test. You can order proctored English, cognitive and coding tests with or without AI, the AI-build hackathon, the pair-programming Fire Drill, and recorded reference checks.
Interview the people who still fit.
Hire and pay once. If you hire someone Arca.ph introduced, you pay a one-time 15% fee of first-year pay, charged only on hire. You hire and pay the developer directly. If the hire is not the right fit, there is a 3-month free replacement.

No AI agent? You can still read every profile and follow the same steps.

Already have a pile of applicants? Candidate screening: score every applicant, then test only the top few. To hire a developer fast, read How to hire a developer fast. To hire without a recruiter, read How to hire remote developers without a staffing agency or recruiter. To see the fee next to a monthly markup, read Staffing agency markup rates: how to hire your developer directly. To see how an assistant searches the network, read Searching for developers with your own AI assistant: how it works. If your CTO quit and you still need engineers, read Fractional CTO: hire engineers fast when your CTO quits.

A developer background check

A developer background check is a look at the record before you hire. On Arca.ph, start with what the candidate tells us. Read LinkedIn activity and recommendations, DevPost wins, published apps, and testimonials. That part is free.

For the people you still like, order recorded reference checks. Those are part of what the candidate shows us. They are recorded so you can play them back. That part is paid. You pay for the checks you order.

One fee, only if you hire

When you hire vetted developers, you pay a one-time 15% fee of first-year pay, charged only on hire. On the marketplace, profiles are free to view once you sign up and sign the Arca.ph Client Agreement. You pay for the tests you order. The fee applies if you hire someone Arca.ph introduced. A developer paid $3,000 a month earns $36,000 a year, so the fee is $5,400, once. You hire and pay the developer directly. If the hire is not the right fit, there is a 3-month free replacement. See pricing and Staffing agency markup rates: how to hire your developer directly.

Done for you is the other way. You bring the job. The Arca.ph team finds the people. Proctored English, cognitive and coding tests are included. The fee is 35% of first-year pay, charged once on hire. You still hire and pay the developer directly. There is a 3-month free replacement.

Create your account and start looking. Profiles are free to view once you sign up and sign the Arca.ph Client Agreement.

FAQ

What should I know about a developer before I hire?

Before you hire, read what the candidate tells us. That is free. It is expected pay, location, working hours and US time overlap, the resume, LinkedIn activity and recommendations, DevPost wins, published apps, and testimonials. Then order what the candidate shows us for the people you still like. That part is paid. A real person watches.

What can I see for free before I pay for a test?

What the candidate tells us is free once you sign up and sign the Arca.ph Client Agreement. For vetted software developers, that is expected pay, location, working hours and US time overlap, the resume, LinkedIn activity and recommendations, DevPost wins, published apps, and testimonials. Your own AI agent can search and sort this list.

What do I pay for before I hire?

What the candidate shows us is paid. Order it for the people you like. It is proctored English, cognitive and coding tests with or without AI, the AI-build hackathon, the pair-programming Fire Drill, and recorded reference checks. A real person watches each test. You pay for the tests you order. The hire fee comes only if you hire.

How do I vet a software engineer?

How to vet a software engineer starts with the job. Name the skills, the expected pay, and the working hours, including US time overlap. Your own AI agent, such as Grok, Claude, or ChatGPT, searches the Arca.ph network and sorts who fits. Read what the candidate tells us. Order what the candidate shows us for the top few. Then interview.

What is a developer background check on Arca.ph?

A developer background check on Arca.ph is a look at the record before you hire. Read LinkedIn activity and recommendations, DevPost wins, published apps, and testimonials. Those are what the candidate tells us, and they are free. Order recorded reference checks for the people you still like. Those are what the candidate shows us, and they are paid.

What does Arca.ph charge when I hire?

On the marketplace, Arca.ph charges a one-time 15% fee of first-year pay, only if you hire someone it introduced. A developer paid $3,000 a month earns $36,000 a year, so the fee is $5,400, once. You hire and pay the developer directly. If the hire is not the right fit, there is a 3-month free replacement.

Get started.

Profiles are free to view once you sign up and sign the Arca.ph Client Agreement.

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