Blog

Every business needs a website to sell its products or services, and a full-stack developer is a person who makes that possible. Full-stack developers are a precious resource for any company because they can take on more responsibilities than other web developers. 

However, hiring a full-stack developer is not an easy task. It requires lots of effort and time. Businesses need to understand what precisely full-stack development entails before hiring one, so they can make sure it’s the right choice for their company.

This ultimate guide will help you in every step that you need to follow while hiring a full-stack developer.

Who Is A Full-Stack Developer?

A full-stack developer is a person who can create a web application from the front end to the back end. These developers usually specialize in one or two of these layers and use a mix of technologies to complete their projects.

Full-stack development is essential for startups with limited resources and to build everything from scratch. A full-stack developer is also more marketable because he can work on any project from the ground up, rather than being switched out halfway.

Responsibilities Of A Full-Stack Developer

Full-stack developers are a rare breed. They’re able to create a website from concept to completion, which means they need to wear many hats.

Being a full-stack developer requires a lot of skill sets, but most full-stack developers share some common traits. Today, we’ll look at this position’s skills, attributes, and responsibilities and why it is essential in the development field.

• Build a front-end website architecture
• Create user interactions on web pages
• Create background web applications
• Create servers and databases to improve performance
• Ensure mobile optimization on all platforms
• Ensure that applications are responsive
• Collaborate with graphic designers on web design functions
• Oversee the project from start to finish
• API design and development
• Satisfying technical and consumer needs
• Stay up to date with the latest web applications and programming languages developments.

Why Must You Hire A Full-Stack Developer?

Full-stack developers provide a wide range of services to their clients. They can build you a website from scratch or edit the one you have. They can develop your mobile app or assist in troubleshooting it. And they can help with any other tech-related project you have in mind.

With more and more advantages offered by full software developers is remarkable. Let’s look at the benefits of hiring a full-fledged developer and how they can help your business.

• First-class Experience

One of the main advantages of a full-stack developer is proficiency in various programming languages. In addition to their experience and competence, they can offer revolutionary and purposeful solutions to the market. They are considered professional game-changers who excel in front and back-end development. 

Hiring a full-stack developer ensures that you only get the highest quality products as they are up to date with the latest technology and best practices.

• All-Rounder

Full-stack developers are experienced in internal development and at the interface. Code is written in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS for the front end to influence the website’s responsiveness, appearance, and operation. Inside, they build prototypes that connect the website and the CMS. It offers you everything in one package.

• Extensive Knowledge

Full-stack developers have the opportunity to work on different projects. This enables them to acquire in-depth knowledge, analyze project requirements and develop unique solutions. Your insights can play an essential role in improving project performance and increasing market uptake. However, less skilled developers cannot offer this.

• Cost-Effective

Hiring a full-stack developer is the most cost-effective option for a small business looking for a robust and secure solution. Since a full-stack developer can fill multiple roles, you do not need to hire additional developers. 

You can also choose an experienced software development company for exceptional results. So next time you need front-end and back-end developers, consider hiring full-fledged developers.

• Flexible

One of the main reasons for hiring a full-stack developer is to make your project more user-friendly and attractive. Moreover, full-stack developers have extensive market experience and understand market trends. They provide innovative, responsive, and interactive websites.

So, hiring a full-stack developer for your team eliminates the possibility of late development. The full-stack developer has become a surefire way to create a high-quality solution with many valuable advantages.

How To Evaluate A Full-Stack Developer?

As said earlier, full-stack developers know how to manage and write the code for all the application layers.

When you hire a full-stack developer position, you can look for potential candidates who have experience in front-end and back-end technologies. The candidate should develop a prototype of a basic web application, including database, server-side processing, front-end user interface, and some design elements.

In short, if your developer is full-stack, he can do anything from developing the user interface to writing code that runs on a server. It is also strongly recommended to consider the pointers mentioned below to evaluate your full-stack developer.

• Familiarity With Different Technologies

Make sure your full-stack developer is familiar with at least one of the following technologies: front-end, back-end, database, and web services.

