Whether your business uses technology or sells it, you want your products to be user-friendly and results-oriented. People who develop software used to work on either the front-end user experience or the back-end coding yet never both. This was what worked then but no longer in recent years.
With technology advancing quickly and newer innovations coming out, it became clear that developers needed a wider set of skills to achieve end-to-end ownership of projects. Operational budgets may be reduced but web apps are proving necessary for organisations to survive in this virtual era.
The need for full-stack developers
The factors mentioned above are pushing the demand for full-stack developers. Not only are they able to perform end-to-end development but they offset the expenses related to hiring multiple specialists. You may be wondering how they make all of these possible.
A full-stack developer is someone who specialises in both back-end and front-end website development. They have working knowledge in most programming languages in order to bring your tech plans into reality. Companies usually hire VA developers with full-stack skills when building an application or site.
The difference from specialist developers
Full-stack developers are well-versed in numerous areas like software architecture, markup languages, and more. On the other hand, specialists are experts in either back-end or front-end development. They are the go-to professionals for particular fields like database design, entity frameworks, and domain modelling.
Front-end development
When you hire Filipino web developers specialising in front-end development, they use technologies like NextJS, Angular, React, and Vue for creating the visual appearance of your application or website. They handle the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) so they are ideal when you want to focus on the look and feel of your product.
Full-stack developers use similar tools for designing the visuals of an application. However, they lack the expertise and knowledge of a specialist. They have to juggle their work with back-end development so you’re sure to end up with a user-friendly product though.
Back-end development
Working hand-in-hand with front-end developers, a back-end developer provide the server-side logic including programming APIs, operating systems, frameworks, web servers, and other software stacks. You basically hire VA programmers specialising in back-end development to ensure your app will function properly with tools like Flask, NodeJS, and Django.
A full-stack developer has generalised knowledge with this, like they would with front-end development. This is why they’re unable to give full attention towards the performance of database or API queries. Hiring specialists means these specific issues are dealt with promptly so projects are finished on time.
Knowledge or skills
A specialist developer has extensive knowledge, experience, and training in particular languages and technologies. Whether you hire Filipino programmers specialising in back-end or front-end according to your business needs, both are proficient in their fields and technologies.
Meanwhile, full-stack developers allow you to work with individuals who have high experience in both. They are different from specialists since their knowledge and experience aren’t limited to specific technologies or languages. They tend to be more flexible towards new trends and tools as well.
When to hire full-stack developers
They are the better choice when you are in the following situations:
- You have several tasks that include back-end and front-end development but have a small budget.
- You have an existing team of project managers, developers, and designers and want to add to it.
- You have to impress your partners and investors with a simple yet complete proof of concept.
- You have to get a minimum viable product or MVP but are self-funding your projects at the moment.
- You have to hire someone to overlook the project in its entirety or in all stages of product development.
When to hire specialist developers
They are ideal for complex and robust scenarios like:
- You have a larger budget for recruitment and want to follow the best practices at the highest quality.
- You have to rehaul an old legacy application and update it using the latest technologies available.
- You have to start over from scratch a complex or large project that takes months to develop.
- You have to add features to applications that are critical to the daily operations of your organisation.
- You have to divide the responsibilities into smaller tasks to reduce the workload and stress on workers.
What points to consider when hiring
Sometimes, the choice to hire home-based developers in the Philippines is complicated. Even after looking at the situations discussed above, you might still be confused as to what is most appropriate for your company. It may be easier to look at the following aspects before making your decision.
Size of the project
Startups dealing with smaller projects find that hiring a full-stack developer is better since their resources are limited but the range of tasks is extensive. Mid-sized projects will work with a few full-stack developers with tasks evenly shared amongst them. However, a team of specialists is essential for large projects.
Complexity of the project
Regardless of the size, when a project consists of simple tasks with plain implementation, a single full-stack developer is going to be enough. In the case of numerous complex tasks and capabilities, it’s wiser to pick specialists who will propose specific solutions after deep investigations.
Flexibility of the project
In a scenario where the requirements aren’t fixed and may be modified according to the market, you may hire freelance coders in the Philippines who are capable of doing full-stack development. Their experience in multitasking allows them to switch between tasks and adjust to changing situations.
What’s best for your company then?
Both full-stack developers and specialist developers work depending on the situation. They each have their advantages and disadvantages so it’s up to you which are worth your money and the risk. Your best bet is to work with Remote Workmate to receive guidance with recruitment.
We have experience in connecting global employers with qualified virtual assistants and developers from the Philippines. Hire Filipino web developers through us and gain access to our talent pool. We conduct the initial screening and briefing upon endorsement of applicants too.
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