Struggling to find a good HTML5/JavaScript developer.

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Hello,

I'm currently going through a ton of pain trying to recruit a decent HTML5 developer and wondered if you guys might know some tips on where to look. So far we've been pushing through the traditional recruiters, but keep getting pushed traditional front end developers. These tend to be people great at things like cross site / jQuery but lacking the raw JavaScript exposure and HTML5 knowledge we really need.

I won't post too much about the role, as I don't want it to be seen as a job advert, but essentially it's to work on Mobile HTML5 stuff, which doesn't need so many traditional front end skills.

Cheers

- Ross
 
Tried looking for a PHP/ASP/.NET programmer? A good one will know how to do what you want.
 
JQuery has made a lot of developers pretty lazy, there is no reason for a day-to-day front end dev to know extensive JS. They should know HTML5 inside out though.

A good PHP (or disgusting ASP/.NET) developer will likely have the same problem however they should be able to learn JS quickly.

Mobile dev does mean the JS should be highly optimised which you are unlikely to get from a JQuery coder :)
 
Most non JavaScript programmers don't see JavaScript as anymore than a toy language though, and in my experience don't want to learn the quirks that make JavaScript so much more expressive and flexible than other languages.
 
Hello,

I'm currently going through a ton of pain trying to recruit a decent HTML5 developer and wondered if you guys might know some tips on where to look. So far we've been pushing through the traditional recruiters, but keep getting pushed traditional front end developers. These tend to be people great at things like cross site / jQuery but lacking the raw JavaScript exposure and HTML5 knowledge we really need.

I won't post too much about the role, as I don't want it to be seen as a job advert, but essentially it's to work on Mobile HTML5 stuff, which doesn't need so many traditional front end skills.

Cheers

- Ross
Maybe look up the best smaller local developers or creative studios; they're the kind who like to keep right up to date, instead of just getting stuck in a safe tradition.

Tried looking for a PHP/ASP/.NET programmer? A good one will know how to do what you want.
Incidentally, all good models are great photographers and lawyers make for great police officers.
 
Drop me an email via my trust and we can have a chat if you like, depending on what your looking for I maybe able to help out.
 
But also if your after people on the bleeding edge of tech then i'd get a few tweets out and also check jobs boards such as jobs.37signals.com & jobs.jsninja.com.

The other approach is to network, get yourself down to some events like 2011.full-frontal.org (this weekend) where you will find lots of people right up your street.
 
JQuery has made a lot of developers pretty lazy, there is no reason for a day-to-day front end dev to know extensive JS. They should know HTML5 inside out though.

Seriously? I'll agree on the comment about jQuery making people lazy but thats no excuse to have an understanding of JavaScript. I would never employ anyone who said they knew jQuery without JavaScript as it likely there just a cut-and-paste type.
 
I think the problem is most big agency's/companies are required to make sites work in IE6 & IE7 so often HTML5 is out of the question. This is changing and we are def in a transition period, but as a result a lot of front end devs don't see a need to bring their skills up to date, especially permy's. Mobile and TV apps are changing this however.

I'm a freelancer who prides myself on writing full OO javascript. I have 5 years commercial experience with javascript and a little over 18 months experience with jQuery, but coming from a pure javascript background I find jQuery a doddle.

If you're looking for a good HTML5 dev and js programmer then look for a contractor. They are more proactive than perms in keeping up with tech and learning new skills. London has a lot of meetups which you might like to attend as a way of finding someone.

I do moonlighting, so if you're interested then drop me a PM.
 
Incidentally, all good models are great photographers and lawyers make for great police officers.

Bit of an exaggeration. A programmer is a programmer and a good one will know the different languages well enough to complete the task, or know someone who can. And anyone who knows PHP/ASP/.NET but not HTML doesn't know what is going on and wouldn't get the job anyway.

I believe what you meant to say was all good headshot models are also good fashion models.
 
I know I know but you can't say a PHP programmer who isn't a decent HTML5 developer is a bad programmer. Yeah you'd be worried if they didn't have an understanding, but it's not a requirement of their field to be up-to-date and skilled with layout and markup!
 
Layout and Markup is something a PHP dev should know, since it is a web language and you need HTML to display PHP... But a designer should really be the one making it look good.
 
Programming is something a web designer should know, since they are designing for the web and you'll need programming to provide content...

Look I'm not saying a PHP programmer ignorant to HTML is a good thing, but the OP wanted someone with raw front-end knowledge, not someone with an okay grasp of it because they work in the same field.
 
PHP developers don't waste time making stuff look good. That is exactly why designers are also employed.

You will be very hard pressed, as the OP has found out, to find a front end person who is good at Javascript. Therefore, looking for a backend person who knows OO languages has a good chance of also being able to do Javascript. And if they know HTML5 too then the OP could employ them. It was a suggestion to go down a different route to find someone for the job. Not a bash at front end people...
 
Are you saying that a good PHP dev is only as skilled as a bad ASP.Net one?

;)

:) not quite what I was going for!

Seriously? I'll agree on the comment about jQuery making people lazy but thats no excuse to have an understanding of JavaScript. I would never employ anyone who said they knew jQuery without JavaScript as it likely there just a cut-and-paste type.

What I meant was that most developers will have a working knowledge of javascript in as much as they can craft their own solutions using JQuery rather than copy and pasting. What they don't tend to have these days is a in depth knowledge of the intricacies of Javascript and how best to use them.

Programming is something a web designer should know, since they are designing for the web and you'll need programming to provide content...

I really hate the idea of a designer writing code, a designer should make pretty pictures whilst having a grasp of what is possible. I would never let one of my designers write production code. They do a bit of prototyping but that's about it.

there is an annoying trend at the moment to use javascript for just about everything, its not as fast as a "proper" language and should be used with care.

redeye_uk said:
I think the problem is most big agency's/companies are required to make sites work in IE6 & IE7 so often HTML5 is out of the question.

Nobody supports IE6 anymore. and IE7 can be supported using HTML5 Shiv
 
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I really hate the idea of a designer writing code, a designer should make pretty pictures whilst having a grasp of what is possible. I would never let one of my designers write production code. They do a bit of prototyping but that's about it.

Exactly! My post was merely a parody of the one above it.

PHP developers don't waste time making stuff look good. That is exactly why designers are also employed.

You will be very hard pressed, as the OP has found out, to find a front end person who is good at Javascript. Therefore, looking for a backend person who knows OO languages has a good chance of also being able to do Javascript. And if they know HTML5 too then the OP could employ them. It was a suggestion to go down a different route to find someone for the job. Not a bash at front end people...

It was the bash on back-end people that got me, y'said they're only a good back-end developer if they know front-end stuff to a high level ;)

Either way, I just searched google for "html5 website development my town" and found some impressive portfolios. Worth a try, especially considering this area is poor for web development!
 
I didn't mean to make it sound like that at all, shark. I think you added a few words I didn't put down/meant to mean. What I did mean is a fair few back end devs do know front end stuff to a high level. It comes with the job. That is all the basis for my suggestion to op. Anyway. Enough of that :/

Rick: several internal systems are still IE6. Supported at a premium though, in cost and time.
 
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