10 Things To Lookout While Hiring React Js Developers
In 2023, businesses without a digital footprint will be struggling to survive. Technology has brought so much convenience to people’s lives. But that also means it’s hard for businesses to match expectations.
For a growing number of people, a business that’s not on their social media feed pretty much doesn’t exist. People increasingly rely on their favorite influencers to decide what to buy. When they buy, they order a home delivery instead of walking to the nearest convenience store.
This lifestyle change is demanding businesses to level up. A website is no longer enough. It should be responsive and user-intuitive. An application can no longer be an add-on. It should attract audiences with engaging visuals. And more importantly, retain them by adding value to their lives.
A brand’s identity has become interwoven with its website or application. From performance to aesthetics, nothing could be compromised. If you are a business owner, you are probably already pulling up your socks and getting ready.
Developing a website, application, or both is a huge endeavor for any business. That’s why choosing the right technology platform is also an important decision. But technologies like React JS can make your web development journey much more fun.
Increasingly, businesses prefer React as their choice of development platform. If you, too, are looking to hire React JS development company to build a website, you will find this post useful. We will explore things you should consider while hiring a React JS developer. But first, let’s understand what React is and why so many reputed companies use it.
What is React JS?
React or React JS, as it is commonly called, is an open-source JavaScript Library. It is used to construct reusable user interfaces. The library was first created by Facebook. It enables the quick development of responsive, fast-loading websites and mobile applications.
Currently, there is an active community of React JS developers. Along with Facebook, they maintain the React JS library. React is usually used to craft web applications. React-based web applications work well with other libraries and frameworks.
Why React JS?
According to BuiltWith, currently, 11,908,579 live websites around the globe are using React JS.
That’s not a small number. Here is another stat for you- As per Stack Overflow, React JS is popular among developers. In fact, it is the most preferred JavaScript library for crafting UIs.
Several reputed websites are using React. See if you have heard any of the names below-
● Openai.com (United States)
● Binance.com (United States)
● Bloomberg.com (United States)
● Bilibili.com (China)
● Medium.com (United States)
● Notion.so (United States)
● Cloud.tencent.com (Japan)
● Independent.co.uk (United Kingdom)
● Iqiyi.com (China)
All the above websites use React JS. Hence, it’s safe to say; React is in demand.
But why is React so popular? And why should you be using React JS development services to build your website?
Well, there are plenty of reasons. Some of them are as under:
React JS Is Open Source
Because it’s open source, React is quite cost-effective. It is also super lightweight. Many functionalities, such as routing, requests, etc., use other libraries that work conversantly with React.
React JS Has a Fantastic Community
React has a robust community of developers who are always helping each other out. Compared to other frameworks, such as Angular, React has a much bigger community.
React JS Uses Component-Based Architecture
React JS uses a component-centric architecture. Here, the user interface is built using smaller, reusable units called components. It makes the development process much faster. It is because developers can reuse components. As a result, they don’t have to write the same code for different parts of the application.
React JS Delivers High Performance
React uses Virtual DOM. As a result, it utilizes memory more efficiently, providing a faster loading time. Hence, React provides much superior performance compared to other JavaScript frameworks.
React JS Provides Cross-Platform Support
We have already discussed how popular React is among the developers’ communities. As a result, the quality of resources is off the charts. Documentation? Immaculate. Tutorials? Detailed and easy to understand. Support? Comprehensive. Whatever it is, you name it, React has it. Developers can milk this wealth of resources and information to overcome any hurdle. It helps them ensure there is no need to extend time or budget on a project.
React JS Has a Simplified Learning Curve
Even though you need a decent level of skill in JavaScript to work with React, it has a simple learning curve. It is definitely not like Angular, which gives beginner-level developers a hard time. Compared to Angular, getting started with React seems like a walk in the park.
React JS Provides Security
For any business, security is one of the principal concerns. React provides a significant degree of security, protecting the integrity of your solutions.
