01
The re-screening tax
Every frontend CV lists React, so the keyword tells you nothing. You or your senior engineers re-read each one to guess at depth, and the stale data, hydration and state problems only show in the technical interview.
React developer recruitmentClients in the UK, Europe and USA
React is on every CV. Can they tell you why the page rerenders?
React is a broad keyword and an easy one to claim. A developer reads every CV before you do, and only the candidates who understand rendering, state and the browser reach your final interview.
Where your hiring time goes
02
The CV stopped being evidence
- The CV saysReact, Next.js
- It can’t tell youWhether they can trace rendering, effects and server-client boundaries, or diagnose a hydration problem.
- The CV saysRedux, Zustand
- It can’t tell youWhether they know what should stay local, what belongs on the server and what genuinely needs shared state.
- The CV saysJest, Playwright, Cypress
- It can’t tell youWhich behaviours they would test at unit, component and browser level.
If you run hiring for engineering
You need CVs that pass engineering’s interview, so you can send a shortlist it trusts. An engineer reads every CV before it reaches you. Fewer CVs, but better ones.
58%
of HR and recruitment leads who use agencies say the main reason engineering rejects agency candidates is that the CV looked good, but the person couldn’t do the job.
What the CV can’t tell you, and our interview does
A developer or CTO who works in the stack interviews every candidate. Each of these is a question you would otherwise only answer in your own interview.
Rendering and data flow
Whether they can trace rendering, effects and server-client boundaries, then diagnose stale data, hydration problems or unnecessary rerenders in a realistic component tree.
State and forms
Whether they keep state in the right place, and handle validation, submission and errors in a complex form.
Quality in production
How they handle accessibility, design-system constraints and testing strategy across unit, component and browser-level tests.
What every shortlisted candidate has to show
Knows what React is doing
They can explain React’s behaviour and the browser underneath it, rather than reciting hook definitions or copying fixes from an AI assistant.
Uses AI with engineering discipline
They can show how they check generated components and tests for accessibility, edge cases and unnecessary complexity, and own what ships.
Honest about their depth
They say plainly which parts of the React ecosystem they know well and which they have only touched.
How we take the screening off your desk
We recruit React developers for product teams using React, Next.js and modern TypeScript tooling. A developer screens every candidate on component architecture, state, rendering, forms, styling, testing and collaboration with backend and design.
Either way you get about 3 to 5 screened CVs a week, per role.
Route 1: we screen, you run the deep interview
We do
- Source candidates for the role
- A technical screen of every candidate, run by a developer or CTO who works in your stack
- A CTO approves every CV before it reaches you
You do
- Run the deep technical interview with the shortlist
- Make the offer
Route 2: we run the deep interview too
We do
- Everything in Route 1, including the technical screen of every candidate
- A 1.5 to 2 hour live-coding, architecture and implementation interview with your final candidates
- A written assessment of each candidate after the interview
You do
- Meet the candidates who passed
- Make the offer
Teams we have hired for
What clients say
“Metamindz helped us recruit our now CTO, reviewing CVs as they came in and then putting the CTO through a thorough 90-minute live 360 technical test. Feedback from our now CTO of the test was glowing and comms from Metamindz throughout the entire process were excellent. Highly recommend!”
Rupert Boddington
Co-Founder, Pockla
“Worked with Lev and Max. We worked with MetaMindz to help us interview and assess software engineering candidates. They were professional and great from the outset and throughout, great speed too. Would 100% recommend and we will be working with them again.”
Alexander Bushe
CEO, Fuller Focus
“We found it really easy working with Lev and the team to hire for our lead developer role and despite it still being early days, our new hire is making an impact already!” source
Billy Whiffen
Google review
Case study
Five hires, and management time back for building product
- 5
- hires across engineering and leadership roles
- ~90
- candidates reviewed for eLocker's team
- 80%
- retention: 4 of the 5 hires still in place, one left after more than a year due to career growth
Senior engineer
Built the AI front end, set up a design system that removed the need for Figma, and architected analytics properly.
Senior React developer
Described by eLocker as fast and methodical.
Impact as described by Billy Whiffen, eLocker.
What it costs
£5,000
Fixed fee for your first role
15% to 17%
Commission on each further hire
Included
- Sourcing and screening
- A technical screen of every candidate by a developer or CTO
- A CTO approves every CV before you see it
- About 3 to 5 screened CVs a week, per role
- No exclusivity required
- A 3 to 6 month guarantee, depending on seniority
Optional extra
Deep technical interview (Route 2)£300 an hour
A 1.5 to 2 hour live-coding and technical grilling session per final candidate.
All fees exclude VAT.
Tell us about the roleFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Our completed briefs include React and Next.js, alongside the supporting TypeScript, state, styling and testing ecosystem.
Yes. Senior developers can assess component boundaries, rendering behaviour, state choices, server-client trade-offs and frontend performance.
Yes. We assess whether candidates choose suitable patterns for the application rather than checking one library name. Relevant briefs have included Redux, Zustand, React Hook Form and modern build tooling.
Looking to hire?
Give us a few details about the role and your hiring plans. We'll assess your needs and get back to you with a practical next step.
Related technical recruitment
View all technical recruitment expertiseTechnologies in briefs we have recruited for
Listed for reference. We use these to scope the brief with you. A keyword on a CV is where screening starts, and the interview decides whether the candidate can do the work.
Core
- React
- Next.js
- TypeScript
- JavaScript
State and forms
- Redux
- Zustand
- React Hook Form
UI and delivery
- Tailwind CSS
- Material UI
- shadcn
- MUI X
- Vite
- Jest
- Playwright
- Cypress
Soft skills and working style
- User empathy
- Attention to detail
- Design collaboration
- Accessibility mindset
- Clear communication
Teams usually bring us in for: A React product team adding delivery capacity. A Next.js application needing senior ownership. A frontend platform or design-system role.