Hire a Virtual Team in 7 Steps

Did you know that when you hire virtual teams, you can save up to $10,600 per employee each year? And with a staff of 50 virtual employees – the savings can go up to half a million dollars!

Without a doubt, virtual collaboration can be as successful as the traditional model. During the talent crunch, sourcing virtual talent looks like the best solution for assembling a team quickly and diving into product development. But to make the most of this model, you need to add motivated people, organize the development process properly, and cut through the difficulties in asynchronous communication across time zones – the wind doesn’t always blow in your back when it comes to virtual work.

This post highlights the 7 steps you should take to hire a virtual team and succeed. Let’s begin!

Before you hire a virtual team…

Do your homework: define your project requirements, set both long-term and short-term goals, and prioritize them. Then, craft a detailed profile of the virtual team (roles, skill sets, etc) to target your search effectively. Also, it’s worth weighing other options, for instance, the virtual vs. remote model if you have any doubts. This groundwork will set you up for a successful virtual team, helping you make the right choices from the start.

Step 1. Define a location to hire virtual teams

By definition, virtual teams can be scattered across the globe – one employee might be in Brazil, another work from Poland or the Philippines. However, certain regions stand out as prime sources of skilled talent, in particular Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) and Latin America (LATAM).

At nCube, we can help you build a global virtual team, from Buenos Aires and Medellín to Kraków, Lviv, or Bucharest. Here’s why we consider these regions top choices to hire virtual teams:

Access global talent
Move beyond local talent shortages – Europe and LATAM offer 2 million IT professionals, and we’re your gateway to tapping into the top 1% of this expertise. We’ll connect you with specialists in software development, covering diverse technical backgrounds – from generic programming languages to in-demand expertise like AI/ML, IoT, Data, Cloud, Blockchain, and more.

Communicate without barriers
European and LATAM software engineers have adequate English proficiency, thanks to years of experience working in international environments. This minimizes barriers, enabling solid, collaborative partnerships.

Achieve cultural compatibility
Company culture in Europe and LATAM resonates with that of Western companies, with shared approaches to management, teamwork, and conflict resolution. This cultural alignment sets the stage for effective collaboration and fruitful working relationships.

Leverage innovation potential
Europe and LATAM are hotspots for innovation, hosting a thriving tech ecosystem with startups, research institutions, and tech firms driving progress in software development.

Optimize your budget
BothEurope and LATAM offer excellent cost efficiency. We’ll help you choose a tech hub that balances budget-friendly operational costs with competitive software development rates.

Step 2: Find the right team members for your virtual squad

It may sound obvious, but building the ideal virtual team is all about finding the right people. Not every specialist is cut out for virtual work, regardless of their technical expertise. It’s essential to assess both technical skills and soft skills, as these often define the quality of a virtual team member.

With 16 years of experience in helping companies hire virtual teams, we’ve identified key criteria to find IT professionals who thrive in virtual environments:

Seek proficient communicators
Communication is the backbone of virtual collaboration. High-performing developers can clearly communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical team members.

Quick Tip: Use behavioral questions to understand a candidate’s approach to complex challenges.

Prioritize team players
Team players elevate the entire group by sharing knowledge, offering feedback, and supporting colleagues. These qualities are especially vital in a virtual setup, where team members collaborate across distances.

Quick Tip: Ask about past teamwork experiences, including any challenges they’ve solved as a team.

Look for organized, detail-oriented professionals
The ideal candidate has excellent time management skills, meets deadlines, and achieves KPIs.

Quick Tip: Look for candidates who can break down tasks, estimate timelines, and set priorities effectively.

Continuous learning is essential
The tech field is always evolving, and developers who stay current with the latest trends and tools are valuable assets to your virtual team.

Quick Tip: Ask about recent technologies they’ve learned and how they apply them in their work.

Finding team members with these skills will set a solid foundation for hiring a successful virtual team.

Step 3. Set up working procedures

When you hire a virtual team, you need to have clear guidelines, deadlines, and well-defined documentation in place. The last thing you want is for your team to be left in the dark on any aspect of the project. Be sure to share all project details, clarify your ideas, and ensure that team members fully understand your objectives, mission, and aspirations.

At nCube, we prioritize the integration of virtual team members into your workflows and operations. In fact, as noted in our Clutch reviews, our clients consistently commend our engineers for their ability to become an indispensable cog in their operations.

