If you wish to grow your IT team in a cost-effective way, hiring remote developers could be a viable solution. Managing remote workers may present some challenges, but the potential benefits are significant.
Our company, Works, has been specializing in placing highly skilled remote engineers for more than a decade. We have noticed that many organizations struggle to find financial and technical resources to hire the best-in-class Silicon Valley-style developers. When it comes to hiring remote workers, while salary is undeniably a crucial factor, it is not the only one to consider.
If you’re looking for affordable and dependable remote software engineers, where should you start your search? How can you entice highly skilled developers to work with your company?
Recruiting remote developers may raise a lot of questions and concerns, but there are various strategies that can help you establish a successful recruitment process. In this article, we will provide some practical advice to help you find and hire reliable remote developers for your business.
Table of Contents
- What is the Process for Hiring a Remote Developer?
- 1. Define the Ideal Job Candidate
- 2. Conducting Phone or Online Interviews
- 3. Finding and Recruiting Top Freelance Programmers
- 4. Communicate with Remote Coders
- 5. Negotiate and Seal the Deal
- Why is it Smart to Collaborate with Remote Developers in 2023?
- 1. Reduced Costs
- 2. Wider Pool of Talent
- 3. Retaining Your Staff
- 4. Protect the Planet!
- 5. Expert Developers
- Challenges of Employing Remote Programmers (and How to Overcome Them)
- 1. Varied Time Zones across the Globe
- 2. Micromanagement
- 3. Poor Work Standards
- 4. Productivity
- What to Look for in a Coder? Desired Skills
- 1. Programming Languages
- 2. Database
- 3. Data Structures and Algorithms
- 4. Testing
- 5. Debugging
- Advantages of Hiring Full-Time vs. Part-Time Remote Developers for Your Business
What is the Process of Recruiting a Remote Developer?
Hiring remote developers can be a daunting task. With millions of developers searching for opportunities, it can still be challenging to find the perfect fit that meets your organization’s unique needs.
The following are five key steps in hiring a qualified remote developer:
1. Define the Ideal Job Candidate
Defining the ideal programming candidate is the first step in creating a job description and promoting it. It is crucial to identify the specific qualifications and traits that the ideal candidate should possess. What are the desirable qualifications and attributes for a programmer to have in your organization?
Defining the role requires a clear understanding of the specific duties and responsibilities associated with the position, as well as evaluating the candidate’s abilities beyond their technical expertise. In addition, alignment with the organization’s values and standards is a crucial requirement for any job.
2. Conducting Remote Interviews via Phone or Internet
Establishing a recruitment process is vital in selecting the right individuals to join your team. This is particularly helpful for new businesses or companies that are new to remote recruitment, as it establishes a systematic approach for future hiring.
Crafting an enticing job description and selecting appropriate tools for interviewing and hiring candidates are crucial components of the recruitment process. If conducting interviews, specify whether they will take place via Zoom or in-person and the location.
3. Where to Find and Hire the Best Freelance Programmers
The challenge isn’t finding developers – there are millions available. It’s the scarcity of highly skilled developers that poses a major obstacle. Properly advertising the job opening and searching in the right places for suitable candidates is therefore essential.
The best IT professionals can be found by posting advertisements on popular job boards or freelance websites or by engaging in “headhunting.”
Several of the most dependable resources for locating remote developers include:
- Our recruiters have successfully connected with qualified IT professionals on LinkedIn, resulting in satisfied clients.
- Maximizing job boards requires persistence and effort, but the benefits make it worthwhile. While posting a job ad on a job board can attract a pool of candidates, there is no guarantee that they will be the right fit for your team.
- When I founded my remote recruitment agency, my goal was to assist businesses in their search for skilled IT professionals. Rather than outsourcing, remote employment provides a solution. This article compares and contrasts local and remote recruitment. At Works, like other remote recruitment companies, we collaborate with you to locate and recruit the ideal candidate for your vacancy. We’ll help you find a programmer with the relevant skillset and someone who aligns with your company’s culture.
4. Connect with Remote Coders
For many organizations, sourcing qualified IT professionals is one of the biggest challenges. Evaluating the abilities of a remote developer and ensuring they meet their obligations can be difficult.
Interviewing is the initial opportunity to evaluate a developer’s knowledge and experience. However, it’s also crucial to evaluate their abilities via testing and ask them questions. As a starting point, assign the developer a single project to work on and observe their performance.
The time taken to complete the assigned task can vary significantly. To avoid making assumptions about the potential developer’s abilities, reviewing the actual output can be a useful and informative aspect of the remote recruitment process.
With years of experience in job interviews, I’ve learned that a structured approach is essential when recruiting engineers. It’s not recommended to take a chance on a candidate who hasn’t been thoroughly interviewed and evaluated for suitability for the position.
To ensure the best fit for potential candidates, in-person meetings are necessary, even if they have made a good impression during a phone or video interview. When interviewing, it’s important to consider both soft skills and technical abilities.
