How to Manage a Remote Team of Developers

For the post-COVID world, remote work is no longer a novelty but a long-established standard that has already been widely adopted in many industries. This strategy is highly beneficial for both employees and organizations.

Needless to say, remote work is an integral part of the tech domain, particularly software development. With globalization and technological progress, companies continue actively cooperating with remote developers. This shift delivers a wide diversity of benefits but also presents specific challenges.

Overview of Remote Work in Software Development

The transition to remote work has been particularly impactful in software development. The tech industry has always been open to adopting new ways of working, and remote teams are no exception. Forbes has positioned the Computer & IT niche first in the list of jobs for remote workers in 2024. As the World Economic Forum claims, by 2030, the number of global digital jobs is expected to increase by approximately 25%, reaching over 90 million positions.

Companies now have extended their opportunities to hire skilled developers from anywhere in the world, breaking down geographical limitations and diving right into the global talent pool. Such a growing trend of remote work in software development is driven by many factors, covering first and foremost the need for flexibility, cost savings, and the ability to tap into almost any skill set. McKinsey Global Survey claims that nearly 87% of surveyed companies report that they have already encountered a talent shortage or anticipate facing one in the coming years, which is also a valid reason for businesses to look at the side of remote work.

Nevertheless, managing a remote team of developers requires a different approach than managing an in-house team. This strategy has specific challenges, so it’s essential to develop appropriate measures to address them and consequently achieve success.

This article aims to provide tried-and-true strategies that answer how to manage remote developers on your team successfully. You will discover how to effectively manage your remote developers and leverage the benefits of a global talent pool, as well as the common challenges such as communication barriers, maintaining productivity, and building a solid team culture. 

Benefits of Managing a Remote Team of Developers

Managing a remote team of developers has plenty of valuable benefits that can enhance your business operations and productivity, such as access to any specialization your project necessitates, cost-effectiveness, and improved flexibility. You should also discover how to hire a dedicated software development team which allows you to obtain all the advantages of remote cooperation and win maximum efficiency of this partnership.

Access to Global Talent

One of the most significant benefits of managing a remote team is the ability to hire skilled dedicated developers regardless of their geographical location. The U.S. Labor Department projects that the global shortage of software engineers could reach 85.2 million by 2030, putting companies at risk of losing $8.5 trillion in revenue due to a shortage of skilled talent. This issue requires opening up opportunities to reach out to the top talent worldwide, bringing diverse perspectives and expertise to your business. By expanding your talent pool beyond your on-premise options, you can engage talented developers with narrow skills and backgrounds to match your project requirements in the best way.

Cost Efficiency

Another pro of managing a remote team of developers is the potential for cost savings. In fact, the U.S. Career Institute claims that companies can save up to $10,600 per specialist who works remotely. With remote work, you can reduce overhead costs associated with on-premise office maintenance, utilities, and other expenses. Moreover, it’s a widely used technique to hire developers from regions with lower living expenses to achieve cost efficiency while maintaining flawless performance and work quality. 

Increased Flexibility

Remote work offers increased flexibility, leading to higher productivity among your developers. With the ability to perform from anywhere, technicians can create a work environment that suits their preferences and schedules. Remote employees appreciate such flexibility, as it allows them to focus on their work when they are most productive, resulting in better outcomes for your projects. According to Deloitte, 77% of Gen Z and 75% of millennials currently working remotely say they would consider changing jobs if required to work on-site full-time.

Enhanced Work-Life Balance

A remote work setup can also contribute to an enhanced work-life balance for your developers. Among specialists who have already switched roles or plan to do so, 47% cite better work-life balance as one of the reasons, according to Owl Labs. Without the need for daily commutes, software engineers have more time to spend with their families and pursue personal interests. This balance can lead to higher job satisfaction, work enthusiasm, and employee retention, benefiting your business with higher efficiency and productivity. This is because 83% of experts state they are more productive working from home, as per Intuition insights.

Challenges of Managing a Remote Team

In case you know how to manage a remote software dedicated team properly, you can gain many tangible advantages. Consequently, you should be aware of potential challenges you may encounter as well as techniques to handle them.

Communication Barriers

Effective communication is crucial for any team, and working remotely becomes even more challenging. Time zone differences can lead to delays in decision-making and disrupt the project flow. Language barriers further complicate communication, increasing the risk of misunderstandings and errors. 

