When to Hire a Team of Node JS Developers in 2023

Node JS is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment for creating server-side and networking applications. Since the release of this technology in 2009, it has become extremely popular and now plays a significant role in web development. Various statistics and reports confirm this. For example, according to Stack Overflow, Node JS is the 6th most popular technology in 2022.

This popularity is fully justified because Node JS has many advantages. That’s why businesses are trying to use the tool to develop the back-end of their application, which creates a need for professional Node JS developers. Based on their many years of experience, the specialists of the software development company are ready to share valuable insights about which projects you need Node JS for, what skills reliable developers should have, and where to find them.

When Do You Need Node JS Developers? 

Node JS is used to build fast and scalable web applications. The platform uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it simple and efficient. This is an excellent solution for developing real-time applications that process large amounts of data and run on distributed devices.

Let’s look at more examples of projects where Node.js development can be beneficial: API development & integration, plugin development, chatbot development, real-time chat apps, data analysis tools, migration services, support, and maintenance.

Skills to Look For When Hiring Node.js Developers

Of course, the choice totally depends on what level of specialist you need: junior, middle, or senior. When looking for at least a middle Node JS developer, make sure the developer has the following skills:

• Strong knowledge of Javascript syntax and Node JS peculiarities
• Knowledge of front-end development technologies
• Experience in frameworks like Express.js, Koa.js, etc.
• Ability to apply static and dynamic typing
• Experience in design patterns
• Understanding of software design principles, unit- and integration testing
• Knows software development techniques, algorithms and data structures, architectural approaches
• Understanding of microservice interactions
• Ability to optimize database queries
• Ability to solve performance problems
• Working with container orchestration systems like Docker or Kubernetes
• Cloud expertise

Possible Ways to Hire Node JS Developers

It seems that this is not challenging to find the right specialist 一 you just need to google “custom web application development” or “Node JS developers,” and you will immediately find the right specialist. However, due to supply and demand imbalance in the labor market, it can be challenging to find a professional. Let’s take a look at the main ways of finding Node JS developers for full-time/part-time, remote work, projects, or start-ups and figure out the main advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Freelance developers

Freelancers are developers who work on a project-by-project basis. The advantages of hiring freelancers are direct contact with the contractor, work speed, low cost compared to hiring a full-time employee, and less paperwork. The main disadvantage is unreliability (there is a risk of not meeting deadlines and being left without work done).

In-house developers 

You can hire your own team if you have the time and finances. The advantages of this approach are reliability backed by a working contract, long-term collaboration, multitasking, team spirit, and motivation. Disadvantages are the following: the search process takes longer than in all other cases, and high cost and additional costs for workplace equipment, insurance, taxes, etc.

Staff augmentation

Staff augmentation is the expansion of your team with the necessary specialists. Today, many businesses adhere to this model because it is reliable (the contractor vouches for their employees) and requires fewer costs compared to hiring in-house employees. You can choose professionals on your own, depending on your project. Since there are quite a lot of IT companies that offer staff augmentation services, the search for specialists does not take much time.

Dedicated team

The dedicated team model is similar to the staff augmentation approach. The difference is hiring the whole development team instead of specific specialists. These can be designers, QA engineers, marketing specialists, etc. Another advantage of these two approaches is reliability. There are a lot of outsourcing companies, and the competition in this sector is very high, so each company tries to exceed the client’s expectations and complete the project as efficiently as possible.

The benefits and opportunities that outsourcing offers to companies far outweigh the opportunities provided by in-house hiring. However, to take full advantage of these benefits, it is essential to entrust your project to a reliable Node JS team with deep development expertise.