LinkedIn is the leading social media platform for professionals. It has more than 169 million users in the US and is used by many businesses and job seekers.
By 2025, the user base of LinkedIn will grow to 167.26 million, as per Statista. As a result, it is an excellent choice for clients to recruit and work with leading talents.
Most importantly, LinkedIn is one of the best destinations to hire remote developers. Many companies use the platform to get access to top programmers from around the world.
Additionally, they also rely on LinkedIn to learn how to manage virtual teams like experts. The platform regularly publishes articles and releases courses that empower businesses and entrepreneurs.
Here are some proven LinkedIn best practices for managing remote software teams without hiccups. However, we will also incorporate a few insights from Reintech’s side to make way for holistic learning.
Here is the first one for managing remote teams.
Create Opportunities for Developers to Connect
Remote development teams are not located in the same space. Some may be working from other countries, a few from home, and one or two from vacations.
As a result, remote teams lack the chance to bump into each other while getting coffee or printing a document.
Therefore, they also miss out on opportunities to have conversations and connect. They may also not feel a part of the team as face-to-face interactions are missing.
So, the onus is on managers to create ample opportunities for team members to connect. As a result, think of using video calls instead of messaging or just calling your developers all the time.
In addition, dedicate time for group activities to develop strong peer relationships. Moreover, allow your remote programmers to collaborate using online collaboration tools.
This also goes a long way to build resilient connections between members of remote teams, as we see at Reintech.
Provide Remote Coaching
Every developer wants to learn and grow to advance their careers. They want to pick up new skills and capabilities to make way for a better life and job.
Additionally, allowing your employees to learn has a range of benefits. For example, a proper training program can improve employee retention rates and boost loyalty.
Moreover, employees become vocal advocates of their employer as they are satisfied in their roles.
As a result, 74% of businesses feel learning and development is now a strategic function, as per LinkedIn.
Therefore, it is not adequate to just hire a Ruby developer. You should also be ready to invest in their development and help them grow.
However, you will need to provide online coaching to your remote teams. You will need to rely on technology and use learning management systems or training solutions.
Additionally, think of implementing mobile learning so that your developers can learn flexibly.
Provide Your Remote Teams with the Right Tools
Software development teams need both hardware and software to work productively. However, sometimes they may not have the necessary resources to start working right away.
It is not always wise to expect your remote programmers to have a complete setup. As a result, many businesses provide tools and equipment to remote teams, as per LinkedIn.
You should first check if your remote developers have what they need to work on your project. Next, create a list of necessary resources that each team member lacks.
You can then provide those resources or reimburse your remote coders for buying the same. Additionally, you should check if they have the right tech stack to build your product.
Else, you can sign them up for the right tools you expect to use for your project.
A big advantage of this approach is it makes your coders feel valued. They feel you appreciate their presence and motivate them to give their best.
As a result, they are more likely to work hard to fulfill your business objectives.
Observe Your Teams and their Dynamics
Remote teams don’t work together from the same place. Additionally, managers can’t meet them every day and ask how they are or if they are facing any issues.
As a result, you should make an extra effort to connect to the team members. Additionally, observe each member and how they behave with others.
Moreover, keep an eye on the whole team dynamics and how members are playing along with each other.
This process will help you identify developers who might feel left out. You might find them less communicating or unwilling to share ideas.
In addition, you might discover other vital insights that reveal issues with your remote teams. Once you have those insights, you can take steps to overcome the problems.
It also pays to connect with those programmers and have a heart-to-heart talk. They might feel more encouraged to open up in private rather than group meetings.
You can ensure the wellbeing of your remote employees following an empathic approach. This will create a team of happy remote developers who love to work for your company.
Help Your Teams Balance Work and Life
Remote working is suitable to manage work-life balance. Employees can work from home or familiar settings and save time by eliminating the commute to work.
However, the opposite is happening for some companies. 70% of professionals who switched to working from home work weekends, and 45% work more hours than in-office.
As a result, they are becoming more stressed and burned out, which takes a toll on productivity.
Therefore, you should make sure your programmers work only on assigned hours. Don’t let them drag on work beyond regular hours and allow them to choose when to work.
Additionally, be flexible when it comes to working parents or new mothers.
Remote teams need a different approach to keep them productive. You should allow your programmers to connect and collaborate together virtually. Additionally, follow up on them and ask about their wellbeing. Moreover, empower them with the right resources so they don’t get a chance to complain.