How to Hire a Remote React Native Developer
In 2020, there were around 218 billion app downloads on both paid and free apps on all mobile platforms. Mobile apps have a huge influence on consumers for businesses. Creating a custom mobile app can bring in new customers and keep current ones engaged.
If you believe your business can benefit from a custom mobile app, you’ll want to hire a react native developer. They’ll be able to effectively bring your idea to life.
What’s a react native developer? How do I find one? What questions do I ask them?
Countless questions are running through your head and that’s okay. Working with a top mobile company with a proven track record, like Appvales, can help alleviate some of the stress you’re feeling.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about hiring a react native developer, including what interview questions you should ask them, what is a good salary starting point, and what skills your hire should have.
What is React Native?
React native is a technology developed by Facebook that applies to both iOS and Android devices. React native developers use the open-source Javascript framework to develop apps. Facebook’s React framework is the basis for this program and that was initially used to build web-based user interfaces.
Using React Native, developers can create mobile apps that render natively on Android and iOS mobile devices. It saves companies a lot of money, time, and resources.
Having a react native developer on your staff can:
- Take your company to new heights
- Increase customer engagement and loyalty
- Bring in new business
- Help your company stay relevant and top of mind
Skills Required for a React Native Developer
When searching for a react native developer, you need to focus on hard and soft skills. You have to be able to sort out who is a well-rounded developer that will deliver you a quality product.
What are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are the technical skills a qualified react native developer should have in their skill set. These include:
- React Native: This skill may seem obvious, but any potential candidates need to be well versed and have extensive knowledge of React Native. They’ll need to operate effortlessly within concepts such as JSX, Virtual DOM, or component lifestyle. It is recommended to hire someone who has previous experience working with react native in the past.
- JavaScript: React native technology is built on JavaScript, so your developer should have a comprehensive understanding of it. You can weed out those who aren’t qualified for the position if they aren’t proficient in JavaScript.
- Knowledge of React Tools and Technologies: The most essential tools your candidate should know include:
- ESLint
- Redux
- Enzyme
- Jest
- Sentry error tracking
- Bitrise
- Hockeyapp
- Debugging and Testing: Errors will occur while developing an app and your app also needs to be tested for performance issues. A react native developer should know how to do both of those things.
- Navigation: This is one of the most important parts of your app. Having a user-friendly navigation experience is vital and there are tools available to create smooth navigation. Your candidate should be aware of all the tools available for making a seamless experience on your app.
- Performance Optimization: A slow app is the last thing you want for your business. A qualified react native developer can create an app that runs fast and smoothly, improving the performance as needed.
What are Soft Skills?
Soft skills refer to interpersonal or people skills. They can include various personality traits and are as important as hard skills. Soft skills include:
- Solid Communication Skills: Being able to effectively develop a mobile app requires people to work as a team. A good react native developer needs to communicate well with others to avoid costly mistakes and misunderstandings.
- Hunger for Knowledge: A good developer is open to new solutions and ideas from others. They’re also always willing to learn about new technologies and expanding their overall knowledge.
- Problem Solver: Even the most qualified developer can make a mistake. Having problem-solving skills is vital for developers to manage any problems or mistakes that have a big impact on the project. Being able to pivot and adjust as needed is an important quality for your candidate.
- Time Management: Many mobile apps are developed on a strict deadline and your candidate needs to be able to adhere to a timeline. Making sure that your react native developer is using their time wisely helps you when overseeing the project.
- Adaptability: Being flexible and adaptable is a vital skill for your react native developer to have. The tech industry constantly changes and it’s important to learn new programming languages and skills when they arise. Staying on top of the newest trends will keep your developer relevant.
Interview Questions to Ask When You Hire a React Native Developer
Conducting interviews is a time-consuming and sometimes painful process. For a specialized position like a react native developer, you want to have your interview questions figured out beforehand. Additionally, you’ll want to know what the answers to some of those questions are, especially if they’re more technical.
There are a lot of questions below and that can be overwhelming as you face interviewing multiple candidates. However, keep in mind that you’re investing a portion of your budget in a react native developer. You want to make sure they’re qualified for the sake of your project, but also to protect your investment.
Below are examples of interview questions to ask when you’re trying to hire a react native developer, broken up by hard or soft skills.
Hard Skills
- In simple terms, what is react native?
- How is it different than other frameworks that are used for mobile app development?
- What are the benefits of using it to build a mobile app?
- What are some apps or companies that are built with react native?
- What have you used react native for in the past?
- How is developing a mobile app with react native different than developing a web app with ReactJS?
- What skillset or tools do you need for developing a mobile app with react native?
