You worked hard on your skills, learned many programming languages and web development procedures, and now you have an excellent position at work. We are sure all the invested time is now worth it, and you probably finally have the freedom to develop, review, give feedback, or even make significant decisions for better performance.
But now, you have one more task to complete. You may think, what could be more complicated than getting where I am now? And there is only one thing more difficult than your personal growth. It’s up to you to determine who is worth hiring in your team and how much you want to invest in mentoring someone and following them through the whole process.
Today, finding a web developer is not as challenging as it was in the past. You have so many talent networks, freelance platforms, job posting social networks, or even social media outreach to find the best fit for your position.
But first, you need to determine one thing.
Do you really need a new developer, or can you train someone from the team?
This decision depends on the project volume and deadlines. Sometimes, additional hands can give a completely new view on how to speed up the development process and even offer more optimal solutions to your clients. It indeed takes time until the new employee gets used to the corporate culture and project requirements, but your team gets more efficient once they are in.
But how to know if you’ve chosen the right candidate, especially if it’s your first time being a part of the hiring process?
Here are a few things you have to know:
1. Nicely Define the Job Position
When you open a new position, you must define and describe it completely. List all the skills you require from the candidates so only the eligible ones can apply.
Depending on the requirements, you can even include some technical details in the job posting. For example, sometimes developers should show a basic knowledge of node js interview questions and an understanding of what the environment is used for.
Many employers give a brief test to the candidates, so they can eliminate the ones who won’t fit into the corporate culture and project assignments.
Still, you can skip this step if you precisely describe the job requirements and clarify the project demands at the beginning. Those who apply are worth interviewing.
2. Prepare for the Technical Part of the Interview
The HR department usually initiates the first contact with the candidates. Sometimes they may run a soft skill brief interview with them before proceeding with the recruitment. When the candidate passes the first phase, they must go for a technical interview.
For example, if you are planning on hiring a node.js developer, you surely have to focus your questions on the node js interview you will have. Also, ensure you know what you expect from the candidate.
First, be clear with yourself because there is a difference between web designers and web developers, or front-end vs. back-end developers. We hope that you got this clear in the job posting.
Sometimes, full-stack web developers are the best choice, but in some cases, you may need to focus on one thing over another to hire the right team member.
3. Don’t Focus Only on CVs and LinkedIn Profiles
CVs are great for filtering out those who aren’t an excellent fit for your job position. But don’t take that process for granted. Many candidates have exceptional biographies, but when they come to the interview, they know nothing related to the technical part.
So, how to overcome these situations?
We suggest focusing on simple but still technical questions, so you can check if their knowledge fits their CV. You will be surprised to learn that almost half of the submitted CVs are irrelevant because the candidates try so hard to get the job they want.
So, try to learn more about their practical skills, not what’s written on their LinkedIn profile. Sometimes, you can find a great candidate who couldn’t compile a nice CV, who is better than those with nicely-designed 10-page biographies who can’t make a difference between web design and web development.
4. Test Their Practical Knowledge
Tests are allowed during the hiring process. You can’t estimate someone’s knowledge if you don’t run some tests. And don’t discourage yourself if someone gives up during this process. Sometimes it’s better not to waste precious time on them and focus on the serious candidates.
But what to expect during this phase?
Indeed, you won’t give the candidates the time to complete your project. We suggest you create a list of useful questions that can test their skills and give you an excellent insight into how these people would fit. Additionally, you can talk to them about the company culture and corporate discipline and share valuable insights with them. Again, some candidates will give up because not everyone likes how your company works, which is completely fine.
Ensure you have enough time to check on their test answers. Create a chart, and give them feedback on the performance. Sometimes, they need a confidence boost to show their actual knowledge, but sometimes you will have to tell someone they need to work more efficiently on personal and professional growth.
Anyway, you need to trust the process and combine the results from different interview phases. That will help you hire the right person for your web development team.
Conclusion
As you can see, hiring a web developer for the first time can be more challenging for you than for the candidates who apply. So, you will have to compose a nice and transparent job description, work with the HR employees, and run a practical test for their skills and knowledge.
We are sure you will be more confident the second time you must go through the same process. And don’t forget that even when someone isn’t the nicest fit at first glance, they may surprise you with their knowledge, skills, or unique approach to resolving the issues. And that’s exactly what you need at this point.
