Oracle Forms is a development tool that has been a cornerstone of data-based enterprise applications for decades. It simplifies the process of building complex forms and reports that interact with the Oracle database, allowing developers to create them relatively easily. The solution is now ancient by software standards – over 40 years old and counting (the first version was released in 1981) – but is still used in many companies.
These businesses need skilled Oracle Forms developers, but recruiting them has become increasingly problematic in recent years. In this article, I’ll give a few tips on where to look for good experts skilled in this technology and highlight a couple of qualifications you should expect during an interview. I’ll also describe an alternative approach you can take to fix your Oracle Forms experts’ recruitment problems once and for all.
The biggest problem with recruiting experts for Oracle Forms development is that there simply aren’t enough skilled people specialized in this technology on the market. This is directly related to Forms’ old age, as many younger developers are simply unwilling to learn a platform they consider outdated. To be perfectly honest, it’s hard to blame them because such skills aren’t very future-proof and probably wouldn’t help them much in their careers.
This means that companies that still use software based on Oracle Forms need to rely on older developers, and there’s a limited number of such employees available for work. Moreover, these are sometimes people who have worked with this tech for 30+ or 40+ years and are no longer willing to learn new skills and platforms, which – depending on your tech stack – can be a problem in and of itself.
Now that I’ve defined the problems, let’s focus on the critical skills and qualifications I’d require of a good Oracle Forms expert. Here’s what to look for:
Here are some examples of questions you can ask during a job interview, divided into several categories.
These questions help you assess a candidate’s proficiency in the specific tools and solutions needed for the job – especially Oracle Forms and Reports, but also Oracle Database, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), SQL, PL/SQL, and other related technologies. This know-how is an entry-level requirement for the position of an Oracle Forms expert, making these questions essential.
Technically, their skills in Oracle Forms should be sound. Sound enough to rely on to make unsupervised progress on developing new Oracle Forms features. The questions below start basic and ramp up in complexity. For example, you’d expect the candidate to ace an answer on PRE-FORM trigger, however, if they could also mention the basics of expanding and collapsing nodes in a tree (i.e., not an everyday feature) that should impress you immensely.
Problem-solving abilities indicate a candidate’s capacity to navigate challenges effectively. In today’s fast-paced work environment, employees frequently encounter unexpected issues that require quick thinking and innovative solutions. By evaluating these skills, you can identify individuals with the agility needed to thrive under pressure.
Evaluating past experience provides a window into how candidates have handled real-world challenges and opportunities. It allows you to assess not just the skills listed on a resume but also how those skills were applied in practical settings. This insight helps determine whether a candidate will thrive in your specific work environment.
Cultural fit assessment is a crucial component of the interviewing process that cannot be overlooked. As organizations strive to build cohesive teams, understanding how a candidate aligns with the company’s values, beliefs, and behaviors becomes essential. By prioritizing cultural fit, you can ensure that you hire people who will thrive in your work environment instead of hindering it.
So, how do you find skilled Oracle Forms experts? The places you should look aren’t that different from those in other development roles: advertise and network on job boards and LinkedIn. You should also look around established freelance platforms, job boards, and tech communities. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
Finally, you need to prepare yourself for disappointment because even with all the abovementioned tips, finding who you need might turn out to be impossible. This is because of the current market situation that we discussed in the beginning.
As I’ve already mentioned a couple of times in this article, Oracle Forms is an old technology. Considering its age and the growing problems of finding good Forms experts, it might be a good idea to consider a different approach: migrating from Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX.
APEX is Oracle’s shiny new low-code tool with some great features. It offers a robust software development environment that enables developers to build scalable, secure and cost-effective solutions with minimal coding. One of the standout features of Oracle APEX is its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing Oracle databases (also, if you’re already using Oracle DB, you can probably use APEX free of additional license costs). The platform also provides an intuitive user interface that simplifies app development – with drag-and-drop functionality and pre-built templates. Additionally, APEX supports responsive design out of the box, ensuring that applications look great on any device.
Leaving Oracle Forms in favor of APEX will allow you to achieve several things:
👉 For more information about moving from Forms to APEX, check out our dedicated article on Oracle Forms to APEX migration. You can also get ready for such a migration project with our Oracle Forms Migration Checklist.
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can maximize your chances of hiring skilled Oracle Forms experts. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to find individuals who are capable of meeting your specific needs within this niche area of technology. This is one of many drawbacks of depending on legacy technologies, and the situation will only get worse with time – which is why I’ve also highlighted another approach.
If you need help moving from Forms to APEX, make sure to let us know. Our team is very experienced with such migration projects and building powerful business applications – you can check out the case study of a Forms-to-APEX migration for VAN group. We have also created several useful tools you can use, such as the aforementioned Forms to APEX migration checklist and the AI Forms to APEX Assistant that’ll help you with cost estimation (and more). Just reach out to us at hello@pretius.com – or use the simple contact form below this article
I also advise you to learn more about Oracle APEX by checking out some of the other articles on the Pretius blog:
Here are answers to some common questions regarding hiring Oracle Forms developers and the technology itself.
Oracle Forms is a Rapid Application Development technology you can use to create simple forms-based applications based on Oracle DB.
There are many potential options. You should verify the candidate’s technical knowledge, problem-solving skills and cultural fit above all else. Check out the examples we’ve highlighted in this article
The latest version of Fusion Middleware (the package that contains Oracle Forms) retains its Premier Support until the end of 2029. However, it’s definitely an old, legacy technology at this point, and there are many better options on the market.
