Remote work has been all the rage lately. People want more flexibility, less time wasted commuting. And it’s quite understandable.
Still, many businesses are sceptical about hiring remotely. There are lot of misconceptions and stereotypes related to remote software development. It is thought to be designed for tasks outsourcing rather than a way to build great products.
We at YouTeam know it firsthand. Helping our clients extend their development teams, we often deal with scepticism and lack of trust surrounding remote workers which, however, changes as soon as they give it a try.
Despite certain risks involved, there are multiple examples of successful tech startups and great products built entirely or partially by the distributed tech teams. To prove this, we’ve decided to reach out to some of such companies, including Zapier, Doist, Toggl, HubStaff, Buffer, Wistia, Product Hunt, and ask them about their best practices for hiring and managing remote development teams.
I. Why do companies go remote?
Сompanies decide to go remote for a number of reasons: to be able to tap into the global talent pool and hire the best specialists, regardless of their location; to optimize operation costs by running a virtual office instead of a physical one; or to get a competitive edge as an employer by offering more workplace flexibility to the staff. Still, what is the company’s main motivation when hiring remote developers? Learn more about benefits of running a distributed team in Part I.
II. Where to find developers for a remote team?
There are dozens of hiring platforms focused on remote work, e.g. RemoteOK, FlexJobs, WeWorkRemotely, etc. And there are even more job search websites that also feature remote job opportunities, e.g. Hired.com and Indeed.com. However, the demand for workplace flexibility is remarkably high among the candidates, so it is not always so easy to find and hire remote developers. Learn more about the key sources of remote tech talent in Part II.
III. The geography of the remote work
What are the best locations to hire remote developers? Many US companies hire developers in Eastern Europe, Asia or South America. The locations have been quite popular lately due to the growing talent pool and more affordable rates. Yet, most companies don’t consider time difference, language, or culture as a barrier and are open to hiring remote developers regardless of their location. Learn more about geographical preferences for hiring remote developers in Part III.
IV. Best practices for running a remote team
How not to fail with transitioning to remote? Despite multiple evidence proving the positive effect remote work has on the employee performance and overall happiness, workplace productivity is still considered one of the top concerns when hiring remotely. What are the common challenges when working with remote developers and how to overcome them? Explore Part IV.
Originally published at youteam.io on May 29, 2018.