When evaluating a potential programmer for a team, it’s advisable to conduct group discussions. Team interviews can offer a more impartial evaluation of whether the candidate is a good fit for the team.
5. Seal the Deal and Bring Me On Board
After the job offer has been offered and accepted, the next step is to start the onboarding process. This includes introducing the new developer to the organization and its systems, so they can begin contributing to the team as soon as possible.
To achieve successful onboarding, it’s important to focus on
- Before a new remote employee begins, it’s crucial to ensure that all documentation is complete, including contracts, the new hire’s information, and any other necessary paperwork.
- Clear communication with new team members is critical from the beginning. Clarifying communication protocols and understanding team expectations will be helpful. Make sure new staff are aware that standard practices may not apply to them. Therefore, it’s crucial to establish this awareness from the outset.
- Using mentors can facilitate communication and collaboration among remote workers. Virtual events, such as coffee breaks or happy hours, may assist remote engineers in establishing connections. New developers can learn from experienced team members by shadowing them, and an on-site programmer can provide valuable guidance and instruction to remote programmers.
With over 15 years of experience managing remote teams and working remotely, I’ve dedicated a chapter of my book, Surviving Remote Work, to remote onboarding.
Why is it wise to work with remote developers in 2023?
The IT industry has been employing remote developers for an extended period. Outsourcing has become more common, especially among corporate businesses looking to reduce wage costs. However, outsourcing is distinct from hiring remote workers and may have negative consequences for your organization.
Employers can enjoy numerous advantages by hiring remote developers, besides the developer themselves benefiting from a flexible schedule and the ability to work anywhere, such as their home, a café, a coworking space, or elsewhere.
1. Reduced Costs
Collaborating with a remote developer has the potential to significantly reduce a company’s expenses; the developer is responsible for overhead costs such as rent, utilities, and office supplies. Allowing staff to work remotely can save businesses an average of £8,400 per employee annually in overhead costs.
2. Expanded Talent Pool
Remote working opportunities have debunked the notion that Silicon Valley is the epicentre of the world’s top software developers. While the IT sector in Silicon Valley is undoubtedly booming, equally proficient software engineers can be found in other nations. By employing remote workers, businesses can tap into a diverse community of highly skilled professionals worldwide, which can increase productivity and efficiency.
3. Retaining Your Employees
According to data from the 2023 Owl Labs survey, full-time remote workers are 22% more content with their job than those who do not work remotely. This implies that offering remote work opportunities can increase employee happiness and job satisfaction, which can lead to improved employee retention. Furthermore, remote working can enable individuals to have more control over their time and routines, allowing them to achieve a healthier work-life balance.
4. Help Save the Planet!
Joining or establishing a remote company can assist in decreasing the environmental consequences of commuting. Telecommuters are individuals who work from home or a coworking space, rather than a conventional office setting. This may result in a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emissions linked to transportation, as employees no longer have to spend hours commuting to and from work.
5. Knowledgeable Innovators
A survey of 3,100 working adults conducted by FlexJobs disclosed that 65% of respondents believed they were more productive when working from home than in an office setting. Remote working allows individuals to manage their time better, making it easier to determine when they are most effective and when they require a break.
Challenges of Employing Remote Developers (And How to Overcome Them)
Collaborating with remote developers provides a wider talent pool, lower operating expenses, and better employee retention. Nevertheless, employing remote developers may bring forth several potential problems. Here are some of the typical problems and their remedies:
1. Variations in Time Zones across the Globe
While working with software developers from various nations, it’s crucial to be mindful of the potential impact of differences in time zones. Most activities can be completed asynchronously, but there may be moments when it’s essential to coordinate meetings or address urgent issues with colleagues residing in different time zones.
Solution
Juggling multiple time zones can be difficult, depending on one’s role. If feasible, it’s preferable to prioritize collaborating synchronously with developers residing in the same time zone. Otherwise, clear communication is necessary to ensure everyone knows about availability. It’s recommended to express your availability and request that others do the same.
2. Micromanagement
Those who engage in micromanagement often reject the notion, as they may believe that keeping a close watch on staff members is standard practice. However, this is not accurate. Remote developers face significant challenges without sufficient oversight. As a result, it’s crucial to adapt management styles to lead a distributed development team successfully.
Solution
Build trust. Define the goals you want to achieve and trust the team to complete the task without the need for constant updates. Once the deadline is met, verify that all duties have been completed.
3. Poor Work Quality
Discovering a dependable remote developer can be a difficult process. With numerous candidates accessible on freelancing platforms, it can be challenging to identify who is trustworthy and who isn’t. Furthermore, with competitive pay rates, it may be enticing to hire someone without thoroughly investigating them, only to learn later that they aren’t the ideal candidate for the job. It’s critical to take the necessary time to vet potential hires accurately to guarantee a successful collaboration.
