How to Build a Remote Development Team [+ Managing Tips]

Building an in-house software development team is challenging and can even be more daunting to build and manage a remote development team.

You may wonder how it works and how to even go about it. Is it safe? How do you hire or manage such a team scattered across the globe? You will find answers to these and many more questions in this blog post.

What is a Remote Development Team?

A remote development team is a special group of professionals who work from various locations, focusing on software development tasks for a specific client or organization.

Even though they work from different places, they become an essential part of the client’s team.

This means that while the management of the projects is handled from the client side, the team brings their skills and knowledge to help build software products, applications, or systems.

They are there to work closely with the client, providing their technical skills and collaborating on every step of the development process.

Understanding Common Remote Development Team Structures

1. Generalist Structure

A generalist remote development team consists of engineers familiar with various frameworks and programming languages. These engineers play multiple roles and bring many skills to the table.

For example, a remote software engineer might not only be good at writing code but also help with UI/UX design. 

2. Specialist Structure

A specialist remote development team comprises engineers who specialize in a specific area and are fully responsible for handling that part of the project. 

3. Hybrid Structure

A hybrid remote development team combines the pros of generalists and specialists. The generalists ensure the project meets its goal, while specialists have a more focused role.

When the project demands more attention in a certain area, these specialists handle the finer details. Together, this mix of skills creates balance.

How to Build an Effective Remote Development Team?

Building an effective remote development team requires thoughtful planning and an understanding of how to foster collaboration. Here’s how you can create a successful remote development team: 

1. Define Your Needs

Understanding your project will help you decide who should make up your remote software development team. Ask yourself relevant questions regarding the main objectives and the results you hope to achieve with your project. 

As you ponder these, break your project into components. These components could include the UI design, front and back end, etc.

You will be able to narrow down the kind of specialists you will require to build these individual components into a functioning application. The initial steps are usually a UI designer, an engineer(s), and a project manager to ensure the project is on track. 

List all the roles and skills you will need to fill. This first step will make finding the right remote development team easier.

2. Set a Budget

You will find so many options when hiring a dedicated remote development team and setting an amount you are willing to spend on your project will help you narrow down on your options.

The cost will depend on their location and experience. If you have a budget on how much you are willing to spend, it makes it easier for you to find candidates within your range. This will save you time in the long run.

3. Find the Right People

After knowing what skill sets will make your project successful, the next thing you need to do is to find them. There are various places to look. 

LinkedIn and Indeed are good places to begin with. There, you will find professionals with qualified skills actively seeking opportunities. Post the requirements you need. You can filter by experience, educational level, and other criteria you deem fit. Then, go ahead and vet and hire suitable candidates. 

You could also go the freelancer route. Upwork and Freelancers have lots of freelancers who are ready to take on projects. They are recommended if you need them short-term for your projects.

Freelancers on such platforms usually have extensive experience in their field and are ready and willing to show you their portfolio of previous work so you can judge if they are suitable for what you need.

Outsourcing is another path you can take, and we highly recommend it. Outsourcing means hiring an external company to handle certain tasks on your behalf.

The agency will handle the requirements you need to build your project and provide you with updates on the progress from time to time.

4. Agree on terms

After you have decided on your team, take some time with them to agree on a few details. First, make sure it is clear when and how payments will be made to put everyone at ease.

Next, ensure everyone knows what their roles are and what is expected of them–do not forget timelines as well.

Forms of communication shouldn’t be left out. Introduce them to the preferred tools for the project–zoom, Slack, Jira, etc. All these will ensure that the project goes on smoothly. 

5. Onboard them

It’s time to bring them on board. Outline what the company’s goals are and how their work will contribute to that. Make sure they have all the needed tools to get started.

This might include access to important resources like code repositories, project documents, and contact information for the team members they will be working with.

8 Tips for Managing a Remote Development Team

Managing a remote development team can be both rewarding and challenging. Here are eight tips to help you lead effectively:

1. Establish Expectations

It is advised to set expectations right from the beginning. This maintains workflows and ensures that everyone is well-aligned. It is not about setting deadlines and expecting everyone to meet them.

No, it is about ensuring every team member understands the timelines involved and how their part fits into the bigger picture if their roles are played right. For that matter, you need to discuss your expected level of availability.

