How Do I Hire a Full Stack Developer That I Can Actually Trust?

Hiring a full-stack developer is daunting for anyone. Especially business owners not familiar with the intricacies involved in how to code.

The average full-stack developer takes home a salary of over $100k in the USA. And that’s before you’ve ever spent money on resources. That’s a huge sum for any business, so how do you find someone you can trust?

Here are some tips to guide you through the process. By the end of this, you’ll know how to find a trustworthy full-stack developer.

Look at Qualifications

Many full-stack developers are computer science graduates. But in more recent times, a wave of code programs and boot camps have set the standards. These are intense learning courses to develop the finest full-stack developers around.

These boot camps often focus on more modern technology such as mobile and web design. In some cases, even futuristic programming such as AI and blockchain. So it’s good to take note of what they’ve studied in the Brighton freelance developer , even if it’s not their specialism.

There isn’t a right answer here because development is such a vast area of coding. But most of all, choose someone who has knowledge and expertise across the board. They will have a specialism, but it’s the broader knowledge base that matters.

Spot Skillsets and Specialisms

It would help if you asked about their skill sets and specializations. Examples include frameworks such as; Native, NodeJS, Python, Ruby, Java, or PHP.

You’ll get different answers depending on where they went to school. Suppose they studied Computer Science at university but now work in marketing. They might say “I’m good at HTML5” instead of HTML.

That doesn’t mean that they don’t know HTML, though. It means that they prefer using other technologies.

Check for Industry Experience

The best way to find out if they’re worth hiring is by seeing how much experience they’ve had. That applies to both your industry and the computer programming industry as a whole. If you work at an agency or startup that doesn’t need a specific skill set, it may be better to hire from outside.

But suppose you do need a developer who can build websites, apps, APIs, and databases. You can delve deeper into their previous projects. You want to see whether they were able to deliver something like yours.

If they did well, then this shows that they know what needs doing. It also means the developer will understand your business model and requirements.

Thus they are easier to communicate with than those not familiar with your business. That’s essential when building anything new together.

Other Coding Experience

Everyone has to start somewhere. So what if you think you’ve found the best computer programmer around, but they’re new to the game?

Well, you can take a look at their portfolio. Even big companies like Google (Alphabet Inc.) hire bedroom programmers and hackers who have talent. And every good developer should have a portfolio showcasing a variety of their best work.

A portfolio showcases everything from small side-projects to large web applications. The size of each project matters less than its quality. However, what counts is that you can tell what kind of person they are through their coding style.

Check Their Coding Ethics

Another little thing to look at is whether their code is open source or closed source. Open source refers to code available online for everyone. That’s opposed to the secrecy of closed source.

It’s easy to believe that a closed source is more trustworthy. Yet, amongst developers and the public, open-source is often more trustworthy.

Other developers can analyze the code and put their stamp of approval on a project. Even KeePass, one of the most secure password managers around, is open source! That’s because it builds trust in the end-user.

Do They Have References?

That is another great question to ask. Ask for references and contact these people. Don’t rely on online reviews alone as some might be fake or inaccurate.

Ask them why they chose those particular references over others. Did they use someone else’s recommendations? Or was it based on personal preference?

It’s important to note here that some people won’t give you references unless asked. But even so, make sure you check upon them all.

Some people only provide references after hiring. Others keep track of past clients.

What Are Their Rates?

The last thing you want to consider is the price. It would help if you found out how much they charge per hour. If they’re charging too low, then you may not be getting value for money.

On the flip side, if they’re charging way above the market rate, then you may be paying too much.

If you do decide to go ahead and hire a full stack developer, try to negotiate an hourly rate first. Then once you agree upon something, stick to it. It will save both parties time and energy later down the line.

If you’d rather pay up front than wait for completion, then you can opt for freelance contracts. It means that you pay them when they complete tasks instead of having to pay them each month.