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Discover Why In-House Teams of React Native Developers Should Be Your Hiring Priority
In recent years, there has been a rise in software development companies looking to hire React Native developers for their in-house teams. One of the primary reasons for that is because businesses today are realizing that having a business app is better for consumers compared to websites or desktop apps. And with smartphones becoming more and more prevalent compared to PCs, there was a need for mobile app developers.
But the question is – why React Native? Why not go for an iOS or Android developer? Well, the fact of the matter is that these two mobile platforms are quite different from one another, meaning that an app developed for the Android platform won’t work on a device running iOS.
This means that in order to cover the majority of your potential consumer base, you would need to develop two separate codebases, one for each mobile platform. Now, this is a far more complicated and time-consuming task. For one, you will have to spend more in order to hire individual developers for each platform.
Second, you would also need to ensure that the progression of both these apps progresses simultaneously, in order to ensure a uniform time-to-market. And finally, you would also need to ensure that the UI/UX of the apps is similar enough that if a consumer jumps from the Android version to iOS, they wouldn’t find it that difficult or different.
Therefore, React Native started gaining in popularity. With its hybrid capabilities with near-native app development potential, it is no wonder that there is such a huge demand for its developers today. But the question remains – what value does a React Native app developer bring to our business?
Let’s dive in and find out why mobile app development services are looking to add these developers to their teams.
What is React Native?
First, let’s start out by learning what React Native actually is.
React Native is a JavaScript framework that is based off of Meta’s proprietary ReactJS. It is designed to help developers create cross-platform applications for the iOS and Android platforms. It uses a mix of JavaScript and JSX, which is an XML-based markup scheme to create the various types of application software required by businesses.
The best part about using React Native over other hybrid development technologies is that the apps it develops have near-native to native displays. In order to do that, the apps use Java native rendering APIs for Android, and Objective C for apps designed for iOS.
Moreover, these apps can also make use of many more features, including hardware-level features like GPS location, camera and microphone, which were previously only accessible to native apps. This had been one of the biggest hurdles in the mainstream adoption of cross-platform and hybrid development technologies, as they were limited in taking advantage of a device’s full capabilities. Moreover, developers can now get by with creating one single codebase, which is then ported to the various platforms easily.
Therefore, we can say that React Native is a cross-platform that can truly compete with native development technologies for the most part. And being open-source, there is little to no limit on how developers can use it to take their apps to the next level. React Native apps developed for Android working on Huawei devices running the proprietary HarmonyOS evidences this.
Why Does Your Company Need to Hire React Native Developers?
Businesses today are trying to reach as many of their potential consumers as possible. And the competition is tough. With nearly every business having a website and social media presence, that alone is no more as effective at establishing a stronghold in the consumers’ minds. They need something more tangible than signing up to an email list or becoming a one-time customer as a metric of conversion.
Incidentally, getting the consumer to download and install a brand’s app onto their smartphone is a great answer to this quandary. Imagine, your brand’s presence constantly in the pocket of your consumer, on a device they use for the better part of the day. What could be better at reminding the consumer of your presence, than to be on a device that they use for 10-12 hours a day, every day?
In the years past, the limited storage capacities of smartphones was both a problem and a blessing for businesses using a mobile-based system. People would have to periodically clean their phones, and they would delete apps that they no longer felt were needed.
However, today, with phones having tons of onboard storage, not even counting cloud storage platforms like Google Drive or iCloud, that is no longer a problem. However, that also means that people now have tons of unwanted and useless apps on their phones. And once your app is installed, you need to stand out from that cloud of obscurity, without annoying the consumer.
Now consider, you are a small company that is trying to make its mark in a competitive niche, against established brands. How would you, as a brand, compete with them, without breaking the bank?
One way to do that, is to forgo native development, and opt for a React Native app. Now, you can use the revenue saved developing the cross-platform app, to work on new strategies on establishing yourself in the consumers’ minds over your competition. And in this way, you can bring your enterprise mobile app ideas to life.
But in order to do all that, you need to hire a React Native developer. Let’s dive in and discuss exactly why would you need to hire a professional software developer experienced in React Native for this.
- They are cost-efficient
- They are expert developers who know exactly how to bring harmony to elements native in Android and iOS
- Allow for easier maintenance as the developer only needs to test and maintain one codebase
The Job of a React Native Developer at a Software Company
Now that you have decided to hire React Native developers for your business, the next question you might be asking is about their responsibilities. And it would be a valid question. What does a React Native developer actually do? And how do they relate to working on the application lifecycle management?
- They should know how to create seamless user interfaces that work well for both Android and iOS. That is because as a cross-platform app developer, they need to ensure that the user experience is the same across both platforms.
- Well-versed in development best practices. Considering that the codebase would be the same across all platforms, it is important that the code is clean, and easily maintainable. Moreover, it should be built to eliminate redundancy as much as possible.
- Needs to be well-versed in development quality control and software quality assurance practices. Performance testing is an integral part of cross-platform development, and as such, React Native developers needs to test their apps for issues to fix.
- Should know how to integrate dependencies, APIs, native and external modules, as well as microservices. Considering that these apps would run on both iOS and Android, the developer should know how to integrate a variety of APIs and modules.
- Should be a team player. Most teams that work on cross-platform apps are usually cross-functional too. As such, the developer needs to be a team player, and should know how to handle and work well with a variety of stakeholders.
