Amazon, Netflix, eBay, Reddit, LinkedIn, and many more enterprises have trusted Node.js for their stunning websites and helpful software. As per the Hosting Tribunal, Node.js has a share of 43% among enterprise-based apps. The javascript runtime environment has become everyone’s favorite in no time.
To make the most of your project, you need to connect with the best Node.Js developers. The stunning rise in the demand of Node.js developers has led to many programmers trying hands-on it. However, it’s not wise to trust your project with a team of novices lacking prior first-hand experience.
It is essential to ensure that you hire the best person for the job. Someone who can handle the technical aspects of the role and understand your business and its processes well enough to ensure everything runs smoothly.
These ten questions will help you determine whether or not the candidate you’re interviewing has the skills & experience necessary to hit the ground running when they join your team.
1) What is your experience working with Node.js?
There are many ways to define the experience, so you must understand what exactly working with Node.js means for your project before you go about finding developers (or contractors).
Is it using Express for web development purposes? Or perhaps you need someone who can create modules in NPM? Whatever it is, make sure your expectations match what potential hires will be bringing to the table.
After all, if you don’t know what you want, how will you know when it arrives? Don’t waste time interviewing just anyone — talk to folks who understand Node.js!
2) What technologies do you prefer using/learning over others?
While interviewing, You can begin by asking the following two essential questions:
- What’s your go-to snack?
- Do you like to stick with what you know, or do you like trying new things all of the time?
If they say I prefer learning something new over learning something old, they’re likely an asset that will help your business grow in years to come.
If they say, I prefer sticking with what I know because I trust it more, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t trustworthy—it just means that the developers might limit their growth in terms of innovation and knowledge sharing.
3) Are you a pro at application monitoring tools?
In recent years, developers have become more sophisticated, applying monitoring tools that track application usage, performance, and other vital metrics at all layers of their stack.
Not all languages or frameworks can easily take advantage of these tools, but if yours can, here’s one crucial question you should ask: Are you skilled at handling application monitoring tools?
If your candidate can’t answer yes here — and provide examples — it may be time to move on to someone else who’s more versatile and experienced with today’s top development tools and techniques.
Some of the renowned application monitoring tools include:
- New Relic Node.js Application Performance Monitoring.
- Key metrics Node.js Application Monitoring Tool.
- AppDynamics Node.js Application Performance Monitoring.
- Ruxit Node.js Application Performance Monitoring Tool.
- Monitis Node.js Application Monitoring.
- Raygun Node.js Application Performance Monitoring.
4) Which debugging tools do you trust?
Debugging is an art form, and no developer worth his salt will tell you otherwise. The best debuggers can work quickly to fix even intermittent bugs before users notice them. However, take a note of the following:
- What’s equally important is how they do it?
- Which tools do they rely on or trust?
- How much downtime will you suffer while they find a solution?
By asking about specific debugging solutions, whether homegrown or commercially available, you can get a better picture of which candidates know what works best for them — even if you ultimately decide to avoid whatever tool they mention most often!
Should we contact references during or after our initial discussions?: There are many ways to select developers for your project. It all depends on their experience level, team size, and skill sets required by clients.
On average, every serious candidate should have at least three professional references that speak specifically to their coding skills and communication abilities.
5) Which test runners do you use?
As you interview developers, it’s essential to understand their experience and preferences around testing frameworks and test runners. Do they like Jest or Mocha? Are they more comfortable with Tape or Ava (or nothing at all)?
Knowing these preferences can help clarify how much work will be involved in onboarding them on your project. You don’t want someone who prefers Jest but is only familiar with tape joining your team and adding extra overhead by teaching them something new (like Jest) or getting frustrated by not having their preferred tool (like Jest).
For example, imagine two developers—one using Mocha and another using Jest—and you’re using Ava as your test runner of choice. You’ll need to introduce one developer to Ava while helping both figure out how to transition between writing tests for multiple libraries (since neither one is used exclusively throughout your stack).
If you’re unsure about what framework each person uses, start by simply asking if they prefer one framework over another. They may even suggest alternatives that you’ve never heard before. Bottom line: Always make sure everyone involved knows upfront which tools they need to use. It helps avoid creating unnecessary friction between teammates later down the road.
6) Which Node.js template engines do you use?
While Node.js itself is easy to use, template engines may be new to you (or them). They must have experience with these if you want them to be able to handle complex projects. Consider asking for samples of their work using various template engines so you can see how they’ve worked with different tools before taking on your project.
After all, hiring someone who knows their way around one tool but stumbles when working with another might not be worth it in terms of time and money.
Popular node.js templates include Markup modules like Handlebars, Pug, and Mustache, allowing you to easily insert dynamic data into your web pages. Some popular template engines use HTML-like syntax tags, while others use custom programming languages for their design.
You should make sure they understand how these work if you want them to handle your project’s specific needs in terms of formatting and features.
Despite being one of its strengths, Node.js has compatibility issues when used with various hardware components such as printers or scanners due to its real-time capabilities.
7) What is your experience with Cloud platforms?
No matter your primary business, knowing Cloud technology is beneficial for your company’s growth and scalability. A great way to evaluate whether or not developers have these skills is by checking out their previous work portfolios.
Notice that they already possess some experience with popular cloud platforms such as AWS or Heroku. You can be sure that they are capable of building scalable solutions quickly on these platforms.
However, it’s still good practice to go over their knowledge in-depth with them before hiring Node.js developers for any job where they will need extensive use of these technologies.
8) Which ORM tools do you use for databases?
This question is to assess their familiarity with more complex systems. It’s more of an indicator of what they prefer rather than how many projects they have worked on & what technologies they have used for them.
A person who has worked with more advanced technology may not necessarily be better at completing tasks, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get up to speed faster with the given little direction in terms of what you would like them to accomplish while working on your project.
So you want someone who has lots of experience but is flexible enough to be mentored without having trouble transitioning from his preferred tools and methods over time as he begins learning about other ones. Popular ORM tools include ActiveRecord, Mongoose, Sequelize, etc.
However, if you have already planned which ORM to use for the project, ask about their skills. Additionally, you can also ask for the earlier projects delivered using the same ORM.
9) How much time will it take you to complete my project?
Hiring any freelance or consulting help is usually more than just paying for time; it’s paying for knowledge and experience too. It would be best that your candidate understands whether you want to go for a flat fee or the hourly model.
What are you aiming to achieve with Node?: The context of what kind of project they’ll be working on will affect how much effort they can put into their work—and how willing they are to learn new things.
How do you plan on developing your product/service?: Asking your potential developer about their preferred development workflow proves helpful. It indicates how collaborative or independent-minded they may be and can give some idea of whether they’ll jump at any opportunity for innovation or stick to what’s comfortable.
10) What services will be available at your rate?
It is crucial and often missed: Make sure you and your prospective candidate understand what is and isn’t available in their proposed rate. Do they charge by the number of lines of code or per hour, have setup fees, and expect travel costs on top of that hourly rate?
Clarify these items upfront to avoid any surprises further down the line. Be transparent about handling billing if multiple developers are working on portions of one project; it’s best to set clear expectations here, so there aren’t any misunderstandings when it comes time for invoice reviews.
Wrapping Up
Those were all the critical queries you must ask to ensure the candidate is ideal for your project. Ensure that the chosen candidature is open to learning, offers you straightforward answers and has passion for Node.js development projects.
Connect with a leading Node.js development company in India to hire experts at an affordable hourly rate. Hiring via a reputed firm allows you to access top developers with ease and convenience.
