There is a good chance your problem finding qualified PHP talent is that your job posting is for entry/mid-level developers. I'm not knocking entry-level peopl

There is a good chance your problem finding qualified PHP talent is that your job posting is for entry/mid-level developers. I'm not knocking entry-level people; we all start there, but when your pool of candidates includes new developers you should expect occasions where their lack of experience is apparent. Retention could also be a problem in that context because many experienced developers want to work on a product they work hard on and can be proud of. That idea seems to contrast having "several commercial clients", a circumstance which most often translates to speed being prioritized over quality (the inverse of the experienced developer's desire).