Hiring remote developers has brought countless benefits to tech companies around the world. However, this has also meant that a lot of software developers have also had to deal with additional challenges, like:
- Feeling isolated from the team and the decision making process
- Feeling like they’re not advancing in their careers
- Fear of being expendable and replaceable
- Not being properly recognized for their contributions to projects
All of these factors affect their commitment and performance. However, they can be mitigated with a company culture that really promotes and recognizes their work regardless of whether they’re working on a project-by-project basis or are long-term employees.
Promoting this philosophy guarantees that your devs will be a lot more satisfied with their work and increase the human factor that brings values to teams. This value makes them more competitive and innovation-oriented.
In this article, we’ll discuss a few strategies that your company or tech startup can use to improve motivation and opportunities for your devs to continue growing professionally and developing their strategic skills.
How can companies help remote developers advance in their careers?
1.- Establish a professional development plan
One of the greatest challenges that remote devs face is a lack of clear and defined structure for their work. Without a traditional office setting, it can be hard to know what’s expected of them and how they can really advance in their career as opposed to just working on another project. If there aren’t any growth opportunities in their current work, they’re more likely to apply to other companies.
In order to avoid this problem, companies have to set specific, measurable, and achievable goals with a defined deadline. But this is just the first step. There also have to be real and predictable benefits for those who achieve these goals.
In other words, instead of vaguely saying, “there will be performance-based growth opportunities,” try using more concrete terminology like, “when you achieve these KPIs, you’ll achieve this“.
These benefits aren’t restricted to raises or promotions. As we’ll see in a bit, there are other ways to motivate and recognize your dev’s talent that could also be included in the emotional salary category.
2.- Promote communication and feedback
Without the opportunity for face-to-face interactions that working in an office provides, it’s vital that remote devs have clear and effective communication channels with their team leaders and coworkers.
Promoting a culture with open and transparent communication is important. You can do this by scheduling regular meetings with each collaborator to discuss their progress towards achieving certain objectives, providing feedback on their performance, and giving them the recognition they deserve (preferably publicly) for doing good work.
You’ll also need to have a policy that motivates your devs to share their ideas and suggestions to improve the team’s processes and projects. Remember that the more your devs feel valued and heard, the more likely they are to be committed to their work and be more productive.
3.- Sponsor training events for new skills
This can include online courses, tutorials, mentorships, and access to in-demand skills. Providing remote developers with opportunities to improve their skills and learn new technologies helps make them more productive and gives them the ability to contribute more innovative ideas that bring more value to the projects.
4.- Invite them to conferences and events
Bringing your devs to conferences and key industry events is a great way to give them professional visibility and help them network with other software experts.
These experiences make your devs feel important and recognized as a valuable investment in your company. It also offers them a more updated outlook on the trends and skills that they should take into account in order to be more competitive.
5.- Treat them like the experts they are
Your devs aren’t just your team members. They’re experts with incredible potential to become consultants, leaders, and mentors to other collaborators professionally and in other areas that you may need expertise in. Take the time to get to know the overall talents that each dev has. Then give them the opportunity to provide advice and recommendations in situations that make them feel good about themselves. For example, you might say, “we have a new team member, and you know this particular code the best out of all of us. Can you tell her about your experience?”
Using these strategies, your company can build a much more solid, productive, and invested team. Your company will be able to make the most of your devs’ experience and knowledge, but we know that these strategies will only work if you’re working with the right talent first.
At Workana, you can get off to a great start by building your dream team of developers. When you choose Workana, you can be sure that every team member has the skills you need and a great attitude while staying well within your budget. Start your seven-day risk-free trial today!
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