For our next hire, should we hire a Java or HTML/Javascript/CSS Skill set?

Question

Our Company is looking for new web developer. Our main tool is built in Java, and there is a relatively big list of things that we need to fix in the java layer, and then there are all the clients that we deploy every month and we do for them a lot of front end tasks in HTML/CSS/JavaScript.

I am inclined in hiring someone with Java as core skill and HTML/JavaScript/CSS as required and proficient. In the other hand, my manager think we need a knowledgeable person in HTML/JavaScript/CSS and some understanding on JAVA.

Analyzing this from an objective perspective we need two developers, but what will be the best solution or hybrid if we are only able to hire ONE.

Answer 1

Which of the two things (Java or front end development) do you want to do less? Hire someone with the skill you don't want to develop and spend more of your own time on the thing you want to get better at.

Answer 2

Do you want someone working on the front-end ?
Hire a HTML/CSS/JavaScript guy

Do you want someone working on the back-end?
Hire a Java guy

Do you want someone doing everything?
Hire someone that's fresh out of college

Answer 3

I think it should depend on the in-depth knowledge of each Java or HTML/JavaScript/CSS, which you need to both maintain and develop your system.

On other words, if you don't find someone that could do both, choose someone for the system that is more complex (since he would learn the easiest part of the system faster than he would learn the most difficult one).

Answer 4

Go with the java developer, you should make your backend as solid as possible because it is easier to redo the way something looks than it is to redo the way it functions.