Technology

Top 10 Tips for Managing a Remote Software Development Team

Organize your collaboration with a remote team
Remote work is gaining popularity. In a recent Gallup poll, 37% of those surveyed said they already did some kind of remote work. Obviously going remote is the best way to go, but of course, let’s face the fact that it has its challenges. Once you decide to use the remote control, it can be difficult to address the organizational issues that arise with managing people around the world.

Tip 1. Schedule communications
Your remote computer will be working from a different location and probably a different time zone. Strictly sticking to scheduled meetings will help you organize your day and your team’s workflow. Not having timely meetings can lead to gaps in communication, delaying the launch of your project.

Ukraine is conveniently located within three time zones of the rest of Europe, which is why many clients choose software development companies in Ukraine.

Tip 2. Tools for remote computers
Tools are essential for remote team collaboration as they help you structure your team’s work. An effective remote team will have a set of tools: an email service, file sharing capabilities, an instant messaging platform, project management software, video conferencing, and whatever else is required.

There are many collaboration tools to support well-structured communication.

For all-in-one solutions that allow you to organize, prioritize, chat about work, send files, and manage your projects, you can use:

All-in-one solutions

Troop Messenger, BasicOps, TipHive, Hibox, Paymo, Hive

Manage tasks

Avaza, Taskworld, TeamGantt, Fusioo, Trello, Jira, Twoodo, Wrike, Worksection, Finit, Eylean Board

Document collaboration tools

Google Drive, Bit.ai, TipHive

Team communication tools

Skype, Slack, SocialChorus, UberConference

Tip 3. Find a good workplace
Find a nice, quiet place where you can have regular meetings. The best place is an office equipped with a good Internet connection and a modern computer with a microphone and video camera. If you are missing one of these things, your communication will not be successful or productive. If you choose a noisy place, you can become distracted and lose concentration.

Tip 4. Define work procedures

Create clear project guidelines for productivity, teamwork, and responsibility so your employees know what to expect. Present your project idea and describe in detail what you want done. Your project budget will depend on what you communicate to your team. Your team can start developing your product faster and provide you with a more accurate quote by providing your vision for the project clearly.

Set clear tasks and give detailed answers. Please review the project requirements document carefully to make sure you have included all the features. Respond promptly to emails from your project manager, as he is the one who conveys what you say to the team. The development of your product will depend on the information your team obtains.

Most IT companies work according to agile methodologies. It is advisable to divide development into iterations. Analyze how often you will hold project meetings and the communication tools you will use (Slack, Jira, Skype, or others). Arrange with your project manager to have a quick recap session after each meeting to form new goals and discuss the decisions you have made.

Tip 5. Go on a business trip
Take a short business trip to meet the IT professionals you’ve hired in person. This is a good start for your project. While you are on the site, you can have a few sessions in which to solve all the questions related to your project. In this case, neither you nor your team members will be pressed for time, and you will all be engaged in communicating together in the same meeting room. In addition to the chat in the store, you can make personal connections. Your employees can also be inspired by your enthusiasm and vision for the project, which will accompany them and keep them going during the launch.

Tip 6. Get involved a lot
The success of your product depends on your participation. If a customer doesn’t care, leaves their employees without warning and returns when it’s launch time, the result can be disappointing. Your team will expect you to show genuine interest throughout the launch. After all, you are the initiator of the project and the animator of your team. For starters, be the first to appear online for meetings, showing that you are dedicated to your business.

Tip 7. Provide constant feedback
The results of each iteration and sprint depend on how quickly and how hard you provide feedback. Discuss with your project manager which tool you will use so that you can inform everyone about the decisions you have made and the tasks that need to be done.

Tip 8. Stay on the same page
To keep communication clear, make yourself easy to understand. Decide on the terminology to use so that everyone has the same intention when discussing the project. Try to express your thoughts without using jargon or idioms that can be misinterpreted.

A sense of humor is a good tool for fostering positive communication. Make sure to smile and make a joke every now and then when you have a video call to keep everyone at ease.

Tip 9. Trust your team
Managing developers means trusting them. When hiring an offshore company, don’t treat your employees as your property, but as people who can bring your idea to life. Treat them like members of your team and encourage them. Your project is as important to them as it is to you. If you don’t study what’s been done and provide good feedback, you risk spending more hours doing things because you didn’t pay proper attention earlier. Listen to your developers and designers to better understand the functionality, especially if you are not technically experienced.

It is clear that tastes differ, especially when it comes to multiple cultures. But if you entrust your product to your offshore team members, you must trust them. There is a lot of experience and knowledge behind the suggestions that they will probably make to improve your product. Take their suggestions into account and consider the result of implementing those suggestions. Simply put, trust the ideas your developers and designers express when it comes to development and design.

Hire a full-stack software company. A full-stack development company will start from the idea inception and end up supporting your product after launch. If you hire outside designers or QA engineers, you will have to spend more time coordinating the workflow of two independent teams.

Tip 10. Reward your developers
You are the leader of your team and your employees will look to you for approval. Giving assignments is one thing, but praising work done is another in team management. Compliments are sure to boost your team’s performance. To start on a high note, you can start each meeting with praise for the work done so far. Be sure to explain what you like about the project course. If you can give constructive praise, your team will understand that they are moving in the right direction.

During or at the end of development, you can show your appreciation by sending your team gifts such as t-shirts or badges with your company or product logo. You can also reward them with cash bonuses. By giving bonuses, you are investing in your project. Of course, this generosity may not be necessary, but it is sure to leave a lasting impression of your cooperation.

How to manage employees in remote locations
Working with a remote team online is not much different than working with a team in person. Follow the work procedures you established with your project manager and show enthusiasm and responsibility for the development progress. Inspire your team by being genuinely involved and clearly set goals so that everything goes according to plan. Provide feedback on even the smallest details about your product. The overall success of your project and the speed of development will depend on the responses you provide to your team.

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