You might not know it just yet, but hiring front-end developers plays a crucial role in your development process.
In recent years, front-end development has been one of the hottest jobs in the tech market – and for good reason.
While you may not know exactly who is using your application or website, it’s still your responsibility to appeal to the market. Front-end developers complete this task through aesthetic and functional designs.
Curious about how to hire a front-end developer? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
What Is Front-end Development?
Before you ask how to hire a front-end developer, you might want to know what front-end development is in the first place.
Front-end development is the process of programming user interfaces (UIs) or visual elements into a web or mobile app.
Generally, mobile app development relies on full-stack development where integrated development environments (IDEs) and programming languages for relative mobile platforms are optimized for developers to work on both the front-end and back-end of development.
However, websites tend to favor tech stacks which are composed of different programming languages and software development tools such as a front-end development language, a back-end development language, and a database language.
For this reason, front-end development deserves its own niche and role where web development is concerned. You can credit front-end development with managing everything that the user sees.
When you first visit a website, consider that front-end developers likely made sure that everything on the web page was pleasing to your eyes.
Related reading: Knowing the difference between front-end vs. back-end development
What Does a Front-end Developer Do?
Because of front-end development’s particular place in the software development process, part of learning how to hire a front-end developer is knowing what to expect from the front-end developers that you hire.
Front-end developers often work with CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to design web pages. You can liken front-end developers to your typical designers who have a great sense of style and must keep up-to-date with new trends.
However, you could say that designing a web page is much less cosmetic or fashionable in nature. But it does require an understanding of what attracts visitors to your web page, and what makes them stay.
Besides design, front-end developers may work with animations and tools in order to make web pages more interactive. From clicking a button to scrolling down a web page, these are all interactions that front-end developers must implement via code.
Games, videos, forums, and social media are examples of other innovative tools a front-end developer may use to make the web page even more interactive. The goal is to convert leads – that is, incite visitors on your page to use the service or product that you’re delivering.
Your average website user won’t spend more than eight seconds perusing the likes of your website. To compete with that attention span, the only solution is to offer a web page that’s better than average, so your visitors will be prompted to break the mold and continue to lurk.
If you’re still wondering how to hire a front-end developer, it’s time to start jotting down some notes. First and foremost, you want somebody creative enough to keep the average Joe, Jane, or Jackie entertained.
What Are The Skills Needed for a Front-end Developer?
A front-end developer’s skills measure up to more than just knowing a couple of languages. For one, developers of any kind should have noticeable skill when it comes to debugging and testing code.
In other words, developers should ensure that their code is error-free by running frequent tests and removing any bugs that present themselves. Test-driven development (TDD) is one way in which front-end developers can write code.
TDD is a technique of agile software development, an approach that centers collaboration and iterative and incremental development processes. In TDD, developers write tests before even writing code and the code must pass the test. If not, the developer refines the code again and again until it does not fail the test.
Front-end developers should also be acutely familiar with browser development tools. Each developer must navigate through different browsers so front-end developers should make certain that the web page renders given any small changes.
Last but not least, you must know how to hire a front-end developer with soft skills. Technical expertise is paramount but it’s not the end-all-be-all of a development team.
Your front-end developer should have an understanding of teamwork and how to communicate and collaborate with others.
What Languages Should Front-End Developers Be Proficient In?
JavaScript, CSS, and HTML are the three essential web technologies that all front-end developers should be highly proficient in.
JavaScript is a programming language enabling front-end developers to host dynamic, interactive content on their web page.
The creation of JavaScript allowed the transition from static web pages where the content was still to web pages that now have moving animations, clicks, scrolls, and so on.
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. Developers use HTML to code text documents into web pages. Through HTML, front-end developers can format content into headings, paragraphs, sections, and other blocks of content.
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets structure how HTML elements are displayed. In essence, front-end developers can control the fonts and colors of a website with CSS, affecting the overall layout of a web page.
A few of these tools exist in more nuanced versions. For instance, HTML5 is the latest version of HTML that supports audio and video, so users don’t have to deal with installing plugins like the all-too-well-known Adobe Flash Player.
Experienced front-end developers should have knowledge of version six of ECMAScript (ES6). This is essentially an enhanced mode of JavaScript with more features than the base language, making large-scale development more palpable.
React is a JavaScript library for building UIs. The library ultimately eases development for programmers and has become a useful and popular tool since its release.
Even more essential than learning how to hire a front-end developer is learning how to hire the best front-end developer you can get. Watching out for some of the skills you’ve just become acquainted with will be vital in accomplishing that goal.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire Front-End Developers?
Once you get to the more gritty details of how to hire front-end developers, you’ll probably want to know how much it’ll cost you. Many factors will influence the total cost of your project.
The scope of your project, for one, will have a dramatic effect on the timeline and budget of your website’s development. Do you envision developing something large and complex or small and simple?
In addition, the specific tech stack you use for development will influence the overall cost. React is popular but there are other front-end frameworks that can meet the same objective.
And naturally, the location of your developers is also something to consider. Some business managers choose to outsource their development needs to different regions which will determine how much you pay and how your team communicates.
According to Indeed, a front-end developer in the United States makes $109,316 a year on average. But if you outsource to an offshore or nearshore location such as Latin America, for example, you might find significantly lower rates.
Where To Find Front-end Developers?
Next up is finding out where to look for front-end developers. As mentioned, React is a very integral framework in regards to front-end development so it’s in your best interest to narrow in on this particular tool and stay on the lookout for React developers in the following networks.
Freelance Marketplaces
Freelance marketplaces include sites like UpWork and Fiverr. On these sites, it’s up to the freelance front-end developers who inhabit the space to advertise their own skills and expertise. It’s up to you to choose who you think is best.
Keep in mind that freelancing by definition means that your developer is not obliged to be fully dedicated to only your project. Freelance developers can work on several projects at once and are free to do so.
Depending on the level of commitment you want, this can be a pro or a con. You may want to avoid hiring someone full-time and only need a temporary resource for your front-end development needs.
Job Boards
ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Indeed are examples of job networks where you can seek out developers who have uploaded their profiles and resumes for software development companies like yours to see.
You’ll first have to make a job description that will be available to all job seekers on the site – given they use the right keywords.
These sites draw many visitors but they typically cater to job seekers who have preemptive salary expectations and are looking for full-time work with benefits.
For those of you who are looking for developers to work on an ongoing basis, this may be a good option.
Outsourcing Companies
Outsourcing agencies provide small and medium-sized businesses the team they need to commit to software development while saving you the grunt work.
These agencies are all over the world with developers on hand to build your project from the ground up.
The advantage of this methodology is that you’ll save time, money, and resources. Many small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) don’t yet have what’s necessary to manage a remote and an in-house team. Outsourcing development will guarantee that professionals are working for you in a faithful manner.
On the other hand, communication is the primary disadvantage that may arise with outsourcing agencies. It can be difficult for the agency involved to know the specific vision of your project, so advocating your desires is key.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned almost every step of how to hire a front-end developer – from basic definitions to skill sets to costs and markets – you might have a better idea of what your business needs.
Assuming you’ve decided that outsourcing front-end developers will be a smart move for your business, Trio can be of service. Our developers have been trained and vetted to deliver your development needs at high quality at a reasonable price.
At Trio, we’re big on communication and can lend you software developers that will be devoted employees – not freelancers – that integrate seamlessly into your regular business operations.
Trio combines software mastery with access to South American developer talent. Meet our elite Argentinean developers, Chilean developers, and Brazilian developers for outsourcing excellence.
Interested? Here’s more information on how to hire a front-end developer!
