Hire deeply vetted REST API developers

RESTful APIs have revolutionized the technology landscape, leading to trends like cloud computing and microservices-based architecture. These advancements have simplified communication and computing processes, highlighting the significance of hiring skilled REST API developers in 2023. However, identifying the ideal candidates for your team can pose a challenge.

This comprehensive hiring guide aims to assist you in recognizing the essential skills required to identify top-tier professionals. Additionally, the guide provides valuable information and interview questions that can be used to assess the expertise and capabilities of REST API developers, ensuring the selection of high-value talent for your project.

At a high level, REST API developers should have the following skills in their arsenal.

If you're looking to hire REST API developers for your technical team, look for professionals with a deep understanding of MVC frameworks. The ability to work with tools like Spring/Play is vital for meeting project requirements. So while hiring new specialists, always test their level of expertise in these skills. You can also ask MVC-related questions to test a developer’s domain-specific knowledge.

When hiring REST/RESTful API developers, professionals with experience in working with HTTP protocols should be something you should look for. It is the foundation of the modern web and is a stateless, application-layer protocol for communication between distributed systems. Ideally, you want to hire REST API developers capable of leading projects. Before hiring, spend some time understanding what type of projects they've worked on. This will also help to get an idea of their familiarity with in-use technologies.

Technologies like JSON and XML are probably the commonly used data transfer methods for building REST APIs. It adds interoperability features to help communicate with necessary applications. So if you're looking to find REST/RESTful API developers for hire, make sure to test their JSON and XML skills. You can consider technology-specific questions to vet their level of knowledge.

Another essential skill you should consider when hiring REST/RESTful API developers is expertise in HTML and CSS. The ability to produce unique front-end solutions using HTML or CSS is often the key to ensuring the fluid usability of products. Working with REST APIs requires a high level of knowledge and the ability to innovate using such technologies. Preferably hire a developer with at least a couple of years of experience.

While adding new REST/RESTful API developers to your team, make sure to examine the applicants’ JavaScript-related knowledge. Working with frameworks like AngularJS and Bootstrap are some of the most important skills a developer should possess. Such frameworks can often be the key to speeding up development cycles using pre-written codes for routine programming tasks.

Having professional experience in working with versioning tools is essential in the tech industry. The ability to keep track of changes and updates made during the development cycle helps in avoiding blockers. Using such tools, developers can revert to a stable version of the software, if and whenever necessary. It helps to test new features or codes without having to alter the entire project. So, if you're looking to hire REST API developers to be in charge of projects, look for professionals well-versed with version control systems like Git, SVN, etc., and their best practices.

One of the essential qualities to look for when hiring software developers in 2022 is communication. Companies prefer their developers to have strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to speak their minds. The quality becomes even more important if the requirement is to hire remote REST API developers for distributed teams. Interviews are the best way to get an idea about their professional attitude and interest in sharing new and innovative ideas.

Identifying talents and securing the services of the right REST/RESTful API developers in 2023 can be daunting without prior experience. Working with a hiring funnel can simplify the process and make shortlisting applications a lot easier.

To hire REST API developers who will be the best fit for your team, testing their knowledge with the right set of questions is crucial. Here’s a list of interview questions you can utilize to hire API developers.

10 bonus questions for interviewing REST API developers

• Define HttpMessageConverter in terms of Spring REST.
• What are the differences between the annotations @Controller and @RestController?
• Which key annotations are present in the JAX-RS API?
• How are JAX-RS applications configured?
• How does HTTP Basic Authentication work?
• What is the maximum payload size that can be sent in POST methods?
• Is it possible to use Transport Layer Security (TLS) in REST?
• What are the differences between PUT and POST in REST?
• Explain Addressing in terms of REST API web services.
• What are the core components of HTTP Response?