Should members follow a strict schedule or some form of flexibility is encouraged?

You should also address communication norms, such as how soon you expect communication from respected parties and the mode of communication—through meetings, emails, or messaging apps? 

Outlining these expectations may be tedious, but it keeps everyone on their toes and ensures they know what is responsible for them instead of guessing what they ought to do. 

2. Provide the Right Tools

Ensuring your team has the right tools to carry out their tasks is fundamental to their productivity and success. Without the right tools, it is difficult for them to deliver the level of quality in their results that you would expect.

Start by ensuring they have the necessary software for coding, designing, and other related tools. 

It doesn’t end at providing software, though. They will need to be properly managed, so providing project management tools that dictate which tasks are at stake, what is pending, or what needs to be done on priority can significantly reduce confusion and miscommunication. 

An often overlooked resource is a stable internet connection. Currently, most tools used are cloud-based, and without stable internet, projects will stall, leading to frustrations and disrupting workflow.

If they keep getting interrupted by poor connectivity, even the best tools won’t be useful to them in executing their responsibilities.

3. Build Trust and Communicate Effectively

Communication is an essential factor when team members work remotely. When communication breaks down, it can lead to missed deadlines and goals. Both parties must stay in touch and be on the same page throughout the project. 

Bad timing is often attributed to miscommunication. If an engineer is in the middle of a critical coding session, chances are that you won’t have their full attention. In these instances, miscommunication and important details may slip away. 

Plan regular check-ins with your remote team as a solution. Scheduled meetings will encourage everyone to openly share what they are working on and any challenges they may face. This way, you can tackle issues early on to ensure smooth collaboration. 

That said, Slack and Microsoft Teams are good communication options. Team members can send instant messages or share files, and these platforms also double as a community for team members who feel isolated. 

Text-to-chat forms of communication may not always be effective, as tones may be misinterpreted or some messages may lack clarity. Video calls are a good option in situations like this.

Two go-to options are Google Meet and Zoom. Team members can hold daily standups or jump on a quick call to iron out a few details that need clarification.

4. Close Communication Lines During Off-Hours

Communication is necessary, but you don’t have to overdo it. Employees need time off after work and a healthy work-life balance should be encouraged.

They should be allowed to disconnect and recharge for the next day. Unless of course it is an urgency, make it clear to them that they do not need to respond to messages right away, especially if it is outside their working hours.

This will make everyone feel respected without worrying about work creeping into their personal time.

Giving your team a break from work during off-hours will help prevent burnout and encourage them to return to work refreshed.

5. Create a Structured Workflow

The entire project development needs to be organized. There should be a clear road map from start to finish outlining how the project will be carried out, what needs to be done, who is responsible for what, and deadlines too. 

An effective way to manage the entire project is to use a task management system like Asana, Jira, or Trello. These systems keep everything in view and ensure that nothing gets overlooked. 

Trello and Asana are similar in providing visual boards for creating lists and cards of tasks. This makes it easy for project managers to see what’s on the agenda, what has been completed, and who is responsible for what. 

Jira is more suitable for more complex projects, especially in software development, due to its detailed issue tracking and project management features. 

6. Cultivate Good Team Culture

When your remote development team is scattered across the globe, team members can sometimes feel isolated or disconnected. So it would be best if you made some effort to create a sense of belonging in the team.

Regular check-ins are a way to keep communication open. These meetings do not always have to be about work. They can have open-ended conversations where team members can freely discuss anything about their personal lives. This will help create a supportive atmosphere for people who are far apart.

Apart from this, you could create virtual events like games where team members can have fun. Initially, it may seem unimportant, but with time, you will realize that team members tend to bond more over these fun activities.

These interactions will help them feel more connected. When people feel like they are part of a team and not just individuals working from home, it cultivates a culture of belongingness and team spirit, ensuring that your project goes as smoothly as planned.

7. Monitor and Adjust

Observe and stay actively involved in how things unfold throughout the process. Are deadlines being met? Are tasks being completed to the expected standard? Do not assume that everything is going as planned. Pay attention to your team. Do they feel motivated and satisfied, or is tension building up? 

