What brings you to hire a remote developer? Probably Cost!
Cost is a factor that most of companies and entrepreneurs consider and prefer hiring a remote developer. What comes next is ‘Cost’. Yeah because hiring someone locally doesn’t even costly in terms of its salary but also expenditures for the environment. However, there are many more significant factors than the cost to gain from a Remote Developer.
You must be wondering where the difference stands between a local and an off-shore team rather than cost? Well, here are a few considerations one needs to make sure, and I bet you will end up getting much more than a local guy. Most companies just evaluate the monthly bill and move forward, but there is much more to analyze and make sure before you proceed.
1 – COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Ugh, you must be thinking how an Remote Developer can be better than a native in terms of its English or spoken language? Then bear in mind, it’s not only the English or your language but also how someone understands your requirements and then makes you understand it. It includes regular reporting as well as keeping you in sync with trial & turbulence. Most of the remote guys are being trained on speaking and listening skills but I have always emphasized better understanding and presentation skills in parallel. Such developers are not only developers but also your work-buddies.
Example: You got a Hosting service and it’s malfunctioning. If your PHP or JavaScript Developer is good at explaining a problem and then reasoning with your vendors, you will definitely let him deal with the service. It will reduce your pain.
How to evaluate Communication:
It’s very simple. Just schedule an interview, talk to your guy and try to enquire about previous situations like ‘what he did when the last time customer’s server crashed?’ or ‘see his previous reporting samples’ etc. By explanations, answers, and samples, it will let you realize if you can really understand him and whether he is getting your point exactly what you want to say.
2 – INITIATIVE
In teamwork, visionary and dynamic people not only execute the idea but also keep on refining and taking the right steps on time. In the Software Industry mostly an idea is born in a non-technical mind but is being executed by a technical guy.
However, a few technology developers are not limited to executions, but also based on their experience they can scale up your idea, refine it to best, and then justify the reasons based on their experience or wisdom. Having a stubborn in staff might conclude the development but won’t contribute to success. You have to make sure that your virtual team has enough initiative skills to take actions on their own, especially when it’s time & you’re not around. Lots of company keeps on hiring cheap people to sell on improved rates but we hire the finest individuals with proven complete record with no red flags.
Example: You got Hosting services and in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping, it’s malfunctioning. If your Dedicated Remote Developer is good at initiatives, there is a very good chance things would be resolved by the time you wake up. It will not only reduce the pain but also take the pain away.
How to Judge Initiative before Hiring:
Again it comes on asking for past experience and making a judgment but before everything, it’s not bad if you slightly discuss your idea or any idea of work, seek his input, and see how well and how much one contributes in order to improve it.
3 – FLEXIBILITY
There are 2 types of flexibilities: Flexible Schedule & Flexible Behaviour.
Flexible Schedule: Having everything within 8 working hours or 9 to 5 is just an SOP with the least implementation. In the software industry, when we get hard deadlines & on launches, it’s very common to work in odd hours. Your virtual or online remote developer must be flexible in your timings to serve in the need of the hour.
Flexible Behaviour: It’s quite a vague term that leads to flexibility in its skills, job description, and line of duty. Like being a dedicated Remote Developer in 2010 I worked like a data-entry operator as well as a designer sometimes in the hour of need. My client never had to hire or pay anything additional for minor associated jobs to my regular JD.
If you are able to make sure a flexible guy in terms of the above scenarios, you probably going to be the NeXT.
Example: You got a Hosting service and during the Christmas holidays it’s malfunctioning. If your Dedicated Remote Developer is responsible & flexible enough, he will work with the vendor to get it resolved as early as possible. It will not only take your pain away but give you comfort & satisfaction in your business.
How to make sure flexibility while Hiring:
Discuss in detail about your Remote Developer availability in the time of need. Not only rely on the words but also discuss the past and historical events. Get a commitment and move ahead.
4 – LEARNING CURVE
No or limited learning curve in any individual leads towards a short stay or disaster. Especially in the software industry if one isn’t capable to improve it’s learning skills, he can never sustain it for the long term. It’s just like your software where updates & upgrades are never-ending processes.
However, if you hire a dedicated Remote Developer who is unable to update his skills time-to-time, it might fire back in the future while your software will demand ongoing trends but your guy will be limited to his old skills. Would you go for a replacement? And again a re-investment on training new guy on your requirements?
It can also be taken as someone who can learn new technologies which can improve your business. A developer with limited or no interest in learning new technologies will keep your application within his own skill-set despite the market demands.
Example: You got a Hosting service for PHP5. Later it gets obsolete and updates its server to PHP7 where your application has started troubling. If your guy has a reasonable learning curve and already knows what’s new in PHP7, he will update the version as soon as the hosting service notifies you regarding the change.
How to evaluate a learning curve:
Not everything in an interview depends on questions but also sometimes you need to give a test. Try to give 2-3 different tasks which are slightly ahead or aside of candidate skills. If at the start he gives up by saying ‘I haven’t worked on these before’ then consider this guy doesn’t have a ‘CAN DO’ attitude with a limited interest in learning. An enthusiastic resource will definitely try his best to strive or might complete the task. Resume will also speak for itself when the resources will inform you that he was an App Developer but can do the web services and publishing as well.
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All the brands under Nextwerk Inc., make sure that all the above criteria are fulfilled while hiring resources for our customers. We invite our customers to obtain a Free Trial before making any payment as well as an interview to evaluate the above criteria in addition to the Technical Skills.
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