In 2023, amid the changing landscape of the post-pandemic workspace, we encounter some trends. According to Forbes, 12,7% of full-time employees work from home, and 28,2% of employees have adopted a hybrid work model. To top it off, 98% of workers want to work remotely at least some of the time. So, the struggle to manage a virtual development team effectively gets real.
To help you out, we asked the top experts in nCube about the challenges they face when managing virtual software development teams, as well as the best strategies of virtual teams management.
If you wonder how to manage a remote development team, you should pay utmost attention to streamlining effective communication. To improve communication across all channels and audiences, consider the following strategies for virtual teams:
While remote work can boost productivity for many employees, it’s essential to recognize that individuals have different preferences and work styles. To optimize productivity within remote teams, you should go for the following strategies of virtual teams:
Even if a smaller part of your team works remotely, maintaining security becomes more and more critical. For you to mitigate risks associated with remote work, here are some best practices for remote engineering teams.
By addressing these areas, you can optimize communication, productivity, tech infrastructure, and security, ensuring the successful coordination and management of virtual software development teams and in-house units.
Here are some effective productivity tips for remote work you should adhere to if you manage a virtual development team:
During remote work, prioritize communication by conducting short and focused online meetings. Prepare agendas, be punctual, actively listen, and follow up to make the most of these interactions.
Leverage Agile methodologies to enhance productivity. Implement activities such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups, demo sessions, retrospectives, and backlog grooming to facilitate collaboration and progress within distributed teams.
Ensure that employees working from home have a defined working schedule and encourage them to stick to it. Emphasize the importance of maintaining work-life balance by not interrupting personal time for work-related tasks and minimizing distractions from personal calls or housework.
Combat feelings of loneliness and anxiety among remote employees by organizing activities that encourage socialization. Consider virtual coffee time meetings, group workouts, or multiplayer online games to maintain emotional closeness and a sense of community. This is one of software engineering best practices, as a stronger sense of belonging to a team can also contribute to reducing turnover rates in your company.
Support the professional growth of remote employees by organizing online workshops, meetups, personal training sessions, and mentorship programs. Fostering continuous learning and knowledge sharing will keep employees motivated and engaged.
Remind remote workers that working from home is not a vacation, and it’s important to maintain professionalism. Be punctual, and prepared, honor commitments, and prioritize quality in all tasks and interactions.
By implementing these tips, you can enhance productivity and maintain a positive work environment during remote work.
The success of your collaboration depends on efficient relationship-building and communication. A healthy working environment can lead to fruitful outcomes, while constant stress arises from miscommunication and ineffective processes. To foster effective communication, all parties involved must listen and respect one another. Remember that the ultimate goal is to achieve a positive outcome through collaborative efforts.
Alongside fostering a cooperative mindset, it is essential to adhere to communication guidelines. Make use of project management tools like Jira or Trello to streamline workflows. Select appropriate messaging channels that suit the team’s needs. Embrace challenges, and don’t be afraid to overcome them. Global experience has shown that hiring remote teams can be highly advantageous for businesses.
Embrace the opportunity to find skilled developers who can contribute to your success. We at nCube can help you build your own remote development center in Eastern Europe or LATAM. Contact us to see if our model fits you.