How To Hire Remote Software Development Teams

I remember the day I decided to start my own online company that would help companies find and hire remote developers. It was a Tuesday, and I’d had three cups of coffee already before lunch.
That morning, as if some sort of divine intervention happened, an idea popped into my head: what if there was a website that helped companies find remote developers?

And here we are!

If you're looking to learn How to Hire Software Developers For Your Project, and build your own Remote Team, check out our talent zone!

For this blog post, I decided to talk with some companies that have innovative solutions and proven this model for success. They shared their best practices on hiring Remote Software Development Teams, which will help you grow your business by not only using external talent but also providing them with the resources they need so it's efficient and effective!

So, before we get into How to become a Remote Recruiting Superstar, let's talk about some basics.

Why Hiring Remote Developers Is The New Gold Standard?

Let's keep this fairly short.

Remote work is skyrocketing like Jeff Bezos ?. Haha. Just joking.

But until you've been following this trend for a while, you might think it's new and only the hip companies out there are doing this. Hiring remote developers is still foreign to some managers/business owners who need convincing that it works as well as having employees work on-site.

It isn't easy at first but once you get used to the idea of hiring virtual teams, it becomes second nature.

So, compared to having an in-house team, why is a remote team better?

Here are the main advantages of hiring remote software development teams:

1. You're not bound to local talent only and can find the best software developers for your business, no matter where they are. This is extremely important because you get access to a bigger talent pool and the chance to hire A-players for your business needs. Talent can be found everywhere, regardless of your location!
2. Remote workers are often more affordable because they have to pay for their expenses, including the cost of living. You also don't have to pay for office space or other amenities that you'd normally provide when hiring in-house teams.
3. Your remote team can be anywhere in the world, which gives them more time to work (not stuck in traffic jams). This helps people perform better at their jobs because they don't suffer from stress and fatigue like those who commute long hours every day.
4. You'll develop the best software that fits your business needs. Having a team of developers who are passionate about their work is essential for creating great software products because they're committed to achieving better results and making sure you don't waste time or money on unnecessary features.
5. A remote team's costs for salaries might be lower than hiring in-house employees since you can hire talent from countries where the cost of living and wages are lower like eastern Europe.

Being able to hire a remote developer is not just an option anymore but the new standard for modern businesses who want to be more efficient while getting better results!

Common misconceptions about remote work

The biggest misconception about hiring remote software development teams is that you'll lose control over the work process and developers will do whatever they want without your oversight because you're not working in the same office.

But this isn't true!

Remote employees are still accountable to their managers, even though they're not working in the same space. Managers need to be more proactive when hiring remote teams, which means creating an effective communication process and streamlining tasks/projects for their team members.

Remote developers are still human beings who get tired of communicating throughout the day or working on repetitive tasks without getting feedback from managers.

It's important that managers take into account not only developers' work history but also how well they can communicate with people and solve problems, which are skills that come in handy when working as a remote team.

What types of software development projects can be done remotely

Not every project requires an in-house team. There are plenty of examples when all kinds of software products have been created by remote teams, from small mobile apps to complex enterprise solutions and even custom web applications for startups.

As long as you can communicate with your development team online (which is easier than ever these days), the only limit is your imagination and the complexity of a given project.

The rule of thumb is to always consider the pros and cons of hiring a remote team before making your final decision. Sometimes it's better to go with web development freelancers or remote development companies to finish the job.

Hiring a full-time team vs hiring freelancers

While hiring a remote team is usually more expensive than going with freelance developers, you can get better results by working together.

Full-time Remote teams are more organized and considerate of your business needs because they have to deliver high-quality work within an agreed timeframe. In addition, full-time employees have the chance to develop specialized skills for specific projects so that they can do their jobs even better.

Freelancers are great for smaller projects or those that need to be developed on a short timeline. In addition, freelancers usually have the latest tools and technologies required for completing tasks which allows them to adapt quickly when there's a change in project requirements.

Tips on how to deal with time zone differences, language barriers, and cultural clashes

Of course, the biggest challenge of managing a distributed team is overcoming language barriers and time zone differences.

To make sure all tasks are completed on time, you might need to create an effective communication process that will allow developers from different time zones to communicate with each other without missing any deadlines or important dates.

It's also essential for managers who work in different time zones to stay in touch and take part in the team's daily standups.

To make sure all your members on your team can communicate as effectively as possible, you might need to try out different tools such as Slack or Zoom (if you want to include video calls), which will help developers feel like they're working at the same office even though they're not.

