Hiring Resources
Developer Hiring Resources
Everything you need to hire a freelance developer with confidence.
WH Studio
Product engineering agency
100+ Projects
15+ Countries
Direct senior delivery
Interview questions, contract essentials, vetting checklists, and red flags to watch for.
Interview Questions
Technical Assessment
- Walk me through a recent project from architecture to deployment.
- How would you handle state management in a React application with complex data flows?
- Explain how you'd design an API for a multi-tenant SaaS application.
- What's your approach to testing? Describe your testing pyramid.
- How do you handle database migrations in production?
Problem Solving
- Describe a time when you had to optimize a slow application. What was your approach?
- How would you approach building a feature you've never built before?
- Tell me about a time a project went wrong. How did you handle it?
- How do you prioritize technical debt vs new features?
- What's your debugging process when facing an unfamiliar bug?
Communication & Process
- How do you communicate progress and blockers to non-technical stakeholders?
- Describe your ideal development workflow and tools.
- How do you handle scope changes mid-project?
- What's your approach to code documentation?
- How do you estimate project timelines?
Culture & Values
- Why do you freelance instead of working full-time?
- How do you stay current with new technologies?
- Tell me about a disagreement with a client and how you resolved it.
- What makes a project successful in your view?
- How do you handle feedback on your work?
Contract Essentials
Scope of Work
- Detailed description of deliverables
- Technology stack and requirements
- Milestones and acceptance criteria
- Change request process
Payment Terms
- Rate structure (hourly/project/retainer)
- Payment schedule and milestones
- Invoice terms (Net 15, Net 30)
- Late payment penalties
Intellectual Property
- Code ownership transfers upon payment
- Third-party library attributions
- Pre-existing IP exclusions
- Portfolio usage rights
Confidentiality
- NDA terms and duration
- Definition of confidential information
- Permitted disclosures
- Return of materials
Termination
- Notice period (typically 2-4 weeks)
- Payment for work completed
- Code handover requirements
- Transition assistance
Liability & Warranties
- Liability cap (typically 1-3x contract value)
- Bug fix warranty period (30-90 days)
- Indemnification clauses
- Force majeure provisions
Vetting Checklist
1
Portfolio Review
- Review 3-5 recent projects similar to yours
- Check if they built full projects or just components
- Look for case studies with measurable results
- Verify they own the work (not team projects presented as solo)
2
Technical Verification
- Review GitHub contributions and code quality
- Conduct technical interview or code review
- Request a small paid trial project
- Check Stack Overflow or technical community presence
3
Reference Checks
- Speak to at least 2 previous clients
- Ask about communication and reliability
- Inquire about how they handled problems
- Check for on-time and on-budget delivery
4
Business Verification
- Confirm business registration if applicable
- Check professional liability insurance
- Review contract terms and flexibility
- Assess availability and capacity
What to Look For
🚩 Red Flags
- ✗No portfolio or only design mockups (not working code)
- ✗Can't explain technical decisions in past projects
- ✗Refuses to do a paid trial or technical assessment
- ✗No references or reluctant to provide them
- ✗Significantly lower rates than market (quality concerns)
- ✗Poor communication during initial discussions
- ✗Can't provide clear estimates or timeline
- ✗Refuses to sign an NDA or contract
✅ Green Flags
- Clear portfolio with case studies and metrics
- Active GitHub with recent contributions
- Strong communication from first contact
- Asks thoughtful questions about your project
- Provides clear estimates with assumptions
- Has professional contract and process
- References speak highly of reliability
- Transparent about limitations and availability