- What steps are required to convert a native Android app to iOS and vice versa?
- What is a virtual DOM?
- What do you consider to be the differences between hybrid and native app development?
- What’s JSX?
- What is component-driven development?
- What are the benefits of using it?
- What are the differences between props and state?
- What is the purpose of Redux?
- What’s Flux?
- What is your process for starting a react native mobile app development?
- With your react native component, how do you style it?
- What is your approach with handling elements size?
- When you set up a development environment on macOS, why would you need to install watchman software?
- Describe how CSS flexbox is implemented to layout a react native UI
- What are the CSS properties that you can’t use in react native?
- Are there differences between Flexbox in react native and Flexbox in a browser? If so, what are they?
- Explain how justifyContent flexBox property works
- Describe the functionality of alignitems flexBox property
- Is there a way to alter the default behavior of the cross axis and the main axis of the flexBox layout?
- What are the various ways you can write react components?
- What’s the difference between a class-based component and a functional component?
- Describe the life cycle of a react component
- How would you go about creating a basic button in react native?
- How would you create basic text input?
Soft Skills
- What are your professional weaknesses and strengths?
- Describe the most interesting and fruitful react native project you’ve worked on
- What positive contributions have you made to a product or company?
- Share an example of an idea that you had to work hard to convince others to adopt/support
- In what ways did you convince them?
- How did it turn out?
- How do you function as a project manager?
- Have any of your professional decisions turned out to be a mistake?
- How do you deal with any work-related mistakes you make?
- When was the last time a manager rejected one of your ideas?
- How do you accept constructive feedback or criticism?
- Do you use any tools or software to manage your time?
- Describe a time when one of your team members continually opposed your ideas
- What do you think the components of a good team are?
- How much daily interaction do you need with colleagues to work efficiently and successfully?
- How do you work as a mediator between two team members who have different ideas for a project?
- What do you do in your free time to grow your skills and make yourself a better developer?
- Describe a technical problem you encountered in the past and how you fixed it
- Imagine you are one hour before your project’s deadline and you have a code that’s not working. How do you proceed?
- Do you feel comfortable telling a project lead or manager that you’re overwhelmed?
- A project lead has asked you to change an aspect of your app. What’s your reaction?
- How do you proceed if a team member suggests another way of working on a project that you don’t think will be successful?
- What tools do you use to check your work?
- What’s the most important, getting work done by a deadline or delivering a quality product?
- Why are you interested in this position?
React Native Developers Salaries in Different Countries
When you’re looking to hire a react native developer, you don’t have to look only in your country of residence. A react native mobile app developer position can be done anywhere in the world. You don’t have to be limited to certain countries when hiring a react native developer — you can choose qualified candidates from any part of the world.
The salary for a react native developer depends on factors like level of experience, skill level (senior, middle, or junior), and location. Salaries can be broken down into three major regions: the United States, Western Europe (i.e. Germany), and Eastern Europe (Ukraine).
Estimated salaries are as follows:
- Junior Level React Native Developer
- Eastern Europe: $30,000
- Western Europe: $46,000
- United States: $64,000
- Middle-Level React Native Developer
- Eastern Europe: $39,000
- Western Europe: $66,400
- United States: $96,000
- Senior Level React Native Developer
- Eastern Europe: $48,000
- Western Europe: $86,000
- United States: $140,000
There is a big difference in React Native development cost between hiring offshore react native developers and one from the United States, with Western European developers in the middle. The quality of work from all areas of the world is the same, with offshore react native developers providing the same quality of work as one in the United States. The difference in salaries can be attributed to the various costs of living.
Options to Hire a React Native Developer
A react native mobile app developer doesn’t need to be physically in your office to perform their job efficiently. That’s why many companies outsource their app development to offshore react native developers. If you don’t want to hire someone as a direct employee of your company, you can hire a freelance react native developer or work with a mobile app development agency.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Freelancer
Working with a freelance react native developer opens you up to individuals who have a lot more skill sets. You may need an individual who specializes in a very specific thing that your average react native developer may not have in their skillset. If you need a specific thing worked on in your project, seeking a freelance react native developer may be your best bet instead of hiring a more general developer.
Another benefit is a freelancer’s competitive prices. Since you’re drawing from a pool of individuals from all around the world, you can find competitive hourly rates. You also don’t have the additional costs of providing the developer with health insurance, taxes, and other employee-related expenses.
A freelance react native developer also tends to be more available for quick projects. Also, if a relationship isn’t working for you, you can easily terminate the partnership as opposed to letting an employee go. Firing an employee will also cost your company money.
