What is a Full Stack Web Developer? Why, When, and How to Hire the Right Talent

• By Pratik
• 27-12-2023
• Web Development

Website design has changed over time. We've made everything from basic pages to complex apps and everything in between. And the skills needed to build those sites have had to improve too! This growth has led to a new job: the full-stack developer.

If you're a business looking to hire web designers, this guide explains what a full-stack developer is. We'll talk about why bringing one onto your team can be helpful when it’s a good idea to add one, and how to make sure you hire someone suitable.

My goal is to provide a friendly overview of full-stack developers! Whether you're new to web design or have worked with developers for years, I hope you find this intro beneficial. I want to share enough info so you feel confident making hiring choices for your web projects.

So if you want to learn more about full-stack developers, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get started.

What is a Full-Stack Web Developer?

Traditionally, web development roles were split between front-end developers who handle the user-facing presentation layer, and back-end developers who build the behind-the-scenes server-side logic. As you might expect, a full-stack developer possesses the skills to work on both the front-end and back-end portions of web development.

Front-End vs Back-End

On the front-end side, full-stack developers know languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript well. They use them to build the part users see and interact with - the site interface. They have a good eye for design and understand what makes websites easy and pleasant to use. They can take wireframes and early models and turn them into real, functioning web pages.

On the back-end side, they utilize languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, and JavaScript again to power the behind-the-scenes stuff - servers, databases, and connections between applications. Back-end work may not look as snazzy but it’s just as essential for site performance.

Since full-stack developers know both areas, they can handle projects from start to finish with less dependence on other team members. Their wide expertise also makes them more flexible - able to switch gears and take on different tasks as needed.

Key Skills of a Full-Stack Developer

Here’s a quick rundown of the most common full-stack developer skills:

• Proficient with core front-end languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Experience with JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue
• Experience with back-end languages such as PHP, Ruby, Python, Java, etc
• Familiarity with Node.js for server-side JavaScript
• Knowledge of web frameworks like Rails, Laravel, Django, etc.
• Understanding of web protocols and APIs
• Database admin and management skills
• Version control fundamentals with Git and GitHub
• Fundamentals of web architecture and design
• Passion for staying updated with emerging web technologies

With the rise of full-stack JavaScript developers who utilize JavaScript capabilities across the entire stack, knowledge of front and back-end JavaScript has become an especially desirable full-stack skillset.

Addressing Some Common Full-Stack Misconceptions

Mention full-stack developers among programming circles and everyone seems to have an opinion - not all rosy. Here are some typical misguided impressions:

Myth: Full-stack means master of none

Some developers worry full-stack engineers spread themselves too thin across superficial knowledge lacking real depth.

Reality: In practice, experienced full-stack developers specialize in a couple primary languages and frameworks for heavy lifting. But they stay conversant in adjacent technologies to enable rapid contextual pivoting. Think Python + JavaScript + Cloud. This balance enables tackling most challenges encountered.

Myth: Full-stack means doing everyone else’s job

Some think full-stack equates to a catch-all position plagued by distraction instead of focusing on coding.

Reality: In healthy engineering cultures, full-stack developers collaborate tightly with product managers on requirements and UX designers on flows. They focus efforts on architecture and feature coding leveraging others’ expertise.

Myth: Full-stack means solo fighter without a team

Some assume full-stack implies a solo developer handling everything. That quickly leads to burnout.

Reality: More realistically, full-stack developers anchor small scrappy teams. They guide work streams setting up specialists to fill gaps beyond their range. They focus on unblocking progress.

The key is full-stack skills allow for self-direction when needed, not that they work alone.

Okay, so now we’ve thoroughly defined full-stack web developers along with common misconceptions. Let's examine the key benefits they provide teams.

Why Hire a Full-Stack Developer?