Cultural differences are also challenging, but there's no reason to worry - as long as you hire the right people and create a culture that compliments your company values, developers won't have any problems adapting or working remotely.

Where To Find Remote Development Teams

After we've shared some general tips on how to find and manage remote development teams, let's take a look at the best practices for finding and hiring talented developers.

Where to find a remote development team

We could have made a long list of different places where you can find remote software development teams, but here are our top 3 recommendations based on personal experience:

1. Sqotty.com – a great place to find full-time and freelance developers. Perfect for companies who are looking to build their remote team. It's our platform and is centered around remote software developers who share profiles with companies looking for remote developers. We have thousands of active users who are skilled in different programming languages such as Java, PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, etc. You can hire dedicated remote developers, app developers who are more into mobile development, and more. Some of them are not currently employed or work in a full-time positions but have an interest in working in new tech projects. You can also post a job posting if you're looking to hire only full-time remote developers.
2. Upwork.com – a great place to find freelance web developers, designers, and other remote professionals from all over the world who are ready to work on your projects for fair prices. This website is a marketplace where you can find the best freelancers from all over the world. They also provide some really useful tools for hiring developers including the ability to communicate with them using different apps like Skype, Facebook Messenger, or Google Hangouts.
3. HireMyFriend - is another great platform that connects you with talented web designers and software engineers who are not currently employed but have an interest in working on your projects. This website offers a very convenient way to find and hire professionals based on their skills. If you're interested, we've made a detailed review of HireMyFriend that explains everything in detail.

Join Slack communities centered around software developers

But of course, there are other ways to build a custom software development team. One of the most popular ways is to find Slack communities that are centered around building software.

You can join different slack groups, communicate with people who have experience in building remote teams, and see if they recommend some particular freelancers or agencies for your project. You should also search through what other members are saying about certain freelancers or companies you're interested in hiring.

To find the most relevant Slack groups, you can search for "remote", "freelancers", and other keywords on Google or Reddit to see what people are saying about different agencies and freelancers who already have a good reputation among software developers. You can also try searching with hashtags such as "#developers", "#remotedevelopers" or "#seekingwork".

I recently found a very cool list of 10+ slack channels ideal for building a dedicated team of remote workers on the blog of Hackernoon. I highly recommend checking it out if you're interested in finding more Slack communities that can help you find talented developers.

Search on LinkedIn for groups of talented developers

Another way to build a remote software team is by searching on LinkedIn. Even though this social networking website isn't really popular among software engineers, you can still use it for finding talented individuals who are interested in becoming part of your remote development team.

You can search using various keywords such as "remote", "telecommute" or "distributed". This will help you find more interesting groups and communities focused on software developers.

Personality Traits for Remote Teams to watch out

When building an agile and flexible team, you should always remember that not all team members are the same. Different personalities, desires, and expectations can affect your entire workflow in many different ways.

To build a successful remote software development team you need to focus on understanding each member’s personality traits so they match together well with others to create an effective harmony between them.

Here are the top 7 personality traits you need to watch out for when hiring developers:

• You're looking for people who are able and ambitious, but also fun-loving, easygoing, sociable.
• You want team members who enjoy working together on the same project.
• They should be open-minded about learning new things rather than stubbornly sticking with their existing skillset.
• You should hire people who are not only skilled and experienced but also open to new ideas, feedback, and suggestions.
• You need fast thinkers. If they need a lot of time to think about things before taking any action - this might affect your work in the long run so be careful when hiring such developers for remote teams.
• People with perfectionist personalities can get frustrating when working on a project with remote teams. They might need more time to complete certain tasks, but this also means that you can trust them not to make any mistakes in the end.
• You need people who can work in different management styles, so you can choose the one that suits your team best at any given time.

Soft skills

Soft Skills are extremely important when building a remote team. You need to remember that hiring only technical people will not help you build great products, but if your remote developers are also skilled in communication and teamwork - this affects the overall quality of their work. Great communication skills are the most important aspect of remote team building and you need to hire only the best communicators for your project.

Technical skills

Of course, this depends strongly on the type of project and development process you’re willing to carry out. If you want to build a web application, it is essential that your team can develop an effective front-end and back-end for the project.

If you have a tight budget, you might need to hire mid-level DevOps engineers to help with the project. If money is not an issue for you, you should consider hiring experts who can help your team build high-quality products.