Without face-to-face interactions, non-verbal cues are lost, making building trust harder and ensuring everyone is aligned with the project goals. The lack of spontaneous discussions can set back creativity and problem-solving, leading to missed opportunities for collaboration. 

Maintaining Productivity and Accountability

Supporting productivity and accountability in a remote team presents significant challenges. Without the ability to physically monitor developers, it becomes difficult to track their progress and ensure that deadlines are consistently met. The lack of direct oversight means managers must rely on self-reporting, which can be unreliable, or on digital tracking tools, which may not fully capture the nuances of each developer’s workload and productivity and sometimes even lead to micromanagement.

Home environments often have numerous distractions that can impact focus and efficiency. In contrast to structured office settings, remote developers may need help with maintaining discipline and productivity. The blurred lines between work and personal life can lead to burnout from overwork or underperformance due to home-related interruptions, resulting in missed milestones and reduced work quality. 

Building a Strong Team Culture

A solid team culture is essential for any successful and enthusiastic team, yet creating it in a remote work environment is more complicated. The absence of face-to-face communication means opportunities for comprehensive conversations, team bonding, and building interpersonal relationships are liquidated. Such in-person interactions naturally help in setting a cohesive team identity and shared values, which are more challenging to establish and maintain remotely.

Without a physical presence, a sense of teamwork can be hard to achieve. Remote team members may feel isolated, bringing in weaker connections and a lack of engagement. A disconnect can impact overall morale and collaboration, as team members may struggle to build trust and a shared sense of purpose. Therefore, obtaining the same level of team performance and enthusiasm that comes from a physically present team can be challenging, potentially affecting productivity and project progress.

Managing Diverse Work Environments

Remote developers often work from diverse environments, which can vary greatly in terms of technology access, internet reliability, and available resources. Some may have state-of-the-art equipment and high-speed connections, while others might need more support with outdated hardware or unstable internet. A disparity can hinder effective collaboration, as technicians with less reliable setups may experience interruptions during critical tasks or meetings. The lack of uniformity in work conditions means that not all team members are equally equipped to handle complex tasks or maintain consistent productivity.

Such diverse resources can lead to inequities in performance and output. Developers with better technology may complete tasks more efficiently and without disruptions, while those with subpar equipment may face frequent technical issues that slow their progress. An imbalance in this aspect can raise frustration and lead to inefficiencies. In these terms, ensuring all team members have the necessary tools and support, in this case, is inalienable but challenging, as it requires addressing each employee’s specific requirements and mitigating the impact of their working conditions on their productivity and contributions.

Effective Strategies for Managing a Remote Team of Developers

Now that we’ve got determined the challenges of how to manage a remote team of developers, let’s dive into some effective strategies for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring the success of your project. 

Establish Clear Communication Channels

Clear communication is essential for any remote team’s efficient and cohesive performance, and luckily, can be achieved with the respective tech tools. It’s recommended to establish clear communication channels and set transparent standards for interactions to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Implement tools like Slack for informal discussions, Microsoft Teams for project management, and Zoom for video conferences, which can help facilitate seamless communication and maintain team connectivity. Each mentioned tool serves a particular purpose: email for formal communications, Slack for handy updates and casual interactions, and Zoom for in-depth calls, discussions, and video meetings.

Aside from selecting the right toolset, you should come up with guidelines for communication frequency and methods. Define how often team members should check-in and the required formats for diverse types of communication. Having regular team meetings and one-on-one check-ins helps teams ensure that each specialist keeps up with project goals and that all misunderstandings are addressed. By establishing and adhering to these communication protocols, you can cut down the risk of your team’s miscommunication, enhance collaboration, and keep your team working cohesively and effectively.

Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Establishing clear objectives and requirements helps maintain productivity and accountability in a remote team. Start by providing detailed project briefs and timelines so that software engineers comprehend correctly what is expected of them. Clear documentation of objectives, deliverables, and milestones helps team leaders ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals.

To manage progress conveniently and effectively, you should integrate project management tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana into your workflows. These instruments allow you to track tasks, milestones, and overall progress, ensuring that team members remain aligned with the project’s objectives. Instead of focusing solely on tracking hours, shift your focus to estimating results and the quality of work delivered. Such an approach eliminates micromanagement and motivates developers to enhance performance and contribute meaningfully to the project’s success.