10 Things to Lookout for While Hiring React JS Developers
Now that you know why you should be looking for React JS developers on hire, let’s take note of the things you should keep in mind:
1. Whether They Have the Required Qualifications and Experience
The very first thing you should notice when you see a development firm’s website or portfolio, is their experience. When it comes to hiring, few things hold as much weight as experience. Think about it, no matter what the work is, if you spend enough time doing it, you are bound to get better at it over time. Right?
The same is true when you want to hire a React developer. You must take the experience of the developers into account. The more years they have on them, the better. Another crucial thing to note is their qualifications.
Now qualifications are a bit more tricky. The Internet is flooded with talent. Not everyone nowadays gives a lot of importance to educational credentials. Past work is what’s considered most of the time.
Yet, we will suggest you should consider qualifications as well. A four-year degree showcases much more than just coding skills. It shows that the person has shown up on time every day for four years. They have submitted projects on time. It indicates that they have the discipline to finish what they have started. They have completed what they had committed to. All these are important character traits. So yes, qualifications are also important.
2. Whether They Have the Technical Skills
Now comes the important part. Whether you hire a React developer or an entire team, their technical skill set is the most important thing to consider.
In order to pull off a React JS project with a certain level of nuance, a developer needs to have a strong foundation. They must have a decent understanding of the following technical skills:
● JavaScript: The JS in React JS stands for JavaScript. Being a JavaScript framework, React JS requires an in-depth understanding of JavaScript. A developer must know the language inside out. This means that they should have a command over the basics:
○ Variables,
○ Functions,
○ Loops, and
○ Conditional statements.
Familiarity with the following Front End JavaScript frameworks would be a cherry on top:
● Angular JS
● Vue JS
Also important is their experience with server-side JavaScript runtime environments like:
● Node JS
● Express Js
They must also be comfortable with full-stack JavaScript frameworks such as:
● MEAN
● MERN
It showcases that the developer you are hiring has a mixed skill set. They have a handle on both Front End and Back End technologies.
● React.js: A developer must have a concrete understanding of React.js. They should have a complete grasp of its concepts-
○ Component-based architecture,
○ Virtual DOM,
○ JSX syntax,
○ State management, and
○ Lifecycle methods.
● HTML/CSS: Fundamental proficiency in HTML and CSS is another prerequisite. HTML and CSS are used to structure and style the user interface. That is why it is important for a developer to have experience with the following:
○ HTML and CSS,
○ Front-end CSS frameworks such as Bootstrap or Foundation, and
○ CSS extensions such as Sass and Less.
● Webpack: Webpack is a module bundler. It is used with React JS to bundle JavaScript with other assets. This bundling is done for the deployment of JS and other assets.
● Git: Another thing to consider when you hire a React developer is to see their usage comfort with Git. Git is a Version Control System(VCS). It is generally used to handle code repositories and work with other developers.
● Debugging: Solutions based on React JS are often complicated. Debugging can be tricky for developers. Hence, you should ensure that whomever you hire has adequate knowledge of debugging tools and methods.
● RESTful APIs: RESTful APIs fetch and manipulate data in most React JS-based applications. Hence, while shortlisting React JS developers for hire, make sure they have experience working with RESTful APIs.
3. Whether They Have Experience With Testing
This is another prerequisite for React.js developers. Familiarity with testing frameworks such as Jest, for example, is necessary. After all, it is frequently used to test React JS applications.
Whether you choose to hire React JS development company or an individual, they must be able to work with at least one testing framework. And, of course, the more frameworks they know, the better. Look out for expertise in the following:
● Unit Testing:
○ Jest,
○ Enzyme,
○ React Testing Library,
○ Mocha,
○ Jasmine.
● Integration Testing:
○ Karma
● End-to-End Testing:
○ Cypress IO
○ Puppeteer
4. Whether They Can Handle Related Technologies
Developing complex, scalable, and dependable React JS applications is difficult. A developer also needs to know many peripherals outside the technology. It includes frameworks compatible with React JS and is often used together.
