Want to hire a Full Stack Developer? – Pros, Cons, Tips & Everything

Full Stack Development – one of the most searched keywords on the web today. Do you know how it came into existence?

Randy Schmidt, the managing director of the Burns & McDonnell Terminals and Pipelines group used the term first time on June 3, 2008. They used it to describe their team of web developers as full-stack because of their ability to do design, markup, styling, behavior, and programming, all on their own. Since then, the term full-stack web developers came into existence. We believe you are planning to hire a full-stack developer, right? Please continue your read. We have covered everything you should know about a full-stack development expert. Not only you will gain a lot of knowledge about this term, but how to hire full-stack developers that are skilled, reliable, genuine, and capable of meeting your company’s expectations. If you are not an agency but a web developer who wants to become a full-stack developer, you too should read the guide till the end. Everything we have discussed will only increase your knowledge and bring more clarity. So, let’s begin.

Who are full-stack developers?

A full-stack developer is a web designer who builds back-end, front-end, and mobile website components for their clients.

• Back-end development means developing a website’s digital framework, such as site coding, digital storage, database synchronization, and web connectivity.
• Front-end development means creating a website’s visual appearance, page layout, content, UI/UX, and graphical elements.
• Building mobile web components includes changing the back- and front-end elements of a website to make it mobile-friendly for hand-held internet platforms like smartphone operating systems.

How many types of full-stack developers?

There are several full stacks available in the industry. Let’s start with the two most popular ones:-

MEAN Stack

MEAN — or MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js — is a JavaScript-based open-source web stack that is primarily used for cloud-ready programs. Although the MEAN stack isn’t appropriate for every platform, it’s common for MEAN stack applications to be flexible, scalable, and extensible for making:-

• News aggregation sites
• Location mapping softwares
• Expense and finance trackers
• Calenders

MERN Stack

On the other hand, the MERN stack is a variation of the above-mentioned MEAN stack in which users do full-stack web development with React specialization instead of using Angular. As a result, MERN allows developers to construct frontends, backends, and databases entirely in JavaScript and JSON. You may construct whatever you want in MERN; however, it’s best positioned with more JSON-heavy, cloud-native applications with dynamic interfaces.

Some other types of full-stack combinations

• Django Stack: (JavaScript, Python, Django, and MySQL)
• LEMP Stack: (JavaScript, Linux, Ngnix, MySQL, and PHP)
• LAMP Stack: (JavaScript, Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP)
• Ruby on Rails Stack: (JavaScript, Ruby, SQLite, and Rails)

What does a full-stack developer do?

To understand what exactly a full stack developer does, we first need to understand the three main layers of software development:-

Front-end

The front end is the part of a site or application where visitors engage with it. A great front end means that a website or app is simple to use and has an aesthetically beautiful design. As a result, businesses put a lot of importance on this area since it directly affects customer experience and company success. Colors, design, and performance are all important for the user experience. In a manner, the front end is your brand and communicates with the public. Communication that is effective would improve users’ trust and boost their retention rate.

Back-end

The term “back-end” is used to describe the server component of a website, mobile app, or web app. Web services and APIs are created by back-end developers. You might think of the back-end team as the ‘behind-the-scenes’ crew of a film since they execute work that no one can see on the website or an app, but it is visible in the code.

Database

The database is the third important layer of software. The developers work on it to ensure that the DBMS can handle a large amount of data. The database architects are in charge of developing and enhancing databases, as well as troubleshooting existing database problems. Now that we have understood the layers, let’s see what a full stack developer do in a general case scenario.

Work on the back-end

Full-stack developers write code that links a customer’s website to the internet. This might include linking all pages to the correct online cloud databases that store a site’s data. Each website’s background code, including HTML features, is also created by full-stack developers. This comprehensive programming ensures that internet databases communicate properly and share information appropriately. Full-stack developers also test their coding to make sure the website works correctly. They do this by finishing the back-end coding first, which gives them a platform for front-end development.

Create front-end features

After the back-end coding of a site is complete, its front-end elements are integrated. Having prior experience with graphics and page structure may be beneficial. This process involves developing page layouts, creating visual designs, branded site headers, adding written content, uploading photos, and balancing these elements on a website. Unlike front-end developers, Full-stack developers may also design their own graphics or pay for copyrighted images and videos from other sources. Some developers may even create landing pages and blogs for their clients, as well as basic marketing copy content.

Develop new online programs

A full-stack developer may create many software programs and suites for their customers. These applications may show critical information, capture user data using contact forms, produce graphical displays, and navigate through a website’s many pages. Developers might then link each program to the correct areas and test them to ensure they function correctly. They may develop customized online programs for each client or adapt a general-use program to meet the requirements of each customer. Learning several functional programming languages and combining them into a site can also help to improve its design as a whole.

Transition sites to new software

Full-stack developers can help businesses move their websites to new software applications and suites when the old ones become outdated. This service can help businesses make sure their websites work correctly on more contemporary devices that are internet-ready. For example, they may identify outdated software versions and find new alternatives that fulfill or improve these functions. Professional full stack developers may write all-new programs or install existing software to upgrade a client’s online model. These developers sometimes also program a software’s back-end elements to synchronize their operation with the front-end elements. We hope you have developed an idea about the responsibilities and skills of a full-stack developer. Now, let’s proceed toward the pros and cons of hiring them for your project or company.

