Getting full-time software engineers to join your company is a difficult task that companies deal with today. The competition is tough, and you have to be ready to offer as much as other big companies are offering to get somebody on board. From high paychecks to flexible working hours, you need to be prepared to have the best conditions for your employees.
Startups can not compete with big companies. They are, after all, the new ones in the game. Previously mentioned is why startup owners usually ask questions such as “Am I going to fail?” or “How will I make this work?”. And truth be told, these are valid questions and concerns. Most startup-owners probably ask the same as well.
However, having full-time employees is not the only solution. Employing remote developers has become more popular and has proven itself to be a helpful method of hiring. In this article, we will discuss how to work efficiently with remote developers at your startup and the ways to use the most of it.
Avoid Hiring Individuals Freelancers and Aim at Hiring Teams
We all know that a group of people work faster and better than a single person. Meaning, teams perform better at tasks than individuals. That is the main reason why you should try to aim to hire data science teams.
Of course, this is not an easy task. Sometimes it can be challenging to find and form a team that will work well together. A team must have an end goal and work together towards it. Every team member needs to remember that they are not alone and that they are working with their coworkers.
Have a Proper Onboarding Plan and Process
Having a plan is probably the most crucial part when it comes to working with remote developers. If you do not have a clear vision of what you are trying to do, how will your employees know what to do?
Knowing what you want will make it easier to hire the right developers. Having the right picture of what the end product should look like will make it easier to explain it to your employees and be there for them when they need help.
Going with the flow might cost you your whole project. Not knowing what you want and how you want it done will make you spend a lot of money and waste your developers’ time.
So you need to know what you want and how you want it done before you hire anyone. Make a step-by-step plan and work it through with your engineers. When making a plan, it will become clearer what kind of an employee you need if you are more detailed.
Find a Compromise on Time Zone Management
One of the advantages of having remote developers is that they do not have to be at the office all the time. They can work from the comfort of their own home, as long as they have an internet connection!
Since the employees can be anywhere in the world, they could be in a different time zone.
However, this should not get in the way of working efficiently. It would be highly unprofessional to expect someone to hop on a meeting at 3 AM every time. Plus, the meeting might not be productive for all parties since it is hosted in the middle of the night for some of them.
A mutual compromise is very crucial here. Time zone management can be challenging, but it is not impossible to make it work. For instance, even if you and the person you are meeting live in a 9-hour difference, you could meet at 9 AM and 6 PM. Compromise is the best way to get things done smoothly.
Be Open to Feedback
When working on a big project that you want to be successful, giving and receiving feedback is very important. Feedback won’t just magically appear – you need to step up and give feedback.
Anytime there is a conversation happening between you and a developer, there is room for feedback. The previous statement does not mean only giving feedback but also receiving feedback from your employee. Receiving feedback might be hard for certain people, but it is fundamental to be open to feedback and use it wisely.
Feedback usually occurs when you want to go through the things that have been done – so you and your team communicate what was beneficial and what you could change. If you do feel something is not working, sit down with your team and discuss it. Give feedback, but also be ready to get some feedback.
It might be helpful, when meeting with your team, to go through questions such as:
- Are we satisfied with the work so far?
- Could we do anything differently?
- Does everyone have everything they need to work on the project?
Remember to Sign the NDAs
Since you are working with remote employees, your developers may be working on side projects. With that being said, it is crucial to protect the sensitive information and ideas you have and share them with your remote developer.
Of course, this does not mean your employees’ only goal is to share your confidential information with somebody else, but it wise to be cautious in these situations.
If you share documents such as detailed plans on how the project will work, successful execution, or main ideas – it would be a smart move to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
By having an NDA, you establish a confidential relationship, and the party (or parties) that gains any sensitive information agrees not to share it with anyone else.
Learn How to Deal With Conflict
The chances are, you probably will eventually have a conflict. And that is okay. But it is important how you deal with that conflict.
The critical step in solving conflict is communication. Usually, disagreements occur in the first place because of miscommunication. It implies that it is crucial to have an open conversation with your employees in these situations and ensure there’s no misunderstanding.
You need to stay respectful and be sure that everyone feels heard. Most of the time, you can resolve the conflict once everyone opens up and speaks their mind on the matter. It might also be wise to have a third party present to see things more clearly and resolve the conflict.
Conclusion
Having remote developers at your startup can be a scary thing. You are uncertain how everything will look at a certain point. But if you remember the main elements of efficiently working with remote developers, it might be easier than you think.
At the end of the day, being focused on what you want and how you want it done will help you a lot. For your company to have a vision, you need to have that vision first. Not only will it save you time, but also it will help you hire the right people.
It is also of great importance to remember that communication between you and your team is playing a significant role. By having an honest relationship with your remote developer, your work will be productive and enjoyable.
Michael Yurushkin
Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics,
CTO & Founder
www.broutonlab.com
Bio: Michael is a CTO & Founder of BroutonLab, a Data Science Company that completed over 50 AI development projects with total value of over $1 million. Michael is an expert in Deep Learning, specifically its applications in Computer Vision, NLP, and Reinforcement Learning.