How To Hire Best Front-End Developers

Visitors judge your business based on how good your website looks. 94% of first impressions are related to your site’s design. Besides, it takes about 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like the site or not.

These numbers indicate that the front-end design of a website is vital. They can boost your business’s credibility, engagement, and client acquisition.

However, to build a great interface, you need front-end developers who can make your idea reflect on your website.

In this article, we will discuss essential tips that will help you hire a front-end developer for your project. But, before we start, let’s look at the key responsibilities of a front-end developer.

Front-End Developer Responsibilities

It is crucial to examine and highlight the responsibilities of the developer before you hire them. This will prevent any last-minute hassles or disruptions on your project.

• Determining the structure and design of web pages.
• Determining the structure and design of web pages.
• Creating the layout of your website while ensuring a pixel-perfect design.
• Developing features that improve user experience.
• Writing clean code that can be reused or edited in the future.
• Optimizing web pages for speed and efficiency.
• Maintaining consistency (fonts, colors, and style) across the website.
• Ensuring web design is responsive.

Note: If you hire a front-end development company, they would usually meet these requirements. However, it is recommended to double-check it and have these things in writing.

That said, let’s look at how to hire a front-end developer.

#1. Write an Effective Job Description

Writing a detailed job description is crucial to attracting talented and serious candidates for the post. It also ensures only people who meet your requirements apply for the job.

When writing the front-end developer job description, make sure to include:

• Skills and qualifications required
• Daily and monthly responsibilities
• Company information
• Expectations from the job
• Salary

#2. Look For These Skills

When you hire front-end developers, you need to ensure that they are the right person for the project. Thus, look for these skills:

• HTML5 and CSS3: HTML is used to create web pages, while CSS is used to design them (fonts, color, background, etc.). Your front-end developer must be proficient in both these languages.
• JavaScript: It enables you to improve the performance of your website and create a clean code structure. It also lets you host dynamic, interactive content on your site.
• Angular: It helps simplify front-end designing and create dynamic & interactive applications.
• ReactJS: It lets you build user interface components and implement them easily.
• Bootstrap: It helps make the website responsive and mobile-friendly.

Apart from these technical skills, the front-end developer should have soft skills like:

• Attention to detail
• Learning attitude
• Creativity
• Good communication

#3. Go Through their Portfolio

One of the best ways to judge the developers’ skills is by going through their portfolios. Look at the websites they have built (for other clients or showcase their skills). Evaluate their design and the UX to determine if they can meet your requirements.

You can also analyze their web presence to assess their expertise and passion for designing. For instance, check if they are active on LinkedIn, and help people on forums like Quora and Stack Overflow. If they don’t have a robust web presence, they are likely not a perfect fit for your project.

#4. Test the Skills to Screen Candidates

Many people fake their skills in their resumes. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate their technical skills.

Online assessment platforms like iMocha and DevSkiller can make it easier for you to determine which front-end developers are worth interviewing. Besides, these tests save your time which you might spend on interviewing unskilled candidates.

Another benefit of using online assessment platforms is that they have tests for all types of developers (PHP, Angular, HTML & CSS, JavaScript, etc.).

#5. Ask the Right Questions

Now that you have screened a few candidates for your front-end project, it’s time to interview them. Asking the right questions enables you to hire the best front-end developer.

Here are some questions to help you begin with:

What is your development background? How many years have you been working as a front-end developer? How many projects have you worked on?

• Which frameworks do you prefer to work with and why? Do you use any development tools?
• What are the most common mistakes you encounter during front-end development? How do you solve them?
• How do you test your code? What tools do you use and why?
• Can you describe the process you follow when developing a web page?
• How do you ensure good usability and accessibility?
• How would you optimize the front-end for speed and performance?

Have you faced cross-browser compatibility issues? How did you fix it? If not, provide an example of a specific challenge that you might face and how you would solve it.

Read more: What Is Front-End Development? A Beginner’s Guide

Red Flags to Look For When Hiring a Front-End Developer

Before hiring a front-end developer or a front-end development company, for that matter, it is crucial to look for certain red flags. This will ensure you don’t face any hurdles with them on the job.

#1. Claiming to be Expert in Too Many Languages

Generally, web developers are experienced in two or three languages (apart from HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap). Sure, they might have programmed professionally in several languages but would be primarily experienced in only two to three of them. However, if they claim to be an expert in several languages, it’s probably they are faking it.

#2. No Portfolio, Github, or Web Presence

A front-end developer without a portfolio or web presence is definitely a red flag unless they say they are a fresher. Front-end roles demand a strong understanding of the latest technologies. Also, the website should be easy to navigate and look clean. Without the necessary traits, the front-end developer might fail to design a site that meets the demands of modern users.

#3. Cannot Pass Your Test With Flying Colors

If you have sent a technical assessment test as a part of your screening process and the candidate scores a low mark, it’s time to move on. Even though they say they will learn and improve, it’s better to choose someone else (or you might spend a lot of time editing their designs).

BONUS: Where Can You Hire Front-End Developers?

Now that you know how to hire the best front-end developers, it’s time to find them. Here are three key places you can get a front-end developer.

#1. Freelance Marketplaces

Freelance markets like UpWork, Freelancer, and Fiverr have hundreds of front-end web developers looking for exciting projects. You can check the rating and read reviews before hiring a freelance developer to ensure they are the right fit for your requirement.

However, it is worth mentioning that freelancers usually handle multiple projects simultaneously. So, if you are looking for 100% commitment from someone, avoid hiring a freelancer.

#2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is yet another great platform to find skilled front-end web developers. Go to the search option and type “front-end developer,” and you’ll find a list of developers. You can then view their profile and analyze their activities to understand their skills and expertise.

If you feel the person is the right fit for your project, send them a personalized message to see if they are willing to work. If not, you can ask them for a referral.

#3. Job Boards

This is a great option if you are looking for a full-time employee. Job boards like Glassdoor, Indeed, and Naukri.com are some of the leading websites where you can find the right candidate for your organization.

You can upload the job description along with your contact information (email ID or phone number), and it will be available to all the candidates (provided they use the right keywords).

Wrapping Up

Hiring the right front-end developer is vital for every business. I hope this article has helped you understand how to hire a front-end developer for your project. If you have any questions or concerns, let us know in the comments section.

Assuming that you have decided to outsource front-end development, why don’t you check our services and portfolio? We are a leading front-end development company with years of experience in creating front-end design.

Book a free call to understand how we can help you!