Hire Remote Frontend Developer: Full Checklist & Cost Guide
Hiring a remote Frontend Developer can greatly improve an organization’s user experience. But it requires an in-depth understanding of the necessary qualifications to ensure no costly mismatches occur. This guide provides an actionable checklist, skills to evaluate, and pitfalls to avoid, based on industry reports and expert benchmarks. To help you make informed decisions when considering hiring information technology professionals from a front-end development agency.
The Rise of Remote Frontend Developers
According to Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey, 45% of all developers in the United States will work remotely. Utilizing Remote Frontend Developers will result in cost savings of approximately 40% to 60% versus hiring Developers within the United States. While simultaneously allowing for 90% faster scaling of your company’s operations.
The Essential Skillsets of Remote Frontend Developers
To evaluate potential candidates for a Remote Frontend Developer position, candidates should also possess proficiency in Core Technologies and Remote Collaboration Tools. HTML5, CSS3 (including preprocessors such as SASS), and Modern JavaScript (ES6+) are the minimum Core Technologies you should expect your candidates to know.
Technical Must-Haves For Remote Frontend Developers
Most current Remote Frontend Developers utilize some combination of the following
- Frameworks/Libraries: React (Most commonly used Framework in the industry with State Management via Redux), Vue.js (Rapidly gaining popularity in the industry), Angular (Considered to be an official competitor to React)
- Responsiveness & Performance: Developers should be familiar with the way in which each of them provides Responsiveness and Performance through common development practices such as the use of Media Queries, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), and Web Vitals Optimization.
- Tools: Git (Version Control), Webpack (Builds), and Figma (Design Integration) are the three most popular Tools used by Remote Frontend Developers.
Soft Skills Needed for Remote Success as a Remote Frontend Developer
Communications, Time Management, and Problem Solving are three of the most important Attributes needed for any successful Remote Frontend Developer. Therefore, Remote Frontend Developers must use tools such as Slack/Zoom to communicate with team members across different time zones and be able to address issues quickly. Evaluate these skills by using a combination of live Coding and Cultural Fit interviews.
Steps To Hiring Remote Frontend Developers
Follow these 7 steps to Effectively Source, Vet, and Onboard Remote Frontend Developers.
1.Define Your Needs
Define the scope of the Project, technology stack (Example: React), Hours needed for each Resource, and Budget available for the project.
2. Select the Hiring Method for Each Resource
Freelancer ($15-60/hr.), Agency, or Dedicated Remote Developer
3. Source Potential Remote Frontend Developers
Post Jobs on Upwork, Arc.dev, Turing.com, We Work Remotely.com
4. Review Resumes and Portfolios
Review Candidate’s contributions on their GitHub Account and any current or previously completed Projects.
5. Perform Technical Evaluations
Utilize coding evaluations (Example: Build Responsive UI ) and perform interviews on Javascript Closures and Asynchronous Javascript.
6. Assess Cultural Fit of Each Candidate
Align the Candidate’s availability with time zones, trial communications, and contact References.
7. Offer Employment and Onboard Using a Structured Process
Utilize a Contract which includes provisions for Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s) and complete onboarding by completing the setup of all tools utilized in the Day-To-Day processes (Example: GitHub, Slack); and assign a Buddy to assist with the integration of all tools into the candidate’s workflow.
Cost Guide by Region & Experience
Rates vary by location, seniority, and stack. Junior: $15-40/hr; Mid: $30-70/hr; Senior: $50-120/hr globally.
| Region | Junior ($/hr) | Mid ($/hr) | Senior ($/hr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 70-100 | 100-130 | 130-150 |
| Western Europe | 50-80 | 80-110 | 110-130 |
| Eastern Europe (Poland/Ukraine) | 25-40 | 40-60 | 60-80 |
| India | 15-25 | 25-50 | 50-75 |
| Latin America | 30-45 | 45-65 | 65-90 |
Add 20 to 30 percent for agencies that provide support for taxes and compliance. For US/EU businesses, India has a 50 to 70 percent cost savings and the availability of English as well as having a strong time-zone overlap.
Things Not To Do:
The first 6 months will have a failure rate of 30 percent because they are rushing into it without proper technical testing. Culture fit is extremely important; turnover can increase dramatically. You need to prioritize employees’ communication skills when they are asynchronous.
If you scuttle onboarding, productivity will be severely impacted. You need to use a 90-day onboarding plan including feedback loops from day one. If you slip on an IP and/or NDA within a contract, you may leave yourself open for breaches.
Perfect Layout Using HTML
Use remote experts, working remotely, to achieve pixel-perfect HTML using CSS Grid and/or Flexbox. Use tools like BrowserStack to test across multiple devices. Remote experts will deliver responsive, accessible interfaces that match your Figma designs exactly. And will reduce the number of revisions you need to make by 40 percent. Solutions offered by remote experts will also contain semantic HTML. Use the Block Element Modifier (BEM) methodology, and perform automatic linting to create maintainable code bases.
Final Thoughts
Follow this checklist when hiring remote frontend developers to save between 40 and 60 percent in labor costs, tap into a worldwide talent base, and bring your improved UI to market sooner. The first step is to clearly define what you need, then do a test run on either: Upwork or Arc.dev. Your new hire will be ready to go!
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