• Curiosity

They should be eager to learn and explore more. This field constantly changes and almost daily with new developments. They must stay informed. Only then can the developer actively participate in a project. 

• Board Thinking

Having a broad knowledge of this area enables them to see and understand things that other developers and team members cannot. This comes in handy to execute the projects on the right path.

• Aim For The Big Picture

They are expected to see the big picture, prepare for potential obstacles and emergencies, and know what to expect. They have a much deeper look at things and more technical experience and knowledge.

When Do You Need To Hire Full-Stack Developers?

1. When You Have Small ProjectsSome companies hire developers at low prices, yet they provide quality results. An experienced and well-educated full-stack developer will cost you an arm and a leg. Besides, potential clients will not like to pay such money for a small project. However, if the project is small to medium, it is best to hire a full-stack developer.
2. When You Have Budget Constraints
   Solving one problem at a time is not cost-effective. But by having a full-stack developer on your team, you will save money by solving multiple issues in a single shot. Since the full-stack developers are known to be the project’s backbone, they can take up a project from front-end to back-end and make sure everything works perfectly. It’s like buying a jackhammer to break a wall down and use it like a sledgehammer.
3. When You Have An Excellent Application
   Once your software application has been scaled, you need to manage the speed and load. You need to hire more people to spend a lot of time on specific aspects of the project. It’s best to have incoming full-stack developers to make the process easy.
4. When You Need An Extra Level Of Understanding
   Sometimes what you need to do just requires experience in a specific class. For example, if you are developing an API service, it is best to hire a back-end developer. If you find that their range of services covers all of your needs, it makes sense to opt for more specialists in full-stack developers.
5. When You Look Out For Speed ​​Optimization
   
   When you have an excellent web application, you need to focus on accelerating or counteracting traffic. It is best to hire developers who specialize in such areas. These developers know all the problems and bottlenecks during development and can resolve them to optimize the application speed.
6. When You Need An MVPIf your process is simple and the idea validation firm’s goal is to make at least one product profitable, full-stack developers are your best bet. The ideal role for full-stack developers is to turn an idea or function into a fully functional prototype.
7. When You Need Product Managers
   
   Full-stack developers can become great product managers. They understand the company’s requirements and are aware of the technical possibilities. They are a valuable resource in deciding where to look at all parameters.

Where To Find Full-Stack Developers?

Finding a full-stack developer is not easy. You might have to go through lots of developers before finding the one who is right for you. To find the right developer, you need to learn your options and look for someone.

If you’re a business owner looking for a new hire, you probably want to find a full-stack developer. It would be great to find someone who can work on your website’s front-end and back-end. This way, you will get more value from your web developer and save money by not having to hire another person.

However, to make your search easier, we’ve compiled a list of ways to hire full-stack developers. Let’s go through them one by one:

1. In-house
   
   The in-house team is usually a developer who is also a project manager. This person coordinates the work of remote freelancers and makes sure that the product meets all the company’s requirements. To find such a person, you need to develop an advanced screening procedure and interview your candidate thoroughly.Ask the candidate to give you examples of projects he has worked on and how they were successfully implemented. You should evaluate his skills, experience, and attitude towards similar tasks. A good developer will properly execute each task and identify potential issues that may arise during development. And, they can be found on job boards such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
2. NearshoreFinding a nearshore team with strong full-stack development skills is not so easy. Your first step should be to identify the right skills and then look for the best-fit developers with whom you can work.However, the cost-effective option for outsourcing development is nearshoring. It’s a combination of offshore outsourcing, which involves people from different countries, and inshoring, which uses talent from neighboring countries or regions. You can still manage the entire development process when hiring a team in another country, just like an offshore team.There are many advantages to nearshoring that make it a popular outsourcing strategy. However, it’s important to note that there are also some disadvantages, especially if you don’t do your research before hiring.
3. OffshoreFinding an offshore team for full-stack development is a pervasive one. It’s also one of the trickiest because it depends on many factors. What is your budget, timeline, how much are you willing to spend on developers, etc.?There are several ways to find an offshore team for full-stack development. You can find a development firm and work with them directly. You can also find an agency and work through them. You can use freelancing websites like Upwork or Freelancer to hire a good developer now.
4. Distributed TeamA lot of development is happening in the distributed world. It’s about more than just outsourcing. Distributed teams are becoming increasingly popular because of their ability to work together across multiple time zones, freedom from office politics, and low office overhead costs.Finding a distributed team for your project can be difficult. However, you can discover the remote team that will work best for you in social media channels, Facebook groups, etc.

