5 Peculiarities of Working With Remote Software Engineers

Remote Jobs in IT

Basically, remote work in IT is nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s one of those branches that allows workers to work from the comfort of one’s home or outsource projects to a team in a remote location anywhere in the world. Plus, globalization kind of doesn’t give us any other choice. We can work with anyone everywhere. And since software development only requires as little as a laptop and wi-fi, it can be done almost anywhere. It seems so easy: find software engineers and let them work! But the truth is, working with remote software engineers has its peculiarities, and you have to take them into account.

Peculiarities of Working With Remote Software Engineers

If you have never hired remote workers before, there are many things that may be new to you. Qubit Labs has a lot of experience working with remote software engineers, and our specialists compiled a list of peculiarities you need to know about that. Working with remote software engineers can be tough, but we know how to make your life easier and your work more efficient.

1. Task management. You might know how to manage a remote team. Use an online task management system like Asana, Trello or GitHub. Be sure to organize the software development process, carefully create projects, break them down into tasks, assign due dates, and be very precise with task descriptions.
2. Time tracking. To see how much time your remote engineers spend on tasks and to keep track of their activities, integrate a time tracker with the project management system you’re using. Hubstaff, for example, not only tracks one’s productivity, but also automatically captures screenshots of what the person is doing. Also, speaking of time: have flexibility of working hours, but not too much flexibility. Flexible working hours is a great benefit, but it is important to have some consistent times when your software engineers are online and available.
3. Communication. Ask the team of engineers to come to your office once a week to discuss progress. If they live too far away, use Skype or similar applications for calls, hold a video conference once a week. Write down notes – the most important meeting should be summarized with an e-mail sent out afterwards to every participant. Be sure to use concise and simple language. But don’t forget to talk to the engineer team about non-work related stuff too. Establishing a friendly connection will make workers feel more invested in the outcome.
4. Feedback & Criticism. In any project, feedback is the key to solving problems faster and more efficient. So, never underestimate the power of feedback. Constructive criticism can bring your project forward, and positive feedback motivates team members and makes them feel appreciated.
5. Documentation. Good documentation on APIs is essential for any team. Also, getting a high-quality documentation from a client before project start is very important.

Working With Remote Teams Is Rewarding

If you decide to hire a remote team of software engineers, there are some things to keep in mind. We have already talked about the main peculiarities of remote work, but we don’t have to tell you that it’s better to employ good and solid software engineers, who are highly motivated and responsible. Working remotely isn’t for everyone, so be sure to find people who have the personality for it. And make sure your own business does! Working with talented people in any branch is very rewarding. And working with talented software developers and engineers – web developers, web designers, etc. – even if they are far from you and your company, can work wonders for your business.