Hiring Fullstack Developers
Rocket (getrocket.com)
We are a next-generation recruiting agency that believes data lets us deliver the best client and candidate experience.
A great fullstack developer is critical for any software development team in today’s world. Given the competitive nature of the market, hiring a fullstack developer is also no easy feat.
Knowing what a fullstack developer does, what technologies they work with, where to look for them, and how to interview them can set you on the right path. We have compiled a comprehensive guide to recruiting fullstack engineers based on our experiences at?Rocket, the largest recruiting agency focused on engineering recruiting in Silicon Valley. Let’s get started!
What is a fullstack developer?
Fullstack technology refers to the entire gamut of a computer system - both client-facing software (frontend) and server-facing software (backend) working in tandem for the application to function.
The frontend part consists of native iOS and Android applications, web applications, websites and hybrid applications, which are developed by combining both native and web technologies. It includes everything that a user can see and interact with. On the other hand, backend refers to what goes on behind the scenes - servers, databases, and other components that enable the client-facing application to work. The end user rarely interacts with the backend directly. Instead the frontend interacts with the backend, generally through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and Protocols (rules for communication).
The term fullstack refers to the technologies and skills needed to complete a project, with each individual component being a stack. The individual stack can be frontend or backend. Developers who work on the frontend stack of an application are called frontend developers; those who work on the backend stack are called backend developers. Those who have niche knowledge of both the frontend and the backend are called fullstack developers.
Why do I need a fullstack developer?
In the early days of the world wide web, the internet was simple enough that a single developer could build the entire application. Nowadays, applications are infinitely more complex and often require specialized frontend and backend development teams.
However, fullstack developers are still in demand and play a vital role on software development teams for a variety of reasons:
For all these reasons, the hiring market for fullstack developers is very robust and expected to remain so.
What technologies do fullstack developers use?
Fullstack developers use a combination of frontend and backend technologies. Here we will briefly cover the various options for backend and frontend as well as the common combinations that developers often use. The goal is to give brief descriptions of each technology so that you can follow along when having conversations with developers and also translate the hiring manager’s requirements into an effective search.
Frontend technologies (not an exhaustive list):
Backend technologies (again, not an exhaustive list):
Now, we will briefly cover some of the most widely used combinations of frontend, backend and database technologies. Developers call these combinations “stacks.”
What are the most common “stacks” for fullstack development?
LAMP & LEMP:
LAMP and LEMP are backend “stacks.” LAMP is the oldest web server architecture stack. It works on Linux OS and uses Apache Servers for web server software; MySQL, which is a relational database storing data into tables; and PHP for the backend programming language. PHP is the topmost layer in this stack and uses SQL to get data from the databases, which is then passed to web or mobile applications.?
LAMP becomes LEMP when Apache servers are replaced with Nginx - a newer, faster and lightweight web server. A useful analogy is that Apache is like Microsoft Word, while Nginx is like Google Docs. Even though Google Docs does not have all the features of Microsoft Word, it still has the same set of essential features and is much easier to get started with.
MEAN, MERN & MEVN:
The MEAN stack is a JavaScript-based framework for developing web applications. MEAN is named after MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node, the four key technologies that make up the layers of the stack.
There are variations to the MEAN stack, such as MERN (replacing Angular.js with React.js) and MEVN (using Vue.js). The MEAN stack and its variations are among the most popular technology sets for building web applications.
Django Stack:
The components of this stack rely on Python as the programming language with Django as the key framework. Django is commonly referred to as a “battery included” framework since common functionalities needed for building web applications come with it. Because this stack is excellent for beginners to learn and quickly deploy web applications, it has become very popular.?
Ruby on Rails Stack:
This stack is complete in itself and can be used to develop and deploy web, cross-platform and native applications. The Rails environment is based on Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and provides a built-in backend in the form of server and SQL database. JavaScript, HTML and CSS are used for building the client side of the web application. Ruby is the programming language that acts as the bridge between frontend and backend and helps in the data flow back and forth.?
