Remote Hiring Guide: Build an Efficient Software Development Team

In 2012, 39% of American employees spent at least some time working remotely, according to Gallup research. In 2016, that number rose to 43%, representing a four-point increase.

On that note, it is fair to say that remote working has been gaining traction each year since its inception in 1979 — Albeit at a snail’s pace.

In March 2020, businesses and companies worldwide were forced to suspend operations due to the surge in covid 19 cases. Strict social distancing and lockdown measures meant that commuting in an office was near impossible.

But remote hiring provided a solution. According to Statistica, the number of U.S remote workers increased by 27% during the pandemic. That said, it has grown to become more than just a solution for the pandemic. Companies are reaping the benefits associated with a remote working setup and don’t want to stop. Some months into the pandemic, Buzzfeednews reports that Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, tells its workers they can work from home permanently, as this would help them become a more distributed workforce.

Remote hiring has been beneficial to most companies, including mid-level tech startups looking to build their next big product. However, setting up a remote team that’s a perfect fit for your project can be very challenging. Hence, we’ve compiled this short guide with tips and tricks on how you can build an efficient software development team.

How to Hire Remote Developers

Just like every successful business campaign, you need a strategy in place if you’re to build the right team. By following the steps outlined below and with the right technology, you can inform your remote hiring strategy. So without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Step 1: Prepare for Your Hiring Process

First things first, you must plan, get yourself ready. Think of it like erecting a structure. You can’t start building from the roof. You need to first lay a foundation. Below are steps you can follow to prepare for your remote hiring process:

1. Define Your Goals and Requirements

The first “foundation” you must lay is “defining your goals.” What is your project about? What problems are your products going to solve? What are your development needs?

Depending on your type of project, the answers to these questions would differ. You can discuss with your team to break down your goal into subgoals to inform you what your requirements are. For example, if you’re looking to build a product for both IOS and Android users, you’d need an android developer and a swift developer.

2. Determine Your Hiring Budget

Next up is determining your budget. Here, your HR department must consider certain factors, especially when partnering with external bodies. Some of this may include:

• Your sourcing techniques
• Talent assessment: This can consist of paid tests or quizzes purchased from other consultancies.
• External recruitment: This refers to charges from recruitment firms.
• Your recruitment team’s salary: if you don’t opt for external recruiters, you need to factor in this cost.

Amongst these four, how you plan to source your developers will determine a large part of your budget. There are different sourcing strategies; some are more effective than others. This brings us to the next step.

Step 2: Source Your Developers

The quality of the talents you hire will determine the success of your project. Therefore, where you source skills are equally as important.

You’re probably already implementing some sourcing strategies without giving it much thought. You may have a job opening post on your website’s career page or an advertisement on Linkedin or other platforms. However, for a larger talent pool, here are some additional sourcing techniques.

• Freelance Platforms and Team Building Companies

With the increase in the number of remote workers since the pandemic, one can easily find high-quality talents on freelance platforms. In addition, there are companies built specifically to help mid-level tech startups like yours build a dream team for their project — for example, Upstack.

• Host Virtual Recruitment Events

The fact that you’re hiring remotely does not mean you can’t host events like hackathons and career fairs. You can, but virtually. In fact, virtual events can prove more productive as you can reach a wider talent pool, and it’s cheaper to host.

Step 3: Screen Your List of Developers

Now you have your shortlist; you need to narrow down your candidate’s list. This process is referred to as screening. Different tools can help you with this. For example, some companies use resume screening software.

However, for remote hiring, you need a more detailed screening process. Here are a few tools to help with that:

• Online assessments
• Chatbots

Step 4: Interview Screened Candidates

Next up is the interview process. The HR team or external recruiters usually do this. Thanks to the advent of collaboration and communication technology, such as Zoom, Slack, and Skype, conducting remote interviews has become easier and more effective. Also, with AI solutions, you can read candidates’ facial expressions and body language.

Here are other tips to help your interview process:

• Connect with your interviewee
• Prepare your technology beforehand
• Choose a good team of interviewers

Step 5: Onboard Your New Developer Team

After a successful interview and you’ve selected developers that are the best fit for your project, you need to onboard them virtually. This is a crucial but often overlooked part of the remote hiring process.

The onboarding process offers you the chance to integrate your new employees into your organization and introduce them to the company culture.

Here are a few tips to aid your onboarding process:

• Draw up a virtual onboarding strategy

Setting up a virtual onboarding strategy beforehand can help you integrate new employees seamlessly. Brainstorm ways you can integrate new hires actively, engage, and make them feel valued.

• Clearly State Remote Requirements

Building a remote team can mean working with developers in different geographical time zones. Therefore, including requirements and expectations in your onboarding process is necessary for efficiency.

Wrapping Up

Your software development team says a lot about the quality of the product you’ll put out there. Therefore, you must do all that’s necessary to ensure you end up with the right team. That said, the whole remote hiring process has been made a lot easier with companies like Upstack.

Upstack — globally distributed network of top business, and tech talent, ready to take your most important initiatives.

Originally published at Upstack.co on Jul 5, 2021, by Derek Johnson.