How to Hire a Frontend Developer – Roles, Skills, Hiring Options and Beyond…

Hire a Frontend Developer

Physical stores or showrooms are not the faces of the business anymore, websites and mobile applications create the first impression in the digital era. The front end of a website/application determines if the user will stay or leave, impacting your platform’s bounce rate extensively.

Consumers tend to gravitate towards high-functioning and visually appealing front-end UIs. Without a seamless front end, your website/application loses its value and adversely affects your brand image.

This is where front-end developers come into play!

Hiring the best front-end developers can help your business maintain an attractive and engaging online presence.

Here’s a forecast of the IT services expenditure:

IT services


Source: Statista

Here are the number of software developers in 2018-2024:

software developers

Source: Intersog

As you can see from the data, the number of software developers around the globe is almost stagnant but the expenditure on IT development keeps increasing exponentially. That’s why the traditional method of in-house hiring isn’t enough anymore, businesses have to hire web developers via freelancing platforms or outsourcing agencies.

But how to hire a frontend developer in 2022?

As a leading web development agency, our expert web developers have gathered the information needed to hire a frontend developer in this detailed article.

HAVE A LOOK!

What Is a Frontend Developer?

Front-end web development or client-side development is the process of building CSS, HTML and JavaScript for Website or Web Application Development. The front-end developer is responsible for developing the elements of a website or application that the user directly interacts with.

The greatest challenge in the field of frontend development is that the methods, techniques and tools are constantly changing and evolving. That’s why staying updated and consistent improvements are of paramount importance for a frontend developer.

Let’s make it simpler, shall we?

What do you see when you open a website or an app? In most cases, it is the User Interface- the client-side elements of a platform and the flow or interconnection between them, which determines the User Experience. This is what a frontend developer builds!

A frontend developer aims to design a website or an app that provides information and elements in an easy-to-perceive, relevant and engaging. The process of frontend development gets complicated when you consider the accessibility factor. An ideal frontend developer would build a website or mobile app that is compatible and functional across different types of devices, browsers and operating systems.

Types of frontend developers you can have in your arsenal:

  • Frontend Developer
  • Frontend Engineer
  • CSS/HTML Developer
  • Frontend Web Designer
  • Frontend UI Developer
  • Frontend SEO Expert
  • Frontend Accessibility Expert
  • Frontend Dev. Ops
  • Frontend Testing/QA

Now let’s discuss the responsibilities of a Frontend Developer…

What are the Responsibilities of a Frontend Developer?

Frontend Developer

It is crucial for you to understand the roles and responsibilities before you hire a frontend developer. Our experts have listed some of the critical roles of a frontend developer:

  • Building engaging and user-oriented experiences using HTML and CSS;
  • Building personalized elements and features for users that include user interactions, server responses, animation, etc.
  • Staying up-to-date with the industry trends and advancements;
  • Writing standard lines of code that can be used for future projects;
  • Collaborating with web designers and backend developers;
  • Developing mock-ups and wireframes of website/application design;
  • Optimize and maintain websites/applications for long-term success;

To suffice, an ideal frontend developer is a blend of creative design and precise programming.

Learn about the most popular frontend frameworks and gain deeper insight into frontend development.

Now let’s move on and discuss the skills of a frontend developer…

What Skills does a Frontend Developer Need?

After understanding the roles and responsibilities, it is important to know the required skills before you hire a frontend developer.
Keep an eye out for the following technical skills:

  • CSS pre-processors- Sass and SCSS
  • Frontend frameworks- Angular, React, Vue, etc.
  • Responsive design
  • XHR requests (AJAX)
  • jQuery and BackboneJS
  • Browser developer tools
  • IDE debugging & testing
  • CSS frameworks- Foundation, Bootstrap, etc.
  • Module bundlers- Webpack, Grunt, Gulp, etc.
  • Git version control system
  • Content Management Systems (CMS)
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Wireframing
  • JavaScript or CSS animation
  • Templating strategies and engines
  • UI widgets
  • HTML semantics
  • Web/browser security
  • Command Line Interface (CLI)
  • Object-oriented programming

Along with top-tier technical skills, an ideal frontend developer exhibits superior soft skills:

  • Empathy
  • Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Approachability
  • Patience
  • Open-Mindedness
  • Problem-Solving
  • Accountability
  • Creativity
  • Time Management

Now that you know the required responsibilities and skills of a frontend developer, let’s examine the different options to hire a frontend developer…

How to Hire a Frontend Developer? (Different Options)

There are many ways to hire a frontend developer for web development services– outsourcing agencies with a wide talent pool, freelancing portals with independent frontend developers, and job listings.

