How to Hire a Computer Vision Engineer

A computer vision engineer is a specialist who works with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. They are valuable in healthcare, manufacturing, media, robotics, public safety, and many other fields. We’re excited to share more insights about computer engineers and give a few tips on how to hire a computer vision engineer for your company.

Reasons to Hire a Computer Vision Engineer

Right off the bat, it’s hard to underestimate the importance of computer vision engineer’s work. Their involvement is vital for projects tapping into AI and machine learning. They can develop complex algorithms and enable computers to interpret visual information.

Qualified specialists can push and revitalize the whole company's workflow. They can upgrade and improve systems to achieve enhanced quality and accuracy. Furthermore, they can automate routine, time-consuming visual tasks. Such upgrades can boost staff productivity and efficiency.

A computer vision engineer can implement new features and enhance your products' capabilities. They can also develop systems for data analysis that would deliver insights for studying customer behavior patterns. In our expert opinion, the computer vision engineer is an irreplaceable team member for many types of projects, especially those involving advanced and smart tech.

What Does a Computer Vision Engineer Do?

A computer vision engineer is a tech professional involved in complex development. They design and implement algorithms for detection, classification, and object tracking. These tech experts build understanding between machines and the visual world.

Computer vision engineers can cover the following responsibilities:

• Creation of computer vision algorithms;
• Close cooperation with data scientists and software developers;
• Code reviews and optimization for improved performance;
• Working on databases and data quality improvement;
• Testing of computer vision systems and business models;
• Technical support and troubleshooting;
• Creation of specifications and user manuals for computer vision products;
• Development of the techniques for patterns, shapes, and feature identification.

How to Find and Hire a Computer Vision Developer

Today’s talent market offers a great variety of ways to find experts. Let’s have a closer look at the most widespread options for computer vision developer search and hire.

Freelance

Freelancers are self-employed professionals who provide services on a project-by-project basis. They usually work with multiple clients at the same time and may not be fully committed to long-term single-employer cooperation. The freelance market has grown in the last several years and, according to predictions, it will continue to scale in future years.

Pros:

• Time-saving factor: Freelance workers form their own schedules and are not bound by standard working hours. They try to finish the project as fast and qualitatively as possible to get good reviews. If you need to add or fix anything, they most likely will do it at once,

• Avoiding legal issues: Working with a freelance computer vision specialist requires less legal involvement. This reduces the costs and time for preparations for employers. Usually, freelance platforms offer prepared contract templates for single-project cooperations,

• Cost efficiency: Hiring a freelancer is cheaper than a full-time employee. They don't require workspace organization, equipment, employment procedures, or medical insurance. You can review different rates and decide which is good for your budget,

• Variety of options: The freelance market offers a lot of platforms for worker search. Here you can find freelancers with the required level of expertise, skill set, and hourly rate. Newcomers and experienced former workers of huge companies offer their services.

Cons:

• Security issue: The security factor is one of the crucial reasons to think if the freelance option is good for your company. There are no guarantees that a third party will not get your data. Standard contacts include the NDA section, but some risks still take place,

• Reliability: Even with the best reviews, no platform can ensure that freelancers will take the work seriously and complete it on time. The consequences for freelancers are relatively measly, but for your company, it could cause unpleasant delays,

• Quality issue: Freelancers usually work solo. There is no quality control group or person. You will have to control their performance yourself. Freelancers can also work on several tasks from different employees at the same time. As a result, they could pay less attention and effort to your project, affecting the overall quality.

Freelance works best for short-term projects when flexibility is a crucial factor. This option helps save tons of costs and time while tapping into a diversity of talents. Still, you need to keep in mind possible risks.

Outsourcing companies

Outsourcing is the collaboration model where you hire another company for a specific task or project. This type of collaboration works best when you lack the experts for a certain job, or the main team works with another task.

Pros:

• Costs: Outsourcing is an effective option if you want to save money. Working with an outsourcing company costs less than hiring in-house workers. They don't require a workplace in your office. Your outsourcing partner can work from any part of the world.

• Efficiency: Outsourcing companies can work on delegated tasks, and you can focus on your main activities. This grants extra help and support for the main team as well. It makes work processes more effective and turnaround time quicker.

• Access to expertise: If you need specialized skills or technology that is not available in your company, you can get it from outsourcing. You can hire a team of experts in their field who could offer qualified assistance and expertise in specific tasks.

Cons:

• Possible hidden costs: As much as outsourcing could be a cheaper option, it could be a risky one as well. If you are in search of the option to save money, you could get attracted to low-cost offers. Yet, if you don’t have certain terms in the contract, possible fixes could require extra costs, and you may get a bill for any addition.

• Quality issue: If you and your partner are in different parts of the world, it would be difficult to control the process. As a result, you are not in control of quality as well. You will be able to see if any issues are present only after the stage or the whole work is done.

