A Personal Account of the Transition from Remote Developer at Surgent to Remote Team Manager

In the United States, Surgent Professional Education is the leading provider of CPE (Continuing Professional Education) for finance professionals, particularly accountants. Surgent’s objective is to deliver timely, tailored and actionable insights that are beneficial to tax and finance professionals, and surpass the competition in terms of scale. As a result, Surgent aims to be the definitive authority for individuals requiring current expertise in this field.

Surgent, having expressed a desire to bring their development in-house and displaying an existing familiarity with Works, reached out to us for assistance in their recruitment endeavors. Matt Bricker, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, discussed Surgent’s operations with us.

Clay Bricker: One year ago, we decided to transition our development processes in-house. In order to achieve this goal, we searched for partners who could provide us with skilled personnel, along with a recruitment process that could be completed within a short timeframe.

Due to our previous collaboration on a separate project, we were able to not only recruit but also develop the individual who possessed the necessary skill set.

We are pleased to share that one of the original candidates you provided us with has been elevated to a more senior leadership role within our team. While the role initially had demanding requirements, your aid enabled us to shift our attention towards evaluating the candidate’s cultural compatibility rather than solely assessing their technical abilities.

Despite the process taking some time, I believe that we have now assembled the suitable individuals for our team, thus making it a worthwhile endeavor.

Did managing them prove to be more challenging than it would have been to oversee locals?

During this time, our Team Lead was also operating from a remote location. However, as I had previously collaborated with them on other assignments, the process was considerably smoother. They provided valuable assistance in uniting the team before proceeding to their subsequent undertaking.

Following the promotion of the individual from Works to a managerial role, they have been effectively managing the remote members of my team. I feel fortunate that managing a remote worker has been no different than managing someone based locally; the process has been seamless and fruitful.

What do you believe that the individual from Works brought and added to your company?

Currently, we have a team comprising of three accomplished DJs, which we regard as a significant benefit, offering more worth compared to what is available domestically or internationally at the cost we have paid. Moreover, the manufacturing expenses are also highly favorable, which has left us extremely content with the outcome.

It was imperative that most of the candidates possessed exceptional English language proficiency and the ability to work in our time zone. A high degree of proficiency in the language was a crucial prerequisite, and we were able to locate a suitable candidate who seamlessly integrated into the team. Furthermore, while technical expertise was also a crucial factor, it was something that could be taught if need be. By prioritizing strong language skills and furnishing the appropriate resources to facilitate communication, we have been able to circumvent any potential issues.

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