A great frontend developer does much more than make a website look good.
They turn designs into working interfaces, make applications responsive, improve performance, work with APIs, handle browser compatibility, and collaborate closely with designers and backend engineers.
That is why hiring frontend developers can be surprisingly challenging.
A resume might mention React, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS, but those keywords alone do not tell you whether someone can build a reliable, accessible, and maintainable product.
At PlaceMeRight, we help businesses recruit technical professionals and build stronger technology teams. If you're hiring frontend developers, here is a practical guide to finding candidates who can actually contribute to your product.
- Start With the Actual Role
Before searching for candidates, understand what the developer will be responsible for.
A frontend developer might work on:
• Customer facing websites
• SaaS applications
• Mobile responsive interfaces
• Internal dashboards
• E commerce platforms
• Design systems
• Web performance
• Accessibility
The requirements should come from the project rather than from a generic frontend developer checklist.
- Understand the Technology Stack
Your recruiters don't need to be expert developers, but they should understand the basic technology stack.
Common frontend technologies include:
• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript
• TypeScript
• React
• Angular
• Vue
• Next.js
• Tailwind CSS
• Git
The right combination depends on the company's product.
For example, a company building a React application may prioritise React and TypeScript experience, while another team may be looking for someone with strong Vue experience.
- Look Beyond the Framework
Knowing React does not automatically make someone a strong frontend developer.
Candidates should also understand the fundamentals behind the tools they use.
Explore their knowledge of:
• HTML structure
• CSS layouts
• JavaScript fundamentals
• Browser behaviour
• Responsive design
• Accessibility
• Performance
• APIs
• State management
A developer with strong fundamentals can often learn another framework much faster than someone who only knows how to use a specific library.
- Review Real Projects
One of the best ways to understand a frontend developer's abilities is to look at what they have actually built.
Ask candidates about:
• Personal projects
• Professional applications
• Open source contributions
• Portfolio websites
• GitHub repositories
Don't just look at the final product.
Ask why certain technical decisions were made.
What challenges did the developer face?
How did they solve them?
What would they change today?
These conversations can reveal how a candidate thinks far better than a list of technologies.
- Assess JavaScript Knowledge
JavaScript is at the heart of modern frontend development.
Depending on the seniority of the role, explore concepts such as:
• Variables and scope
• Functions
• Promises
• Async and await
• Event handling
• DOM manipulation
• Closures
• Modules
• Error handling
Senior candidates should also be comfortable explaining how JavaScript behaves in real applications rather than simply recalling definitions.
- Test Responsive Design Skills
Modern applications need to work across different screen sizes.
A frontend developer should understand how to create interfaces that work effectively on:
• Desktops
• Laptops
• Tablets
• Smartphones
Ask candidates how they approach responsive layouts and what they consider when moving a design between different screen sizes.
Practical experience matters more than memorising a list of CSS properties.
- Evaluate API Knowledge
Frontend applications rarely work in isolation.
Developers frequently interact with backend services and APIs.
Depending on the role, candidates should understand:
• REST APIs
• HTTP methods
• JSON
• Authentication
• Error handling
• Loading states
• API integration
Ask them about an application where they connected a frontend interface to a backend service.
This can reveal whether they understand how real applications work beyond the user interface.
- Consider Performance
A website can look beautiful and still provide a frustrating experience if it loads slowly.
Frontend developers should understand basic performance principles.
Ask about:
• Page loading speed
• Image optimisation
• Code splitting
• Lazy loading
• Caching
• Rendering performance
• Bundle size
The depth required will depend on the position, but performance awareness is increasingly valuable for modern web teams.
- Don't Forget Accessibility
Accessibility should not be treated as an optional feature.
Frontend developers should understand how to create interfaces that can be used by people with different abilities.
Look for awareness of:
• Semantic HTML
• Keyboard navigation
• Screen readers
• Colour contrast
• Accessible forms
• ARIA where appropriate
A developer who considers accessibility from the beginning can help create a better product for everyone.
- Use Practical Assessments
Technical assessments can help recruiters and hiring managers understand how candidates actually work.
For example, you could ask a candidate to:
• Build a small interface
• Convert a design into a webpage
• Fix bugs in an existing application
• Create a reusable component
• Integrate a simple API
• Improve an existing interface
The assessment should reflect the real job.
Avoid giving candidates unnecessarily long assignments that have little connection to what they will actually do after joining.
- Assess Problem Solving
Frontend development involves constant problem solving.
Something doesn't render correctly.
A page works on one browser but not another.
An API returns unexpected data.
A component becomes difficult to maintain.
The candidate needs to figure out why.
Ask scenario based questions and focus on their reasoning.
A strong candidate should be able to explain how they would investigate a problem rather than immediately jumping to a random solution.
- Check Git and Collaboration Skills
Frontend developers work closely with other people.
They may collaborate with:
• Backend developers
• Designers
• Product managers
• QA engineers
• DevOps teams
Experience with Git and platforms such as GitHub is therefore useful.
Explore familiarity with branches, pull requests, code reviews, and collaborative development.
Technical ability matters, but the ability to work well within a team matters too.
- Evaluate Design Collaboration
Frontend developers often sit between design and engineering.
They need to understand how to translate designs into working interfaces without losing important details.
Ask candidates about their experience working with design tools and designers.
You can also discuss how they handle situations where a design isn't practical from a technical perspective.
Good communication can prevent small design and development issues from becoming major problems.
- Consider Testing Experience
Reliable frontend applications need testing.
Depending on the role, candidates may have experience with:
• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• End to end testing
• Component testing
• Test automation
The exact tools can vary, but candidates should understand why testing matters and how they have used it in real projects.
- Don't Hire Only for Years of Experience
A candidate with five years of experience isn't automatically better than someone with three.
Look at what they actually worked on.
Consider:
• Project complexity
• Technical ownership
• Problem solving
• Product impact
• Collaboration
• Learning ability
• Quality of work
Experience should provide context, not become the entire hiring decision.
- Keep the Hiring Process Efficient
Good frontend developers may have several opportunities available to them.
A slow recruitment process can cause strong candidates to lose interest.
Make the process clear from the beginning.
Tell candidates:
• How many interview stages there are
• Whether there is a coding assessment
• Who they will meet
• What each stage involves
• When they can expect feedback
A structured process helps both candidates and hiring teams make better decisions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When hiring frontend developers, avoid:
• Hiring based only on framework keywords
• Requiring every frontend technology
• Ignoring JavaScript fundamentals
• Using unrealistic coding assessments
• Overlooking accessibility
• Ignoring communication skills
• Taking too long to make hiring decisions
• Focusing only on years of experience
The best hiring process evaluates candidates against the actual work they will perform.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a frontend developer is about much more than finding someone who knows React or JavaScript.
The right candidate should understand frontend fundamentals, solve problems effectively, build usable interfaces, work with APIs, collaborate with other teams, and continue learning as technology changes.
Start with the needs of your product. Define the role clearly, assess practical skills, discuss real projects, and give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate how they think.
At PlaceMeRight, we help startups, growing businesses, and enterprises recruit frontend developers, backend developers, full stack engineers, software developers, and other technical professionals through targeted sourcing and structured recruitment strategies.
If you're looking to hire frontend developers for your technology team, visit https://placemeright.in and connect with PlaceMeRight to discuss your hiring requirements.
The best frontend developer isn't simply someone who can write code. It is someone who can turn ideas into reliable, accessible, and enjoyable experiences for the people using your product.
