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Ask HN: Is it difficult to hire React developers?

6 points by ScottFree ↗ HN
I recently saw an article on Proggit about how to hire a React developer that insinuated it was difficult to find React developers. Is that a common impression in the tech industry? Are employers having a hard time finding React developers to hire?

I'm very interested on the impression and scuttlebutt vs reality here. A few months ago, I swung a dead cat and hired the first three React developers I hit. The whole process took a few weeks. They've been awesome so far.

8 comments

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staller
I've found it difficult to hire full-stack developers with at least a year of react experience. Interviewees usually only know enough to be dangerous, or have experience with Node/JavaScript and express interest in growing on the frontend

Hiring those same people has gone really well, similarly becoming comfortable after a few weeks of working with react

unleashit
The problem I think is more that you're looking for full stack. Try a front end developer. These have deeper Javascript, html, css and web/browser specific knowledge then a lot of so called full stack people have. The former are the fundamental skills you're looking for. React itself I would consider less important as long as they have experience in one framework or another, or unless you have very simple needs and no time for a even a short ramping up period.

If you follow this advice, you will tap into a HUGE resource of developers who have ridden the tide of front end for a long time but haven't crossed over into full stack because it was never expected until recent times. Of course it would be ideal to find one person who can do it all. But from my experience it is orders of magnitude harder to find a good traditional software engineer who can also rock the front end. Depending on your process and desire for good UI/UX this will especially hold true...

stocktech
Is it hard to find React developers? No. Is it hard to find good developers? Yes.
mmvs
Totally agree. There are a lot of React developers because the entry threshold is lower than other technologies, but there are much fewer good ones. Easy to learn, hard to master
quickthrower2
Well swinging dead cats at your candidates is not usually recommended, but if it works...

Anyway yeah it’s not surprising it’s not too hard. And if it is just hire good JS developers and train them.

shekhardesigner
I would agree to it being difficult. I have been struggling to recruit few good React/(and/Or) JavaScript Developers for my startup.

Few reasons I have come to realist are:

- React devs make more money on freelance gig than full-time jobs.

- Readily available more jobs than candidates on the market. If I offer $X00K/y, there are others who are always ready to pay more as counter offer.

- React landscape is moving faster than any other technologies out there, putting devs who are up to date on the edge.

I have also started training the new hires who were interested. But as the fate will have it, after learning ReactJS and other few things - most developers left for better salary.

The fact is, I am situated in Nepal and can only pay using Nepalese Rupees salary doesn't help much.

franferri
They are very reactive...

Sadly is a sector problem. Is not about developers is about quality developers.

From C to JS, hard to hire, hard to keep.

My advice is to jump to the university and pick a few persons that usually attend coding dojos/katas. They prove that way their interest and they will be happy to work.