Guidelines for CTOs on Partnering with Remote Developers

Jamie Waltz
Published 02/24/2022
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Advice for CTOs hiring remote developersSeveral universities have asked professionals to work from home due to the Covid-19 fiasco. The remote work trend is only growing with time and is more prevalent in the IT industry. Hence, one of the most important abilities of a Chief Tech Officer is to manage work remotely by hiring remote developers.

With the growing trend of remote work, more developers seek work from home luxury; however, as easy as it seems, hiring remote software developers is quite a task. Because it is difficult to measure the quality and performance at work from far distances. But, the best thing is that you have the luxury of hiring professionals from anywhere in the world.


 

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We have been working offshore for so long that it seems challenging to even imagine what it would be like to work on-site. However, remote working can only be a luxury provided the company has the right developers; otherwise, it can prove a nightmare.

With the world going online, the only means to survive is embracing the digital means to get the work done by remote developers. Hence, CTOs have some work to do in this area. From handling meetings in the conference rooms, now they have found themselves managing a team of remote developers.

This article presents some valuable ideas to outsource remote developers who can help you deliver a great project. If you are a computing professional considering outsourcing a remote development team, you have landed on the right page!

 

1. Partnering with the Right Remote Developers

 

Company Background

Initially, you look for the software development companies that offer the services you are looking for. But you need to ensure that the companies you are looking for are legit, and platforms like Clutch can help you do so.

Here, the companies’ past clients share their feedback and ratings, and these ratings are from various factors: timely delivery, quality, communication, and budget. These reviews can help you determine where the company stands, and you can also check out their past work and details in the company portfolio.

 

Company Culture

After you have checked their portfolio, experience, and client testimonials, there’s another thing you shouldn’t miss out on – Company Culture.

This is often overlooked, but this point does make a difference while hiring them. IT projects can also last for several months or a couple of years; hence, it becomes crucial to check that the people you partner with are a perfect fit for your company culture. You just want to make sure that the team you hire acts as a team player and does their task well.

 

Communication

The company work culture and communication are the most important things you must pay heed to. The work culture covers all project management-related matters. For instance, complying with workplace principles like planning, reporting, methodology, practices, presenting, and work ethics.

The communication should be seamless from top to bottom level, and transparency is always appreciated. Moreover, you should also check how they speak your language and if they can communicate the same with your fellow team members.

English will mostly be the communicating language, but the accent differs across countries, so you must check if language won’t be an obstacle for the company.

 

Ask the Right Questions

Before recruiting them, it is proper to ask them the right set of questions to know them better. If you do not agree on some significant matters, there are chances you won’t establish a long-standing relationship.

Below are some examples of what sort of questions you can ask your potential partner:

  •   What development approach do they follow?
  •   What is their communication approach?
  •   Can they enlarge their team if your project grows?

 

2. Common Mistakes you Should Avoid

Several companies have outsourced software companies or external teams for developing their projects. A few have succeeded, and others failed. And the fact is that choosing the right software partner plays a massive role in the success of your project.

Below are some commonly made mistakes that you must avoid:

 

Not Considering the Location

These days working in different time zones is no more an issue; since everyone is getting used to working with people globally, they always find ways to overcome their cultural differences.

Cultural diversity can influence several factors responsible for the software development process, such as delegating tasks, decision-making, reporting, and task completion.

People across the world have different work habits and managerial practices. Therefore, make sure you discuss all this with your potential partner before hiring them.

 

Lack of Clarity

You might recruit a team at different stages of development, and you might fail to convey your expectations. If you want developers to deliver high-quality work, you should clearly communicate the goals, objectives, and project requirements.

If you aren’t confident that they have clearly understood your needs, you can conduct a seminar or a workshop to give them a clear idea about your needs and notch up the project with all things required.

 

Giving Importance to Cost Alone

No doubt, cost should always be considered beforehand, and it is one of the most important things for your project. However, it would help if you kept in mind that going cheap can affect the quality of your work as well. And being a CTO, you certainly don’t want to compromise in the quality and set a bad example for your subordinates.

Rather finding common ground should be your goal, where both price and quality can match your needs. Imagine hiring an inexperienced developer at a low cost who ends up procrastinating your project and ultimately delivers you low-quality work! Isn’t that unacceptable? Hence, looking only at the cost won’t do justice on you and your clients’ part.

 

Begin Your Wild Search For The Right Partnership

Pull up your sleeves and start your search to hire the perfect remote partner who can help you elevate the company’s growth.

Covid-19 has ensured one thing for sure – work from home is the future. Most IT firms have now tilted towards online work, and CTOs are left with managing offshore teams. Hopefully, this guideline will help you make the correct choice in your recruitment process.