Complete Guide to Hire Remote Developers and Software Development Teams

While companies hemmed and hawed about remote working, along came the pandemic, which forced companies worldwide to go fully remote, giving rise to a new normal in the workplace. 

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Nitin Nijhawan, CDOicon
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Companies did realize the benefits of remote hiring – even in software development – and today, businesses and companies are quickly moving towards a remote software development model.

A dedicated remote development team can be much more beneficial than an in-house team. But to get the most from your remote software development team, you must hire your team the right way. Here’s a complete guide on how to hire remote software developers successfully.

The benefits of hiring a remote software development team

Constant development

A dedicated remote software development team works full-time on your project. A remote team can consist of experts from around the world working from multiple locations – across different time zones. With expert talent working across time zones, you can be sure that someone is working on your company’s product development around the clock.

Flexible working hours

Professional remote software developers follow a strict work schedule that allows them to follow their unique and perfect work-life balance. It’s a known fact that happy workers will give you high-quality work and increased productivity.

Greater engagement

According to studies, remote workers are happier because they can choose where and when they work. As a result, they are more engaged; engaged workers are known to be up to 21% more productive.

Video conferencing services also help remote workers in an office setting feel more connected and engaged.

Expanded development abilities

An advantage of a remote team is that you can hire a team of developers with various capabilities, skills, and specializations. It’s hard to have that type of variety with an in-house team.

Expanded market reach

Remote developers act as brand ambassadors while working on your product development. They promote your products to potential customers in their region – an excellent way to indirectly expand your market reach.

Improved productivity

Remote workers are more productive than office workers because they work on their own terms – when, how, and where they work.

Software companies that hire remote developers have improved productivity as well as they can take up more projects.

Hiring remote developers: Factors to consider

Be specific about your software development needs

Understand your requirements and what you want to accomplish before you hire a remote development team. Understand the key technologies you will require for your project and estimate the number of skilled developers required to complete product development on time. Knowing what budget you must work within and how much you can pay the remote developers is also critical. Finally, clearly state your requirements to the candidates right from the very beginning.

Thorough remote developer screening process

Conduct a thorough remote developer screening process. That includes creating a thorough job description, conducting interviews, analyzing skills, and ensuring that the team understands every project detail. Finally, be sure that the team will be able to manage and complete your project successfully.

Look for skills specific to your project

The advantage of hiring a remote team is that you can pick the skill sets required for a particular project. You might have multiple projects in the pipeline, with each project requiring a specific skill set. You can hire a separate team for each project, depending on the required skills.

Candidates with previous remote work experience

Working remotely is an art- some are better at it than others. Choose candidates who have experience working remotely. These people can work independently, are self-motivated, have strong communication skills, are comfortable using various digital tools, and are team players.

Candidates who are familiar with remote project management tools and software

Project management tools and software are critical to coordinate and communicate with remote teams. Choose developers who are familiar with various remote project management tools and software that will be used to coordinate the project during the product development stage. If you use a particular project management tool, ensure the candidates are familiar with that tool.

Company culture and values in remote working

The best candidates are the ones who fit your company’s culture and values. If you haven’t identified your company’s culture and values, now is a good time to do that. Then, use assessment exams, interview questions, and surveys to assess if a candidate is compatible with your company’s culture and values.

Different time zones

When you hire a remote development team, they work in a different time zone than yours, so no time is lost on your project. But if you require candidates to work during a specific time so that it is easy to set up business meetings, ensure the candidates you choose can work during the specified hours.

Verify candidate credentials

The best way to protect your company when hiring remote developers is to verify all their credentials. That includes a background check of the educational history, work history, motor vehicle records, and even criminal records of every remote developer.

Tips to hire remote developers

Search for specific skills

Know that there are various types of developers. For example, a remote web developer is not the same as a Java developer or React developer; engineers have different skill sets than programmers and QA specialists.

Describe expectations you have from your remote developer

Ensure the candidates know exactly what is expected of them (job description), so they can decide whether they will be able to deliver what you expect.

Pick the right platform to look for the remote developer

There are dedicated platforms that remote developers use to look for remote work. Getting on these platforms will ensure you connect with the right people (remote developers) quickly.

Determine whether the remote candidate is good for the company’s culture and values

Make the candidate aware of your company’s culture and values so they understand the work code and ethics that must be followed.

Discuss the Statement of Work

The statement of work includes information like the objectives, deadlines, responsibilities, requirements, and payment. It covers all the nuances of an agreement between you and the candidate you hire.

Some questions to ask before you hire remote software developers

  • Where can I hire remote software developers?
  • Is there a trusted software development company I can go to?
  • Which job portals can I use to promote my remote developer position?

Why are remote developers better than freelancers?

Productivity matters

When scalability, productivity, accountability, and continuous development matter, remote developers are better than freelancers.

Saving costs is crucial

Hiring dedicated remote developers from a trusted company can work out much more cost-effective than hiring independent freelancers who can charge exorbitant rates.

Building strong relationships

A dedicated remote development team is an extension of your in-house team and is an excellent fit for a long-term strategy. The team members are committed to providing you with the highest quality of work and dedicate their time to your project, unlike freelancers who might take up several projects simultaneously.

5 traits to look for in a remote developer

  1. Positive attitude
  2. Strong communication skills
  3. Effective task management and schedule
  4. Project exposure and technical experience
  5. Team player

The best tools to use when hiring remotely

WP Forms

WP Forms is a simple and quick WordPress contact form plugin. It can be used to create anything from a contact form to an online purchase form that can be used to accept payments.

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is excellent for reporting tasks and projects and keeping track of the time spent on various activities.

Slack

Slack is a fantastic business messaging platform that links your team members to the information they need.

Every Time Zone

Every Time Zone keeps track of time across various time zones to ensure seamless scheduling of phone calls and meetings.

Google Drive

Save work from all your team members in a single folder on Google Drive and share them instantaneously with team members.

Zoom

Zoom provides your team with video, chat, voice, and conference rooms for improved communication.

LastPass

Safely and quickly swap account logins with LastPass.

Top 5 destinations to outsource software development

Here’s our list of the top five countries to hire remote developers.

  1. India
  2. Canada
  3. Indonesia and other Asian countries
  4. Brazil
  5. Ukraine

Expectations regarding remote software development work in 2023

There is no doubt that remote software development is here to stay. According to an article on Businesswire.com, software development outsourcing is predicted to grow by 70% by 2023. A whopping 99% of HR and senior technology leaders recognize the benefits of remote teams, and outsourcing tech talent will continue to be an essential ingredient for the success of any organization.

Conclusion

Hiring a remote team might seem tedious, but its benefits cannot be ignored. Hiring a remote development team is the way to go, no matter how large or complex your project is. The best part is that when you work with a firm like VLink, you won’t have to worry about managing remote development teams or how to hire remote agile engineers.

VLink has been providing businesses all around the world with cutting-edge and reasonably priced software development solutions and IT staffing for more than 15+ years. The company offers IT consulting and coding services and employs over 450+ software engineers and IT consultants. VLink provides every client with a fully managed and dedicated team of software developers working onshore, offshore, or in hybrid model, who use the most agile methodologies to deliver promised results for your development projects.  Have any questions? Please contact us or visit FAQs page here.

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