A risk with freelancers is that they’re often juggling several projects at once. They often can’t realistically figure out the scope of a project beforehand, as well as their timeline. A freelancer sometimes puts too many projects on their plate, resulting in the ball getting dropped at some point.
When you hire a freelancer, make sure you have a solid contract in place. You don’t want them to quit your project halfway through because another commitment came up. When developing a mobile app, you want the developer fully committed to the project.
If you decide to go down the freelancer route, ask fellow members in your field for recommendations. Communicate frequently with any freelancers you bring on staff.
Pros and Cons of Working with a Mobile App Development Agency
Working with a reliable app development company can give you security that a freelancer can’t. A trustworthy company is comprised of highly trained individuals that will deliver a high-quality product.
Hiring a mobile app development agency will save you money as opposed to hiring a full-time developer. Your business might need only one app developed, so it doesn’t make sense to hire someone permanently just for one project.
A downside of working with an agency is time zones. The company you’re working with may be based on the other side of the world, so connecting on high-priority issues might be difficult. Additionally, if the company is located in another country, you may have a possible language barrier to work through.
Mobile app agencies are designed to create mobile apps at an efficient rate. Since they only hire highly skilled individuals, the quality of the app won’t suffer because it was delivered at a fast pace. A dedicated mobile app agency will focus completely on your project and deliver it within the agreed-upon timeframe.
Since an agency is outside of your organization, you won’t be able to monitor the progress and have the same amount of control as if it were an in-house hire. It can be hard for some companies to let go of the reigns and have an agency take over a project. A qualified mobile app development agency will make that transition as easy as possible.
By outsourcing your React Native mobile app development to another company, you and your employees can focus on what you do best. You can focus on your business’s goals while leaving the more technical work to the experts.
Best Websites to Find a React Native Mobile App Developer
Before you get started with searching to hire a react native developer, you need to decide whether you’re going to hire an in-house team member, freelancer, or work with an agency.
Where to Find an In-House Developer
If you have a development team already on staff and an office that has space for another person, going with an internal hire may be the right decision. You can look for qualified react native developers on job board websites such as:
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Monster.com
- Technojobs
Sifting through applications and scheduling interviews can be time-consuming. Work with a recruiting company to find an ideal match.
Where to Find a Freelancer
There are a variety of freelancer platforms for you to check out to find a qualified react native developer for a larger project or a small job. Check out websites such as:
- Upwork
- Freelancer.com
- Toptal
- YouTeam
- Slack groups
- GitHub
- Fiverr
Where to Find a Mobile App Development Agency
If you have a large or mid-sized project but no internal development team, consider hiring a mobile app development agency. They take complete ownership of the entire project, so you won’t have to worry about hiring any additional specialists.
You can find quality agencies on:
These platforms gather together clients’ feedback regarding development teams from all over the world. You can read through testimonials, find ratings, look at each company’s portfolio, and read about the services each company provides.
Why Appvales?
Appvales isn’t interested in growing into a large mobile app development agency. We were designed to stay small so the team can give full attention to each of our clients. Customer service is vital to the Appvales team.
Our team dives deep into each project, creating high-quality mobile apps that deliver a pain-free user experience. We form partnerships with our clients to launch exceptional products.
Appvales’ team is comprised of experienced individuals:
- 75% of our engineers are middle and senior-level specialists
- 85% of our projects have transitioned to long-term relationships
- Our mobile developers each have an average of 5 years of experience
- 90% of our clients have recommended us to other companies
Appvales helps companies design, build, test, and launch mobile apps. Not only can we handle a project in its entirety, but we also work with in-house development teams to develop mobile apps.
We offer the following services:
- Mobile Development: Our engineers deliver native or cross-platform solutions
- Apps for Business: Design a creative and engaging mobile app that connects your business to customers
- Dedicated Developers: Use our team of skilled developers as needed to beef up your internal development team
- Product Discovery: Run your idea through user research and workshops to make sure it’s desirable and feasible
- MVP for Startups: We’ll take you from idea to app, to product launch
- Product Design: Our internal team of designers will create a memorable mobile app experience for your customers
No matter where you are in your project timeline or the size of your team, Appvales can bring your idea to reality.
Bottom Line
No matter what route you take when deciding to hire a react native developer, choosing a qualified individual or agency is essential to ensuring your project is high-quality and delivered on time. A trustworthy react native software house is vital to your mobile app development project. They have a team of highly trained individuals, ready to take on your mobile app.
If you’re ready to start bringing your mobile app vision to life, contact Appvales today to discuss your project. They have worked with multiple companies to create apps for their organizations.
