A guide to hiring OpenUI5 developers
OpenUI5 is an open source JavaScript library for building web apps, with a large set of ready-made controls for tables, forms, charts and navigation. It is the open source base of SAPUI5, the library behind many SAP Fiori apps. Teams use it when they want business screens that look and behave in a consistent way. Hiring for it is not the same as hiring a general web developer, so this guide sets out what the role includes and how to judge a candidate. It is written for managers, product owners and SAP teams who need front end help.
What an OpenUI5 developer is responsible for
The developer owns the screens in the browser. They set up the app, write the views and controllers, connect the models to data and handle routing between pages. They build forms that check what a user types, tables that stay quick with many rows, and messages that explain what went wrong. They write tests, keep the code tidy and prepare the app so it can be built and deployed. On some teams they also help design the services that feed the screens.
How the role differs from nearby jobs
A general JavaScript developer can build almost anything in a browser, but may not know the UI5 way of working. An SAP developer works inside the SAP system on code, data and interfaces, and may only touch UI5 now and then. A software developer covers a wider range and may not specialise in screens at all. Pick an OpenUI5 developer when the main problem is the user facing part of a business app built on UI5.
When an OpenUI5 developer makes sense
- You are building new screens for a system that already uses UI5 or Fiori.
- An older UI5 app needs to move to a current version.
- Your lists and tables are slow, and users complain.
- You need a custom control that the library does not provide.
- Your in-house UI5 expert has left and the app needs someone who can read it.
If you only need a landing page or a small marketing site, a general web developer is usually a better and cheaper fit.
Reading a UI5 developer’s background
Ask what the person built, not only which tools they list. Good answers name a real app, the number of screens or users in plain terms, the UI5 version, and the hard part they solved. Ask whether they wrote tests, how they handled a slow table and how they moved an app between versions. Be careful with a background that says UI5 but shows only small changes to someone else’s code. Copying a pattern is easy. Understanding why it works is what keeps an app healthy.
Interview questions to try
- How do you decide what goes into a view and what goes into a controller?
- Explain how a table updates when the model changes.
- When did you last write a custom control, and why was it needed?
- How do you test a screen that loads data from a service?
- What would you check first in an app that feels slow?
Listen for plain, specific answers with a clear role for the candidate. Doubt anyone who uses many terms but cannot give an example.
Try a paid mini project
Give each finalist a small task based on your own app. Useful examples are a form with checks and a save call, a table with sorting and filtering, or a fix for a slow list. Pay for the time. Look at how readable the code is, whether there are tests and how the person explains what they did.
Match the person to your stage
A new app needs someone who can set up the structure and make good early choices. A long-lived app needs someone patient who can read old code, add tests and make small, safe changes. An upgrade needs someone who has done one before and reads the release notes. Titles vary, so ask which parts of the work each person owned.
Agree the way of working
Give your developer access to the repository, a test system and the build pipeline, and no more than the job needs. Agree on how changes are reviewed, how often you talk and where questions go. In the first month, review each change together. After that, a short weekly note and a code review before each release are usually enough. Keep ownership of repositories and systems in your company name.
Working with your SAP and back end teams
Screens rely on services, so agree early on who builds them and how they are described. Share sample data and the list of fields before the developer starts. If the services change, tell the front end developer at once. A short weekly call between front end and back end people can prevent most surprises.
Mistakes to avoid
- Hiring a developer who knows UI5 by name only.
- Copying old screens without checking whether users still need them.
- Skipping tests because the first version works.
- Staying on an old UI5 version until it cannot be upgraded safely.
- Letting a contractor hold the only access to your repository or systems.
Want to see the back end side as well? Read about how to hire SAP developers, or look at our JavaScript developers if your app uses other frameworks.