Remote work has become an important factor in retaining top talent over the years. Remote development teams allow you to bring resources into your office without having to allocate physical space. This idea is both cost-efficient and proficient.
What is the greatest challenge when you hire remote developers? It’s managing the team. This is a real concern. It is a difficult task to manage a virtual team in different countries.
Do not make things difficult, unpredictable, or stressful. It takes some goodwill and a plan to manage a team. This guide will assist you to manage your remote team.
We’re going to be covering
- Train them!
- Clear communication
- Organize your workflow
- Make sure everyone is on the same page
- It is essential to track your movements
- Recognize your team members
It is important to have a plan. You will be in a difficult place if you don’t know what your goals are. Unable to explain your goals? You will waste your time and money, while also spending too much. Everything is lost if you don’t achieve what you wanted.
1. Do your homework
Table of Contents
Make sure to be as specific as possible. It will help you save both time and money by planning your objectives and deliverables in advance. All members of the remote team should be aware of your business goals. This understanding is crucial as it directly affects the implementation of the features.
- Share Your Vision
Because you own the company, you are better at understanding your products and services than anyone else. Before you can create the features, you must have thought through the idea. You are clearly the expert, so you should be ready to answer any questions the remote web developers may have.
- Get to know them
Before you assign a task to an offshore development team, it is important to know how much time you are able to spend. Developers are known for breaking down their tasks and providing weekly updates on the progress. The productivity increase will be obvious.
- Clear with priorities and requirements
Prioritizing is an important aspect. Make sure you are clear about the priorities and requirements throughout the process. It is easier for the team to understand the priorities right from the beginning and save time later.
Also, give clear guidelines for productivity and accountability to ensure that everyone knows what is expected. Describe what you would like to see done. Be sure to include all functionality. Once you have provided a detailed quote and vision, your team can begin working hard on the project.
2. Train them!
Do not assume that someone who is good at work will be a successful remote worker. You don’t need to have the industry knowledge to master certain skills. It is possible to learn to use virtual sites more effectively and companies can take more responsibility for training them.
Encourage remote developers to feel connected with other employees and not lonely. They will feel more confident and comfortable in their work.
It is important to:
- Teach them new technology
- Assign a mentor
- Motivational boost
- Provide guidance
- Schedule check-ins
- Assess their professional level
- Let them know about the work culture
3. Clear communication
A collaborative process is the best strategy. It is important to establish a strong relationship with each member of the team. It will help you feel like a part of the family by staying in touch with your remote developers.
Video calls are better than weekly or daily meetings for your daily and weekly meetings. Video calls are better than email, documentation, and phone calls. It not only saves time but also increases productivity.
- Agenda for weekly meetings
To avoid interpersonal gaps, ensure that there is frequent thought sharing and meetings. It is essential to be aware of loopholes, bottlenecks, achievements, and to keep each other accountable.
- Give constant feedback
Everything depends on how fast you can give feedback. So that others don’t misunderstand you, express your thoughts without resorting to slang. You can use your sense of humor to crack a few jokes during conversations.
4. Organise your workflow
No matter how skilled your remote team is, your project will fail regardless of their skills. If your team members are not able to communicate with each other and know how to get things done, they will fall apart.
Set clear deadlines. Use project management software to give everyone a quick overview of what is happening in the team, and what tasks remain.
- Collaborative tools
You need a platform that can help you manage projects, assign tasks, and schedule deadlines. It should also allow you to share files and track progress. Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, and TeamViewer are the most popular tools.
Google Drive allows you to simultaneously work on files and documents without having to download and re-upload them. Google Drive is the best choice if you have documents that need to be edited by multiple people. DropBox can be used to share documents with your team members.
Teamwork starts with good communication
These are some key tools for team management.
| Multitask handlers | TipHive, Hibox |
| Management tool | Finite, Jira, Trello, Worksection, StoriesOnBoard |
| Documentation tools | GoogleDrive, TipHive SmartDraw, MadCap Flare |
| Communication tools for teams | Skype, Slack, and Uberconference. Flowdock, GoToMeeting. ProofHub. |
- Chat room
It is important to have regular video and audio calls. A chatroom is also helpful for team communication. This is because everyone doesn’t share the same office. This is the best way to avoid bumping into each other during the day and to communicate privately or with the entire team. This allows for quick discussions and rapid decision-making.
5. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
Every project’s most crucial part is decision-making. It can be difficult to notify remote teams about changes. It is important to establish a culture of transparency across the organization. Every new update must be documented and communicated to everyone. This will ensure that everyone is on the exact same page. This data will become a strong foundation for your future management.
- Be patient
Don’t lose your cool if you have given a task or project and are still waiting for an estimate. Don’t be rude or interruptive and wait for an estimate. You may have a few questions for the remote staff. These questions will help you to give a more accurate estimate and improve the implementation process.
- Understanding cultural differences
Managers working with virtual teams must deal with cultural differences and language barriers. First, you must be familiar with the culture, language, and holidays of remote workers. Your team will follow your example if you set a good example. This helps you navigate the cultural diversity of your workplace and prevents cultural misunderstandings.
Technical talent must reach peak performance. A person who works on a project must be completely immersed in it to give his all. Trusting developers will pay off. Managers should focus on performance and not attendance.
6. It is essential to track your movements
It can be difficult to track what developers are doing in remote locations. The basic productivity metrics must be tracked, including tasks status, daily tasks, and working hours, as well as the team’s productivity.
It makes sense to keep track of the hours your remote developers work. It is useful to track time in virtual worlds because it shows you how long someone has worked and what they did.
There are also tools that can track which websites remote workers visit, what apps they use and how much time they spend with breaks. These tools can help you manage your time better.
7. Recognize your team members
The team will respect you as the boss. It is one thing to give tasks and another to praise them for their work. A kick-off note can be used to start a meeting. It will allow you to praise them for their efforts so far. You will be able to tell if they are on the right track and what changes they need.
Show remote workers how much you care about them. You will make them feel more appreciated if you send them t-shirts and other tokens of appreciation. They can be rewarded with cash bonuses, movie tickets, or coupons for restaurants. Your small gesture will have a great impact.
Last Words
Be consistent with the work process and push for business goals. But make sure that you bring the entire team along. Be a motivator by getting involved and being clear by creating pre-plans. Give feedback on even the smallest details. Don’t wait until tomorrow to give feedback.
Management will be easy if you use the above techniques to manage your remote development team. Instead, you can easily encourage accountability and create strong communication channels while implementing the best tools for your development group.