Pros of hiring a full stack developer

1) True-core problem solvers

A full-stack developer can work on a project from beginning to end. They are good at solving problems and can do every part of the full stack development process, from coming up with an idea to finishing the project.

2) Multiple years of experience

Full-stack coders have a broad range of skills, including front-end development, back-end programming, software testing and quality assurance, code architecture, and many more. This extensive knowledge does not appear overnight; it is the result of years of experience dedicated to a variety of online projects.

3) Diverse range of technology skills

Since they are full-stack developers, they make an excellent package for organizations as they bring a wide range of skills from various domains. They look at the project from all angles and have enough understanding and experience to provide cutting-edge features to it.

4) Great management skills

A full-stack developer is someone with a deep understanding of the front-end, back-end, and middle parts of an app or website. They also have managerial and executive skills. They often have more power than front-end and back-end developers. Full-stack software developers are also quite adaptable; all you have to do is check out the developer’s portfolio for a variety of programming abilities. In other words, they must be an expert in a wide range of technological stacks.

5) Flexible to specialize on request

Because a full-stack developer is skilled in many technology stacks, you may request them to learn and work on a specific technology, language, or framework. It will eliminate the need to hire any further specialized developers at an extra charge.

6) Timely delivery

A full stack developer can complete a project on time by dividing the work among the team. This makes it easy to manage the project and ensures that it is completed on schedule. If you have a tight budget, you can hire a full-stack developer rather than multiple developers for a single job.

7) Jack of multiple technologies

One of the major advantages of hiring a full-stack developer is that they are familiar with the project’s entire development and can offer assistance on the whole design and structure. Make sure to hire full-stack developers who have more technologies and programming languages in their portfolios.

8) Effective troubleshooter

Skilled and experienced full-stack developers know everything about the project, from start to finish. They have many years of experience in web development and can quickly spot issues to troubleshoot them with long-term solutions for the best operation of a web or mobile app.

9) Cost Saving

When a company hires full-stack developers, they are getting someone who can do the job of frontend and backend developers, and QA tester. This means that the company does not have to go through the process of hiring those people and conducting interviews.

Cons of hiring a full stack developer

1) Slow in keeping up with the latest trends

A full-stack developer is a software engineer who knows a lot about different tools and technologies. They have to keep up with the newest trends in order to stay ahead of everyone else. But this can be difficult because there are so many new things happening all the time.

2) Difficulty in implementation

Although full-stack developers have extensive knowledge of many technologies, it sometimes becomes difficult for them to do so when they’re about to implement it.

3) Limitation to a certain tech stack

AI, ML, data analytics, blockchain, IoT, and other new technologies are all important for the digital transformation. However, it can be difficult for developers to keep up with all of the new technology when there is so much growth. They must put aside their hectic schedule to learn new technologies, or else the title of “full-stack developers” will be taken from them.

4) Process becomes slow

Full-stack developers must be familiar with a variety of programming languages while working on a project. However, it becomes a time-consuming process for them because they must rewind the fundamentals and peek into books to refresh their knowledge on minor details.

5) Clearly not a specialist

While it may be more cost-effective to hire a full-stack developer, hiring them rather than specialized ones appears to be an unjust comparison. A specialist developer will perform considerably better than someone whose expertise is equally distributed across many technologies. A specialist developer will always have a deeper understanding of the technology than someone who has been exposed to many languages over time.

How to hire a full-stack developer – 5 point checklist

When it comes to hiring a dedicated JavaScript full-stack developer, you need to consider the following things:-

1) Check skills and expertise

Though it is quite obvious, you need to carefully evaluate the developer’s skills. It may vary from organization to organization, like what you require, but the most common abilities you should be looking for include:-

• Design skills
• Database/Web Storage
• Version control system
• HTML 5 / CSS 3
• HTTP/HTTPS and REST
• NPM
• Web Architecture
• JavaScript/Query
• Security
• Git and GitHub

2) Measure critical thinking

A full-stack developer knows how to think critically and deal with challenges. They must be able to discover the best spots for finding solutions and deliver the work on time, sticking with the company’s norms.

3) Look for passion to learn and upgrade

You need to judge this through their personality, past working experience, and attitude towards complex learning. You may also check their passion to upgrade their skills by asking them their viewpoint on upcoming trends and technologies.

4) Asses communication skills

A full-stack developer should have good communication skills. They should be able to understand clients’ requirements and explain their work. They can also be asked to lead a team of newbie developers, which makes it important for them to have soft skills.

5) Ask perspective on testing

Many developers do not care about testing. If a full-stack programmer can write test cases before working on a product, it means they have the skill to see how the final product will work. These professionals are also good at visualization and are more effective in solving a problem.

Conclusion

So, are you ready to hire a full-stack developer? If so, congratulations! You’re making a great decision for your business. If you still have some confusion left or want more information, feel free to reach out to us. We have been providing full stack development services for over 4 years. As a JavaScript development agency we have experts in this field who would be happy to help you find full-stack developers. Thanks for reading!