How to Hire a React Native Developer: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Cost-efficient and low-risk.
• Cross-platform compatibility- iOS & Android.
• High iteration speed and performance compared to other native development frameworks.
• Constant improvement and high community engagement.

With increasing demand and equally rising competition in the job market, it can be challenging and time-consuming to hire React Native developers who best fit your company’s roles.

This article aims to simplify the hiring process and guide you through a step-by-step process with all you need to be equipped before you hire React Native developers for your company or start-up.

• Web searches for “Hire React Native Developer” have shot up by 300% in 2023
• According to a Hired survey, there was a 37% increase in demand for React Native developers in 2022 compared to 2021.
• In the US, the average salary for a React Native developer is about $140,000 annually.
• Constant improvement and high community engagement.

Hiring teams can refer to the below skills to evaluate the Technical expertise of any React Native candidate

• Programming Languages: Javascript (ES6 & above) and JSX
• Frameworks: React Native, Redux, React Navigation, and APIAsyncStorage or Redux Persist
• Development Tools: React DevTools and Redux DevTools
• Testing Frameworks: Jest, React Native Testing Library or Enzyme, and Detox or Appium.
• Building and deployment: Metro Bundler, Android Studio and Xcode
• Version Control: Git, GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket

React Native developers who exhibit these soft skills, in addition to a strong foundation in the technical domain, can easily collaborate with the rest of the team to ensure a productive, and cohesive working environment.

• Communication- To discuss project requirements, technical challenges, and outcomes.
• Problem Solving - To identify and debug potential coding errors and to optimize app performance.
• Time Management - To prioritize tasks, complete milestones and keep up with deadlines.
• Adaptability - To adapt to changing project requirements and to learn new technologies in a dynamic work environment.

Good and in-depth research and understanding of your project requirements lay the foundation for spotting suitable candidates for your goals, which could range from building your application to upgrading and maintaining it. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the app?
• What are the core features and functionalities of the app?
• What is the required tech stack to build the app?
• What is the timeline and budget of the project?

Professional Networks: LinkedIn enables recruiters to filter candidates according to experience level and expertise, making it an appropriate platform to hire React Native developers actively involved in the developer community. Freelancing platforms: Freelance marketplaces such as Upwork or Fiverr can be tapped into for a pool of independent professionals who can be used for project-based or contract-based work. Freelance markets are the hubs for hiring React Native developers of global standards at convenient prices. Social Media Tech communities: StackOverflow and React Native communities on Reddit are hubs where developers connect, collaborate, and share their expertise. By immersing yourself in these communities and actively engaging in them, you might find the perfect fit for your next project. Colleges and Bootcamps: Partnership with colleges and boot camps can provide you access to new and emerging talent, helping you secure a steady stream of skilled junior developers.

Your job description must clearly put forward what you require from your candidate. All the responsibilities and qualifications that are expected of the candidate must be well-defined.

• Common React Native developer responsibilities encompass writing quality code adhering to client needs, maintaining it; collaborating across teams; testing, and bug-fixing.
• Industry-standard qualifications include a few years of experience in the field; expert knowledge in JavaScript/ES6, and Redux; familiarity with tools like Git and WebPack; and experience in continuous integration and deployment workflows.
• Experience with agile methodologies and performance optimization techniques is a plus.

While shortlisting applicants based on their resumes, look out for relevant experience that matches the current or future projects that the hired candidate would be working on. You can also,

• Refer to the candidates’ previous projects, open-source contributions, and GitHub repositories.
• Check whether the candidate has undergone any certifications related to RN.
• Conduct reference checks to get insights into the candidates’ past performances.
• Review their portfolio to evaluate the quality of their work.
• Compare how the candidate aligns with your idea of an ideal candidate. You can evaluate that based on the technical and soft skills mentioned in this article.

While interviewing candidates for the role of React Native developer, it is important to test the candidate’s

• Understanding of the core concepts and key components.
• Awareness of Current trends and new libraries in the React Native community
• Experience in using debugging and optimization tools and techniques
• Knowledge in integration with APIs and Native modules

Apart from analyzing the candidate’s technical knowledge, the interviewer can bring about the questions listed below

• Why didn’t you choose to learn Flutter or Kotlin and instead pick React Native over other frameworks?
• Point out the difficult situations or errors the previous developers faced and ask how the candidate would perform in that situation.

Hiring freelancers with positive client reviews to fulfill React Native requirements for small projects with quick timelines can be an affordable choice as payment is transactioned only when the outcomes agreed beforehand are achieved. Hourly Rate: $20 - $60 Annual Income: $40,000 and $120,000

If the goal is to hire React Native developers for long-term projects to work with clients over extended periods as per their changing requirements, then full-time employees are undeniably the best choice. Hourly Rate: $50 - $70 Annual Income: $80,000 and $130,000

Following the steps in this guide, any company or startup can form a skillful team of React Native developers to fulfill their app development needs. In practice, each hiring team may assess candidates differently while maintaining the steps mentioned here as its core. Comment on what criteria would be your main focus in your process, and connect with us to help you in your hiring journey.