What to look for in a candidate's resume or portfolio

Before hiring a developer for your remote team, you need to make sure that they have the necessary skills and experience. The best way to do this is by looking at their resumes and portfolios (if available).

If they have an online presence, you can also find them on social media websites or other professional networks to determine what projects they’re currently working on and whether this is something that interests you as well.

How to Contact them and Make an Impression

Okay, now it's time to make contact with your future remote employee.

First of all, you need to create a thoughtful message that would introduce yourself and the project/company you’re working on in more detail. You should also state what is it exactly what you are looking for (e.g., an expert who can help build MVP or a specific kind of a product).

In general, you should always try to be as polite and formal as possible. It’s also important that your message looks friendly and interested in the candidate's skills rather than just another job application.

It is not easy finding talented developers for remote teams but if you take it seriously, treat everyone with respect - you will find the great professional you were looking for.

Hire Remote Software Development Teams

Now what? You've found great talent ready to start work remotely for your dedicated development team and you're getting ready to hire them. Before introducing new talent to existing teams, you should take some time to think about how their work would affect the company culture you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Then, you need to schedule a call with the potential candidate or two (so you can compare their expertise and skills) and see if they are really what you’re looking for in an employee.

Keep in mind that not all developers are good at communicating or working with people, so it is best if you choose the one who shows signs of being a team player and friendly towards other members of the team. Some of them are introverted and shy so you need to take time and create an environment that will help them open up.

During the complete hiring process, be honest and transparent

This sounds like a no-brainer but it is important to make sure that your candidate knows what they can expect from you and the job.

Tell them their responsibilities, as well as the benefits and negative aspects of working remotely. Talk about your company’s culture, its vision, and what you expect from them.

Make sure they know all the details they need to start working with your team, including their job title and description.

Being transparent is very important because many people are afraid of making the wrong decision when it comes to choosing a new employer or accepting an offer - so make sure you answer all questions honestly (even if they may sound silly). Let them know about the project managers they will be working with and introduce the complete team members.

This way, both parties will feel more confident about the working relationship.

Offer a competitive salary and benefits package

If you want to hire the best developers and build scalable teams, new employees need to feel special about their work.

You can help them achieve this by offering a competitive salary and benefits package that meets their needs (and is also in line with market standards). Make sure it’s something everyone on the team will appreciate - not just newbies.

Create a clear job description with expectations of what the person would be doing on a day-to-day basis.

After you’ve decided on the salary, don't forget to include it in your job offer letter.

It's important to also include all tasks and responsibilities in the job description, including any special skills and qualifications necessary for success.

Your new employee will thank you for making their job easier by writing everything down and not expecting them to read your mind.

Hire remote software developers qualified for the position, not just anyone who responds to your ad

This is a common mistake made by many startups who just want to hire somebody.

Let's face it. It's hard to find great people.

But hiring everyone who responds to your job ad is simply a recipe for disaster.

Remember, you need to find a developer who is qualified and skilled enough for the position - not just another random person from Craigslist.

Sometimes, you can spot a great developer through their portfolio or personal website – but that’s only the case if they have something valuable and unique to show off.

Set up an interview process that includes several rounds of interviews

It's critical to know the right Questions To Ask Software Engineers. If possible, give your developers some tests or projects that they should complete before an interview round to showcase their skills.

Set up a call with each candidate - don't let them feel like they are just numbers in the hiring process.

When talking with one of your top candidates, try to get a lot of information about their work history and previous employers (including feedback).

This will help you see how well-suited this person is for the job - not only by checking out their skills but also by getting an idea if they would be a good fit for your team.

Do not forget about references – these will help you understand the developer’s work history and what they said during their interview(s).

Ask them if they have any questions before accepting their application

It’s a good idea to set up an interview process that involves several rounds of interviews with various people from your company. This is a proven strategy for project-oriented teams and it helps you find the best developers.

This way, applicants have time to think about the position and questions they might have before applying to your company.

Conclusion

Finding and hiring remote development teams can be difficult. It's important to consider the quality of work they produce, their fit with your company culture, and how well-suited they are for the job before making a hasty decision.

The process is typically broken up into several rounds of interviews (including some tests) so that both parties feel confident in their choice to move forward together. When it comes down to it, you need an online platform where developers have access to resources like project management tools, file sharing features, chat rooms - all while being able to communicate virtually from anywhere in the world.

But with patience and a lot of attention to detail, you can find and hire remote software development teams that will help your company grow!