Step 4. Establish communication processes

Now, you may be wondering, how to manage virtual teams effectively? It all comes down to the tools that fuel virtual collaboration. The options are endless these days, but here are some essentials communication tools for your virtual team’s toolbox:

Microsoft Teams: An all-in-one tool for messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing.
Slack: Serving as your virtual office space, it’s ideal for everyday communication and team messaging.
Jira: For task and project management, tracking issues, and sprint planning.
GitHub: Essential for version control, code collaboration, and development updates.
Confluence: A go-to for creating, sharing, and collaborating on project documentation.
Zoom: For team meetings, presentations, and client calls.
Trello: A visual project management tool for organizing tasks and tracking progress.
Asana: Another tool for managing remote employees used for tracking project progress, assigning tasks, and managing workflows.
Miro: An interactive whiteboard for real-time brainstorming and teamwork.
Plai: A performance management tool to help align remote teams with company goals.
Notion: For note-taking, project planning, and centralizing documentation.

Each tool supports different aspects of virtual teamwork, creating a virtual environment for seamless collaboration.

Step 5: Ensure comprehensive project documentation

Project documentation is essential for effective project management. Throughout the software development life cycle, your team should capture key details and create documents, such as project proposals, business cases, project plans, status reports, product specifications, and more. When you hire a virtual team, thorough documentation is crucial from the onset of cooperation to ensure everyone understands the project’s goals and requirements.

When working with us, we begin by analyzing your project specifications to help assemble the ideal team members tailored to your goals.

Step 6. Build a strong relationship with your remote workers

When you hire a virtual team, treating them differently than your in-house staff is the biggest mistake you can make. As a leader, building a strong bond with your virtual team member is essential, even if it’s challenging to do through a screen. The more connected and engaged they feel in your project, the better results they’ll deliver. To foster this connection, consider scheduling regular check-ins (both formal and informal), planning virtual team-building activities, and using tools like Donut platform to maintain a sense of connectedness.

Step 7. Visit your virtual team members in person

A virtual team doesn’t have to stay virtual forever. Personal meet-ups with remote workers play a crucial role in strengthening this collaboration, so consider flying down from time to time to check in with your virtual team members. We also encourage our engineers to visit clients. If you choose to work with us, your account manager will take care of all logistics – from travel routes to tickets and accommodations.

Why is it better to hire a virtual team with nCube?

Despite all the advantages of virtual teams, they don’t come without its challenges. Hiring and managing a virtual team can be difficult, especially if you’re new to virtual management. At nCube, with 16 years of experience in building virtual teams, we’re here to help you navigate and leverage the strengths of this model.

We’ll give you access to the top 1% of virtual developers

A quick search on freelancer platforms yields millions of software development candidates worldwide. But sorting through profiles and verifying their qualifications can be overwhelming, with countless CVs to review and interviews to conduct. At nCube, we’ll connect you with the top 1% of software developers in Europe and LATAM, selected for their technical expertise, relevant experience, and cultural fit. In fact, only 1 in 5 candidates we interview advances to meet our clients.

Our rigorous screening process includes:

HR interview: Cultural fit, values, and ethical alignment.
Technical screening: Hard skills, commercial experience, and relevant domain knowledge.
English proficiency: Testing both oral and written English skills to ensure clear communication.

With our approach, you’ll secure skilled professionals quickly and confidently.

We’ll reduce your hiring process to weeks

It often takes months to hire a virtual team – imagine job postings, interview coordination, and sometimes even additional hires to manage the process. At nCube, we cut through these hardships with a network of 125,000 engineers across Europe and LATAM. We can match you with the right talent in your preferred location within 24-48 hours of your request. Our dedicated HR team handles an efficient interview process, so you can skip adapting your internal processes and get your virtual team up and running quickly.

We’ll help you integrate your remote team members efficiently

There’s no denying it – virtual teams can bring challenges like language barriers and time zone differences. At nCube, we’re ready to meet these headwinds. To start, we hire strong English speakers – 95% of our team members have B2-C1 proficiency, providing full-working fluency. We also set up all the necessary communication tools and infrastructure to keep operations running smoothly in a virtual environment. And if any issues arise, your dedicated account manager is ready to resolve them quickly and efficiently.

We’ll provide skilled software developers at reasonable rates

If you’re looking to hit two goals at once – securing top talent and staying within budget – search no further. The local market often requires competing for in-demand professionals who charge top dollar, but with us, you’ll have access to a vast pool of skilled developers across Europe (Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Czech Republic, and other countries) and LATAM (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia). With our strong presence in these tech hubs coupled with a proven screening process, we’ll connect you with top candidates who meet your exact requirements, including your budget.

Ready to get started? Contact us to discuss your project and how we can help you build successful virtual teams for you.