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Hiring front-end developers
Your guide to finding and hiring the right person for your organization
Top hard skills interview questions for hiring front end developers
What is a CSS float and why might you use it?
Why this matters:
This technical question is best suited to more junior front end developers and tests their understanding of the CSS language. While technical knowledge is important, it’s the “why” that’s really important here. The candidate’s reason for using floats can help you determine their approach to styling websites — and whether or not they’re a good fit for your company.
What to listen for:
- Clear and concise description of what the CSS float property is and when to use it
- No mention of using floats to create entire website layouts, since this is an outdated practice
What is AJAX? What are the advantages of using it?
Why this matters:
AJAX stands for asynchronous JavaScript and XML — though in modern usage, JSON may be substituted for XML. AJAX is a set of web development tools that enable developers to change parts of a web page in the background without reloading the entire page. It’s a good question to test candidates’ basic understanding of different web programming languages and their depth of knowledge.
What to listen for:
- Advantages such as improved interactivity and maintaining of JavaScript variable and DOM state
- Disadvantages such as the fact that it’s more difficult to bookmark dynamic pages
What JavaScript templating libraries do you use and why?
Why this matters:
JavaScript templating is a simple and useful strategy used to separate HTML structures from the JavaScript strings they contain. Since this strategy allows developers to be more efficient, all candidates should ideally have a few libraries that they regularly use and can discuss confidently.
What to listen for:
- Mention of libraries such as Mustache.js and Handlebars.js
- Strong reasoning for using particular technologies given particular scenarios
Top behavioral interview questions for hiring front end developers
Thinking back on the last website or web application that you worked on, what steps did you take to ensure it was user-friendly and accessible?
Why this matters:
Front end developers should always have the end user in mind when developing a new website or web application, so the best candidates will take the user experience (UX) very seriously. What best practices have they applied to previous projects? Have they tested assistive solutions to make sure the website or application is accessible to all potential users?
What to listen for:
- First-hand experience implementing usability and accessibility standards
- Mention of user testing across various devices to ensure seamless and intuitive functionality
Tell me about a time when you experienced pushback on a project you were working on. How did you handle the situation?
Why this matters:
Front end developers must be able to collaborate with other stakeholders, either on the company or the client side, to create an end product that meets their requirements. But the best developers are also dedicated to their vision and are able to make a case for development decisions they believe in.
What to listen for:
- Ability to navigate pushback gracefully, listen to feedback, and explain perspectives
- Process for convincing compelling compromises
Describe your experience on a difficult web project that involved many stakeholders. How did you get the project done?
Why this matters:
Since front end developers will often need to work as part of a team to push a project through to completion, pay attention to how your candidate approaches collaboration, and be sure to ask follow-up questions to really understand their process and the role they took to move the project forward.
What to listen for:
- Signs that the candidate took charge and motivated the rest of the team
- Ability to ask smart, detailed questions along the way to understand the design and functionality requirements
Top soft skills interview questions for hiring front end developers
Talk me through your process for fixing cross-browser compatibility issues. Provide an example of a specific challenge you might face and how you would fix it.
Why this matters:
Users often have different preferences when it comes to browsers, so it’s important for your company to provide the same exceptional experience, no matter how they choose to access your website. Browser compatibility can be a pain to troubleshoot, so this question can give you a real insight into a candidate’s patience.
What to listen for:
- Demonstration of dedication to issues that can be challenging or frustrating
- Strong attention to detail and passion for delivering the best possible user experiences
If you could master one technology this year, which would you choose, and how would you go about doing it?
Why this matters:
This question lets you test a candidate’s ambition and their willingness to learn. The development landscape evolves fast, so these traits can help a candidate stay ahead of the curve. Dig a little deeper by asking them why they chose that particular technology. Do they think it will be relevant to their work? Do they want to bring more value to their employer?
What to listen for:
- Boot camp experience, and mention of following technology-centered forums and blogs
- Diligently takes steps to master technology of choice
What were the last questions you viewed on Stack Overflow? What were the last questions you answered?
Why this matters:
Stack Overflow is an invaluable resource for front end developers, allowing them to source advice and answers to development questions from the wider tech community. This question allows you to test how advanced a candidate’s skills are based on the level of questions they’re viewing and answering — as well as their passion for their field.
What to listen for:
- Active engagement in the community and willingness to share expertise
- Proactively creates solutions to problems regardless of complexity
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