The online face of your company is maintained by a critical employee: your web developer or web development team. Responsible for monitoring websites, designing interactive features, and ensuring online security, web developers are in high demand. In fact, they have the #2 hottest job in the U.S.
So what makes a great web developer? Here are some traits to look for.
Trait #1: Problem-Solver DNA
While a web developer’s work history and portfolio is important, their inherent talent is far more essential for the role. Web development requires a high degree of problem solving and careful calculation that’s not always obvious from a resume.
During the hiring process, look beyond their basic info and try to get a feel for what problems they’ve solved for their previous employers. Did they revamp an outdated website? Did they add features that allowed better marketing? Did they build a tool that brought more revenue?
In the interview, ask questions that draw out information about their creativity and ability to stick with complex development problems. Ask them to describe their process for resolving frustrating issues. As a natural problem solver, a good web developer should be excited to answer questions.
Trait #2: Off-Screen Personality
Web developers are usually most comfortable behind computer screens. After all, it’s where they shine! But your company likely needs them to participate in meetings, share status updates, and generally have good interactions with other employees.
This is why it’s important that your next web developer has an open, communicative personality type beyond the screen. You need someone who can not only provide a pleasant message in an email, but also have positive face-to-face discussions.
You’ll be able to gauge some of this from the interview. You might even want to consider an atypical interview space, like a restaurant, where they can let their guard down and show you more personality.
Trait #3: Flexibility
The field of web development changes so rapidly, the specific set of skills that was important just two years ago is becoming obsolete daily. Instead of just quizzing developer candidates on their exact skill set, ask how they stay on the cutting edge.
Are they enrolled in ongoing education? Do they belong to any professional networks? What websites do they read? Which famous web entrepreneurs do they follow? Your company needs its web developer to be open to change, so they can lead the business into new online territory as fast as it comes.
Trait #4: Stick-To-It-Iveness
Some jobs are bad for nitpickers. Not web development. For this role, you actually need to seek someone who is persistent, even stubborn, about details. Why? Because online users are extremely picky about web page loading times, glitches, and error messages.
Most people will abandon a web page after just two seconds if it doesn’t load. Your web programmer is in charge of these crucial two seconds, after which you could lose 40% of your online customers.
So look for someone who is truly detail-oriented, and can prove it. Some companies even give web development tests as part of the hiring process.
Trait #5: Passion
If you think web development is all just ones and zeroes, you’re wrong. Good developers are truly passionate about the work they do. They see beyond the code on the page, always keeping in mind the humans who need to use what they create.
This passion is essentially a form of customer service. Web developers are in charge of maintaining your company’s online user experience - the helpfulness and navigability of your web pages. A passionate developer makes sure every one of your customers has a smooth online experience, every time.
If you’re having difficulty determining whether your web developer candidates have the right mix of traits, consider using a personality assessment service like GoGig. Modern personality tests speak the language of web programmers, using tech-savvy platforms to make great hiring matches. Sign up for a free trial of GoGig today!
