Frequently Asked Questions from Talents

About Soshace

  • How does Soshace differ from other market places? What is your competitive advantage?
    We only focus on web development and long-term projects with a workload of around 30 hours per week and more. Soshace managers will suggest an hourly rate for the first projects but it might grow once a developer has gained more experience. It’s in our best interest to find suitable projects for developers and satisfy their needs. We check all our clients before we start to work with them.
  • Is there any commission?
    We have a commission for developers’ agreements of 10% (since April 2020) which will be added on top of a developer’s hourly rate at the end of the interview process.
    If a developer chooses to work directly with a client without Soshace as a mediator, there will be no commission.
  • What does the recruitment process look like?
    Our selection process includes a few steps: an online test, and a technical interview. Then, each candidate sets a meeting with our talent manager who schedules interviews with a client for the relevant positions.

How work is organized from a Soshace’s side

  • What documents does a developer sign with Soshace?
    After a candidate passes all interview stages successfully, they sign an agreement that allows us to look for projects. It’s an opportunity for a developer to find a good stable contract now or in the future. There are no obligations before a contract for a particular project is signed. If a developer finds a project faster than we do, we welcome them back at any time in the future.
    There is also a contract that is signed between a developer and a client for a particular project.
  • How long do Soshace contracts last in general?
    In general, all projects are long-term — approximately a year. This is how it will look like: you are working on a project and you know the end date. So our managers start looking for a new project in advance to make that break between projects as short as possible. It’s a good idea to rest or have a vacation during this period. There is always a possibility that your contract will be extended by a client.
    The minimum length of the projects is 3 months.
  • How quickly do candidates start the first project? Are there any guarantees?
    It usually takes from a few to 30 days to find a suitable project. If a contract isn’t signed after 3 interviews with different clients, we advise on lowering your hourly rate.
    A developer can decline a project that doesn’t seem like a fit; however, we don’t recommend doing that often. We highly advise you to talk over your preferences with a talent manager from early on.
  • How many developers does Soshace have contracts with now?
    We have more than 100 developers in total, more than a half of whom found a project with Soshace. 30% of developers are currently working on projects and approximately 10% are waiting for a project or are on interviews with clients.
  • How many developers are waiting for contact now?
    Our candidate database is growing all the time so around 10% of all approved talents are available for new projects for now.
    We promote all developers, those who successfully passed all the tests and interviews, on our website and strive to schedule meetings with our clients as soon as possible. Our talent managers keep in touch with developers almost daily and update them on the status of their application and market situation in general. But developers are free to make their own choices and are not bound by any circumstances before committing to any projects with us; they can make their plans and find projects on their own and still get back to us at any time.
  • How long do developers wait for the next contract?
    The gap between projects can be up to a month. We always know the end date of the project. So our managers start looking for a new project in advance to make a break as short as possible.

Time tracker

  • Why does Soshace use a time tracker?
    We have two options: with and without a time tracker.
    If a developer is ready to work with a time tracker, we guarantee payments on time even if there is a delay from a client’s side.
    If a developer isn’t ready to use a time tracker, they will work with a client directly. Soshace won’t be able to provide payment guarantees since the payments will be made to a developer by a client. Soshace won’t be able to help with the documents and invoices.
  • How does a time tracking app work at Soshace if a developer chooses this option?
    A time tracker is a very important tool for you and for us. As you are paid for the hours you worked on a project, we need to count those hours. And a client wants to see a report for hours worked. You track all the time, not just the time you spend coding. The tracker counts the time you spend on reading some materials, searching for information, your daily meetings, chatting with the team on Skype, little breaks to drink tea/coffee, and so on. So we don’t require 8 hours of writing code only.
  • Can another time tracker be used?
    We only work with Hubstaff for now. It is a very easy-to-use tool. It runs on all operating systems and you can install it on Mac, Windows, or Linux desktop app.
  • How a developer can control a time tracker?
    You control when to turn it on, turn it off, or pause it. When you have a personal issue to deal with, just put Hubstaff on pause.

Future Opportunities

  • Can a developer have a higher hourly rate in the future?
    Your rate will grow with your qualification level, but it also depends on the current market situation and a particular project.
  • Does Soshace offer Team Lead or Senior developer positions? Can you guarantee it?
    We can’t guarantee upward mobility; it would largely depend on your diligence, hard work, and the value you bring to the project.
    Some clients are indeed looking for a developer who can lead a project. If your experience is a fit, we’ll be happy to offer you that opportunity.
    There is always an opportunity to work with a client permanently. A lot of Soshace developers now work directly with a client without our mediation.
  • How many developers left because Soshace wasn’t unable to find a project for them?
    About 30% of developers in our database didn’t start a project after they went through the interview process with Soshace. In most cases, developers were faster in finding their own projects elsewhere. When that happens, we encourage developers to come back when the project is over!
  • What are the career options in the future? Is it possible to learn and use new technologies and widen the tech stack?
    We need a candidate to have at least 1 year of commercial experience with a specific framework and at least 2 commercial projects in a portfolio. We’ll be looking for a project that requires a technology a candidate has experience with. It is still possible to learn new technologies while working with Soshace. If a client sees the potential, they can give a developer a project or a responsibility with a new technology that they’ll learn on the spot.
  • What payment methods does Soshace use besides transfers to a bank account?
    Right now we are working only with bank transfers using SWIFT.

The interview process with the client

  • How many interviews with clients do developers have before starting a contact?
    Usually, the projects start after an interview with the first client. If the first project isn’t a fit, we’ll offer the second one. If the contract isn’t signed after 3 interviews with different companies, we advise on lowering your hourly rate.
  • What are the interview stages with a client?
    It all depends on the client. Sometimes there is only one meeting with a project manager or a team lead, at other times, there will be several interviews with developers. Our clients don’t usually require more tests to pass.
  • Can a project be declined if a developer doesn’t like it?
    Yes, a developer can decline a project but we don’t encourage to do so. We work hard on finding a client we can trust so your reasons to decline must be solid.
    Here is some advice. If a developer doesn’t want to work on a specific project or with specific clients, they need to inform Soshace well in advance.

How the work is structured at clients’ teams

  • Do developers usually work on a team or individually on Soshace projects?
    Usually, there is a team on a client’s side but if a candidate doesn’t mind working alone, we might have this option.
  • How big are the clients’ teams?
    It depends on a particular project. Usually, it’s a small or medium-size international team.
    Some teams are bigger than the others. Some clients have a monocultural team in their offices, but they hire a few remote developers from other countries.
  • What are the sick leave and vacation policies?
    If a developer is looking for an employment contract, we will find a client who will hire them. It’s a new opportunity for Soshace, so it might take more than a month to get such an offer.
    Usually, we offer contract-based work with no social guarantees like paid sick leaves and vacations since it’s not an employment contract. Soshace is a recruitment agency that finds contract-based projects where a developer gets paid for the working hours twice a month.
    If a developer gets sick, they need to notify a client as soon as possible about the issue and arrange a few days off.
    A manager on the client’s side and a Soshace manager need to be informed about a vacation or a day off in advance.
  • How is work organized on the project?
    As all projects are external, and developers work directly with clients’ teams, all the details and conditions vary according to a particular project. Mainly Soshace clients work within Agile methodology and use standard tools such as Slack, Jira, etc. It means that you will have daily standup meetings.

P.S.

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