IT companies have started including more remote developers to support their increasing business demands. Most organizations have learned to manage their remote development teams effectively and efficiently.
Organizations also see remote developers as a great way to promote diversity in the workplace. A workforce with different backgrounds and cultures provides unique insights and ideas.
Many large companies, such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, etc., have already switched to remote work for huge success. That’s why they decided to continue with remote work even post-pandemic.
A recent Gallup survey has shown that only 2 in 10 people work on-site while 8 in 10 work remotely or in hybrid. This trend is expected to exist in the future. Moreover, hybrid models will likely grow to 81% in 2024 from 42% in 2021.
You must be thinking.
Will it be challenging to manage remote development teams?
The answer is Yes.
It might look like a difficult job at first, but with the right tips and tools, you can successfully manage your remote development team. Read the full blog to learn the ways of monitoring your remote teams.
What Challenges Do Businesses Face While Managing Remote Development Teams?
1. Monitoring productivity and work
Are you aware of how much effort your remote team puts in and the speed at which they complete their tasks? For numerous managers, these questions still need to be answered. With complete visibility into their productivity, it’s easier to tell if remote staff members are fulfilling their role adequately and ensure they use their skills decisively.
As a result, supervisors of remote teams need to find strategies for assessing their staff’s performance. It includes establishing measurable criteria to measure what amount of tasks must be finished in one day, like:
- Making 100 calls per day.
- Scheduling 15 social media posts.
- Writing 2 blogs per day.
It is essential to ensure uniform expectations of productivity by using the same KPI metrics to evaluate both remote and in-office employees. It creates clarity and equity within your organization, regardless of how or where team members work.
2. Scheduling conflicts
Managing remote development teams often means having developers spread across multiple time zones, which can lead to difficulties with collaboration, communication, and keeping all the stakeholders in sync.
Scheduling conflicts can arise if there is no clear plan for synchronous working hours or if different members of the team are working at varying shifts due to time zone differences.
In addition, ensuring all relevant stakeholders are available for regular check-ins can be difficult if there is no schedule overlap. Managers must find solutions that accommodate each person’s work style and allow maximum productivity.
3. Attendance management
The next big challenge is managing the attendance of remote developers. In the absence of a proper attendance tracking system, it might be difficult to track developers’ working hours, leaves, absences, holidays, etc., to ensure the smooth workflow across every team.
4. Building Trust
It can be difficult for remote managers and employees to foster a trusting relationship. Leaders wonder if work is being completed satisfactorily, while employees are uncertain about their importance in organization structure and goals.
Establishing transparency between all remote team members is paramount for developing trust and successful collaboration. You can foster such trust by being open about the following topics:
- Project timelines
- Working hours
- Project updates
- Payments
- Pay rates
It is essential to be upfront with the remote developers and freelancers you employ regarding the expected workload. When attempting to forecast what’s ahead, refrain from exaggerating; providing a freelancer with unrealistic expectations can create mistrust and lead them to believe that they are being misled.
5. Communication
Communication is integral for attaining success when managing remote development teams. To effectively utilize team members and understand what everyone is up to, it is necessary to solicit input from all developers. Being spread apart geographically, fostering free-flowing communication isn’t simple. Conventional email platforms are often viewed as overly official avenues that don’t provide room for quick conversations.
To maintain a collaborative workflow in remote teams, an internal team communication platform like Slack provides the perfect setting for communication on multiple levels. Not only does this promote better collaboration among employees and freelancers alike, but it also allows new recruits to find quick solutions to commonly asked questions.
Follow-up question: How to manage developers effectively to overcome these challenges?
Read the next section to know the answer.
Top 6 Ways to Effectively Manage a Remote Team of Developers
1. Set clear expectations
When working with a remote development team, it’s important to set expectations early on and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Make sure each team member knows their deliverables and when they are expected to submit them.
Additionally, make sure they are aware of any deadlines or milestones they need to meet and make sure that communication is clear and open, so they feel comfortable asking questions or bringing up any issues that arise.
2. Use remote workforce management tools
Remote workforce management tools like Workstatus or Timely are great for helping remote teams stay organized and on track. You can use these tools to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and project progress.
Additionally, you can create customized reports and dashboards to help you visualize how the team is doing at a glance. With these tools, you can make sure everyone on the development team is working towards a common goal and that deadlines are being met.
Sign up to try the best remote employee management software for your remote development team here-
3. Encourage collaboration
In order to foster collaboration and ensure everyone stays on track, you’ll want to set up virtual meetings regularly. It will allow team members to connect face-to-face and discuss any issues or ideas. These meetings should be short and productive, and you should ensure everyone’s voice is heard. You can also use these meetings to reward remote developers for completing tasks, as this can help boost morale and increase motivation.
4. Check in regularly
Check in with your remote team regularly, even if it’s just for a few minutes every day.
Schedule regular meetings to discuss progress, upcoming tasks, and any potential challenges or roadblocks that need to be addressed.
You can also take advantage of employee monitoring software to view what your developers are doing at any point in time to ensure higher productivity and efficiency.
This way, you’ll be able to catch issues before they become big problems, and you’ll keep everyone on the same page and feeling connected. Additionally, actively listening to your team can help build trust and understanding between you and your remote developers.
5. Celebrate successes
It’s also important to celebrate successes and recognize individual contributions, even if it’s done virtually.
Setting up regular virtual meetings, such as a weekly “celebrate wins” gathering, can help to foster a sense of unity among the team, and remind everyone that their hard work is appreciated.
Celebrating milestones together can also help to increase team morale and foster a sense of pride in their work.
6. Keep communication lines open
Good communication is the cornerstone of any successful remote team. When managing a remote team of developers, it’s essential to ensure that everyone on the team is able to keep in touch with each other. It means setting up an effective system for communication and collaboration, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, or an email system.
Also, ensure that all communication methods are used equally across the board. Ensure everyone on the team has access to the same resources and information to eliminate potential discrepancies. By keeping communication lines open, you’ll create a more efficient and productive remote team.
Closing Thoughts
Establishing a highly productive remote development team will not happen in a day. It requires dedication, commitment, and mutual communication to meet the same target.
Having clarity between every member of the team and being transparent about it is key to achieving successful remote team management.
Moreover, you can also use time tracking software to see if remote employees are working to their full potential or not.
Thanks for reading!!