The New Era of Hiring Remote Engineers

The work-from-home culture has been in the IT industry for a long-long time, but after COVID-19, remote work has become the new normal for many sectors.

Stack Overflow’s latest developer edition consolidated the data from 70,000+ developers worldwide. The study shows that only 14.58% of software developers work in offices (on-site), and the rest are either fully remote or choose to work in a hybrid model.

This clearly illustrates the future shift in developers’ working culture. Many organizations have adopted this change and now helping the software industry to thrive in this new era of working from home.

Remote jobs on LinkedIn receive 50% of all applications, despite being only the 20% of all jobs created.

Benefits of remote working culture

Clearly, job seekers are looking for flexible working options, and why not? The remote working culture provides the employee and organization with various benefits. Some of them include the following:

• High productivity: As the time to focus on work increases and time consumed by daily commutating decreases (completely vanishes).
• More connectivity: Due to a single channel (platform) of communication for the entire organization, the communication gap between different levels narrows, and the possibility of micro-management is eliminated.
• Flexible hours: Remote work has boosted asynchronous working and achieving outcomes without being in touch during working hours.
• Stripes away the boundaries: Remote work has created a limitless talent pool for all industries. Corporations can scout and hire from anywhere in the world without worrying about the hassles of local regulations for full-time employment (as foreign employees can be hired as contractors).

“With every major corporation giving remote work options and every 5th start-up launching as remote first, many talented employees from such companies prioritize remote roles when looking for a job change.” – as explained by Jonathan Siddharth, the CEO & Co-Founder of Turing, in one of his recent interviews.

Let’s have a look into some of the industries adopting remote working culture.

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Industries transitioning into fully remote hiring

Every major industry, including healthcare, banking, entertainment, etc., embraces remote work in almost all departments.

The technical department is at the top of the list since many development tasks do not require a physical presence in specific locations.

This also provides new hires with options to work in a remote setting as a further benefit, which also assists in maintaining the work-life balance.

Industries that rely heavily on software applications (development and management) are most prone to hire remote developers for day-to-day tasks; some of them include:

1. SaaS

SaaS-based enterprises have the most to gain from a remote workforce as the actual product is a software application that can be developed and delivered from any part of the world.

When high-performing developer teams demand to work remotely, most SaaS companies accommodate their demands because finding the right developers with the ideal experience and technical expertise is challenging.

Software developers have seen changes in their working culture and personal lives after adopting the remote setting.

Other technical disciplines in SaaS firms, such as Project/Operation Managers, Product Analysts, Growth Hackers, and Technical Writers, have also shown to be more efficient while working from home.

SaaS firms now mostly open remote positions for new tech roles, as they can attract more applications with an ideal skill set.

2. IT Services

The IT service industry has long been open to the idea of telecommuting and remote work. A lot of the work that IT workers do can be done from any location with an internet connection.

MNCs in the IT service sector offer remote working alternatives to employees as long as the client’s need for software assistance is met.

When a business (client) outsources its engineering needs to an IT service agency, it is more or less dependent on the client’s working regulations. Still, most are now amenable to the idea of fully remote work.

Engineers working on the client side comply with their regulations and leverage the work-from-home benefits.

The training/boarding for different projects is now being done via conferencing and digital workshop platforms, which has proven to be as effective as in-person training.

3. Publications

The journalism and publishing industry has been one of the first to transition into remote hiring. With the rise of digital media, many publications now exist solely online.

Online publications significantly benefit from remote setup, as articles and content can be written and published anywhere, anytime.

Other than writing and programming, different departments in the digital publishing industry have evolved into a complete remote model with the assistance of various tools accessible today.

These tools assist team members and different teams in efficient and quick coordination. Approvals for roadmaps can be obtained swiftly, and work on targets can begin using these remote working tools.

4. Gaming

When the dust settled after the pandemic, gaming giants realized that remote work resulted in lower employee churn and higher job efficiency. The gaming industry quickly embraced remote hiring because of this high efficiency.

Now, the new positions for most in-demand roles in the gaming industry, i.e., game designers and game programmers, are available as remote opportunities.

With the popularity of online gaming, many companies are now hiring gamers (game testers) to garner feedback from various parts of the world with different perspectives.

5. Web 3

Web 3 is the next internet generation built on the blockchain’s decentralized architecture.

Although this new internet is still in its early stages, many emerging Web 3 firms are already recruiting remote engineers to help build it.

Most aspects of Web 3 necessitate an excessive amount of research and real-world testing due to the limited resources and experienced developers available. It allows Web 3 engineers to work in environments where they are most productive (usually remotely or at home).

Gaming and Web 3 are expected to be the most job-creating sectors in this decade. So, remote engineers are going to play a huge role in enhancing industries.

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How to hire remote engineers in the new normal?

There are many things to look for when you hire for any new position. But in the end, it all boils down to the right fit. It can be anything from the right skill set to a perfect culture fit.

Most hiring managers may prefer traditional hiring practices or those that have achieved results in the past. Still, as the remote culture has developed, it has become necessary to adapt to this new trend. This includes adjusting some of the steps for remote engineers.

Let’s look into some of the points which can assist you in hiring the right fit for a remote engineer position.

1. Deciding on requirements

When hiring remote engineers, it is critical to first determine the position’s specific requirements. This part requires a strong collaboration between recruitment and development verticals.

The requirements include a basic set of deal breakers and nice-to-haves. The skill set (tech stack), experience, location (for synchronizing), and salary range are the most important aspects for creating the criteria list.

Many applicants may or may not meet all the requirements. But no one is a 100% ideal fit for any role. So, there should be some flexibility available in the demands. After creating the list of requirements, the next step is to search for the ideal fit (okay, 99% ideal).

2. Scouting on the right platforms

There are several ways to source remote engineers. The most common ones are online job boards, social media, and referrals.

But it is essential to choose the right platform as many platforms may offer quantity but not quality. You can find out if you should rely on the platform by looking into its online reputation and the results it has provided to other companies.

Many developer-oriented platforms provide pre-vetted remote engineers. Looking into their vetting process and reviews can assist you in choosing the right partner to fulfill your needs.

3. Onboarding new hires

Finally, you need to onboard and manage your new remote hires. This includes setting up communication and collaboration tools, establishing expectations, and providing ongoing support.

It may seem hectic (and it can be). But any team must use a tried and tested method to manage remote engineers while abiding by the company’s regulations. There are many platforms in place that help businesses build remote work culture to provide developers and clients with the highest satisfaction rate.

The onboarding of new remote engineers can be summarized in three steps:

• Introduction to the team/relevant stakeholders.
• Walkthrough of product and deep dive into concerned vertical/feature.
• Setting up communication channels and granting access.

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Conclusion

There are many reasons to consider hiring engineers remotely. Perhaps your company is looking to reduce overhead costs, have higher productivity, have flexible working hours, or you want to tap into a global talent pool.

It can be tedious to adapt to this new normal. Nevertheless, there are different platforms to help you hire remote engineers by removing the hectic recruitment process, be it pre-screening, code testing, culture fit, or soft skills assessments.

Overall, remote hiring can be a great way to find talented engineers. But there are a few factors to bear in mind. By being clear about your needs, setting up clear communication, and offering some flexibility, you can set your company up for success.

This article is written by Mohak Sethi. Mohak is a content writer and strategist. He has developed content in tech, OTT, and travel niches for companies like Wipro and Amazon Prime. When he is not writing, he’s probably daydreaming about getting on a spacecraft and exploring the universe.

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