How to Evaluate a React Native Developer’s Skills During the Hiring Process

Do you know how you can hire a React Native developer? What things you should consider? React Native framework has been used quite a lot lately, but what it is, and why are its developers crucial? 

According to ResearchGate “This framework allows you to create applications for mobile devices using CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript, instead of using specific API platforms such as Android, IOS or Windows Phone.”

To make things easier for you, I’ll tell you how to evaluate a React Native developer’s skills during the hiring process. Employers need to pay attention. 

The Key Assessment Strategies to Identify Top React Native Talent

1. Define Your Hiring Requirements

Your first step begins with you. You need to be clear with your hiring requirements and should be vocal about it with the candidate. 

Why This Matters

Before diving into interviews and IT assessments, you must define your project needs. Are you looking for someone to build a new app from scratch? Do you need an expert in performance optimization? Defining the role will help you filter candidates efficiently.

What to Consider

• Project Scope: Identify whether the role requires frontend-only expertise or backend integration knowledge.
• Experience Level: Junior programmers are great for simple applications, while complex projects require senior developers.
• Industry-Specific Needs: SaaS companies might need assistance in building dashboards and integrating analytics tools.

By clearly outlining your requirements, you ensure that you hire React Native testers who align with your company’s goals. It matters because React Native has been used a lot, take a look at the data from 2019-2021.

2. Assess Core Technical Skills

Technical skills play a crucial role, and they need to be on point. But why?

Why This Matters

A solid understanding of React Native fundamentals is essential for building stable and responsive mobile applications. Without this, your app could suffer from technical issues, crashes, or poor user navigation.

Key Technical Skills to Look For

• Strong JavaScript & ES6 Knowledge: React Native is built on JavaScript, making proficiency in ES6+ features like arrow functions, async/await, and destructuring crucial.
• Understanding of React Concepts: Candidates should demonstrate expertise in React fundamentals, such as component lifecycle, hooks, and state management (Redux, Context API).
• Mobile-Specific Features: Experience in handling device permissions, push notifications, and location-based services is a plus.

How to Test

During technical interviews, ask candidates to explain ways React Native differs from ReactJS, or in what way they would handle battery optimization in an app. Hands-on programmer assessments can also reveal their real-world expertise.

3. Conduct a Hands-On Coding Test

Conducting a hands-on coding text is a must because that’s how you’ll see if they are qualified enough or not. 

Why This Matters

Theoretical knowledge is one thing, but the ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code is another. A programming test helps you assess their practical qualifications in a real-world scenario.

Best Practices for Coding Tests

• Live Coding Challenge: Ask the candidate to build a simple React Native app with basic navigation, API calls, and UI components.
• Code Review Exercise: Provide a poorly written React Native code snippet and ask the candidate to improve it.
• Performance Optimization Task: Give a scenario where an app faces performance bottlenecks and ask the way they would resolve them.

For SaaS companies, where platforms handle real-time data and high user traffic, hiring developers who can write efficient and scalable code is critical.

4. Evaluate Debugging and Problem-Solving Skills

Debugging and problem-solving skills always come in handy in quick fixes. So check if they are good with it or not.

Why This Matters

Bugs are inevitable in software development. A good coder should be able to debug issues accurately and apply logical thinking to solve conflicts.

How to Assess This

• Ask About Past Challenges: “Tell me about a time when you encountered a tricky bug in React Native. And what you did do to resolve it”
• Provide a Debugging Task: Share a piece of broken code and ask the candidate to debug and fix it.
• Check Problem-Solving Approach: Look for structured, logical thinking rather than random trial-and-error attempts.

A great React Native creator is not just someone who writes code, but someone who understands how to troubleshoot and optimize applications.

5. Check Experience with Native Modules and Third-Party Libraries

Experience with native modules and third-party libraries is a plus point for the developer. 

Why This Matters

React Native bridges JavaScript with native modules (Swift for iOS and Java/Kotlin for Android). Developers should know where to integrate native modules when required, ensuring better app stability.

What to Look For

• Experience with Native Modules: Can the engineer write native code when necessary, like handling complex animations or accessing device hardware?
• Familiarity with Third-Party Libraries: Popular libraries like React Navigation, Axios, and Firebase integration should be second nature.
• Handling Updates & Compatibility: Check if the candidate understands how to keep dependencies updated without breaking the system.

For projects that require custom native functionality, a designer with strong native module training is a huge asset.

6. Assess Soft Skills and Team Collaboration

Apart from all the technical skills, soft skills, and team collaboration is also an important aspect. 

Why This Matters

A technically sound applicant who lacks communication and teamwork expertise can slow down the entire project. Collaboration is key, especially when working remotely.

Key Soft Skills to Assess

• Communication: Can they explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical team members?
• Team Collaboration: Have they worked with designers, backend administrators, and product managers before?
• Adaptability: Can they adjust to new challenges, tools, and feedback quickly?

Finding a great coder is not so difficult but finding one who is great at his work as well and can work as a leader or work in a team is rare. 

7. Verify Past Work and References

Past work and references can tell you several things about the candidates. So dive into it. 

Why This Matters

A developer’s past projects provide insight into their coding style, attention to detail, and ability to deliver high-quality applications.

How to Evaluate Past Work

• Portfolio Review: Check live projects they’ve worked on, preferably in the SaaS or e-commerce space.
• GitHub Contributions: Assess their open-source projects or past commits.
• Reference Checks: Speak with previous employers to understand their work ethic and reliability.

By verifying past work, you can confidently hire a React Native consultant who aligns with your expectations.

PRO TIP
If you like a candidate, but think they are not able to perform under pressure, give them a “take home” assessment and see how the person performs in a non-pressurized environment. 

Concluding Thoughts

Hiring a skilled React Native programmer requires more than just reviewing resumes. You need to assess technical proficiency, problem-solving qualities, debugging capabilities, and teamwork to ensure a great fit.

For SaaS companies, where scalability and accuracy are critical, hiring the right talent can directly impact business success. By defining clear requirements, conducting hands-on coding assessments, and verifying prior expertise.

You can confidently hire React Native developers who will contribute meaningfully to your project. Invest the time in a thorough hiring process now, and you’ll avoid costly mistakes down the road.