Full-stack skills allow developers to be more independent and well-rounded, but that doesn’t automatically make them the best web development hire for every scenario. Here are a few situations where utilizing full-stack developers pays dividends:

Early Stage Startups: When initially building a product and founding team, startups need to be nimble and make progress with limited resources. Hiring full-stack developers lets early-stage startups prototype and build MVPs faster under tight budgets.

Small Web Projects: If taking on smaller website builds, full-stack developers can handle projects end-to-end without requiring greater resourcing efforts. Certain types of clients like bootstrapped startups benefit from this simplified arrangement.

Cross-Functional Teams: Full-stack developers thrive on cross-functional Agile and Scrum teams where constant collaboration happens across disciplines. Their flexibility is an asset in these environments.

Rapid Concept to Market: Getting ideas to market fast is critical for validating concepts and keeping up with ever-evolving tech. For startups especially, full-stack skills accelerate this cycle.

There are certainly scenarios better suited for dedicated front-end or back-end teams. But in the situations above, the versatility and speed of full-stack developers pay dividends in achieving business goals with web projects.

Additional Benefits

Compared to hiring one front-end and one back-end developer, full-stack developers have some other nice bonuses too:

• Budget Friendly: As mentioned earlier, bringing on a full-stack developer means you don't need to hire for both front and back-end work. Using fewer people ultimately lowers costs.
• Better Teamwork: Full-stack folks don't separate things into just front-end or back-end. Knowing the full picture allows better information sharing and cooperation across the board.
• More Flexibility: Full-stack developers give management extra flexibility in scheduling and planning out work capacity. As priorities and workloads shift, they can more easily switch between front and back-end tasks.
• Stronger Ownership: Because full-stack developers tackle solutions start-to-finish, they usually have stronger personal investment and accountability in the project going well. They take on broader rather than narrower responsibilities.

For some organizations and projects, those upsides allow businesses to scale in a faster, more affordable way by leveraging full-stack talents.

When to Hire Full-Stack Developers

Hiring full-stack talent holds plenty of advantages. However, attempting to utilize full-stack resources in every situation isn’t always prudent or effective. Here are a few key considerations for determining if and when to seek out full-stack capabilities:

Complexity and Scope

Full-stack developers are often associated with startups and smaller web projects—with good reason. As project complexity and scope grow, the need for specialists and division of responsibilities becomes more prudent. In those cases, staffing dedicated front, back, and even DevOps roles better serve large-scale initiatives.

The key is honestly assessing your goals, timeline, budget, and capabilities needed. Ultimately there is no one-size-fits-all formula though. Even larger organizations employ full-stack developers on agile squads to maintain speed and flexibility. However assessing scope and complexity should inform resourcing decisions.

Existing Team Structure

Your existing web capabilities also help determine if full-stack developers fill an obvious gap. Organizations lacking any web development staff would benefit greatly from immediately hiring full-stack skills to establish initial capabilities.

However, teams with very specialized roles and rigid front-end and back-end divisions might not easily accommodate or leverage full-stack flexibility. Take honest stock of current team structure before funneling resources into supplemental full-stack hires.

Timeline Considerations

Can you afford to wait for front and back-end hand-offs, or is speed imperative? Answering this question helps determine optimal hiring.

For initiatives like lightning-fast prototypes, minimum viable product launches, or hackathon-style sprints, full-stack skills accelerate development. The ability to transition seamlessly between mockups and database schemas accelerates output for abbreviated timelines prioritizing speed.

For initiatives on a longer horizon though, specialized front and back-end staff might better serve. The key is factoring the importance of speed and timeline constraints into the hiring rationale.

Clear Requirements and Expectations

Any web development resourcing decision should stem from clear requirements, success metrics, and expectations being defined upfront. What specific skills and outcomes are you looking to achieve? Get granular so you can make optimal role and structure decisions.

For instance, if front-end design prowess and customer experience dominate priority lists, maybe staffing all full-stack developers isn’t prudent. Similarly, if complex custom APIs and intricate database logic rank high on requirements lists, dedicated back-end or database architecture roles might take precedence.