Good examples of this are the backend platforms frequently used for hosting React JS applications. Hence, the developer you pick should have an understanding of the below frameworks-
● Laravel
● Django
● Ruby on Rails and others.
5. Whether They Can Communicate Clearly
Many business owners often make the mistake of underestimating the skill of good communication. Suppose you find the perfect development companion you were looking for. They have a laundry list of credentials, skill sets, testimonials, and badges that one can ask for. But they are unable to have clear communication with you. That could be disastrous for your project.
You need someone who can understand what you want from the project. You need someone who can understand your goals and can suggest to you what the best way forward should be. Most importantly, they should be able to explain everything to you in simple terms. They should be able to break down information in a manner that even a non-coder can understand.
Hence, when you hire a React developer, make sure they have excellent communication skills.
6. Whether They Can Solve Problems
Problem-solving is one of the more difficult talents to spot in a candidate. It is hard to guess a developer’s logical thinking capabilities. But a lot rides on a developer’s knack for solving problems.
The development process throws a lot of curveballs toward developers. To tackle those scenarios, you need someone who can think on their feet and have presence of mind. Often, developers have to rely more on their reasoning skills more than their learned knowledge.
Hence, you need someone who can single out the problem and then work on a solution. That means you need someone willing to experiment and go through the grueling process of trial and error. Persistence and Perseverance are principal characteristics you should be looking for in a developer.
7. Whether They Can Deliver on Time
Time is of primary importance to businesses. No matter how brilliant an idea is, it would be useless if your competitor beats you to the market. Hence, you don’t need someone who delays the entire project trying to write the perfect code.
Instead of chasing perfection, you should hire someone who can balance quality and efficiency. Hire someone with a track record of respecting deadlines and delivering quality work on time.
8. Whether They Can Work According To Your Time Zone
Hiring offshore development companies has become a fad among businesses. And understandably so. After all, who doesn’t want to capitalize on the opportunity to access skilled developers at affordable costs? But not everything is as smooth as it may seem.
Suppose you hire a React JS developer. They have talent, skills, and excellent communication skills. But they are on the other side of the world. In that case, you will be literally sleeping while they work on your project. You will have to do some mental gymnastics to get used to that.
Not everyone has a problem with that, though. Some like looking at finished milestones as soon as they wake up. In fact, this approach works for a lot of businesses. Many businesses prefer having no disruption or disturbance in their day-to-day workings. They prefer reviewing outsourced projects outside business hours so that it doesn’t dilute their focus from core business activities.
Hence, instead of hiring a development team with the same business hours as you, get a team available to take your calls and attend meetings when needed. As long as there is no communication gap, you won’t have any problems with an offshore firm. Simply put, whether the development team works during the same timezone as you is not that important. What’s more important is to consider whether they can accommodate your time zone in a way that does not adversely impact either the project or your core business activities.
9. Whether They Can Handle Criticism
Let’s be honest. There are going to be some bumps in your web development journey. But it matters how eager a developer is to accept and learn from mistakes. If someone has an issue taking genuine critiques of their work, they will be a problem later on.
Look for traits like politeness and humility while hiring. People who cannot wait to toot their horns are a huge red flag. Avoid.
10. Whether They Have a Solid Work Ethic
Lastly, writing quality code is hard work. All the above traits give developers a leg up, but that does not mean there are shortcuts to success. A developer should be willing to put in the hours of grind needed to achieve great outcomes.
Hence, seek out a development team that has a strong work ethic. Remember, talent can always be replaced by someone willing to work harder and longer.
Conclusion
The decision to invest in react JS development services is a tricky one. There are several different factors that you need to consider. From qualifications and experience to technical and soft skills, there is a spectrum of capabilities you need to look for in a developer.
Hopefully, this blog has narrowed down the essentials for you. Treat this as your personal checklist. Pick a reliable partner for your React JS development journey.