Mobile Stacks:
Oftentimes, a primary requirement of any software solution includes an application running on Android and/or iOS phones. Several key technologies can assist with this development:
While this list of technologies can seem overwhelming, hopefully having some context on them can prove useful when recruiting fullstack developers.
How popular is fullstack development?
According to StackOverflow’s 2022 developer survey, fullstack development is the most popular focus for developers, with ~46% of respondents classifying themselves as fullstack developers.
A quick search shows that there are currently over 23,000 open fullstack developer positions in the US right now, according to the job site?Indeed.?
What makes a great fullstack developer?
There are certain qualities that any good engineer needs to possess - technical excellence, obviously, but also good communication skills and the ability to work well with others.
More specifically for fullstack developers:
What’s the best way find fullstack developers?
LinkedIn?remains the best place to look for fullstack developers, at least in the United States and Canada. Their Recruiter search has several fields you can use to search candidates, including title, location, current company, years of experience etc.
Here are a few tips when looking for fullstack developers specifically:
Title:?Fullstack developers often have a range of titles.
Technologies:?determine which technologies are acceptable to the hiring manager and construct a boolean search based on that combination. For example, if the hiring manager really wants a developer who knows Python but is okay with either React or Angular on the frontend, then your keyword search could be as follows:
Company size:?LinkedIn provides a really handy feature to search by company size. This is extremely relevant when searching for fullstack developers as the type of work done by fullstack developers varies by company size.
In addition to searching yourself on LinkedIn, here are some other ways to find and engage with fullstack developers:?
What is the typical interview process for fullstack developers?
The typical interview process for fullstack developers includes these elements:
What do technical interviewers look for in fullstack developers?
It is helpful to know what technical interviewers look for in fullstack developers and the most commonly asked questions. As a recruiter, you can help prepare a candidate for the screens and also get a sense of how confident they are about the subject matter.
Examples of some questions include:
Hard skills
Programming languages
Frontend technologies
Frameworks
Databases and caches
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Design ability
Client/server
Behavioral/soft skills
What is the compensation range for fullstack developers?
According to data from Indeed and Glassdoor, the average salary of a fullstack developer is around $100,000-120,000 per year in the US, with the highest salaries in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Global data collected by?Glassdoor?provides an idea of the average fullstack developer salary candidates can expect to receive around the world:
In our experience at Rocket, you should target a range of $135-$160k for really high-quality fullstack engineers in the US/Canada.
Should you hire a developer in-house or outsource the entire project?
Outsourcing has grown in the last decade, and recent statistics show that more than two million jobs are outsourced every year. Therefore, a common question that companies grapple with is whether instead of filling permanent or contract-to-hire positions, why not outsource the entire project to another company?
Even though outsourcing an entire product may sound optimal, it has several risks that should be considered:
Has COVID-19 changed fullstack developer hiring?
The rise of remote and hybrid work is one of the most notable changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that is expected to continue over the long term.
Software developers in particular have increasingly demanded remote or hybrid options as their work can be done remotely without significant impact, and they have a lot of influence given the supply and demand imbalance in their occupation. Both employees and employers have reported benefits of remote or hybrid work. A recent survey of business leaders conducted by?Gartner, a research and advisory firm, found that 82 percent of companies plan to let their employees work remotely at least some of the time, while 47 percent intend to let their staff work remotely full-time on a permanent basis.
What are the growth projections for fullstack developers?
Very strong!?According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2020–2030 employment projections show that the fastest growing computer occupations are as follows:
How do I convince a fullstack developer to join my company?
Once you have found and interviewed a fullstack developer, the key is to convince them to join your company! It is important to understand what fullstack developers are motivated by:
How can I get additional help finding fullstack developers?
As mentioned, the best sources for finding fullstack developers are LinkedIn and the various job sites like Indeed, Monster and Ziprecruiter.
If you feel like you need external help to augment your capabilities, feel free to reach out to us at?Rocket?([email protected]). We would be happy to have an introductory call to see if the services we provide would be a good fit for your needs.
About Rocket
Rocket pairs talented recruiters with advanced AI to help companies hit their hiring goals. Rocket is headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley but has recruiters all over the US & Canada serving the needs of our growing client base across engineering, product management, data science and more.
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