How to Hire Remote Developers: A Complete Guide

Hiring Remote: A Solution for Teams Everywhere

The remote-first model has grown in popularity, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more, in-person work is becoming a thing of the past. But the pivot to remote first isn’t always intuitive, and many team leaders don’t yet have a honed process for how to hire remote developers.

While some steps are similar to or the same as those involved in hiring on-site developers, others are unique to the work model. As such, it’s necessary to employ a new approach when you are vetting off-site employees. Generally speaking, this is the process to follow when you are putting together a remote development team.

A Step-by-Step Guide for Hiring Remote Software Developers for Your Projects

Identify the need

Start by pinpointing your need for a remote software engineer. Consider the different models: full-time staff member, outsourcing to a partner team, staff augmentation, or freelancer. The model you choose will depend on your current gaps and expected future demands.

List out core competencies and skill sets

You will want the same technical skills as you would look for in an on-site developer. However, remote developers should have additional soft skills that will enhance your process. For example, they should have strong collaborative and communication skills.

Write a comprehensive job description

Using these skills and the job requirements, write a detailed job description, outlining your expectations, experience, expertise, and preferred qualifications for the remote software developer role.

Source candidates

In addition to posting the position on your website, list it on job boards and job-search sites like Dice and Fiverr, which specializes in freelancers. You should also actively invite or recruit candidates via LinkedIn and similar resources. If you’re looking for an outside remote development team, turn to sites like Clutch.

Perform a technical screening

Use this assessment to evaluate the development skills of a candidate. The technical interview should be performed by a member of your team with technical expertise. This screening, of course, will need to be conducted entirely online and may be performed synchronously or asynchronously.

Conduct a video interview

Use a videoconferencing platform like Skype or Zoom to discuss the candidate’s background, experience, and qualifications. The video interview should also cover questions about remote-work style and approach, as well as soft skills like communication methodologies.

Onboard the new hire

Once you have extended an offer, onboard the new hire, familiarizing them with the expectations, work procedures, and tools. Because the individual won’t be working in the office, the IT department should also assist them with setting up a home office.

Remote Development Management: How to Manage Remote Developers on Your Team

As with the hiring process, remote developer management has some overlap with in-person management, along with some notable additions and key differences. This is an outline for how to manage remote developers on your team.

Establish clear expectations

Every individual on your team must know what their role is and how they are expected to contribute to your organization. Additionally, and given the challenges involved in working with distributed teams, developers and other remote team members should have an outline of how they will communicate and collaborate with others.
Provide all necessary tools to developers

Ensure remote developers are equipped with the tools and infrastructure they need to complete their work successfully from any off-site location. Discuss the resources you will provide and centralize access to these tools. This includes not only development tools but collaboration resources like video conferencing platforms.
Have frequent one-on-ones

Check-ins become more critical when you’re not seeing your team members on-site. Hold one-on-ones frequently to address concerns, update progress, and otherwise stay apprised of remote workers' goings-on.
Hold team meetings

Keep team members collaborating and on the same page by having team meetings. Like one-on-ones, these are opportunities to ensure alignment on goals and progress. They also facilitate stronger communication and give employees the chance to get to know one another face to face, even when they aren’t actually in the same room.
Accept feedback

This is a learning and adjustment process for both parties — employee and employer. An off-site software developer may have feedback about your management style and work approach. If you have followed a rigorous process to hire remote developers, then you are employing skilled, experienced workers with top talents, and their insights will prove invaluable to you and your organization. Just as a manager gives feedback to team members, a remote developer may give constructive criticism to their manager — and you should make it clear that you welcome their insights.

BairesDev: A Remote Software Development Company

At BairesDev, we know how to hire remote software developers. Our comprehensive process includes online tests, HR interviews, technical interviews, and Staffing Hero™ , our own AI team-building and machine learning-powered algorithm. Through a combination of these and other proven methods and efforts, we are able to pinpoint the Top 1% of Tech Talent and find the best matches for partners seeking out our IT and software services.

Each year, tech companies hiring remote developers turn to us for outsourcing and staff augmentation needs, and we match our employees to meet the needs of businesses across sectors and industries. Our partners achieve strong results when they rely on our highly skilled engineers and are better equipped to grow their businesses.