Hiring React Native Developers in the UK is a tough exercise. But with its advantages — flexibility, code reusability, and cost-and-time-effectiveness — the tech stack is preferred over others for cross-platform app development. As per recent statistics, 32% of developers worldwide used React Native for app development in 2022.
But if it is so popular, why is hiring React Native developers in the UK challenging?
Challenges Faced While Hiring React Native Developers in the UK
- High Demand and Short Supply: React Native is a highly popular and widely used framework for mobile app development. The high demand for React Native developers often exceeds the available talent pool, leading to a shortage of skilled professionals.
- Competitive Job Market: The tech industry in the UK is highly competitive, attracting developers from various fields. This competition makes it challenging to find and hire experienced React Native developers quickly.
- Rapidly Evolving Technology: The tech landscape, including React Native, is continuously evolving. New updates, libraries, and best practices emerge frequently. Finding up-to-date developers with the latest trends and hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies can be difficult.
- Cost of Hiring: Hiring skilled React Native developers is often higher due to their in-demand skills. Smaller companies or startups with limited budgets may need help to compete with larger enterprises for top talent.
- Specialized Skill Set: React Native requires a unique skill set that combines knowledge of JavaScript, mobile app development, and native modules. Finding developers who possess all the required skills can be a challenge.
- Experience Level: Companies often seek experienced React Native developers who can contribute immediately to their projects. However, senior developers with significant experience might already be committed to other projects, making it challenging to find available talent.
- Employee Retention: Once you find and hire a skilled React Native developer, you risk losing them to competitors or other opportunities. Retaining talent becomes crucial and often involves offering competitive salaries, benefits, and growth opportunities.
- Cultural Fit: Besides technical skills, finding developers who align with your company’s culture and values is crucial for a successful and cohesive team. Assessing cultural fit can add more complexity to the hiring process.
To hire React Native talent while navigating these challenges, there needs to be a clear criterion while evaluating the potential developer. We discuss how to do that in the next section.
Important Skills to Evaluate While Hiring React Native Developers
In the UK, React Native developers are often categorized into three main levels: junior, mid-level, and senior. These levels are based on their skills, expertise, and experience. Here’s an overview of each level:
Junior React Native Developers: Junior React Native developers are entry-level developers with little or no work experience in the field. They often include recent graduates or web developers who have recently transitioned to React Native and are still in the early stages of learning and adopting the framework environment. Despite their limited experience, there are essential skills to check before hiring a junior React Native developer:
- Awareness of JavaScript Code: A junior React Native developer should be familiar with JavaScript ES6 or later, as React Native heavily relies on JavaScript for app development.
- Understanding of React Native: Junior developers should have a basic understanding of the main components, APIs, and libraries of React Native.
- Navigation Implementation: Even at a junior level, developers should be capable of implementing basic navigation functionalities such as Push and modal within the app.
- Understanding of Redux: Knowledge of state management libraries like Redux is valuable for even junior developers. Familiarity with other state management tools is also advantageous.
- Debugging and Testing Skills: Junior developers should grasp basic debugging and testing principles and the tools used for debugging and testing.
Mid-level React Native Developers: Mid-level React Native developers have around two years of experience in the field. They are at an intermediate level and can work on projects more independently due to their problem-solving skills. In addition to the skills mentioned for junior developers, middle-level React Native developers possess the following:
- Performance Optimization: They can implement common methods to optimize app performance and use optimization strategies effectively.
- Mobile-Specific Functionalities: Middle-level developers can work with mobile hardware functionalities, such as cameras, microphones, GPS sensors, and gyroscopes, and handle challenges related to mobile-specific features.
- Offline Data Cache and Data Management: They understand offline data caching well and can work with various databases and libraries needed in the development process.
- Third-Party Integration: Middle-level React Native developers can integrate third-party services into mobile applications and understand their functionalities and APIs.
- Knowledge of Deployment Process: They are familiar with the complete app deployment process, from signing up to deployment.
Senior React Native Developers: Senior React Native developers have over three years of experience and an extensive working portfolio. They possess advanced skills and expertise in React Native and can manage junior developers, providing support and guidance. Additionally, senior React Native developers may be assigned as team leaders due to their experience and leadership abilities. Skills to check before hiring a senior React Native developer include:
- Experience in Native App Development: Senior developers should have a deep understanding of native app development, including Objective-C, Java, Swift, and Kotlin. This knowledge allows them to port existing Android or iOS apps to React Native.
- Integration of Native Libraries to React Native: They can develop full-fledged, feature-rich apps by integrating native libraries and frameworks into React Native applications.
- Proficiency in Setting up Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): Senior developers are proficient in setting up CI/CD pipelines, which improve code quality, enable early issue detection and resolution, and enhance the transparency of the development process.
- Manage and Develop Efficient Development Team Workflow: Senior developers can differentiate between various development approaches and choose the most suitable one for specific projects. They can efficiently manage and support the workflow within the team.
Hiring a React Native Development Team In-house vs. Onshore Hiring vs. Offshore Hiring
While putting your development team together, you may wonder whether you should hire an in-house team, outsource your project to an onshore development company, or hire an offshore app development company. While hiring an onshore company refers to hiring an app development company located in your country, offshoring refers to hiring from other countries offering competitive app development costs, such as India, the Philippines, or Poland. The following table breaks down the pros and cons of each approach.
| Hiring Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| In-House Hiring | Complete control, familiarity with company culture, long-term commitment | High cost of development, limited talent pool, time-consuming hiring process, extra overhead expenditures |
| Onshore Hiring | Similar time zones and cultural understanding, access to a wider talent pool | Higher development costs, competition for skilled developers |
| Outsourcing from Offshore App Development Companies | Cost-effectiveness, access to a diverse talent pool, flexibility, and scalability during development | Communication and time zone challenges, cultural and language differences |
How Crucial is Selecting the Right App Development Company for Success?
As you may already know, developing an app is time and labor-intensive. Hiring the right developers to work on your project can make all the difference between a successful or a failed product. In app development, cheaper is not always better, and working with an app development partner suited to your requirements is crucial in ensuring a finished product that delivers according to expectations.
There are some steps you can take to ensure that you hire the best talent for your app development project. Research the company portfolio and their React Native app development experience well on different online review platforms.
Development companies that offer teams with React Native core contributors are a plus, as these contributors bring a wealth of expertise, productivity, and knowledge to the table, saving you time and resources in the long run.