• Communication issue: Different locations may cause communication difficulties such as misunderstandings or response delays. Online meetings help to stay on the same page and to make sure that team members have the correct information.

The outsourcing option is perfect for handling on-demand business processes and delegating tasks. It works well when you need extra help for your main team or the expertise of professionals in a specific field.

But you will have less control and risks could take place. So choose only reliable partners to reduce their possibility. Check the provider company, avoid shady websites, and discuss the contract to reduce possible issues.

Outstaffing companies

An outstaffing company allows you to hire remote computer vision developers as temporary workers. This option is good for situations when you need to scale your team, but don’t plan to hire in-house. It often happens when you need more staff or expertise only for a specific project. Outstaffing company’s mission is to find, recruit, and manage remote employees, taking care of the legal part of the deal. You, meanwhile, manage the team’s work.

Pros:

• Time- and money-saving: Hiring an outstaffing company is one more way to save money. There is no need for workspace or personal training. The company takes care of finding qualified specialists ready for a task. It covers all administrative work, including recruitment, payroll, and legal issues. So you can focus on your team's tasks.

• Full-stack options: Depending on your requirements, outstaffing companies may offer a full-stack service package. They can cover everything from the consulting to the development of the strategic plan for your project.

• Clear terms and stability: Outstaffing companies are interested in building long-term cooperation. They offer support and regular reporting about task fulfillment. They are also ready to discuss terms to cover your needs and timelines, so you can set clear deadlines and goals.

Cons:

• Lack of control: When you work with an outstaffing company, it manages hired employees for you. As a result, you have less control over your remote workers and progress. As much as it could be a benefit, for some project managers, it’s not a convenient situation.

• Security issues: The outstaffing company has access to sensitive data, and it may cause leaks. To avoid such a situation, you may want to conclude the NDA contract to make sure trusted data will not be distributed to third parties.

• Communication issue: It’s a common problem for any type of hiring except in-house. Keeping in contact and staying updated may be challenging when party members are in different parts of the world. It may need to pay extra attention and effort to make sure everyone is well-informed.

Outstaffing companies are a helpful solution when you need to expand the team temporarily. You may cooperate with qualified companies to get top-tech specialists with a high level of expertise and experience in the field.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to source and hire computer vision developers. We, at Requestum offer the services of our experienced specialists in the field of computer vision who can help realize projects of any purpose and complexity.

How to Pick an Expert: Top Skills of Computer Vision Developer

A computer vision engineer requires diverse skills to reach a high level of expertise in the industry. This complex work demands continuous learning, and staying updated on the latest research and developments in computer vision and related spheres. The will for experimentation and wish to try new models, techniques, and tools helps computer vision experts face a wide range of challenges.

Hard skills for computer vision consultant

• Deep knowledge in machine learning;
• Deep learning techniques;
• Programming languages: Python, C++, Java, JavaScript;
• Image processing techniques ;
• Experience with computer vision applications: image classification and segmentation, facial recognition, etc;
• Visual optimization techniques;
• Algorithm development;
• Computer vision libraries and frameworks;
• 3D vision techniques;
• Mathematics and geometry skills;
• Linear algebra skills;
• Differential calculus skills;
• Statistic and probability analysis skills;
• Cloud platforms knowledge;
• Neural Networks techniques.

Soft skills for computer vision consultant

• Creative approach;
• Computer vision theory;
• Time management;
• Analytical thinking;
• Conflict and problem resolution;
• Productive communication;
• Attention to detail;
• Effective collaboration within a team;
• Stress resistance.

How to Interview a Computer Vision Developer

Our experience tells us that the interview is the most important stage of hiring a new developer. You need to make sure the candidate has in-depth knowledge in the required fields and can apply it to real-world problems.

Describe your company, its mission, and the role of a computer vision developer in future projects. When the candidates introduce themselves, pay attention to the presence of relevant experience. We concentrate attention on the knowledge basis. We ask questions about programming languages, frameworks, libraries, and image-processing techniques.

The most effective way to see the expertise level at this stage is to ask for terms explanations and examples of personal use. We test their knowledge in machine learning, deep learning, and algorithms.

One more important step is to discuss previous work experience and contributions. This will show what kind of projects the candidate has faced. An experienced developer would be easier to fit into the work process than a newcomer.

It’s important to evaluate problem-solving skills and the ability to discuss technical concepts. You can apply a test to check if they can use approaches in practice.

Conclusion

Hiring a computer vision engineer is not easy. There are many options for finding one and thousands of candidates who may fit your company. The most important thing is to choose a reliable expert in the field who can make your ideas work in practice.

Requestum offers a wide range of services in the computer vision field. Our specialists boast high qualifications and expertise in different disciplines to cover all your needs.

Contact us to get reliable, effective, and productive cooperation. We are always professionals ready to face any computer vision challenges.