As people say, the first impression is the last. This is why every enterprise wants their online presence to be engaging and attractive.

Your website is a major reflection of your brand so users judge your intentions based on it. The wrong site not only drives people away but also leads to loss of revenue.

What is front end development?

Whatever you see on a web page has to do with a front end developer. They are also responsible for optimising performance and handling run time errors. As navigation, functionality, layouts, and graphics play a vital role in appealing to users, their services are in high demand.

Why outsource front end development?

We’ve mentioned in a previous blog post that it’s more practical to outsource web development than do it yourself. There are 7 good reasons:

• It enables you to focus on your business
• It gives you access to top experts
• It speeds up the development process
• It guarantees safe and secure coding
• It offers scalability for the team
• It includes support for the management
• It saves you money on total costs

Regarding the last point, paying a front end developer salary might sound expensive at first but they are more affordable in the long run. An amateur only wastes resources while a freelancer won’t always be available for adjustments in the code.

How to hire a good front end developer

When it comes to developing a site that represents your company well, it won’t work to hire just any web developer.

You want an experienced professional who can create something interactive that meets your requirements. You want to leave your site in the hands of someone who will make it better than how you left it.

The question is, how would you know that they’re the most suitable candidate for your needs? Try these tips:

Check their qualifications

Although each business has different needs, there are common skills many employers look for in a front end developer. Understand which ones are required and which are preferred to determine which applicants are the best fit for the company.

Your job description can say something like this:

Required skills and qualifications

• Experience in building functional online platforms
• Fluency in HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, and JavaScript
• Familiarity with Angular, React.js, and Vue.js frameworks
• Over 2 years of working experience in front end or full stack development
• A strong technical portfolio displaying a wide skill set

Preferred skills and qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Detail-oriented and creative
• Experience in facing clients through video calls
• Training in user interface and user experience a plus
• Knowledge in debugging and fixing errors highly preferred

Remember to be reasonable when listing down the qualifications you would like a candidate to have. For instance, it’s hard to find a freshly graduated front end developer in the Philippines but with 10 years of working experience.

Train people as you hire

Think about where you’d like your new hire to be in the next few months. If you want them to deliver quality results with minimal supervision by the end of the year, teach them how.

Realise that it takes time and experience to become the “right” front end developer, even if they’re fluent in different programming languages. Why?

1. They have to get used to a new working environment.
2. They have to adjust to your coding standards.

Make it easier for all parties involved by training candidates during the recruitment process.

In determining their skill levels, assess them in a way so they can easily adapt to your working style should they get hired. How? Give them an assignment that’s similar to your regular projects.

Maybe you add landing pages to your website using Bootstrap on a regular basis. So, have them create a a web page that matches the current style of your site. Evaluate their output based on the actual criteria you use.

Through this method, you’d have a better idea if they would be a good fit for the team. Your candidates will also know what your expectations are and if they’re able to meet that.

Make hiring more efficient

Evaluating test projects is no easy feat and should be carried out by another front end developer. To avoid wasting their time and resources on less qualified applicants, separate the wheat from the chaff through coding samples. Here’s how:

1. Have candidates include code samples when filling out forms for basic information.
2. Review the samples to determine who are worth sending the test project to.
3. Provide the instructions for the test project to your selected applicants.
4. Check their output according to the standards that your company is using.
5. Invite the people with the best scores for a video interview.

This process allows you to integrate the onboarding with the hiring. Then, the person joins the team while already familiar with the systems, standards, and expectations regarding their work.

You should still train them even if they’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to work with you. Check their quality for the first couple of tasks they do and provide detailed feedback on how they can do better. This helps a new front end developer bloom.

Where to find the best front end developer

In order for your website to provide an engaging and interactive experience to users, you need the help of someone knowledgeable and experienced. See if they’re up to task with the tips shared above then do what you can to attract and retain the best developers you find.

Do you need assistance with recruiting? We at Remote Workmate are here to serve. Whether you’re looking for a front end developer in the Philippines or elsewhere, we assure you that our talent pool is full of global talents who can meet your requirements.