Essential Prescreening Questions to Ask When Hiring a Junior Web Developer

What Coding Languages are You Familiar With? Which Ones are You Still Learning?

This question aims to understand the candidate's technical skills and their eagerness to learn. It allows you to gauge their current knowledge and what they plan to learn in the future, indicating their potential for growth.

Why are You Applying for This Job? Why Does This Role Attract You?

This question helps in understanding the candidate's motivation and interest in the position. It can offer insight into whether they are genuinely interested in the role or just looking for any job.

Explain JavaScript to Me in a Way That Even an Inexperienced Techie Could Understand

This question tests the candidate's ability to break down complex concepts into simpler terms, a crucial skill when collaborating with non-tech team members or clients.

Name a Website You Like. What is Appealing About It?

This question can shed light on the candidate's design sensibilities and understanding of user experience. It can also provide a glimpse into their appreciation for aesthetics and functionality in web development.

Tell Me About a Time When You Got Stuck While Coding. How did You Work Your Way Through the Problem?

This question allows the candidate to demonstrate their problem-solving skills, patience, resilience, and resourcefulness — all crucial qualities for a web developer.

Tell Me About Your Favorite Development Project to Date

This question aims to understand the candidate's experience, their role in past projects, and what they find fulfilling in their work. It can also reveal their passion for web development.

Describe a Time When You’ve Dealt with Negative Feedback

This question assesses the candidate's ability to handle criticism constructively and their willingness to improve. It reflects their emotional intelligence and maturity, which are vital for teamwork and personal growth.

How Do You Keep Up with the Latest Coding Developments and Programs?

This question is designed to understand the candidate's commitment to continuous learning and staying updated in the fast-paced field of web development.

What’s the Most Important Soft Skill for a Web Developer?

This question tests the candidate's understanding of the importance of soft skills in a technical role like web development. Their answer can reveal their ability to communicate, collaborate, problem-solve, and adapt.

Do You Like Working as Part of a Team While You’re Coding?

This question gauges the candidate's team spirit, cooperation, and their perspective on what contributes to a successful coding team.

Can You Describe Your Experience with Responsive Design?

This question assesses the candidate's understanding and experience with creating websites or applications that work well on various devices and screen sizes.

What is Your Process for Testing and Finding Bugs in an Application?

This question probes the candidate's approach to quality assurance, their meticulousness, and their commitment to delivering bug-free applications.

Do You Have Experience with Version Control Systems Such as Git?

This question checks the candidate's familiarity with version control systems, a crucial tool in collaborative environments for managing code changes and revisions.

How Comfortable are You with Debugging and Optimizing CSS and JavaScript?

This question tests the candidate's proficiency in debugging and optimizing code, essential skills for creating efficient, fast, and smooth-running applications.

Can You Discuss Your Familiarity with API Design and Consumption?

This question gauges the candidate's understanding and experience with APIs, which are crucial for integrating and communicating between different software components.

What is Your Approach to Structuring Your CSS and JavaScript?

This question provides insight into the candidate's coding style, organization, and efficiency. It can reveal their perspective on code readability and maintainability.

Do You Have Any Experience with Server-side Programming Languages?

This question assesses the candidate's familiarity with server-side programming, which is crucial for creating dynamic, database-driven websites or applications.

Can You Explain Some of the Security Concerns to Keep in Mind When Developing a Web Application?

This question tests the candidate's understanding of web security concepts, a crucial aspect of developing secure, robust applications.

How Familiar are You with Database Design and Management?

This question gauges the candidate's knowledge and experience with databases, a critical component of most web applications.

What Project Management Tools or Methodologies Have You Used in the Past?

This question assesses the candidate's experience with project management tools or methodologies, which are essential for managing projects effectively and efficiently.