Managing remote Ruby on Rails developers: Effective tips for success
Once the pandemic occurred, many companies started offering remote work. A few years later, this type of work is equally represented as the work from the office. Many of them still offer work-from-home options, while others imply only that type of work.
But working with such teams has its own strategies. It is different than working with an office team. So if you are new to this, we understand your concern. Here are effective tips on managing remote Ruby on Rails developers.
What is remote work?
Remote work is the practice of employees doing their work outside of the office. This usually meant working from home. But it can also mean a co-working or other shared space. It can be a private office, or any other location other than the usual corporate office building or campus. Remote work is the same as work from home.
For instance, your employer's offices are miles away, and you operate your work from home. You are a remote worker. In a remote working environment, the worker does not go to an office building. But also doesn't go to a warehouse or other central location.
Thus, if you want to hire a Ruby on Rails developer to work remotely, you can. Developers' jobs are suitable for remote work. But some other jobs require work in the office. This includes receptionists, office assistants, mail clerks, and many others.
How many hours do remote developers work?
When it comes to working hours, the contracts for remote workers are the same as for office workers. They can work full-time jobs with 8 hours per day or part-time jobs which is 4 hours a day.
Managing remote Ruby on Rails developers: Effective tips for success
Now that we explained what remote workers are, let’s see how to manage them. Here are the top 7 effective tips for managing remote Ruby on Rails developers.
1. Prepare thorough plan
Before you hire a Ruby on Rails developer for the project, you must have a thorough plan. You need to know how much time will this project needs. What teams and developers it requires? What is the budget, the scope, and the deadline of the project?
If you don’t determine the budget, you can end up spending too much money. You can waste your and your developer's time. This can lead up to a lot of frustration for you and everyone else involved in the project. So, do your research. Spend a little more time planning. Set straight your goals and deliverables and you will save time and money in the long run.
2. Communication is the key
The most important thing for a remote team is communication. When workers are in different time zones, there is a lack of communication. Ensure you have a clear plan. Have an organized workflow and ensure that each team member is updated on everything.
Do this by having a face-time call. When texting, your tone cannot express the message exactly. Face-to-face calls have a personal touch. The regular calls are more technical without an emotional touch.
Be open and honest about your expectations. Set goals early on and be precise with your deadlines. You will waste time and money if you change the project requirements. Also, ensure to have regular check-ins with your RoR remote developers. This will keep both parties on the same page and assist in managing mutual expectations.
Last but not least, provide them with feedback. Constructive feedback provided on time can improve the project. But it can also improve your relationship with developers. If anything is slightly wrong but will not influence the final product's performance, don't bother. The developer you're working with will undoubtedly appreciate your adaptability.
3. Provide necessary project management tools
Using the right technologies will make your remote workers' work much easier. But yours as well. Tools such as Trello, Zoom, and Slack can help you arrange your workflow more efficiently.
Let’s check some of the best project management tools for your RoR developers.
- Slack is the most popular platform among developers. It is a very popular communication platform between teams. It's great for setting up different channels. But also specific locations for your team to interact and connect with each other. You can even talk with one coworker without involving the entire team. Just use direct messaging and private channels. The best thing is that it is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
- GitHub is another popular platform among developers. It's a platform for free code hosting. It allows team collaboration and version control. You can host your app's code, review code, and manage projects. It is compatible with both Windows and macOS.
- Trello is one of the most basic and free project management tools. It is great for managing remote teams. It allows you to build boards for different projects and manage tasks with lists and cards. You can add descriptions, assign tasks, and interact via comments to your team members. It is accessible for both iOS and Android.
4. Make use of different time zones
A competent remote software development team is independent. They understand how to manage and finish the work. But sometimes, time management can be a challenge. But it is up to you to decide whether to be a problem or an advantage.
Achieve efficiency by allowing developers to take on different aspects of the project. If your developer's timezone is ahead of yours, you will have time to analyse the work. And, thus, provide feedback and comments on the same day. If you are ahead of your developer's time zone, you will have enough time to prepare everything for the next day!
5. Schedule before time
Scheduling can be challenging for remote teams. The time difference can be significant. Especially if you're working from the USA and your team is somewhere in Europe. Even bigger challenges can be if your office is in Silicon Valley with off-shore headquarters in India.
Flexible hours and overlapping schedules can assist here. So it is always a good idea to schedule anything before the time. Whether it is an informal call, sharing updates, or a new task in place. Talk to your RoR developers and schedule together before the time.
6. Embrace conflicts
Conflicts are a normal and necessary part of any company. And they usually occur with a lack of communication. Ensure to minimize potential conflicts by being precise about:
- Timelines
- Project scope
- Payment dates
Honesty and respectfulness are always in the first place. There is no reason to panic if an issue develops. If you cannot agree with your RoR developer, ask someone you trust to intervene. They can assist in resolving the situation. Most likely, you are too emotionally attached to view things clearly for what they are.
7. Reward your RoR developers
Nice words can fix anyone's day. Remember, we are all working our best. Remember to congratulate your staff at the finish of each meeting. But also congratulate when a certain task is finished, or a problem is fixed. Make sure to express what you enjoy about the project's progress. Constructive feedback will reassure them that they are on the right track.
Aside from that, don't underestimate the importance of small rewards. Show your gratitude by sending your staff gifts. This can be t-shirts, mugs, and badges. Put your company emblem on them. Bonuses are another approach to boosting morale in your team. When morale is strong, employees work harder and better than ever before. Consider the bonuses as an investment in the project. But also a mean to express your gratitude to the developers.
How to find the right Ruby On Rails Developer
If you want to find the right Ruby on Rails developer, you need to know where to look. Usually, freelance platforms are full of professionals. You can also find full-time employees there. Here are platforms where you can look:
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- PeoplePerHour
If you find this process too complicated, don’t worry. Teamcubate can help you. This type of hiring is stress-free. The whole hiring process is up to us. The only thing you need to do is contact us. You will have your best RoR developer for the best possible price in a few days.
But if you decide to do it on your own, we are also here to help. Check out our navigating the hiring process to ease your experience.
In conclusion
Once you have your team in place, you need to know how to guide them. Even though this is the easier part, problems can occur. But now, managing remote Ruby on Rails developers with these tips will be easy. All you need to do is follow them.
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