The point is to Factor your detailed needs, objectives, and constraints into any hiring decision around full-stack versus specialized skills. Never assume full-stack fits all scenarios equally. Let clearly defined expectations guide ideal resourcing decisions.

Making web development hiring decisions around full-stack versus specialized roles warrants careful, contextual considerations rather than dogmatic assumptions. Hopefully, the points above illustrate key factors to analyze when evaluating the need for full-stack developers. Next, we’ll explore best practices for finding and hiring strong full-stack talent.

How to Hire the Right Full-Stack Talent

Once you determine full-stack skills properly align with your requirements and circumstances, putting in place an efficient yet rigorous hiring process ensures you secure strong talent. Here is an overview of best practices when seeking out capable full-stack developers:

Define Specific Needs

Begin by elaborating on the requirements collection discussed previously. Record which front-end interfaces and experiences are required, which back-end integrations and data exchanges are required, and how the two technology layers meet. This provides a complete overview of the role's hard skill requirements.

Seek Out Essential Soft Skills

In addition to technical capabilities, seek candidates possessing soft skills like communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. These traits enable full-stack developers to smoothly toggle between specialties and teams.

Full-stack work also involves frequent shifting between code, designs, meetings, etc. Flexibility and focus help master such varied demands. Confirm prospects demonstrate these key soft skills in interviews and through examples of varied work.

Utilize Diverse Recruiting Techniques

Most professional full-stack developers have an active presence on sites like GitHub, Stack Overflow, Dribbble, and LinkedIn depending on their specialty focus. Comb technical communities, freelance platforms, and social networks to source passive candidates open to new roles.

Referrals from developers within your network often surface strong yet lesser-known prospects as well. Broaden beyond job boards to access the best available talent.

Interview Thoroughly and Practically

Conduct interviews that thoroughly demonstrate technical competence across the spectrum of required languages, frameworks, and tools outlined in the role’s needs. For key skills like JavaScript, React, and Node, design tests and code challenges that gauge hands-on coding proficiency in addition to conversational knowledge.

Also utilize roleplaying exercises that assess how prospects might collaborate across functions, tackle cross-cutting challenges, and navigate key workplace scenarios. This reveals processing skills not visible via skills-based technical querying alone.

Assess Culture Fit

Full-stack developers must toggle frequently between solitary coding and team collaboration throughout each week. Assess whether a candidate works well independently yet values integrated team success over individual accomplishments.

Furthermore, someone accustomed to working at breakneck speedups might not thrive implementing governance checks necessary for enterprise-scale software. Screen for adaptable temperaments amenable to your workplace culture. Soft skills and mindsets dictate sustained cultural fit.

Prioritizing well-rounded technical expertise, adaptable collaboration skills and cultural alignment will lead you to full-stack developers capable of excelling in cross-functional teams. When evaluating candidates, keep screening criteria broad rather than focusing solely on narrowly defined technical qualifications.

Conclusion: Leverage Full-Stack Developers Appropriately

Hopefully, this guide provided a useful perspective regarding when full-stack web developers bring valuable skills to initiatives, and how to carefully vet candidates. To recap, remember that:

• Full-stack developers possess coveted front and back-end skills to tackle projects holistically.
• They bring particular value to early-stage startups, agile teams, and projects with speed imperatives.
• Scope, complexity budget, timelines, and existing team dynamics determine optimal roles.
• Carefully screening soft skills and culture fit ensures full-stack developers transition smoothly across various functions.

The demand for full-stack continues rising across most industries. Harness their versatility appropriately, and they bring game-changing productivity. Strategically enhance project team dynamics with their cross-cutting skills. Just be sure to first mindfully determine each initiative’s needs before defaulting to any universal resourcing assumptions.

With some diligent planning using the above tips, incorporating full-stack web development capabilities into your digital teams, process,es and culture can pay major dividends and keep your web initiatives aligned with long-term goals.