If you’re looking for a way to get your business off the ground, hiring remote developers is a great way to go. You’ll be able to hire developers worldwide without worrying about where they’re located or how much they cost.
According to statistics, more than 4.7 million people work remotely at least half the time in the United States. But hiring remote developers can be tricky—plenty of things can go wrong when working with a team who isn’t physically present in your office.
It’s essential to have a clear idea of what you want from your developer before hiring them so that there are no misunderstandings later on down the road, and this guide will help you do just that.
Whether you’re looking for a developer specializing in front-end or back-end work, this guide will help you find someone right for your project. We’ll also talk about some common myths people believe when you hire remote developers so that you can avoid them!
Table of Contents
Who is a remote developer?
As the name implies, remote developers are developers who work remotely. They can be based anywhere and don’t need to be co-located with other developers or employees.
Remote developers are typically hired by companies that want to outsource their development needs. In this way, a remote developer is similar to a freelancer or an independent contractor. However, unlike freelancers and independent contractors, remote developers are not allowed to set their hourly rates—they must always work for an hourly rate determined by their employer.
Remote developers have many benefits over traditional employees, such as not having to commute to work each day, being able to work from home (or any other location), and choosing when they work since there is no set schedule for them.
Why hire remote developers?
Remote developers are a great asset to any business. There are a lot of benefits to hiring remote developers, and some of the most notable ones include the following:
1. Access to a large pool of talent
The most significant advantage of hiring remote developers is having access to a large talent pool. The world is full of talented people looking for work, and if you’re willing to hire remote developers, you can find them.
This means you can find someone with exactly the skillset you need, and they’ll work for less than someone who lives in your area would charge (which is often quite a bit).
2. Cheaper than in-house employees
Another advantage of hiring remote developers is that they’re cheaper than in-house employees, who often require benefits and other perks that don’t come with remote developers.
However, this doesn’t mean that they’re less skilled or experienced. Most remote developers are highly qualified and experienced because they’ve had to work harder than their in-house counterparts to prove themselves!
3. Save money on office space and equipment
Hiring remote developers is a great way to save money on office space and equipment. You don’t need to rent an extra room in your office building, nor do you need the furniture and other supplies that come with it.
You don’t need to set up computers, printers, or other peripherals in that room. All these things can be done remotely, saving you thousands of dollars per year in overhead costs.
4. Flexibility in working hours
Another advantage of hiring remote developers is their flexible working hours. While some companies may require their employees to work 8-10 hours every day, others allow for a more flexible schedule that allows for time off during the day or week if needed due to illness or family emergencies.
This can be very helpful for those looking to balance work life with family life because it gives them more options when scheduling essential events like birthdays or anniversaries with family members who live far away from where they live now.
5. Lower stress levels for employees
Working from home or remotely is an attractive option for many employees. There are many benefits to working from home, including increased productivity and lower stress levels. A study by Stanford found that performance increased by 22% when employees could work from home.
Working from home can be an excellent option for people who do not want to commute to work every day or who want to spend more time with their families.
Step-by-step process to hire remote developer
If you’re thinking of hiring a remote developer, you’ve probably been doing some research. We’ve got some tips to help you make sure that you’re bringing the right person on board.
1. Know your needs
You must know what you want before finding someone to do it for you. This can be as simple as figuring out which features are most important to your business and which will help you grow. It can also be more complicated, like figuring out whether or not the project will require a developer with specific skills.
2. Find a good developer
This may seem obvious, but it’s essential to start with the basics—find a good developer who can do what you need them to do, and then move on from there. There are many ways to find developers; some prefer LinkedIn, and others prefer Upwork or Craigslist. The key is ensuring that whoever you choose has experience with the type of work they’re doing for you.
3. Start screening
The crucial step in the hiring process is to start screening applicants. You want to get a feel for their type of person, work ethic, and whether they fit your company culture well. This can help weed out the bad apples before you waste time with them further.
Screening should include the following:
- A brief application form that asks questions about their experience with [product name] and how they’d like to be paid (hourly or by the project)
- A coding challenge that demonstrates their understanding of the language they are applying to use on your project
- A phone interview where they talk about their experience working as a remote developer, what kind of projects they’ve worked on before (if any), any questions about the position at hand, etc.
4. Evaluate programming competency
This is more complex than it sounds because it’s about something other than their technical knowledge or skill. You need to know that they can be productive and efficient and have high motivation and commitment to their work.
This is where you want to see if they have any examples of their work online (e.g., GitHub). You can also ask them about their past experience and how they feel about working remotely or independently.
5. Interview for soft skills and technical competency
You’ll want to make sure the candidate has a solid understanding of what they’re getting into, with an emphasis on communication, collaboration, and time management. Once you feel confident in their ability to hit the ground running, it’s time to offer them a job!
6. Offer and onboard
Once your interview goes well and you feel confident that this person would be a good fit for your company, it’s time to offer them the position!
Make sure you give them ample time after accepting the job offer before sending them any information about their benefits and onboarding process. Thus, they can take care of any last-minute details before starting work officially for your business!
Myths of hiring remote developers
Myth 1: You need to have a dedicated team of remote developers.
Truth: While it may be ideal and convenient to have a dedicated team of remote developers, sometimes you don’t need that flexibility.
If you’re starting and you’re still determining how much work will come in or what kinds of projects you’ll be working on, it might make more sense to hire freelancers who can flex with your needs.
Once you get clear on your needs and have established a budget, then it’s time to think about making some permanent hires.
Myth 2: Remote developers are less experienced than in-office developers.
Truth: Indeed, many remote developers have a different experience than in-office developers because they’re new to the field, but they still need to be more capable and talented!
Remote work is an emerging field, which means there are plenty of opportunities for growth and learning for everyone involved—mainly if you invest in the right tools.
Myth 3: Working remotely is isolating.
Truth: While working remotely can mean that you’re not physically around all of your coworkers, you can still collaborate. Remote workers often have access to collaborative chat rooms and work on projects using video conferencing software.
Many companies also offer virtual office space, which means that remote teams can meet in person when necessary but don’t need to do so every day.
Myth 4: You can’t communicate with remote developers.
Truth: If you have ever done any outsourcing work, you know how important communication is to the success of your project. The same goes for hiring remote developers.
If you can communicate with your team clearly and concisely, they will be able to do their job correctly. As long as you have good communication skills, there is no reason why you should have any problems working with remote developers.
Conclusion
Hiring remote developers is a great way to increase your business’s productivity and profitability. If you want to hire developers, consider using the tips above to find the right person for the job.
Hiring dedicated developers is an excellent way to improve your business’s productivity and profitability. You should be able to find someone who has all of the skills necessary to get the job done with ease.