Foster a Collaborative Culture

Collaboration is the base of every development team, especially when working remotely. To build a cooperative culture, encourage your experts to work together on tasks through pair programming, code reviews, and brainstorming sessions. To optimize this process, use version control systems like GitHub or GitLab that ensure everyone is aligned with the project goals. Establish clear guidelines for communication and collaboration that account for any limitations in their work environments. 

Strive to form a friendly and supportive team ecosystem by creating opportunities for personal connection. Here, it might be helpful to introduce virtual team-building activities, informal chats, or online gaming sessions. Thus, you can strengthen your team’s cohesion and improve solid collaboration.

Focus on Results, Not Hours

When managing a remote team, don’t monitor the amount of hours your developers spend in front of their computer screen – start evaluating the value they bring to the project. Instead of concentrating on how much time was spent working, prioritize assessing the outcomes they produce. With the results-oriented approach, your developers become more responsible for their tasks, understanding and contributing their efforts. By measuring performance based on well-established, predefined goals, you inspire team members to work with greater standalone, leading to enhanced flexibility in their schedules.

Setting specific, measurable aims and assessing success based on these outcomes ensures that developers remain productive and aligned with project objectives without requiring constant supervision. This method ensures accountability and accommodates different working styles and time zones, as your software engineers can manage their work schedules in a way that suits their personal productivity rhythms. As a result, this approach enhances team efficiency and satisfaction, as it keeps teams motivated to meet greater targets and guarantees they are trusted to manage their own time effectively. You should also consider the best countries to outsource software development to come up with the option to optimally support the product in terms of the time-zone differences.

Our Achievements

Provide Opportunities for Professional Growth

Investing in the professional growth of your developers retains top talent and ensures the long-term success of your team. Offer opportunities for online courses, certifications, and mentorship programs to help your developers grow their skills and advance their careers. To manage diverse work environments, provide your developers with the necessary equipment and resources to perform their tasks. Consider offering stipends for home office setups and ensure they have access to essential software and tools.

Encourage your professionals to participate in developer communities and attend conferences, even if they are virtual. By supporting their professional development, you can build a more skilled and motivated team. 

Regular Team Meetings and Check-ins

Regular team meetings and check-ins can efficiently support connectivity and alignment within a remote team. Scheduling daily stand-ups ensures that each team member has an opportunity to quickly report on progress, discuss immediate tasks, and draw attention to any existing setbacks. Weekly check-ins provide a broader view of ongoing projects, facilitating all-around discussions about milestones, upcoming goals, and potential adjustments to the workflow. One-on-one meetings are also essential for handling individual concerns, providing personalized feedback, and ensuring tailored support. 

During these meetings, open communication and feedback are the things of primary significance. Encourage team members to voice any challenges they are facing, whether technical issues, resource gaps, or interpersonal concerns. Use this time to provide guidance, address concerns directly, and offer solutions that overcome obstacles. By actively engaging with your tech engineers and demonstrating a commitment to their needs, you reinforce a culture of support and cohesive collaboration. A structured approach ensures everyone is aware of the latest project updates, progress, and challenges, as well as also enhances team effectiveness and productivity.

Utilize the Right Tools and Technologies

Using the right tools and technologies helps optimize performance for a remote team of developers. Invest in project management, communication, and collaboration tools that facilitate streamlined workflows and ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need for maximum productivity.

Popular tools for managing remote teams:

• Project Management: Jira, Trello, Asana
• Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom
• Collaboration: GitHub, GitLab, Google Drive

Moreover, make sure that your developers have secure and reliable remote access to company resources. For this, you may take care of providing free VPN for mobile and computer devices to protect sensitive data from public eyes, cloud storage, or other security measures to protect sensitive data.

Building and Maintaining Trust in a Remote Team

Creation and support of trust is an inalienable aspect of how to manage a remote software dedicated team. It ensures the stable and ongoing qualitative performance of your remote team. Without trust, it can be difficult to foster collaboration, accountability, and a positive team culture. Here are some strategies to achieve this.

Encourage Transparency and Openness

In case you’re wondering how to hire a developer for a startup and succeed, you should emphasize transparency and openness from the beginning of your cooperation. This allows you to build trust within your team effectively. Encourage honest communication and feedback, and create an environment where all team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns.

