How to Hire React Native Developers The Right Way

React is an open-source front-end JavaScript library that contains reusable UI components. This is just one of the many features that make React perfect for developers looking to build interactive user interfaces.

It’s so perfect for developers, in fact, that it is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries in the world. According to Statista, out of 1.88 billion websites, 40.58% of them were built with React. Given its immense popularity, it’s thus no surprise that React has branched out via software frameworks like React Native.

That brings us to the topic of today’s guide - React Native. We’ll address what React Native is and how you should go about hiring React Native developers.

What is React Native?

Before we dissect the React Native hiring process, we need to explain what React Native is first. React Native combines the component-based UI development library of React with native development.

Tip: Native development simply refers to the creation of mobile applications that can run on a specific device or platform, like iOS or Android.

To put this into perspective, React uses JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to build user interfaces. Conversely, React Native constructs mobile apps using native UI elements and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Ultimately, from the well-known JavaScript library, developers can write and use shareable code between platforms, streamlining the mobile app development process.

Who Can Become a React Native Developer?

Market research company eMarketer estimated that American adults were approximately spending more than four hours a day on their phones in 2022. What’s more, 88% of that time is dedicated to mobile apps.

It’s safe to say that mobile apps can prove a great way for businesses to increase their conversation rates and expand their customer base. But before you can tap into that potential, you need to find a React Native developer. More importantly, you need to know what to look for in a React Native developer.

Let’s start by discussing who can become a React Native developer. Most companies have a series of basic criteria when looking for a React Native developer, including the following:

A minimum of two years' worth of experience in mobile/web application development.
An extensive knowledge of the JavaScript programming language
A strong ability to write code.
Experience with React and React Native.
An ability to use code versioning tools like Git and Mercurial.
An ability to use at least one of the CSS preprocessors like Stylus or Sass.
The capability to quickly and fully understand technical knowledge.

If you encounter an application developer with those skills and competencies, that developer could be your next React Native developer.

How To Hire a React Native Developer

Let’s get down to the brass tacks - how you should go about hiring a React Native developer.

Below, we’ve provided some helpful pointers, so you know exactly what to look for in your interviewees, starting with vital considerations.

What You Need to Consider Before the Hiring Process

As a hiring manager, you know that the hiring process can be time-consuming and sometimes even costly. The React Native hiring process is no different.

According to 8allocate, it can take from mere days to four months to hire tech specialists. You need to keep this in mind, especially when your stakeholders expect deliverables within a time-boxed period.

Aside from time constraints, you also need to take into account that most recruiting platforms require you to pay to advertise your job vacancy. This is incredibly risky, especially if you also have to deal with budgetary limitations.

Not only is there no guarantee that you’ll find a suitable developer, but the longer you advertise your job vacancy, the more you’ll pay.

The next thing you need to consider is your hiring options, which we’ll discuss in the next section.

Hiring In-House vs. Outsourcing: Pros & Cons

To understand your hiring options, you need to know what they entail.

In-house recruitment relates to finding job candidates through your company’s own internal resources. In other words, if you choose this option, your company will be solely responsible for the advertising, interviewing, and hiring processes.

As you can imagine, recruitment outsourcing is the exact opposite. Outsourcing your recruitment process means that your company uses a third-party service provider to find and hire job candidates.

Both hiring methods have their benefits and drawbacks, and you need to know about them before you proceed. Let’s start with in-house hiring.

In-House Hiring Pros

In-house recruiters understand your company’s specific hiring needs completely and can, thus, more effectively meet those needs.
You’ll know your in-house team’s schedule and availability. This means you can arrange your business’s planning processes in a way that doesn’t result in understaffing.
Because your recruiters are already familiar with your business, you can reduce the risk of misunderstandings and ensure good communication.
With an in-house recruitment team, you can delegate tasks and monitor the recruitment process with more ease.
Your in-house teams are more likely to develop strong relationships with their co-workers, which can enhance employee engagement and retention rates.

In-House Hiring Cons

In-house recruitment often goes hand-in-hand with expenses like salaries, benefits, and training, making it a costly endeavour.
In-house teams typically take longer than other recruitment methods to find, vet, and contact candidates.
Hiring in-house often requires more administrative overhead than recruitment outsourcing, making it harder to manage personnel while meeting compliance requirements.
While it is beneficial for your recruiters to work for your company for a long time, this can result in tunnel vision. By relying on familiar techniques and networks, your business could potentially miss out on the right talent.
If your business upscales rapidly or hires many candidates in a single period, your in-house recruiters could struggle to keep up.

Outsourcing Pros

Outsourcing is incredibly cost-effective, providing rapid turnarounds with quality hires.
Outsourcing providers nearly always have access to a knowledgeable, skilled talent pool, which will streamline your hiring process altogether.
Outsourcing providers are more flexible and scalable than in-house recruiters. This means that they can meet your business’s specific needs without the worry of resource shortage.
External recruiters will use the latest recruiting technology, like AI and recruiting analytics, to help you find the best candidates.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a full-time in-house recruiter but can afford to enlist the services of an outsourcing provider, you’ll reduce the workload of your existing employees.

Outsourcing Cons

Outsourcing can decrease your employees’ morale if they feel as if you lack faith in their skill sets.
More often than not, you won’t be your outsourcing provider’s only client, which can significantly slow down their response times.
When you’re less involved in the hiring process, you miss the chance to provide valuable feedback that could lengthen the hiring process.
By going to an outsourcing provider, you can create a vast gap in knowledge for your company.
If you don’t own the recruiting data that the outsourcer uses, you risk losing it all when you stop working with them.

Essential React Native Development Skills to Look For

Now that you know how to approach the hiring process, you need to know what to look for in your candidates. Below, we’ve listed some of the most crucial skills that your potential React Native developer needs to have.

A solid knowledge of JavaScript, including how to use it to develop UI components.
A knowledge of native iOS and Android application development.
The ability to write clean code that other developers can easily read and debug, if necessary.
A knowledge of how React works, including how to use components, props, and states.
The ability to use React tools like Virtual DOMs, JSX, Enzyme, and Redux.
A knowledge of how to test and debug the application’s code to identify and fix any errors.
React supports many integrations, like jQuery and Backbone. Your developer needs to know how to use these integrations.
Excellent time management skills, especially when working under the pressure of strict deadlines.
Superb communication skills to discuss and solve any problems that arise.
Solid performance optimization skills that will come in handy after the application’s launch.
A knowledge of Scrum, Agile, and Lean software development methodologies.

As an added bonus, your prospective developer should have a strong eagerness to learn, problem-solving skills, and experience with the release of an application.

FAQs

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a React Native Developer?

Of course, your location will greatly impact how much it costs to hire a React Native developer. But, according to LinkedIn, you can expect to pay anywhere between $30 and $200 per hour for your React Native developer.