Melbourne, Victoria Australia 
Boost remote developer productivity with remote developer tips, which are effective for maintaining a business’s growth. Not only can you improve employee satisfaction, but you can also ensure customer satisfaction as a result.
Remote developers have become one of the most common outsourced services since the boom of remote working. However, maintaining remote developers is another entirely different thing. To prevent frequent turnover and boost productivity, remote developers should be encouraged and have their own tricks to continue their growth.
Listed below are 10 effective ways to boost remote developer productivity.
10 Ways to Boosting Remote Developer Productivity
Business owners must lead and understand these methods in order to boost remote developer productivity. These ten methods are a great way to start understanding employees and their needs. Understand how they’re providing support for their productivity.
Establish a Dedicated Workspace
Establishing a dedicated workspace in their home can boost remote developer productivity. It allows little room for distractions and an ergonomic workspace that can enhance their focus.
To create a well-equipped, comfortable, and motivating home office, you will need a few things in the room. Firstly, an ergonomic office chair is an important part of a dedicated workspace. Working as a remote developer will take hours sitting in front of their desks. Having an office chair that provides lumbar support and mobility will lessen the strain on their bodies.
Another important piece of furniture is a desk in eye level with the user. Desks dedicated solely for work should be organised and have all necessary items for work displayed within reach. A bonus would have the desk be adjustable for user convenience.
Other important things are high-speed Internet, which help them communicate with their other team members. Noise-cancelling headphones and adequate lighting can boost productivity, reducing eye strain and noise disruption respectively.
Set Clear Expectations & Communication
To boost remote developer productivity there should always be a way to communicate. For remote developers, getting daily tasks done in a time-efficient manner can only be achieved once they’re aware of the tasks they’ve been entrusted with. Without the use of effective communication tools it will be easy for remote developers to miss a task given to them.
The key to effective communication with remote developers is to use only two forms of communication. For immediate concerns such as day-to-day tasks and emergencies, a chat-based app is crucial. An example of these chat apps are Skype, Whatsapp, or Slack. Not only do they give access to quick communication and alert them via notification, these apps also offer video chatting and calls if necessary.
The other communication channel is for legal affairs or important announcements for work: emails. Having a work email that directly connects to all staff members, including remote developers, can help them keep an eye on any announcements and documents related to them.
Aside from communication tools, setting clear and achievable expectations for the team is a must. Having a designated time to work and end work is crucial to allow them to be more attentive and continue their job while working remotely.
Leverage Project Management Tools
Utilising project management tools to boost remote developer productivity is a great strategy. Especially when remote development tools tend to be used collaboratively. Tracking the tasks, their status, and who is assigned to it on project management tools can ensure no mix-up or mishaps on any projects being done.
It encourages communication and collaboration within a team by providing a layout summary of each member’s roles and what they’re currently working on. An example would be a team working on website development services. The team will all simultaneously be involved in its IT infrastructure and could potentially halt the progress of one another or even cause maintenance errors. To prevent this, task managers can give a clear insight on who and what is being done on the website at hand.
There are many project management tools available on the Internet. The more famous ones are Asana, Monday, Trello, and Jira. These management tools track the progress of each individual listed inside the software for easy management and collaboration between members of the business.
Utilise Effective Communication Channels
Using communication channels such as chat apps are one thing, but to boost remote developer productivity, real-time communication can be amped to the next level. Video conferencing tools are an effective way to host meetings where all participants are required to be aware and collaborate regarding the objective of the meeting.
Encourage the frequent use of video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meets regularly. Not only will this enhance innovation, it will also help to avoid misunderstandings between team members. This can even improve work-life relationships.
Implement Time Management Techniques
Implementing an effective time management technique can create opportunities to boost remote developer productivity. You can create an effective schedule that doesn’t cause burnouts and fatigue while maintaining an impressive growth in productivity. However, time management for remote developers is all about self-discipline unlike onsite workers.
Unlike onsite workers, remote developers are flexible in their schedule and tend to finish their tasks efficiently. However, there can be delays if they overwhelm themselves with a disorganised schedule. Consider teaching them techniques for focus to help maintain their momentum.
An example of these types of techniques is the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique comprises 5 minute short breaks every 25 minutes of working repeat thrice before a thirty minute long break.
If techniques such as those are difficult to remember, using time management tools such as calendars and even alarm clocks on a mobile device can be set to remind you when to start working or take a break.
Minimise Distractions and Procrastination
Minimising distractions and preventing procrastination is a great way to boost remote developer productivity. However, the key to its success lies in techniques and self-control. Employees must learn to remove themselves from the distraction of personal devices and social media.
In terms of techniques to rid themselves of procrastination, momentum is crucial and must never be halted throughout their shift. Focus and productivity for remote developers are more difficult than for onsite employees. This is because they live in their homes, where there are likely more distractions than in an office.
The key to mastering a technique is to make it into a habit. Ensure they have an hour or more before starting their work shift to prepare and to rid themselves of any possible distractions during their work hours. It’s also important to have their notifications silenced from unnecessary mentions from social apps. Keep in mind though, to keep communication channels at work on alert during shift.
Encourage Regular Breaks and Movement
There can be no boost in remote developer productivity without considering the mental state they’re in. There are many ways to prevent burnout of a remote developer’s well-being. The first and most important step is to allow breaks that avoid fatigue. Allowing them brief moments of respite from the heavy workload can encourage them to finish the task at hand.
These breaks can be utilised by walking, stretching, or meditation. These physical activities not only refresh their mental state, but also their body from staying still on their desks.
Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
It can be easy to diminish your work-life balance when working remotely. While it may sound productive at first, employees may result in burnouts and quiet quitting if left ignored. This is because the work-life balance for remote developers is crucial to boost remote developer productivity.
For remote developers, one of the most common outsourced services, setting boundaries between work and personal life can have a great effect on their productivity during work hours. Being able to relax and let go of their work computers will help them refresh their minds and indulge their in their other interests. By doing so, they return to work remotivated to continue their tasks.
Foster a Learning Culture
There’s more ways than using management to boost remote developer productivity. Utilise the Internet with its many programs of online conferences, courses, and workshops to develop more skills useful to their tasks. Being able to broaden their horizons can be beneficial to a business seeking innovation and effective collaboration.
Encouraging employees and signing them up for such programs can help them understand more of their job and even be able to manage their time effectively thanks to new skill sets they will learn.
Performance Tracking and Feedback
In order to maintain and boost remote developer productivity, there must always be clear goals set ahead. Measuring productivity based on their work outputs and tasks completed daily, monthly, or weekly can increase their management skills and efficiency.
Tracking their performance also helps when coaching them during performance reviews. This can optimise coaching and help team leaders identify which areas each remote developer needs to improve on.
Feedback is also a great way to understand your remote developers. By continuously receiving and giving feedback for improvement on both parties, development of seamless communication and building relationships can be accomplished. As a result, productivity and teamwork in building progressive results can transition more smoothly.
Conclusion
Learning how to boost remote developer productivity increases the progress and growth of a business to seamless services. Encourage the perfect work-life balance for your employees and set clear expectations that can motivate them further to do their daily tasks.
Wish to learn more about how to enhance productivity? Get a free consultation on optimising your remote development workflow!