Start Pill
Remote work has become increasingly popular and is not just for freelancers and small businesses anymore. More and more established companies are embracing the trend and taking advantage of the many benefits of remote work. We at Moqod recently conducted a survey among American and European tech startups to explore the influence of remote work on its businesses. This article explores its advantages and offers tips for building an effective remote team management strategy.
Remote Work Benefits
For startups, creating a fully remote international team has many advantages. Access to diverse talent pools, cost savings, increased productivity, a more inclusive and culturally aware workplace, and opportunities to expand into different markets are just a few examples. Research by Moqod shows that more than 60% of global tech companies already work with remote teams.
Time Management
Office-based employees are typically bound to schedule and logistics, often involving spending several hours on the road, working 8-12 hours, and returning home. Remote teams don’t have this problem. Professionals can concentrate on solving work tasks and allocating their time independently, which allows them to perform their duties better.
Productivity
Working with international teams allows for 24/7 coverage and increased productivity. With team members in different time zones, work can be done around the clock, leading to faster project completion and increased efficiency. There is no need to synchronize working hours with contractors, as connecting CI/CD tools and periodically monitoring progress is enough. Remote teams get more autonomy and can calmly focus on work processes, shortening the project’s timelines and improving its quality.
Pool of Talents
One significant benefit of building a remote international team is access to a diverse talent pool. Startups can tap into a broader range of skills and expertise by not being limited to a specific geographic location, leading to a more innovative and well-rounded team with diverse perspectives and ideas. By delegating the project to a group of experts, startups don’t need to maintain staff, buy equipment, and train employees, which is not profitable from a financial and logical point of view.
Cost Reduction
Another benefit is cost savings. With team members working remotely, startups can save on expenses such as office space and equipment. This is particularly important for early-stage startups working with limited resources. Logistics costs and time expenditures also decrease, increasing productivity and the quality of project implementation and shortening the lead time for a digital solution. These savings create opportunities for further scaling.
Greater Flexibility
Full-time employees are bound to structured and formulaic work processes, but remote teams are less subject to control, allowing for more creativity in routine work. Remote teams find ways around format limitations, while in-house employees try to follow them. For example, third-party developers will change the tech stack if the chosen framework doesn’t fit the project’s requirements, unlike local workers whose knowledge and skills are limited by their position.
How to Build an Effective Remote Team Management Strategy
Most tech companies in the USA have a remote workforce, creating various challenges such as poor communication, time tracking and productivity monitoring, and preventing developers’ burnout. This is one of the findings of Moqod’s Research in which company experts survey the U.S. tech startup managers. However, these challenges are easily overcome in practice with some tips from Moqod experts. Let’s consider the methods and tools.
Choosing the Right Remote Working Software
When delegating a project to a third-party developer, ensure that you can monitor the progress of the work at any stage. Software designed specifically for this purpose can help. The most popular technical solutions include Asana, Trello, YouTrack, Notion, and Redmine.
There are hundreds of similar systems, and team representatives may offer their version of project management. Compare prioritized solutions and choose one that will be easy to use for both parties.
Creating a Meeting Schedule
Arrange periodic online meetings. Communication allows you not only to track the progress of your work but also to influence the motivation of the project executors.
There is no need to contact the team members daily, meticulously asking them how many and what lines of code they wrote. It is better to organize weekly meetings to discuss and solve the issues collectively. Thus, neither party will be satisfied with the communication, and workers’ productivity on the project will increase many times.
Work together to solve problems
In difficult work situations, it’s important to avoid blaming remote experts for being unable to solve the problem. As a digital product owner, take an active interest in the state of the project, analyze its problems, and discuss them in meetings with the team. By doing so, you can find the best solution or prompt the contractors to look for it.
It’s important to remember that accusing performers of incompetence will not solve the problem and may make the situation worse. Instead, you can increase remote employees’ motivation by showing your involvement and taking part in solving problems. This will not only help in solving the current problem but also build a culture of collaboration and problem-solving within the team.
Summary
Remote work offers many advantages, including increased productivity, access to a diverse talent pool, cost savings, and greater flexibility. Remote teams can work around the clock and are less subject to rigid structuring, which can lead to more creativity in problem-solving. Additionally, remote teams can save on expenses such as office space and equipment, which is particularly important for early-stage startups working with limited resources.
To build an effective remote team management strategy, it’s essential to choose the right remote working software and communication strategy. Regular communication is crucial to track progress and influencing motivation. Additionally, taking an interest in the state of the project, analyzing its problems, and discussing them in meetings can increase remote employees’ motivation and improve problem-solving.
The article is written by the Moqod team