Each option has its unique advantages and disadvantages. Understand the following hiring options to yield the best results:

  1. Hiring from Outsourcing Agencies
  2. Hiring Freelancers
  3. Hiring In-House Developers

Let’s discuss this in detail…

Hiring from Outsourcing Agencies

Hiring from Outsourcing Agencies

Hiring from full-service outsourcing agencies is, by far, the best option for sustainable and scalable front-end development. This is an effective and modern solution to combat the lack of top-tier talent in the existing market.

How to hire a frontend developer from outsourcing agencies?
You choose from a pre-vetted talent pool from any country, and the chosen front-end developer would work for you remotely. You can find the top outsourcing agencies in the following portals:

  • Clutch
  • GoodFirms
  • IT Firms

This is the most time saving and efficient option.

PROS

  • Choose from a wide pool of pre-vetted talent.
  • Avail Flexible hiring options (Full-time, part-time, project-based, hourly, etc.)
  • Unlock a wide scope of experience and expertise.
  • Eliminate the time-consuming screening and interviewing process.
  • Save expenses in employee perks, induction, sick/vacation days, etc.
  • Maintain long-term partnership for maintenance and support.
  • Hire more frontend developers whenever you like to scale your team.
  • The developer will be supervised by the outsourcing agency at all times.
  • Top-quality code writing and streamlined project delivery.

CONS

  • More expensive than hiring freelancers, but definitely worth the cost.
  • Remotely working employees reside in different time zones, leading to hindered communication at times.

Hiring Freelancing Developers

A pocket-friendly option for short-term projects. This option may seem attractive due to its affordability but bear in mind, this benefit comes with many drawbacks such as lack of communication and inefficient development process.

How to hire a frontend developer from freelancer portals?
Conduct extensive research on the available freelancing developers to learn their experience and expertise in frontend development. This screening process is followed by an interview round and then you select the best-suited freelancer for your project. You can search for talented frontend developers in the following portals:

  • Fiverr
  • Upwork
  • Toptal

Let’s look at the pros and cons…

PROS

  • The most affordable option for hiring developers.
  • Save costs in employee perks, induction, sick/vacation days, etc.
  • Ideal for small-scale projects.
  • Hire whenever you like.

CONS

  • Low dependability.
  • Lack of communication due to remote work.
  • Little to no control over your project.
  • Unsupervised development process.
  • Haphazard project deliveries.

Hiring In-House Developers

This is the traditional method of hiring a front-end developer. In this option, you integrate a new loyal employee into your existing team for long-term project sustainability. The hired front-end developer blends into your work environment and actively participates as a member of your workforce.

How to hire a frontend developer as an in-house employee?
You conduct research and go through a relentless process of screening and interviewing. In this option, you’re choosing a permanent employee for your company, that’s why you need to choose the best candidate meticulously. Here are some of the top portals to find the best candidates:

  • Indeed
  • Glassdoor
  • LinkedIn

Let’s look at the pros and cons:

PROS

  • An in-house employee cares about your long-term mission and goals.
  • In-house developer integrates well with your existing team.
  • In-house developers will always be at your beck and call.
  • Seamless communication among team members.
  • Active collaboration among team members.

CONS

  • Expensive option over time with monthly salaries and employee perks.
  • Stressful and time-consuming screening process.
  • Difficult to find top-tier front-end developers for hire.

Now that you thoroughly understand how to hire a frontend developer, let’s see how Communication Crafts can help in IT outsourcing…

Communication Crafts- Full-Service IT Outsourcing Agency

With 17+ years of hands-on experience, Communication Crafts is a trusted agency that offers a wide pool of Remote Web Developers for hire. Our dedicated developers utilize a potent blend of technology and innovation to provide end-to-end front-end development solutions under one roof. We leverage cutting-edge technologies like Angular, React, and Vue for high-quality software development solutions that span many industries like banking & finance, food & drink, eCommerce, health & fitness, entertainment, photography, logistics, eLearning, and more.

Our front-end experts are adept at building websites and mobile applications that help your business soar above the ever-growing digital competition. From concept creation to responsive design, avail top-tier frontend development from our pre-vetted talent pool.

Why Hire from Communication Crafts?

  • ISO 27001:2013 Certification
  • Clutch Rating (4.8/5.0)
  • 17+ Years of Hands-On Experience
  • 150+ Clients across the globe
  • 180+ Expert Developers
  • Flexible Hiring Models
  • Cutting-Edge Technologies

If you require further assistance in front-end development, feel free to contact us!

Building your present, for a fruitful future…

Looking for world-class Frontend Developers?

We’ve got you covered!

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