How Does Your Company Benefit from Hiring React Native Developers
We have discussed that cross-platform development is becoming more attractive to businesses due to its potential and economy. And that is one of the reasons that React Native has become so popular. But it isn’t the only one. There are other options as well, such as Angular, and more.
So the question is – why React Native? Why should a business hire React Native developers over, say, Angular developers?
Let’s take a look at a few reasons why React Native is considered the apex of the pool of successful cross-platform development technologies.
- React Native has a large and active online community. This community offers a lot of support and training to aspiring and new developers, offers solutions and study material, and help their fellow React Native developers should they run into any issues or problems.
- React Native offers a hot reloading option for components. Often a component would be unable to load the required data, which would require it to refresh. However, refreshing the entire page would result in data loss. Hot reloading allows React Native to refresh the respective component without affecting any other section.
- Rich third-party support for modules and plugins. As an open-source platform, React Native offers a rich library of third-party integrations for modules and plugins, which allows developers to customize their app, as they desire.
- Quick development time for multiple app platforms. As a cross-platform development technology, React Native allows developers to reuse up to 90% of their code when porting the app to another platform.
- Flexible architecture the hallmark of React Native. The structure of React Native allows for developers to collaborate easily, helping each other solve complex issues. This also helps in making updates to existing codebases, as well as getting suggestions on how to improve your app.
- React Native is more SEO friendly. A well-optimized React Native app has quick load times, which improves consumer retention and better SEO scores.
Choosing Your Ideal React Native Developer – What Skills to Look For in a Resource
Now that you know the importance of hiring a React Native developer, you have decided to do it. But with little to no experience hiring developers, how can you ensure that the candidates you are assessing have what it takes to develop the app that you desire for your business?
There are numerous skills, soft and technical, that represent the ideal developer for your team. Let’s take a look at the tables below to understand it.
Let’s first take a look at the soft skills your prospective React Native developer would need.
| Soft Skills for React Native Developers | |
| Good Time Management | Time management is essential for any developer, as it is essential to meet deliverable timelines and time-to-market |
| Clear Communicator | Working within a team, your developer should be able to communicate openly, and without reservations, to ensure the project goes flawlessly |
| Team Player | Your developer should know how to collaborate and work well with other stakeholders in order to ensure timely and smooth project development and delivery. |
Now that we have seen the soft skills required for the job, let’s take a look at the technical skills that separate the mediocre from the skilled developers. However, some of these skills also depend on experience of the resource you require.
| Technical Skills Your React Native Developers Should Have | ||
| React Native Expertise | Junior | Obviously, a React Native developer you hire should know the technology itself. They should know about elements like React native APIs and libraries even at junior levels |
| JS6 | Junior | Besides React Native APIs and libraries, they should also be skilled in JS6 or higher, and have basic app navigation development skills |
| Redux | Junior | Even at junior levels, your React Native developers should be skilled in Redux, as it helps preserve the state of elements across shared resources |
| Debug/Test/Compile | Junior | As a prerequisite to calling someone a developer, it is important that they know how to debug, test, and compile their code |
| Native Features Expertise | Mid | For mid-level developers, they should know the skills above as well as be familiar with elements of the native platforms like iOS and Android. This helps in streamlining and optimizing the UI and functionality for both |
| Database and Caching | Mid | No app works without the ability to handle and process data. Therefore, a mid-level React Native developer should be skilled in handling databases and data caching practices |
| Deployment Expertise | Mid | Now, an important skill to know once you are experienced enough to build a comprehensive is to know how to deploy it. This is a skill that is expected of every mid-level development resource |
| Third-party Integration | Mid | Besides the modules you develop yourself, developing an app requires that the developer integrate various third-party elements and modules into the codebase |
| Native Language Expertise | Senior | Finally, as a senior React Native developer, you are the pinnacle of the field. Therefore, it is expected that senior developers are familiar with native languages for the platforms too, such as Java or Kotlin for Android, and Swift or Objective C for iOS |
| Library Integration | Senior | Moreover, as a senior developer, the person should be able to integrate all the required libraries into the app codebase itself, turning it into a true native app that is also cross-platform |
| Consistency in Delivery | Senior | The ability to deliver and integrate consistently is something that truly great senior developers are expected to do. This ability to meet all your software development KPIs consistently is one that separates the average developers from the great ones |
| Ability to Mentor Juniors | Senior | Finally, the peak of being a senior in your domain, is having the chance to mentor and guide your juniors into growing and flourishing. This ability is an essential one when hiring a senior developer, as this would help your team long term |
FAQs
| 1- What are some popular businesses who use React Native? Some of the popular apps built using React Native include: – UberEats – Airbnb – Wix – Walmart |
| 2- What language are React Native apps written in? React Native apps are written using React, which is built using a JavaScript or ES6 based framework, and is used to develop cross-platform apps. |
| 3- What platforms does React Native support? React Native can be used to build apps for the Android, iOS, Android TV, macOS, tvOS, Web, Windows, and UWP. |
Conclusion
To sum it up, there is a growing need to hire React Native developers for your in-house team in 2023 instead of going for a Team as a Service model from an outsourcing company. The reason is that the rising number of smartphone users is slowly but surely eclipsing PC users, and as such, relying on websites alone is no longer as fruitful in establishing and growing your business.
Therefore, if you want to know how and why to hire React Native developers for your business, this guide above will help you find the right resource that you need.
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