Full-Stack Engineer
Job description, salary, sourcing, 15 interview questions and a 30/60/90 plan to hire a Full-Stack Engineer in a German SMB.
At a glance
- Time to fill50–80 days
- Experience3–6 years
How to hire a Full-Stack Engineer for your SMB
Before you write the job posting, settle three framing questions. They decide which profile you are actually looking for and help you avoid the most common mistakes in tech hiring at a German SMB.
Question 1: Full-stack or specialist? Full-Stack Engineers cover frontend and backend at an intermediate to advanced level; pure specialists (frontend-only, backend-only) are deeper in their area. At tech SMBs with fewer than 10 engineers, full-stack is almost always the right choice: specialization is only worth it from a certain team size and product complexity. When in doubt, take full-stack with a slight tilt (more frontend-oriented or more backend-oriented) depending on the current need.
Question 2: Which stack do you have and how mature is it? A good engineer on React, Node and Postgres will not be productive on Vue, Python and MongoDB overnight; they need 2 to 4 weeks of ramp-up. For a mid-level profile, stack fit counts more than absolute seniority. Put your stack prominently in the posting; that filters out poorly matched profiles automatically. If your stack counts as legacy (classic PHP, jQuery, older Java monoliths), say so openly and target profiles who enjoy codebase modernization, instead of importing disappointed switchers.
Question 3: What share of the time goes into independent technical decisions? At an early-stage SMB (fewer than 5 engineers), a mid-level full-stack engineer regularly makes architecture decisions (library choice, designing a new service, refactoring critical zones). At an established SMB (more than 15 engineers), they execute more within a framework already set by a tech lead. The ideal profile differs: autonomy and resourcefulness in the first case, execution quality and collaboration in the second. Clarify this dimension already in the posting.
If all three answers point to a full-time Full-Stack Engineer (and not a specialist or tech lead), see the ready-to-use template on the Job description tab.
Where to source this role
LinkedIn
Recruiter Lite from €170 / month, plus €200-400 / month for Job SlotsThe most important active sourcing channel for tech profiles in Germany. Active sourcing via Recruiter Lite plus personalized InMails is far more effective than job posts alone: strong full-stack profiles rarely scan the jobs feed anymore. Filter precisely on your stack (React + Node or Python + Postgres) and seniority before reaching out. Generic outreach sequences see response rates under 5 %; personalized messages with a clear stack and product reference land at 15-25 %.
XING
ProJobs from €195 / monthStill relevant for tech profiles in the classic Mittelstand outside the Berlin startup scene, especially in NRW, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. A good complement for full-stack profiles between 30 and 45 who do not actively maintain a LinkedIn presence. In classic industry sectors (mechanical engineering, Industry 4.0, traditional trade) often on par with LinkedIn or better. Weaker signal for pure startup/scale-up stack profiles.
Honeypot, GitHub Jobs successor, niche tech boards
Honeypot success fee 15 % of the annual fixed salary; niche boards €200-500 per postingHoneypot is the Germany-specific tech reverse-recruiting platform: developers create profiles, companies apply to them. It works especially well for senior profiles who are not actively searching but open to a move. As a complement: stack-specific boards (German Tech Jobs, We Are Developers) and GitHub sponsorships for visible open-source profiles. Overall lower volume than LinkedIn/XING, but higher signal quality per contact; good for topping up a LinkedIn-driven pipeline.