React is also referred to as React.js or ReactJS. Those looking to hire a React developer probably already know what React is, but for the benefit of those who don’t, it is a JavaScript library that is used for developing UIs (user interfaces). React happened to be created by the world’s biggest social media platform, Facebook, just half a decade ago, and though it is a relatively new technology, it appears to be growing in popularity. In today’s post, we offer you a few simple steps you can follow in acquiring a skilled React developer for your web project.
Step #1: Make sure you really need one
You just can’t hire a React developer because your business rival did so a few weeks ago. You need to make sure if your web project or web application is really in need of one. So why would you need a React developer? As a newer form of technology for building user interfaces, React focuses on bringing efficiency and performance optimization, and more critically, it is designed to be readily compatible with mobile devices running on either Google’s Android mobile operating system or Apple’s iOS platform (made possible through the release of React Native).
Suffice it to say that if you expect your web project or web app to be complex, having a React developer in your crew is definitely an advantage. For one, you can rest assured that your finished product will be using a very new web technology that focuses on enhancing performance especially on the UI side. Moreover, more and more consumers are doing their web surfing and online shopping on smartphones, so making full use of a technology that offers compatibility with mobile platforms makes a lot of sense.
Step #2: Generate a clear job description
Of course, your web project will have its specific requirements, and you will need to lay them out beforehand in order to attract React developer candidates who might be willing to tackle it for you. This is where a job description comes in handy.
So what makes a good job description? A nice way to start is to include a short introduction of your company or business. While it is true that salary is the main motivation for accepting a job offer, those looking for career opportunities often consider other factors such as culture, non-salary benefits, and even the industry itself.
After the company introduction, you can then proceed to the requirements of the job position. The level of specificity may vary depending on how open you are about your web project or business, but it is also good to provide some details on what the React developer’s primary responsibility or focus will be.
You can also include information with regards to organization (the React developer will be working with other developers), scope, and expected timeframe.
Step #3: Explore freelance job sites
This may be the quickest way to hire a React developer. And there will be no shortage of potential hires — despite the fact that React is only five years old, its community of practitioners is bustling, no doubt boosted by its open source nature. For sure, those with React skills will be looking to score gigs in freelance job sites.
Having completed your job description, you can take it and visit freelance boards to see if there are any takers. It is quite possible that you will be able to stumble upon a few truly skilled React developers just waiting for a good challenge. But on the other hand, you can probably encounter candidates that are simply looking for added work experience in the field.
Yes, there is always some risk involved when you acquire the services of freelance developers, which means you will have to choose wisely. The thing about freelancers is that it is likely that they are already handling multiple projects at the same time, so if you need dedicated work, you probably won’t get a hundred percent effort from them.
But if you do have a very short-term web project ongoing, getting freelance talent would be ideal. Or if you need an extra guy to do some patch-up work or do some additional debugging, hiring a React developer on a temporary basis might be a nice move.
Step #4: Scour social media platforms
Well, why not? React, after all, was developed by Facebook, the most widely used social media platform in the face of the planet. But seriously, social media has become so popular and ubiquitous these days that they are no longer just places where folks socialize, but also serve as meeting places for business owners and customers, for sellers and supplies, and of course, employers and job hunters.
When it comes to career opportunities, however, LinkedIn is likely the social media platform that first comes to mind. The great thing about this platform is that not only does it present CVs of React developers, but also might include more details about their particular set of skills, the extent of their professional experience, and even accompanying testimonials from colleagues or former or current teammates.
Facebook and Twitter may not be as jobs-focused as LinkedIn, but they do have ridiculously massive followings. Facebook even has its own special online group for React developers with more than 3,000 followers. As for Twitter, searching through profiles, hashtags, or posting about your job description can also lead you to possible candidates.
Step #5: Review the candidate’s credentials
Because React is a platform for building user interfaces, developers who specialize in using this library should naturally be skilled in front-end programming. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are widely considered the three most essential skills for front-end developers, so mastery of these three should be mentioned in your candidate’s CV.
On top of that, your candidate must also show proficiency in related technologies, including CSS preprocessors (LESS, SaSS), JavaScript frameworks (Ember, AngularJS) and libraries (Backbone.js, jQuery), CSS frameworks (Foundation, Bootstrap), and XML.
If you want to hire a React developer that can also handle back-end tasks, look for skills in handling programming languages such as Java, Node, or Ruby, as well as knowledge of stacks like LAMP or MEAN.
Step #6: Do an interview
An interview will not only allow you to determine that the candidate does indeed exist, but will also give you a clear idea of how good he is in terms of communication skills. It is a given that basically every web developer is quite versed in the technicalities of building user interfaces and coding applications, but it is also critical for you as the business owner to check if your potential hire is also able to communicate his plans, intentions, and feedback to you clearly. Plus, you also get to know if the guy hiring will be comfortable doing Skype video calls, and other forms of live communication methods.
Apart from communication skills, an interview also lets you ascertain if your candidate knows what he’s doing. If you’re not comfortable with asking him technical questions, you can still grill him about past projects he has completed, his experience with regards to working for a previous boss or with former teammates, or his attitude when it comes to solving tricky problems. It’s all theoretical at this point for sure, but the interview should at least give you a basic idea of how a candidate would approach a given scenario.
The six steps outlined above are pretty straightforward, but if you are a business owner not used to recruiting software developers, the actual doing part may prove challenging, especially if you are too busy with your business to actively look for suitable React developer candidates.
If you let us, we can do the dirty work for you. We specialize in offshore software development, and yup, we can recruit the guy you need for your project. The cool thing about offshore software development is that you get the React developer you need at a lower cost (because your man will be based in the Philippines, where developer salaries are pretty affordable), and you can rely on your programmer to work full-time for your company (as opposed to working as a freelance developer part-time). Feel free to contact us anytime, and we’ll be glad to take care of the hiring process for you.
