Hire a dedicated full-stack developer: A comprehensive guide
The state of full-stack developers is one to watch. Some respected voices in the industry claim that the role is becoming obsolete, while many others say there has never been such high demand for these professionals.
Funny enough, both claims may be correct — depending on factors like the business sector or the size of the organisation in question. If you’re reading these lines, you likely belong to those who need these specialists, with a key difference: you’re after top-tier talent, fully dedicated to your company.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to hire a dedicated full-stack developer. We’ll also explain what ‘dedicated’ (actually) means, the top skills you should be looking for, where to find your new developers, and common mistakes to avoid when hiring.
What is a dedicated full-stack developer?
A dedicated full-stack developer is proficient in the three core software development layers: presentation layer (front-end), logic layer (back-end), and data layer. Contrary to non-dedicated developers, they work exclusively for a single organisation.
When you hire dedicated developers, you onboard specialists who aren’t only 100% focused on your company but also have higher technical skills (generally) than non-dedicated developers.
Due to their commitment, dedication, and alignment with business goals, dedicated full-stack developers are known for contributing to organisations’ long-term goals.
When do you need a dedicated full-stack developer?
The main reason for hiring a dedicated full-stack developer is if you need a versatile specialist fully focused on building software for your company.
However, every business has unique needs, and since these professionals are jack-of-all-trades, they offer more than just coding skills. Here are some common scenarios where you might consider looking for dedicated full-stack developers:
- You demand ownership and managerial-type skills. An experienced, dedicated full-stack engineer can work with minimal supervision and deliver excellent results. Plus, they have the potential to become mentors to junior developers.
- You’re creating a minimum viable product (MVP). Working at a startup and planning to release an MVP demands high-quality code and speed. A dedicated dev can deliver both.
- You want to optimise costs. Hiring a dedicated full-stack developer allows you to avoid filling separate front-end and back-end positions, as they can handle the core layers of software development. With a hiring model like offshore software development, you can access top talent while saving up to 50% compared to local salaries.
- You need someone to troubleshoot in all layers of development. These professionals can quickly resolve issues in the front-end and back-end. Thanks to their technical skills, they ensure everything works as expected across the entire application.
Top skills to look for in dedicated full-stack developers
One of the critical aspects of hiring a dedicated full-stack programmer is knowing what technical and soft skills to prioritise. Should you focus on evaluating their knowledge in a specific language or framework, or on their ability to propose innovative solutions?
To make your life easier, we’ve analysed the most important attributes to look for in the ideal candidate.
Technical skills
- Knowledge of in-demand languages. It may sound obvious, but the right full-stack developer must feel comfortable working with the most popular full-stack languages such as JavaScript, Python, Java, TypeScript, and Dart.
- Expertise in popular frameworks. Depending on your needs, you’ll want engineers with experience in front-end and back-end frameworks like React, Angular, Ruby on Rails, or Django.
- Database management. A dedicated full-stack developer should be proficient in storing, retrieving, and managing data using both SQL databases (like MySQL and PostgreSQL) and NoSQL solutions (such as MongoDB or Firebase, depending on the use case).
- Understanding of UX and UI principles. Your new developer will work with UX and UI designers to ensure applications are intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly, so it’s important they have at least a basic understanding of design.
- Familiarity with DevOps. A well-rounded specialist should understand deployment, scalability, and CI/CD workflows and be familiar with tools like Git, Docker, Kubernetes, and modern cloud platforms.
Soft skills
- Teamwork & collaboration. Dedicated engineers work closely with your in-house team, so they must be open to collaboration and proactive when interacting with stakeholders.
- Time management. As dedicated developer have their full attention on your organisation and don’t juggle multiple clients, they tend to be productive even with tight deadlines and changing priorities.
- Analytical thinking. One of the main differences between a non-dedicated and a dedicated full-stack developer is that the latter goes beyond mere coding and thinks critically to evaluate and understand complex problems.
- Problem-solving. Due to their experience working in all core software development layers, dedicated developers must know how to apply practical solutions to any issue that may arise during software development.
- Creativity. Dedicated programmers need to think outside the box, envision new solutions, and contribute ideas to build the best possible product.
Where to find top dedicated full-stack developers?
Some of the best dedicated full-stack engineers are located thousands of miles away from your headquarters. Countries like India in Asia, Poland and Romania in Eastern Europe, and Colombia and Brazil in Latin America are among them.
India
It’s no surprise that a country with a 5.8 million software development talent pool is home to elite full-stack engineers. In recent years, these professionals have earned a reputation for building software for industry leaders and innovative startups.
More than 1,950 global capability centres (GCCs) now operate in the country, many backed by giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta. A large number of these are concentrated in Bangalore, India’s fastest-growing tech hub, which ranks among the top 10 global startup ecosystems.
When you hire software engineers in India, you are getting specialists with deep expertise in full-stack development and experience collaborating with Western organisations.
Learn more about our model – the smarter way to go offshore
LEARN MOREEastern Europe
Poland has long been known for producing top developers with expertise in multiple languages and frameworks. Cities like Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw concentrate most of the country’s tech talent and are popular destinations for European organisations looking to nearshore or outsource software development.
Besides Poland, Romania is gaining traction as a top location for hiring dedicated full-stack developers. The country ranks 2nd in ITC services exports across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca emerging as its two most important tech hubs.
Latin America
Colombia is one of the prime locations for US organisations looking to nearshore software development due to the abundance of talent, minimal time differences with major US cities, and strong drive for innovation.
Indeed, Colombia ranks 4th among the 20 economies in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Global Innovation Index 2024, a report that analyses the most innovative economies in the world.
Despite Colombia’s massive growth, Brazil and Argentina remain major powerhouses in Latin America. For instance, the engineering software market in Brazil is projected to reach $2.8 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 20.6% from 2025 to 2030.
