The Ultimate Guide to Hire Node JS Developers in Today’s Digital Age

From web backend and frontend development to launching user-centric mobile, tablet, and desktop apps, Node.js is recognized as one of the fastest-growing open-source platforms used by millions of websites across the world. Businesses are widely adopting this platform to explore a whole new set of API services, support for complex IoT devices, chatbot development, and real-time collaboration tools. 

The Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021 states that Node.js is the 6th most popular technology, with 36.19% of professional developers using it regularly. Though the popularity and number seem profound, it is not easy for companies to hire Node JS developers who can satisfy their software development needs head-on. Either they are skeptical about their choice or unable to find skilled developers in the first place. 

But not to worry, this blog gives all the necessary information to help you make the right pick. You’ll get detailed insights into the skills you need to prioritize before approaching Node.js developers, the benefits of hiring them, and much more. But first, let’s understand their roles and responsibilities in detail.

Roles and Responsibilities of NodeJS Developers

Node JS professionals are responsible for developing, deploying, and maintaining network apps. They are exhaustively involved in creating UIs and writing code for Windows, iOS, and Android platforms. While working on a Node JS mobile app development project, they are committed to upholding the below duties.

• Accelerate and maintain the interoperability between the users and the servers. 
• Develop & maintain all server-side logic/ network components and ensure optimal performance of the central database. 
• Practice dedicated, high responsiveness to frontend requests and solve database queries on priority.
• Implement necessary security standards and data protection measures to identify potential app vulnerabilities.
• Prepare detailed reports and analytics to support the entire software development lifecycle.  
• Create customer-centric interfaces and backend services to support multiple business processes.
• Collaborate with frontend developers to procure smooth integration of elements. 
• Design performant web and mobile apps by writing clear, reusable, and testable code. 
• Perform diagnostic tests (automated & manual), fix errors, and provide end-to-end technical assistance.
• Recommend and execute advancements for software development processes and technologies.

Key Prerequisites to Hire NodeJS Developers the Right Way

Now that you know the roles and responsibilities of a Node JS developer, let’s move forward to understanding the skills to hire the best. These are the key skills that a top-tier developer should have and improve with time. 

1 Programming Fundamentals

Focus on hiring specialists who are well-aware of all the basics of Node JS and the V8 engine. Examine their knowledge about ES 6 and its various features. They should have hands-on expertise in sought-after programming languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, and much more.

2 RESTful APIs

RESTful APIs are a significant part of Node JS app development projects. They enhance operational efficiency and enable seamless communication between two software components. Hence, when you hire developers, make sure that they know how RESTful APIs work. 

3 Application Performance Monitoring (APM) Tools

To launch a successful project, you need to hire Node JS experts who are well-versed in popular APM technologies. They should have a good command over open-source platforms like the ELK Stack, Grafana, and Prometheus to avoid memory leaks and performance downtimes alongside eliminating all potential app vulnerabilities.

4 Frontend Technology Stack

Apart from backend know-how, your chosen programmers should also have good knowledge of frontend technologies like HTML 5, CSS 3, and SASS. Ensure that their experience includes the implementation of web development techniques like AJAX. Besides, expertise in frontend frameworks like Angular and Vue and popular libraries like React and JQuery is also necessary. 

5 Testing Tools

You need to assess an individual or a team’s expertise in testing Node JS apps by using test runners and frameworks such as Mocha, Chai, and Ava. Evaluate their knowledge about behavior-driven development and test-driven development environments like Jasmine, Jest, etc., and how they run previously failed as well as new tests.   

6 Alternative Package Managers

Choose developers with an in-depth understanding of the default package manager for Node JS – npm. Check whether they are aware of alternative package managers like Yarn and pnpm. Ask them to share their knowledge about open-source packages and how they exploit them with the respective package managers.  

7 Object Relational Mapping (ORM) Tools

Be it a small, medium, or large-scale project, specific ORM tools are required to facilitate mapping between relational databases and objects. As such, you need to hire Node JS developers with experience in well-documented ORM platforms such as MongoDB, DynamoDB, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. 

8 Cloud Platforms

When considering Node JS developers for hire, make sure that you select candidates who have prior experience working with commonly used cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Heroku, and Netlify. This experience should successfully complement their understanding of databases, analytics, servers, software, intelligence, and networking by all means. 

9 Template Designs

Choose programmers who have worked around top Node JS template engines such as Handlebars and Marko. They should be skilled enough to create HTML templates with minimal code. Furthermore, knowledge of other available template engines, including Swig, Mustache, Pug, Nunjucks, etc., is an add-on. 

10 Third-party Technologies

Hire Node JS developer with a sound knowledge of third-party middlewares like Passport to simplify authentication and authorization processes. Good command over adjacent frameworks and libraries like Express.JS and Socket.IO is also required to support the overall app development functionalities.

Benefits of Hiring NodeJS Developers

When your chosen developers are backed by the above-mentioned commitments and skills, your Node JS application development project will thrive like never before. Your company will experience an array of benefits in the long run. Let’s take a look at some of them. 