Solution
If you’re unsure about the most effective approach to recruiting remote developers, it’s advisable to entrust the task to experienced specialists. We recommend reaching out to a remote recruitment agency to guarantee that you locate and recruit the ideal remote developer for your requirements.
4. Productivity
Evaluating the performance of a distributed workforce has been a crucial issue since the pandemic began. Employers should contemplate using tools like time tracking and monitoring to boost their team’s morale.
Solution
Guaranteeing your team’s output and accomplishment of results can be accomplished by implementing effective project management methodologies. Both Agile and Waterfall approaches, along with other Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) tactics, are excellent means of managing workloads and achieving productive outcomes.
What Abilities Should I Look For in a Coder?
1. Programming Languages
Many programmers tend to favor one programming language over others. Thus, the essential skills can differ depending on the type of programmer you need. For instance, Android app creators require a different set of abilities than those who primarily deal with databases.
JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python, C++, and Java are among the most commonly used programming languages.
2. Database
Databases allow firms to organize their data and extract valuable insights. To ensure the confidentiality and security of the company’s sensitive information, developers must be capable of locating, protecting, and implementing a backup system for it.
3. Data Structures and Algorithms
To enhance the optimization of data in a program’s code, developers must possess expertise in data structures and algorithms to establish the most effective permutations.
4. Testing
If an applicant is ill-prepared for the software testing process, it can be disconcerting. Testing is crucial to ensure that a product is functioning correctly and meets all of its specifications. It is advantageous for developers to verify that their application functions well on a broad range of devices and that user data is secure.
Remote programmers should possess extensive knowledge of unit testing, integration testing, and system testing.
5. Debugging
Debugging is the process of identifying and resolving errors in computer software. An indispensable capability for any software developer is proficiency in debugging tools to execute a program. It is recommended to perform modifications during the testing trial phase.
Cloud computing and distributed ledger technology are two additional fields that may benefit from the skills of software developers. The required qualifications for the job may differ depending on the assignment’s nature.
It is crucial to verify that the remote developer you choose possesses the technical expertise and soft skills requisite for the position. Their personality and interpersonal skills are equally significant, as they’ll be pleasant to work with due to their amiable disposition. The developer must possess the appropriate skills for the job.
- Time management
- Autonomy
- Empathy
- Written and Oral Communication
- Self-awareness
- Open-mindedness
- Critical Thinking
- Teamwork
Advantages of Employing Remote Developers Full-Time vs. Part-Time at Your Company.
Given the intricacy of the job, wouldn’t it be more productive to outsource the work? What are the advantages of hiring a remote developer full-time? Ultimately, the outcomes determine the value.
Freelancers are a beneficial alternative for companies looking to acquire specialized skills for a specific project. Nonetheless, they are not appropriate for businesses requiring someone to oversee multiple responsibilities or collaborate significantly with their team.
Full-time remote developers are comparable to regular employees, with the exception that they are not required to come into the office daily. The same expectations and regulations that apply to in-house staff also apply to contracted workers.
This element is crucial because it influences the quality of the end product. Keep these crucial variations in mind when selecting which developers to hire.
| Full-time, Off-Site Programmer | Independent Programmer | |
| Competence and excellence in production | With their help, you’ll be able to do more than you ever thought possible. They’ve assimilated well into your organization’s way of doing things. | They are adequate, but that’s about it. In most circumstances, they will provide merely the bare minimum required to do the job. |
| Security | It is advisable to have customers sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement as part of your company’s protocols. This will ensure that your customers’ trust in your organisation is kept intact. | As freelancers, they are not a suitable choice for projects that require access to confidential customer data. |
| Availability | Since they are regular workers for your firm, they must conform to your timetable even if they have greater freedom to choose their own hours. | Since they operate autonomously, they are not subject to your company’s timetables. |
| Process | Full-time, remote developers are able to adapt their working hours to meet your requirements. They will carry out their tasks and obligations in accordance with your team’s processes. | They operate in their own unique way. Since they don’t report directly to you, you can’t impose your will on them. |
Works – Your Solution for Finding and Employing Elite Remote Developers
The shortage of skilled IT personnel can frequently be ascribed to employers not exploring a diverse range of sources. To discover the top IT experts, it’s crucial to extend your search beyond a single locale and leverage the global talent pool.
If you’ve tried all the techniques we’ve suggested for discovering remote software developers, it’s time to bring in the experts: us.
For more than a decade, Works has been a reliable collaborator in linking businesses with developers. Our proficiency goes beyond simply identifying proficient software developers, as we’re also dedicated to aiding you in finding the appropriate personnel to fortify your company culture.
We recommend reviewing these candidates via Zoom because of their incredible sense of humour. We also strongly suggest considering individuals who haven’t yet received acknowledgment for their achievements. Our team is fully capable of identifying and recruiting top-notch online programmers from anywhere in the world.
