▸ Hiring playbook · 2026

How to hire a Full Stack Engineer

Hire full stack engineers who own features end-to-end. This is the same 5-step playbook our customers run for every hire - start to offer in ~21 days.

See vetted candidates View full stack engineer roles

14–21d

Time to hire

kickoff to signed offer

2–3

Interview rounds

incl. final

92%

Offer acceptance

vs ~60% industry

~5:1

Shortlist-to-hire

typical ratio

Blueprint

The 5-step process

Each step has a clear owner, a typical duration and a deliverable. Run it like a sprint.

01
Define the role and must-have skills
Day 0 · 1 hr
Agree the 3–5 non-negotiable skills before sourcing. For a full stack engineer, that's typically TypeScript, React, Node.js, Next.js plus demonstrable experience shipping production systems.
02
Decide on level, comp, and working pattern
Day 0 · 30 min
Mid-level full stack engineers earn around £65k–£88k; senior hires reach £90k–£130k. Confirm hybrid/remote expectations upfront - it's the single biggest deal-breaker on offers.
03
Source vetted candidates
Day 1
Skip cold sourcing. Haystack matches you with pre-vetted full stack engineers actively interviewing, with skills, salary and notice period verified upfront.
04
Run a focused 2–3 stage process
Day 2–10
Keep it tight: 30-min intro, technical deep-dive, and a final round with team and leadership. Avoid take-homes longer than 2 hours - top candidates won't engage.
05
Reference, offer, and onboard
Day 10–14
Move fast on offer once a decision is made. Senior full stack engineers often have multiple processes running; a 24–48 hour offer window is the new normal.

£65k–£88k

Mid-level base

Anchor your comp band around the mid-level number. A senior full stack engineer reaches £90k–£130k; juniors start near £45k–£60k. Add ~10–15% for London and Berlin, and 25–40% for SF and NYC, where total comp dominates base.