1 API Development & Integration

You have the privilege to build powerful custom APIs for your mobile as well as web applications. Node JS developers help you with popular API integrations like JSON and REST to support your project.

2 Plugins Development

Whether you want to create a new plugin or make changes to an existing module, Node JS programmers cater to all your requirements by offering 360-degree plugin development services. 

3 UI/UX Development

Node JS developers have the ability to offer customized app experiences for your users. As such, onboarding the right individual/team helps your company deliver visually appealing UI/UX designs.

4 Chatbot Development

The developers offer comprehensive Node JS consulting services to build user-friendly chatbots. They help you implement live chat technology to simulate human-like conversations and satisfy your target audience.

5 Real-Time Chat Apps

With the help of a Node JS development team, you can create high-quality, real-time chat applications for multiple platforms and devices. You can expand your user base and provide personalized services. 

6 Data Analysis Tools

You can develop and deploy result-oriented data analysis tools by hiring experienced Node JS specialists. Their expertise helps you create interactive dashboards to support your business-critical data.

7 Dedicated Migration Services

When you hire Node JS developers, your company gets enough room to keep up with the latest technologies and migrate your legacy apps accordingly. Your apps get the needed mobility to meet the ever-changing demands.

8 Support and Maintenance

You receive all-around support for your web or mobile app development process. The developers offer high-end maintenance services to avoid any kinds of data malfunctions or app compatibility issues. 

Best Practices to Ensure Your Developers Stay

You can take full advantage of all the stated benefits only when you have a predefined plan to ensure that your chosen developers are here to stay. In a nutshell, you need to implement the following best practices to help them align with your project and observe a smooth onboarding. 

1 Define Project Objectives

One of the most important things that you need to practice is clearly defining your app development needs. Make sure that all these needs are realistic and scalable. You should have logical answers to questions about what type of app you want to build and why, how you want it to interact with your users, and what should be the expected outcome.     

2 Share Requirements in Detail

When you hire Node JS programmers, consider sharing your project necessities in detail with them. Discuss your top priorities, features, and functionalities that you don’t want to miss out on. Conduct appropriate knowledge transfer sessions to align the programmers to your vision. Highlight the areas that you aim to focus on.        

3 Give them the Right Resources

You need to concentrate on providing your chosen candidates with robust tools and technologies that facilitate end-to-end project management. You need to hand over advanced communication and analytics resources to monitor project progress regularly. Altogether, a sophisticated physical/ virtual infrastructure is to be taken into account.

4 Introduce them to Company Standards

Another important thing that you need to practice is making the developers aware of your company policies and standards. Help them understand the rules and regulations in detail. Guide them through the culture you follow and ensure they take the necessary steps to maintain the business workflow.

5 Delegate Tasks Slowly and Steadily

Be transparent about task delegation. You need to start slow and assign tasks to your development team in accordance with your expected timelines. Prepare a roadmap to back up your software development life cycle. Ask the developers to study it thoroughly and put forth their opinions for the same.         

6 Support Flexible Working Hours

When you outsource your project requirements to hire dedicated Node JS developers, location or work timings may differ and prove challenging. But you can overcome this situation by offering flexible work hours. Just make sure that all the tasks are completed within stipulated timelines.  

Why Hire NodeJS Developers from Mobisoft

Partnering with Mobisoft will help you hire experienced Node JS developers and start your app development project right away. As a Node JS app development company, we are backed by the best software engineers and app architects who consistently focus on delivering value-driven services to make your business agile and scalable. Be it personalized solutions, UI/UX design, CMS development, web portal development, migration & upgradation of the mobile app, our experts never compromise on quality.       

With our decade of experience and hands-on technical expertise, we help you build the best Android and iOS applications that perfectly reflect your brand identity. We are committed to keeping up with the times and delivering the best with the help of our Node JS consultants. Our software development processes are powered by the best industry standards and security measures. 

By hiring certified Node JS developers from Mobisoft, you get exposed to the following:

• Dedicated development team and an experienced project manager for your project.
• End-to-end consultation from app ideation to post-launch support.
• All-inclusive QA testing approach to publishing error-free Node JS applications on respective platforms.
• Effective communication outlining regular demos, daily standups, and instant reporting.
• Budget-friendly Node JS development services with flexible hiring and pricing models.
• Individual account manager to share project status and solve queries.
• Source code protection and complete confidentiality assurance.
• Agile software development methodology to build apps faster and better. 

Wrapping Up

Choosing Node JS will not only help you build cross-platform applications but also give you the needed edge to accelerate your digital transformation journey. Many startups, SMEs, and giant enterprises are already using this technology to fulfill their tech goals and fine-tune their communication channels. You can also hire Node JS developers to launch innovative apps and expand your global reach. Just make sure you align with the right software development company that can help you meet the evolving demands.

Author's Bio:

Pritam Barhate