In distant 2013, PayPal decided to move to Node.js development for an application platform. What have they received in turn?
- 35% reduction in the average response time;
- compared to previously used Java app, the number of requests has doubled per second;
- Node.js application required 33% fewer lines of code and 40% fewer files;
- The app was built twice as fast with fewer people involved.
It’s not a secret that PayPal isn’t the only company that got tempted by reduced startup time, innovative features, and other benefits that Node.js development offers. NASA, Netflix, Amazon, eBay, Uber, LinkedIn, AliExpress, and other big companies have already implemented the technology.
In February 2020, Stack Overflow released its annual Developer Survey where among other questions, they asked 65,000 coders what are their favorite technologies in the “Other Frameworks, Libraries, and Tools” category. The second year in a row, Node.js heads the list being chosen by more than half of respondents.
Not surprisingly, the demand for Node.js developers has also been rising, though, the market, unfortunately, fails to meet the demand.
Such a situation in the job market gives an opportunity to ask for a higher Node.js hourly rate. Freelance developers charge from $81 to $100 per hour on average, while in the US, Node.js developers’ salary varies between $71,000 and $101,000. To compare, in Europe, the salary ranges from $24,000 to $94,000 depending on the country.
Hence, hiring top Node.js developers is not a walk in the park. But if you still want to see outstanding results in performance and save up to 58% of costs on development costs, we are here to help you.
Three options to hire Node.js developer
Depending on the specifics of your project, you can choose one of three hiring models: in-house development, cooperation with an outsourcing company, or hiring freelancers.
In-house development
If you’re about to start a large project that requires a constant update, maintenance, and post-launch support — your option is to hire Node.js developer that will work from your office. This approach has several advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
- Highest level of control. You personally supervise each and every development process, regularly keep in touch with the employees so you can get updated every hour if you want to.
- Absence of language and cultural barriers. Having the same mentality and speaking a common native language, it’s easier to work together and omit misunderstandings.
- Great involvement. An in-house Node.js developer works exclusively for your project. Therefore, they are completely dedicated to it and immediately respond to every request and remark.
Disatvantages:
- Can be very expensive. You spend money on recruitment, company perks, office place, and equipment.
- The risk of being left. Once you have spent a lot of time and money on finding a developer with great Node.js skills, they may easily leave your company if they find a better opportunity.
- You pay for inactivity. Unless there are a few projects to develop, you’ll pay for downtime. Post-launch activities are not enough to fill the time of in-house developers.
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Outsourcing model
In case you don’t want to spend time and money on the recruitment and training process, you can engage a Node.js development agency.
Advantages:
- Cost-effectiveness. You don’t pay for downtime, recruitment, training, office, vacations, health insurance, etc. Furthermore, rates differ in the countries, so if you are based in the US and hire a Node.js developer from Eastern Europe, you can significantly save.
- Access to the best talents. You’re not limited by a country or continent, choose coders with the best experience and Node.js skills.
Time to concentrate on the core business. A Node.js development agency completely supervises the process so that you can dedicate all your time to your core expertise.
- Fast time-to-market. Saving on the hiring and staffing process, your vendor’s risk assessment and management allows you to launch the product as soon as possible.
Disadvantages:
- Communication issues. If the culture of the outsourced team differs from yours, you may face misunderstandings in the cooperation process. Also, make sure that developers’ English is good enough to understand each other.
- Management difficulties. You can’t control the development process every moment, actually, if your vendor is professional you don’t need to do this. Just arrange a few meetings a week to stay informed.
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Freelance developers
If your project is relatively small and you expect to accomplish it within a short time period, you can think of hiring a freelance Node.js developer.
Advantages:
- Affordable. No need to spend on different perks, pay for downtime, working place, and so on. You pay just for work that has been done, that’s it.
- Big talent pool. The same as with an outsourcing model, you’re not limited by boundaries and can choose the best talent for your project.
Disadvantages:
- A lot of risks. Usually, you don’t sign any contract, consequently, you have no guarantee that your project will be finished on time or finished at all. Not to mention security policies.
- Cultural and language barriers.
Find them on:
Extra resources that can be applied for all three models:
- Conferences. Attend or delegate someone to the developer gatherings that take place in your city. Even if developers whom you meet there aren’t currently looking for job opportunities, they will definitely appreciate your effort and recommend someone.
- Developers forums. People who actively discuss their job and share experience are the most passionate ones. Check developers forums to find a candidate (e.g. Stack Overflow, CodeProject, XDA Developers, etc).
- Personal recommendations. Don’t hesitate to ask your colleagues, business partners and other Node.js developers for their recommendations. Remember a rule of a thumb: a top developer will recommend only a top developer.
Interview questions for Node developer
If you’re going to opt for an in-house or freelance hiring model, you’ll have to check Node.js developer skills yourself. Though, our strong recommendation is to find a Node.js developer who can assist you during the technical part of the interview.
Checking hard skills
- Where Node.js can be used?
- Explain the difference between Node.js and Angular.
- What is NPM?
- How do you update NPM to a newer version in Node.js?
- Give an explanation of the V8 engine.
- Why is Node.js single-threaded?
- What is a cluster?
- Give an explanation of Modules in Node.js.
- What is the difference between readFile and createReadStream?
- Give an explanation of libuv in Node.js.
- What is callback hell? How to prevent or fix it?
- List some exit codes in Node.js
- Name the types of API functions in Node.js.
- What is an event loop in Node.js and how does it function?
- What is the Reactor Pattern in Node.js?
Checking soft skills
If you look for a person to join your team, the special attention should be paid to the personal qualities of the candidate — how stress-resistant they are, do they possess good communication skills, are they team players, and so on.
Usually, one face-to-face meeting is enough to understand if the candidate suits your team and project. If you wonder what questions to ask in this part of the interview, LinkedIn prepared a list of 30 behavioral interview questions to identify high-potential candidates.
Wrapping up
Finally, our recommendation is to think twice before choosing one of the hiring models, as it will directly influence the development process and the final result of the cooperation. Clearly define your requirements, check Node.js developer skills, and find out if their personality fits your project and company’s values.
If you still have any questions regarding Node.js development, we’ll help you to figure out. Also, feel free to contact inVerita if you opt for outsourcing software development, we have skillful and experienced Node.js developers who will efficiently and quickly find a cost-effective solution for your business.
