Full Stack Developer Hiring Guide

When you think of developers, your mind probably immediately goes to the idea of ​​someone who builds part of a project. There is someone who builds the UI, someone in charge of building databases, linking databases, creating server applications, SPAs, dynamic websites, frontends and backends. You've isolated these developers to such an extent that it takes a metaphorical village to build the software and tools your business needs to function.

But this is not always the case. While most large companies tend to work this way, some companies take a very different path with some of these software engineers. This alternative option is the full-stack developer.

In the technology domain, a stack is a combination of programming languages, frameworks, and tools used by developers to build fully functional software and/or services. Stacks come in all shapes and sizes, from the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) to the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js, Node.js).

Stacks allow your developers to build more efficiently because they don't always have to build everything from scratch.

For the full-stack developer, we need to clarify this a bit and break it down into 2 main components:

• Server side – the backend
• Client side – the frontend

The backend is all the services and software used to power a website or application. It usually consists of a server, an application and a database. The end user never sees this part of the stack. On the other hand, the frontend is everything the end user sees and engages with.

Let’s look at this through the lens of a website. On the backend, you can have a combination like Apache (the server), WordPress (the application) and MySQL (the database). On the front end, you have the website, which includes dynamic content, menus, images, video, audio, and interactive features.

Typically you would have developers assigned to a different task. Some would work on the server, some on the application, some on the database, some on dynamic content, some on menus and interactive features, and some on media. These teams would collaborate to bring your dream to life and then update it as needed.

But what if you could hire a developer capable of working on every component of that stack? This is called a full-stack developer and is a valuable asset to any business.

Now, one thing to understand is that just because someone is a full-stack developer, they don't need to build everything. You could even assign a full-stack developer to a team working on a specific component of the stack, and that engineer would bring a very special talent to the job. They understand how each piece comes together to form a cohesive whole.

The full-stack developer knows how the server serves the application and how dynamic content is rendered in a web browser. A developer who doesn't understand how these pieces work together may not have the same level of problem solving as a full stack developer would.

This is a big advantage.

The trap of a Full Stack developer

At this point, you're probably thinking, “Why not fill my team entirely with full-stack developers? While it may seem like a great idea, you may find that full-stack developers don't have the same level of knowledge about a specific aspect of the whole that a single-focused developer might have. It’s the old saying “jack of all trades, master of none”.

To avoid this problem, your best bet would be to hire specific developers for parts of the stack that require very specialized knowledge, and then round out the team with full-stack developers. This way you get the best of both worlds. You will have very specialized developers to, say, develop brilliant front-end applications with JavaScript and at the same time include full-stack developers to fill in the gaps.

This is a great strategy for creating a highly capable team capable of producing brilliant, reliable, and scalable applications and services. Even better, this team would be cost-effective because it would be better able to troubleshoot when problems arise.

This pitfall can easily be turned into a huge advantage for both the full-stack developer and your company. To do this, however, you must do some strategic hiring so that you place niche developers where they need to be and full-stack developers everywhere else. Achieving this balance would be a huge win for your company because this team will be highly capable and incredibly productive.

What skills do Full Stack developers have?

The most important thing to look for in a full-stack developer is a solid understanding of back-end and front-end technologies. These developers will know how to build each part of the whole and how to connect them through software, APIs, and frameworks. Yes, this means you'll have to really dig into the hiring process to make sure you're hiring someone with a wealth of skills.

So what are you looking for?

A full-stack developer will have a solid understanding of front-end languages ​​like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and back-end languages ​​like PHP, Python or Ruby. Likewise, full-stack developers must be able to work with the most popular frameworks that accompany the languages ​​used in the project. These full-stack developers may also have a solid understanding of project management, UX, web design, and visual design, so they are as much artists as they are engineers.

Interview Questions

What does full stack mean?

Full-stack refers to the development of both the backend and frontend of an application or service.

What are the integration success factors?

1. Maintaining a code repository
2. Automating a software build
3. Implementing build self-test
4. All developers commit to the baseline every day
5. Each baseline commit must be built
6. Keeping construction fast

What is DevOps?

DevOps is the intersection of development and operations to automate builds and updates.

What is a callback in JavaScript?

A callback function is a function passed as a parameter to another function.

What does ACID stand for in relation to databases?

Atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability

Explain normalization and denormalization.

Normalization is the process of reducing or eliminating data redundancy while denormalization is an optimization process to increase data redundancy.

What are the differences between == and === ?

• == converts variables that are not of the same type from one type to another so that an operation can be performed.
• === It means the process will not succeed and will return false to the program as long as the variables are not of the same type.

What is pair programming?

Pair programming is a software development technique in which 2 developers work together on the same machine. One developer writes the code and another reviews it.

What are the most common ways to increase a website's scalability and efficiency?

• Reduce DNS lookups.
• Avoid URL redirects.
• Avoid duplicating code.
• Avoid unnecessary or large images.
• Employ browser caching.
• Defer JavaScript parsing.
• Avoid inline JavaScript and CSS.
• Use et fonts for responsive images.
• Place all assets on a cookieless domain using a CDN.

Job description

We are looking for a highly qualified software engineer capable of front-end and back-end programming. Our full-stack developers are responsible for not only developing for both sides of the application stack, but also ensuring application responsiveness and working closely with graphic designers for web design features, among other functions.

Responsibilities

• Develop front-end website architecture and back-end website software.
• Design user-facing elements for web pages.
• Build and maintain servers and databases for functionality.
• Make sure all apps are optimized for all mobile platforms.
• Ensure application responsiveness and reliability.
• Work alongside graphic designers and UX teams for web design features.
• Designing and developing APIs.
• Stay up to date on developments in web applications and programming languages.

Skills and qualifications

• Proficiency in JavaScript, HTML and CSS.
• Highly proficient in at least one backend programming language.
• Fundamental understanding of version control systems (such as Git).
• Solid problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Good organizational skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Attention to the details.
• Understand the nature of asynchronous programming and its peculiarities and workarounds
• A positive attitude.

Conclusion

A full-stack developer can be a great asset to your development team. Don't think they are inferior professionals because they may not have as deep knowledge as someone who focuses primarily on one side of the stack. Consider the full-stack developer equal to those working on one side of the stack or the other, and you can create a brilliant team to help accelerate your business's digital transformation.