Be transparent about your decisions and actions as a manager, and keep your team informed about any changes or updates. By being open and communicative, you can build a comfortable and friendly workplace to ensure that everyone works towards the same goals and feels heard and respected.

Recognize and Reward Achievements

Don’t forget to appreciate and acknowledge achievements – it is another important aspect of building trust within your team. Point out both individual and team successes, and show gratitude for the hard work and contributions of your specialists.

Appreciation may be represented in the form of public recognition during team meetings, bonuses or incentives, or even simple gestures like a thank-you note. By recognizing and rewarding achievements, you can boost motivation and enthusiasm as well as strengthen a positive team culture.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Harmony and work-life balance are the robust drivers that maintain the well-being and productivity of your developers. Offer your team to take breaks, set boundaries between work and personal life, and respect each other’s time.

As a manager, lead by example by setting boundaries for yourself and respecting the ones of your team members. A harmony between private life and work effectively prevents burnout and ensures that your developers are inspired and engaged.

Case Studies and Examples

To illustrate the effectiveness of these strategies, let’s dive into some case studies of successful remote teams in tech companies and extract the lessons learned from remote team failures.

Successful Remote Teams in Tech Companies

The predominant part of IT companies have already managed remote teams of developers, demonstrating the success and potential of remote work when managed effectively. For example, companies like GitLab and Automattic have fully remote workforces and have built strong cultures of collaboration and transparency. GitLab currently has over 1,800 employees spread across more than 60 countries, all working remotely. According to Sijbrandij, the company’s CEO, this fully remote setup enables them to tap into a significantly larger talent pool.

In the episode of Harvard Business Review, the company’s CEO Sid Sijbrandij shares the lessons he’s learned concerning how to manage a distributed workforce. He describes strategies for recruiting talent that thrive in remote work environments and effective onboarding processes. Besides, he mentions how GitLab’s leaders maintain company culture remotely and create virtual spaces for informal relationship-building.

At Automattic, employees work from their preferred locations, with the team distributed across 92 countries worldwide. They manage around 70% of our projects on P2-themed WordPress.com blogs, 25% in private chat rooms, and the remainder on Slack. The global spread of their team delivers the benefit of the around-the-clock operation.

Both of these companies emphasize the significance of clear and handy communication, efficient team support, and a friendly team culture. By implementing similar strategies, you can achieve tangible success with your remote team.

Lessons Learned from Remote Team Failures

While there are many success stories, there are also lessons to be learned from remote team failures. Common pitfalls include poor communication, lack of clear goals and expectations, and failure to build a strong team culture.

To avoid such challenges, focus on establishing clear communication channels, outlining responsibilities clearly, and forming a collaborative and supportive team culture. Adopt time-tested strategies and set your remote team up for success, winning your market.

Conclusion

Now you have covered effective strategies for overcoming these setbacks, such as establishing clear communication channels, setting clear goals and expectations, forming a collaborative culture, as well as building and maintaining trust within your team.

Managing a remote team of developers requires a different approach than managing your on-premise experts. You should adopt the respective strategies outlined in this article, to successfully manage your remote developers and leverage the benefits of a global talent pool.

FAQs

As you continue to manage your remote team of developers, remember that flexibility, communication, and trust are key to success. Continuously adapt and improve your management practices, and encourage your team to do the same. By fostering a positive and supportive remote work environment, you can achieve exceptional outcomes and build a strong, cohesive team.

How can I effectively onboard remote developers?

To effectively onboard remote developers, start by providing them with a comprehensive onboarding plan that incorporates detailed instructions, access to necessary tools and resources, and introductions to key team members. Schedule regular check-ins during the first few weeks to deal with any questions or concerns and ensure that the newly-come specialists are integrating seamlessly into the team.

What are the best tools for managing remote development teams?

Some of the best tools that help in the question of how to manage a remote software team comprise project management tools like Jira, Trello, and Asana; communication tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom; and collaboration platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Google Drive. Such instruments facilitate efficient workflows, clear communication, and productive collaboration.

How do I handle time zone differences in a remote team?

To handle time zone differences in a remote team, establish a schedule that accommodates the different time zones of your team members. Employ tools like World Time Buddy to coordinate meetings and ensure that everyone is available. Besides, stick to asynchronous communication, so team members can work at their own rate and still follow the team’s goals.