The demand for skilled front-end developers grows despite some fears of over-saturation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job demand for web developers and digital designers is projected to increase by 13% from 2020 to 2030, faster than average for all occupations the BLS is tracking. 

It is no wonder that many applicants with little or no experience are trying to get into positions along with qualified candidates. HR and engineers’ best tools for narrowing down large pools of applicants are front-end code assessments designed to test job-specific skills. These should be patterned on the actual tasks and deliverables of the role candidates are applying for. Check out the sample challenges below. 

Build Complex Objects

For senior positions, engineers can ask candidates to build complex objects like:

• Signup form: Almost every brand website includes a signup form to invite visitors to a commitment. Front-end development candidates should demonstrate data parsing, error handling, and animation skills, among others.

• Multi-section landing page: Landing pages are designed to catch visitors’ attention and hook them with a compelling message. Poor design and functionality can turn off audiences who might otherwise be interested in the company’s product. Candidates can be tasked to build a multi-section landing page with interactive elements. 

• Product list page with filter function: Based on the company's offering, candidates can build a listing page for products, jobs, houses, or services. Ideally, listing pages should have a function for filtering results, as is usually found on eCommerce websites. 

It’s a good idea to have candidates submit an explanation about their approach to solving the challenge. Engineers can further discuss important points in a post-test interview with the applicant. 

Build Simple Objects

For junior roles, engineers can task candidates to build simple objects typically used in the company’s front-facing interfaces.

• Price grid component: Usually seen on eCommerce websites and product pages.

• QR code reader: Applicable to mobile apps and websites that offer payment options to visitors.

• Product/service pre-launch page with email subscription field: Used by brand websites to keep customers engaged before the launch of a new product or service. The page should include an email signup field which returns an error message when users submit an incorrect email format.

• Website/webpage clone: Alternatively, candidates can be instructed to clone a specific website or webpage to test their level of skill.

Website Design and Elements 

Nearly all serious businesses today have brand websites to engage and capture their audiences online. Engineers can test applicants’ front-end skills with the following challenges:

• Build a sample website. Candidates can build a sample website based on the company’s most popular product or service.

• Redesign UI/UX of a specific webpage. Candidates are invited to redesign a commonly used webpage using interactive elements.

• Redesign website for mobile viewing. Candidates are tasked to incorporate responsive design to ensure optimal mobile viewing.

Engineers can also invite candidates to a pair programming exercise to test collaboration in a team setting after the initial challenge.

Mobile Applications

With consumers migrating to mobile, businesses are eager to launch and offer mobile apps to continue engagement. Front-end code assessments can focus on:

• Developing new features. Candidates can tinker with image resolution, search options, security, and push notifications, among others.

• Optimizing for speed. Candidates can experiment with image compression, reuse of data templates, component loading priority, and other techniques to increase app loading speed. 

• Optimizing for scalability. Businesses with a growing user base often encounter issues with scalability. Candidates can demonstrate technique and experience by using monitoring tools, adjusting the tech stack, and simplifying architecture to scale up the app.  

When using front-end code assessments, engineers can use their internal team's performance as a benchmark for applicants taking the challenge. 

In summary, front-end code assessments are engineers’ best weapons when it comes to filtering numerous candidates for front-end developer positions. Technical tests should be developed to reflect the day-to-day duties of the job according to the nature of the business’ operations. This way, engineers can better determine whether candidates are a perfect fit for the role and a good addition to their team.

Choose Your Front End Code Assessments For Technical Hiring

Filtered offers ready-to-go front-end code assessments to help you align technical interviews with the position you’re hiring for. Our platform supports Angular, Bootstrap, Ember, React, and more. We have also developed a scoring rubric for each front-end code challenge to help reviewers measure performance without looking at the code. Furthermore, Filtered’s technical hiring platform enables live video and technical interviews to help determine whether candidates are a good culture fit. 

Filtered is a leader in skills-based, data-driven recruiting technology. Our end-to-end technical hiring platform enables you to spend time reviewing only the most qualified candidates, putting skills and aptitude at the forefront of your decisions. We’ll help you automate hiring while also applying objective, data-driven techniques to consistently and confidently select the right candidates. To get started, contact our team today or register for a FREE demo.