Remote Work

Pros and Cons of Hiring Remote Developers

Luis Ortiz

Apr 22, 2022 — 5 min read

By Chatty Garrate. Follow her on Twitter.

Remote-Workforce: A Trump Card or a Hindrance?######

Remote work has been around even before the world was hit by the pandemic. It has provided countless professionals—including those who belong to the IT sector a flexible alternative to earn money while concentrating on their craft.

With companies recognizing the cost-effective advantage of allowing their staff to opt to work from home, there is also the increasing curiosity on whether the said shift is worth giving a try.

Not all businesses were designed to operate remotely from the get-go. Brick-and-mortar shops and companies whose services require in-person consultation had to reassess their existing business structure and hit the restart button.

The question now is this: How advantageous is a remote work setup for businesses in the modern market? Also, does it suit companies looking to hire a remote team of developers?

Topics to check:

Hiring Remote Developers: The Pros
a. Flexible and more accommodating work structure
b. Expanded pool of skills and expertise
c. Reduced costs on labor and resources
d. Fast assimilation into the workflow
Hiring Remote Developers: The Pros
a. Cultural differences and language barriers
b. Conflicting opportunities
c. Lack of team cohesiveness

1. Hiring Remote Developers: The Pros##

Society has come a long way, and a huge part of that progress is something that should be credited to technology. Tech unlocked countless possibilities, including a diverse range of career opportunities for programmers and developers.

It wouldn’t be surprising that most companies in the future will be highly dependent on the IT sector to keep their operations afloat. A quick look at the following pros of employing remote-based developers underscores this untapped potential:

a. Flexible and more accommodating work structure####

Virtual employment accommodates both project-based and full-time positions. Realistically speaking, IT pros including a remote dev ops engineer don’t necessarily have to be present on-site to fulfill their tasks. As long as they have excellent web connectivity at home, complete with a laptop or a carefully assembled work computer, a permanent remote role suits their role.

Also, not everyone can readily work office-based either due to preexisting health conditions or more expensive costs of living couples with moving to another country or city. Freelancing gives developers the freedom to take on other projects on the side and leverage their income with their expenses.

b. Expanded pool of skills and expertise####

What is the biggest barrier that remote hiring effortlessly broke down? Physical distance or location. Sometimes, aspiring for sky-high business goals entails upgrading existing human resources. Unfortunately, in-demand developer skills such as AI engineering, Golang development, and cybersecurity engineering aren’t always readily available in a given location.

An employer finds the perfect candidate, only to find out that they are based miles away from their office and that relocating is not an option for them. That’s when looking for global talent comes into play, as remote hiring provides a win-win situation, where businesses can diversify their pool of skilled and experienced IT professionals. In return, programmers and developers seeking better career opportunities will embrace working for a company virtually, provided that they offer compensation for their level of expertise.

c.Reduced costs on labor and resources####

Hiring while on a budget? Including a virtual team of developers cuts down over $11,000 worth of office expenses. The estimate factors in reduced costs in purchasing new equipment, eliminating operational losses caused by poor work attendance, and balancing efficiency among staff.

Working with freelancers also takes the responsibility of shouldering the staff’s benefits off of the plate of employers. They can be paid monthly or per project, depending on what both parties agree upon.

d. Fast assimilation into the workflow####

Often, developers who choose to work remotely already have a considerable amount of experience that make them fit to work in their respective field. Employers no longer have to worry about training them or familiarizing them with programming languages and skills since they most likely have honed their background in those areas. There are also several tools to help remote developer teams that companies can use to help facilitate clear and seamless communication with their team.

If there are pros to remote hiring of developers, then surely, there are corresponding cons.
What are they?

2. Hiring Remote Developers: The Cons##

a. Cultural differences and language barriers####

It cannot be denied that communicating mainly via video chat and messaging apps may lead to inevitable misunderstandings. It holds for remote teams comprised of staff from different parts of the globe. Possible communication barriers include differences in pronouncing certain words, using different terminologies, and the clashing of native and non-native speakers of a specific language or dialect.

Some examples of cultural differences include the straightforward nature of Americans which is often misconstrued as being too frank or blunt. Or, an employee who hails from a highly family-oriented and traditional country may not appreciate having to work during the holidays.

b. Conflicting opportunities####

In this regard, inconsistency refers to the lack of an available team who can work on incoming projects on demand. In-house staff can readily be assigned to a new undertaking for the company. Say, the working contract for a developer hired solely for a specific project has finally reached its end. Unfortunately, the company took on a project that needed that same developer’s area of expertise.

The company is lucky if the developer agrees to enter a new contract with them. What if the latter has moved on to a different career trajectory? Replacing remote-based developers isn’t as easy as it seems. It also poses a considerable risk on the part of the company.

c. Lack of team cohesiveness####

An in-house workforce easily builds a distinct company culture that contributes to strengthening the work structure. It enables the staff to establish rapport with each other and gauge each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Contrastingly, remote employees do not have the opportunity to create a harmonious work relationship with their office-based counterparts. Their focus will be shifted more towards completing their tasks, and not on observing and understanding the team’s dynamics.

To hire or not to hire?####

Remote employment has paved the way for multiple career breakthroughs to come to light. It would be best to discuss the pros and cons of adding a virtual team of developers into the company’s structure and assess whether the said setup would bring more gains than losses in the long run.

Are you adopting or looking to improve your Agile practices? Is your team remote? If your answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, you should check out our products for distributed teams. We focus on making communication more effective and easier for remote teams.

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