If you notice any delay in deliverables or signs of frustration, do not hesitate to change your methods. Things don’t always go as planned, but that’s okay. The important thing is that you are able to adapt and make the necessary adjustments by reassigning tasks.

Being flexible can prevent minor issues from becoming bigger problems. Keep a close eye on and be proactive when making changes. This will ensure that progress continues smoothly.

8. Celebrate Success

It is important not to overlook moments when your team achieves something significant. Regardless of the size, success deserves to be acknowledged because it reflects each team member’s hard work and dedication.

These celebrations may seem simple, but they are an effective way to boost team’s morale.

For example, during a meeting, you could take a few minutes to give a shoutout to outstanding team members.

Highlighting the efforts of those who contributed to the achievement can go a long way in making your team feel appreciated.

Common Tools and Technologies for Managing Remote Development Teams

Here’s a look at some of the common tools and technologies that can help streamline the management of remote development teams:

1. Slack

Slack is a tool designed to facilitate communication among team members, especially remote teams. 

Features: 

• Channels: Communicate based on projects or topics.
• Direct Messaging: Send messages between team members.
• Integrations: Connect other tools like Google Drive, Jira, or GitHub.
• Search: Easily find past conversations or shared files.

Benefits: Slack helps remote teams stay in touch. Channels keep conversations focused and organized, while integrations allow you to manage different tasks without leaving the app.

2. Zoom

Zoom comes with various features that make online meetings efficient.

Features: 

• Video Conferencing: Video calls for team meetings.
• Screen Sharing: Share screens during calls for presentations or demonstrations.
• Breakout Rooms: Create smaller discussion groups within larger meetings.
• Record Meetings: Record meetings for later.

Benefits: Zoom is essential for holding virtual meetings. It mimics the feel of in-person meetings, helping remote team members connect on a more personal level. Screen sharing allows for quick problem-solving, and recording meetings ensures everyone stays in the loop, even if they couldn’t attend live.

3. Jira

Track bugs and issues in your software development journey.

Features:

• Tracking: Track projects, especially for agile development.
• Manage: Manage backlogs, sprint planning, and reporting.
• Integrate: Integrate with developer tools like Bitbucket and GitHub.

Benefits: Jira offers features that support agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban. It also tracks issues and bugs effectively and provides reports to help teams improve continuously. Integrations with other tools to track commits, code reviews, and deployments are not left out.

4. Google Workspace (Google Drive, Docs, Sheets)

A collection of productivity and collaboration tools, software, and products developed by Google.

Features: 

• Collaboration: Real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Storage: Cloud-based file storage and sharing.
• Access: Permissions management for who can view, comment, or edit files.
• Integration: Easy integration with communication tools like Slack or Zoom.

Benefits: Google Workspace makes it simple for remote teams to collaborate on documents and spreadsheets in real-time without worrying about version control. Files are stored in the cloud and easily accessible from anywhere, perfect for remote teams.

Cost of Hiring Remote Teams

The cost of hiring remote teams varies based on location and role, with South Asia, particularly India, standing out as one of the most cost-effective options.

In India, you can hire a senior developer for a very economical range of US$20-40 per hour, offering exceptional value for top-quality work.

This region is known for highly skilled developers with strong work ethics, making it a smart choice for businesses looking to balance quality and affordability.

In comparison, Latin America’s rates range from US$25-35 per hour, and in North America, senior developer rates soar to US$50-150 per hour. Developers in Central and Eastern Europe typically charge US$50-75 per hour. 

Overall, hiring a remote development team of 2-3 professionals could cost between US$6,000 and US$12,000 per month, depending on the location and specific roles, with India offering some of the most competitive rates.

Build Your Remote Team With ScaleupAlly

With 6 years of experience and over 300 completed projects, ScaleupAlly is a trusted partner for IT outsourcing. We have a talented team ready that can act as a dedicated remote development team for your project.

Our case studies show how we work and the results we deliver, giving you confidence in choosing us to support your business growth.

If you need to discuss your next project, feel free to reach out.

Conclusion

Hiring a remote development team can be challenging. However, since they will play a major role in building your product, it becomes easier to identify what to look for in candidates.

We hope you have picked a few pieces of advice to ensure the success of your upcoming project(s). We wish you all the best.