Web development is a fragile process. You need talented web developers to make truly beautiful sites with seamless user experiences and fast loading speeds. Without experienced web developers, creating a website that has both form and function is exceedingly difficult.
Web developers have a great deal of responsibility. They understand design and they understand how to implement that design using programming languages, tools and frameworks. How do they piece all of these skills together? How do you assess whether they have these skills?
There’s no formula for the interview process that guarantees great hiring decisions. There are a few questions you should consider appending to yours, however, as they can help you get to know the web developer a little better.
Here are four questions to include in your interview with a qualified web developer:
- What programming languages, tools and frameworks are you most familiar with?
Web developers are usually proficient in a number of programming languages and are adept at wielding frameworks. They must have an in-depth knowledge of HTML, CSS and web scripting languages such as JavaScript. If the role you’re hiring for includes back-end programming, they also will need to know how to program databases by using PHP or even Python.
Content management systems such as WordPress can also be extremely helpful for web developers. Bootstrap and frameworks also may be helpful when building web pages.
You’ll want to ask more about the technologies, programming languages and frameworks they like using. Don’t limit your questions to strictly the technical requirements of the role. Assess the developer’s passion and knowledge.
- How do you stay relevant as a web developer?
Technology is constantly evolving. Web developers have to have strategies to stay up to date on the latest updates, frameworks and trends. There’s no wrong way to keep up self-education. A potential web developer candidate might cite online courses as a way to stay skilled and knowledgeable.
Web developer meetups, professional web development classes and sites such as StackOverflow and GitHub can help developers stay informed and in conversation with other developers.
- What are some mistakes you’ve made in the past as a web developer? How did you react to those mistakes?
Web development is a complex process. There are lots of little things that can go wrong during development. It’s not uncommon to make mistakes even as an experienced web developer. However, it’s still important to assess how a candidate responds to tricky situations.
Do they show themselves compassion when they make a simple mistake? Do they create actionable plans to remedy mistakes when they appear? Are they resilient or easily defeated? Are they prone to blaming others or do they take responsibility for their actions?
It’s important to know how a candidate will respond to stress especially if you expect your projects to be lengthy or complicated.
- What would you like your role to be?
It’s easier to get to know a candidate if you know the activities they like to perform. Are they interested in leading a team? Do they enjoy helping design wireframes with the design team? Do they take great pleasure in optimizing back-end processes?
Ask the web developer candidate about their own likes and how they can best fulfill their duties as a member of your company’s team. You’ll find out a great deal about their personality, preference, and work style with questions that probe into their own likes, dislikes, and dreams.
Conclusion
Great web developers are rare. Even though it’s hard to attract the top web developers on the market, it’s not impossible. By asking the right questions, you’ll capture the imagination of the best web developers and, hopefully, gain some insight into their own creative and technical processes.
Delve into a few technical aspects of the job, gauging their familiarity with popular programming languages and tools. Make it a point to ask web developers about past projects and performances. See how they self-assess and gauge their capacity for compassion, collaboration and resiliency. Continuing education is also important for web developers as trends often change.
Be sure to also delve into their personal preferences and opinions as this will help you better understand how they work and if they are the right fit for your organization.