The cost of hiring dedicated full-stack developers
One of the key factors in deciding where to hire full-stack engineers is the salary specialists earn in different countries. As you may have guessed, salaries in Western countries are significantly higher than in nearshore and offshore locations like Poland and India.
However, it’s important to note that the final cost of a dedicated full-stack developer is influenced not only by the country they’re based in but also by factors such as their specialisation and the software development partner organisations work with to source, hire, and onboard such engineers.
| Country | Median monthly salary |
| US | $13.3K |
| UK | $8.2K |
| Australia | $7.5K |
| Poland | $5K |
| India | $2.3K |
Source: Levels.fyi (2025)
How to hire a dedicated full-stack developer in 3 steps
Now that you understand the top skills to look for, the locations to consider, and the cost of hiring dedicated full-stack developers, it’s time to discuss the strategy to get the best talent for your team.
Before diving into it, let’s make something clear: if you’re looking for highly skilled, dedicated developers, offshoring is a hiring model worth considering. With a reliable offshore partner, you can access rich talent pools and find the specialists you can’t get at home.
Other models, like outsourcing, are better suited for temporary tasks or short-term projects, but they don’t offer the same level of long-term commitment that dedicated engineers provide.
The three steps outlined below assume you’ve chosen offshoring to source, hire, and onboard dedicated full-stack developers.
1. Decide on the talent you need (skill set, expertise, seniority…)
Like with any other hiring process, the first step to finding the right talent is to know exactly what you are looking for.
You want to hire a dedicated full-stack engineer, but what level are you aiming for? Do you need a mid-level developer or a senior one? Also, what programming languages and frameworks should they specialise in, if any?
These are the types of questions you must ask yourself before going offshore. When your requirements are clear and your offshore development company understands what you need, the chances of a successful partnership are much higher.
2. Find the right offshore development partner
Most offshore partners claim they source and hire the best full-stack programmers in the world. So, how can you discern the reliable from the unreliable? Here are some quick actions you can take to verify their reputation:
- Check case studies. Go to their website, read their offshoring success stories, and see if they have experience hiring full-stack developers.
- Read client reviews and testimonials. Look for real opinions from business leaders and analyse carefully what they say (and don’t say) about collaborating with their partners.
- Request references from previous customers. You can also contact organisations directly on LinkedIn or other channels and ask them for an honest opinion about working with their former partner.
- Investigate their leadership team’s qualifications and expertise. Verify their experience in building tech teams, how long they’ve been in the business, and if they have a track record of successful long-term engagements.
- Assess their transparency and communication. Analyse the way they respond during calls, if they answer all your questions with confidence, and whether they provide clear, detailed information every time you communicate with them.
Even when evaluating potential partners, you may find yourself at a crossroads, with two or three that tick all the boxes. In that case, a good practice is to choose the company that offers a unique advantage no one else can provide.
For example, an offshore partner that not only hires and onboards tech talent but also keeps engineers happy and motivated with a dedicated Chief Happiness Officer (CHO). These professionals keep offshore specialists engaged by organising team outings, workations, and other activities.
offshoring that works
See how a top-rated meal delivery service finally got a properly distributed team
DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY3. Sign the contract and welcome your new full-stack developer
Now comes the easy part. Once everything is settled and on paper, it’s time to sign the contract and kick off what could be a successful partnership.
To avoid any surprises, review the contract for potential misunderstandings. Check the pricing, responsibilities, requirements… anything you consider might cause issues in the future. If all looks good, it’s time to welcome your new dedicated full-stack developer to your team.
Keep in mind that a reliable partner will always tailor the setup to match your needs and timeline.
Why hire dedicated full-stack developers with The Scalers?
At The Scalers, we understand how challenging it can be to hire dedicated engineers who (actually) drive value to your business. We’ve built over 100 tech teams for organisations like yours and have heard mixed experiences about working with offshore developers from other providers.
Take Nextpoint’s example. This US legal company had tried offshoring but didn’t get the results they expected until they found the right offshore model to hire dedicated full-stack developers in India.
Thanks to it, they were able to set up an 11-person team of in-demand specialists pivotal to launching a groundbreaking serverless product.
Do you want to know how we hire full-stack developers that are culturally aligned with your company’s values, mission, and vision? Fill out this form telling us your unique requirements, and one of our senior executives will answer any questions you may have.
Perhaps you’re also looking to hire Python or front-end specialists. If that’s the case, we invite you to read our guides on hiring dedicated Python developers and dedicated frontend developers to know where to find them and what the best strategy is to get top talent.
In summary
As you may have noticed, finding the right professionals for your team is a matter of aligning technical skills with business goals. That’s why it’s so important to collaborate with an offshore partner that analyses your requirements carefully, speaks your ‘language’, and offers a customised solution.
We hope what you’ve learned in this guide will help you find the dedicated full-stack specialists you’re after!
If you’re interested in learning more about offshoring and building tech teams, don’t miss out on our weekly articles. We’re constantly publishing guides and articles on these topics!
FAQs
How long does it take to hire a dedicated full-stack developer?
Hiring a dedicated full-stack developer can take several weeks or even months, depending on the timeline you’ve set with your offshore development partner. Ideally, you should be able to hire and onboard specialists within 3-5 weeks.
How does The Scalers ensure the quality and security of dedicated full-stack development services?
The Scalers ensure quality and security through a unique 7-step recruitment process that sources the top 1% of Bangalore’s elite engineering talent. Their fully managed offshore model covers everything — operations, infrastructure, and compliance — with ISO 27001 certification ensuring data protection. Their partners can focus on achieving their goals, while The Scalers build high-performing, secure teams that are fully aligned with their goals and vision.
