Managing remote developers requires a different approach than managing an in-office team. But, with the right strategies, you can build a strong, efficient team—no matter where they’re located. While there is a lot to doing so effectively, we can boil it down to three key things: communication, clear targets, and progress tracking. This guide will walk you through how to manage remote developers effectively—keeping your team productive and happy.
What Does It Take to Manage Remote Developers Effectively?
To manage remote developers effectively, you need a system that helps both you and your team stay organized. Since your team isn’t in the same physical space, you need to rely on software to keep everyone in sync. As a result—regular check-ins, clear goals, and open communication are vital.
Another key factor in effective remote team management is trust. You must trust that your developers are working on tasks even though you can’t see them in person. In return, your team needs structure, feedback, and flexibility to get their work done correctly—yet in their own way. Balancing these needs will help you manage remote development teams with ease.
Software Tools to Manage Remote Development Teams
As mentioned before, you need the right software tools to manage remote developers effectively. These tools help you keep track of what each employee is doing and allow the team to collaborate smoothly. Below are a small selection of tools that can help you manage remote development teams:
- Project Management Software: These tools help you organize tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. They let your team know what to do and when it’s due. A few popular examples of project management apps are Trello, Jira, and Asana. Many other productivity tools offer such features as well, like WebWork Time Tracker.
- Communication Tools: Apps like Slack, Zoom, or Google Meet allow team members to communicate in real time. Quick chats, video calls, and regular updates can keep your staff connected.
- File Sharing Tools: Dropbox or Google Drive can be used to store and share important files. These platforms make sure that your team can access documents whenever they need them.
These tools will keep your team organized and ensure that everyone knows what they should be doing. But, there’s more to team management than having the right tools on hand. You must also use them correctly, which can be tricky at times. Having to use multiple apps at once can make this even harder—requiring a lot of effort.
To simplify this process, we’ll now explore how you can manage remote developers with one productivity tool: time tracking software.
How to Manage Remote Developers with a Time Tracker
A time tracker is a powerful tool for managing remote developers. High-quality examples can help you manage a variety of things in your team—including projects, tasks, leave, and more. There are lots of ways you can optimize time tracking for developers to manage remote developers, including:
- Track Productivity and Detect Distractions
- Manage Projects and Tasks
- Manage Holidays and Leave
- Ensure a Healthy Work-Life Balance
- Switch to a Flexible Work Schedule
Track Productivity and Detect Distractions
One of the main use cases for a time tracker is to see where time is going. Combined with additional features like activity level tracking, this can help you ensure your staff’s productivity. If a developer is spending too much time on one task, it might mean they’re stuck. If they’re barely showing any activity on their computers, they mightbe distracted instead.
You can even use a time tracker to monitor work progress with screenshots. This will help you catch various problems early on—like low professional engagement or burnout.
Manage Projects and Tasks
Time trackers often come with task management features. These let you assign tasks to staff, set due dates, and track how long each assignment takes. This is a great way to manage complex projects and make sure everyone is working on the right things.
You can break projects down into small tasks and assign them to different team members. Higher-quality time trackers, like WebWork, let you take this further with sub-tasks. Such functionality makes it easier to monitor progress to adjust deadlines and your resource allocation if needed.
Manage Holidays and Leave
It’s important to keep track of holidays and leave—especially with remote teams. A time tracker makes this easy. Your developers can request time off in an online dashboard, which you can then approve or reject without back-and-forth emails. This way, you know exactly who is available when and can plan everyone’s work around their schedules.
Leave management systems can also help avoid misunderstandings about time off. If everyone logs their leave in the same place, it becomes much easier for you to manage schedules and keep the team on track.
Ensure a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Remote work can blur the line between work and personal life for many people. Developers may feel pressure to work long hours—especially when deadlines are approaching quickly. A time tracker lets you keep an eye on how many hours your team is working each day—helping ensure they aren’t overworking or burning themselves out.
Encourage your team to take breaks and avoid working at unreasonable times of the day—like at night. By promoting a healthy work-life balance, your developers will stay motivated and productive in the long run.
Switch to a Flexible Work Schedule
One of the biggest benefits of remote work is flexibility. A time tracker allows you to take full advantage of this with flexible working schedules—without losing track of progress. Your developers can work when they are most productive, and you can still see how much time they are putting into each task.
This flexibility can lead to better results in numerous ways. Developers who work during their peak productivity hours tend to get more done. A flexible schedule also improves work satisfaction, which can lead to higher retention rates for your company.
Closing Thoughts
Managing remote developers effectively is all about creating structure and using the right tools—correctly. Communication, task management, and time tracking are key elements of success. By providing flexibility and using a high-quality time tracker, you can help your staff perform their best.