5 Productivity Tips for Remote Tech Teams

Remote teams have become a highly valuable asset for tech companies.

Since they are not reliant on local talent, tech companies can enjoy now some of the best candidates in the world. Besides, niche skills have now become more accessible and highly affordable, at the same time. For small enterprises in the tech industry, remote teams are a goldmine.
The common misconception that remote teams are less productive than on-premise ones is also due to remain only this: a myth. According to this article, over 90% of the remote workers interviewed claim they are more productive than they were in-office conditions. Although employees are more likely to be more productive in remote work situations, it’s also your job to enforce better productivity behaviours in them. The tips below will come in handy, so keep reading for some advice.

#1. Be clear when explaining problems

Your team members should fully understand a problem before trying to fix it. This means that the information you’re offering them should be clear and the problem explained thoroughly.
In most cases, remote tech teams are only offered a small, shallow brief on the issue. They have to treat each bug like a complex math problem, where they have too little of the necessary data that may help them achieve a solution fast and effectively.
To make sure your remote teams are fully engaged and ready to solve all issue that may appear, make sure you fill them in with all the information they may find helpful.
First, outline the critical details, then offer them all the information you have, even though you might think it’s not relevant. Let them decide which is and isn’t important for the problem they’re trying to fix.

#2. Give them achievable goals and set clear tasks for each employee

Setting big project goals is important, especially in the tech industry. However, you want to keep your employees engaged and motivated by setting smaller, achievable goals, instead. Obviously, they should be aware of the bigger picture, so don’t keep them in the dark.
A strategy like this will also help you keep a better track of the tasks each member of your remote teams accomplishes. If you were to give them the large project as a whole, you would have had little to no control over what work is done on a workday. Give smaller tasks that can be easily tackled in a matter of hours. This will help you check your employee’s progress, but also see what project milestones are achieved.

#3. Invest in time management tools

Time management tools are a godsend for companies who gamble on remote teams. Since your enterprise is in the tech sector, you are aware of the latest developments in the field, most likely. If not, we have some smart recommendations.

• Time management tools for time organizing tasks - tools like KanbanFlow and Basecamp work wonderfully to help your remote teams organize their tasks and keep them on track with their tasks. When offering access to such tools, remote workers don’t have to decide for themselves which tasks are urgent and which are not. You give them this information.
• Time management tools for increased focus – if you want to boost your employee’s focus and help them get the job fast, Harvest and Eisenhower Matrix App are perfect. Such tools will organize tasks depending on urgency. It has been proven that workers are more productive when they are fully aware of how important and urgent different tasks are.
• Time management tools for self-monitoring – Time Doctor and SpringAhead are two smart self-monitoring time management tools for employers who want to forget about constantly supervising their remote teams. This will help you make sure your teams get the job done even when you’re not there to nag them.

#4. Clear communication and proper channels matter

And since we know that collaboration is key to a successful team, be it remote or not, we should emphasize how important it is to set clear communication channels with your remote teams. And, again, tech comes to your help with some easy and effective solutions. To keep in touch with your remote teams more effectively, you have to use different communication channels – phone calls, text messages, instant messages, the eternal Slack, and so on.
Each of them is perfect in different situations and instances, but together, they create the perfect communication environment.
Tech teams, for instance, rely heavily on Slack. The system is perfect for quick, snappy questions and instant feedback. This is best used when different teams need to collaborate on a matter, but don’t have the time or ability to get in an hours-long meeting.

#5. Have an emergency plan in place

Big problems in complex tech projects are always likely to appear. So, make sure to always have a plan in place for such situations. Remote workers should have the tools to flag and report problems as soon as they appear. Make sure your remote teams have the possibility to communicate you the following.

• The problem
• How severe it is
• The time they need to fix it
• How important solving it is for the greater good of the project
• The resources they need to fix the bug

There may be instances when the resources available are not the ones your employees need to fix a bug or technical problems. In such cases, be prepared with a Plan B, as unpleasant and undesired this may be.
When employees know exactly how to proceed in emergency situations, they are more likely to show high productivity, even during such events.
So, are your remote teams prepared to solve the biggest challenges of your next project and stay productive? If not, make sure you don’t overlook the pieces of advice above. And, psst, don’t forget, if you only hire the best from the very beginning, productivity won’t be a struggle, like many managers make it look like. Invest in some smart tools to help your remote teams keep better track of their time and tasks, and keep those communication channels open.