Things To Look For In Full-Stack Developer Interview & Some Common Interview Questions

When looking for suitable candidates for the interview position, keep two things in mind: adaptability to uncertainty and passion for learning.

Give candidates a problem they are unfamiliar with and test their technical skills. Look for candidates who want to try regardless of the outcome, not just candidates with a proven track record.

Usually, full-stack programmer interview questions are based on the technology stack the developer prefers to work with. However, here are some common developer interview questions to help you prepare for the situation.

Some general questions:

• What programming languages ​​do you use?How do you keep up with new technologies and tools?
• What was the most formidable programming challenge for you?
• Do you have any technical certifications?
• What is your favorite programming language? Why?
• What made you choose a career as a full-stack developer?
• What do you think is a full-stack developer’s most important personality trait?

Here’s a look at technologies they must specialize in:

1. Front-end Technologies
   

   HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the leading technologies of the front-end web. Every website is based on HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). 

   HTML allows developers to define the structure and layout of the website. At the same time, CSS gives a website a great appearance. In addition to this, JavaScript enables the action on the front-end when a button is clicked. 

   Front-end frameworks and their concepts require a thorough understanding of critical technologies such as JavaScript.

   Angular and React are two well-known front-end frameworks for web development. Apart from Angular and React.js, there are several other premium frameworks such as Vue.js, Ember.js, and Express.js.

2. Back-end Technologies
   

   A full-stack developer should be familiar with the latest back-end technologies such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc. Moreover, the developer should also be familiar with NoSQL and SQL-based databases. 

   On the other hand, back-end frameworks are advanced technologies that simplify and accelerate back-end development. Here are some of the most popular back-end frameworks full-stack software developers use to build dynamic web applications – Django, Laravel, Ruby on Rails (RoR), Flask, and more.

   The most popular back-end programming languages ​​are NodeJS, Python, Ruby, and Java. Although the developers have reasons for choosing back-end languages, each has its market appeal.

3. Database
   

   All web applications require database access to store and manage information. In any case, customer inquiries require the storage and retrieval of data. So, knowledge of a database is not only sufficient for this.

   To translate usage and dependency to necessity, a full-stack developer must understand relational and NoSQL databases. Popular relational databases are MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and OracleDB. MongoDB and DynamoDB are excellent NoSQL databases.

Popular Technology Stacks For A Full-Stack Developer

1. LAMP stack
   
   LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. This is a traditional technical stack used to build many web applications. It is a popular open-source package that includes the operating system (Linux), server (Apache), database (MySQL), and programming language (PHP).
2. MEAN Stack
   
   MEAN stands for MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js. It now rules the world of full-stack development as a JavaScript-based full-stack. A large and active community fully supports each framework in this stack.
3. Java StackThe Java Stack contains several Java technologies used to build web applications. It is one of the most influential and versatile programming languages ​​for various applications and uses.It is one of the most effective and versatile programming languages ​​for various applications and uses. Working with JavaStack includes using Java, servers, REST APIs, JSP, Hibernate, Spring, and popular web technologies like CSS, JS, HTML, and more.
4. Python Full-Stack
   
   Python full-stack web developers are in great demand as Python is a popular and modern programming language for building fast and scalable web applications.It is also suitable for machine learning and data science applications because of its simplicity and powerful features.Django is a popular Python-based framework, and the complete Python stack consists of Python, Django, Apache, and MySQL.

Wrapping Up

Hiring a full-stack developer is not an easy task. It requires plenty of research and hard work to ensure that you’ve made the right choice. That’s why we decided to create this ultimate guide with all the information you need to find a great developer for your project. Hopefully, after reading through our list of tips, you will be able to make an informed decision about hiring a full-stack developer.