A tech team needs to be as carefully “engineered” as the systems that IT experts meticulously build. Work-from-home arrangements take a whole new level of adjustment on both the part of businesses and employees. Instructions and project goals should be clearly defined to minimize mistakes, while rapport building may not go as smoothly as expected.

It is always best to start with a clear idea of what traits, skills, and expertise to seek. Also, you must factor in communication tools and ground rules to ensure full cooperation among your team members.

Don’t know where to get started? Read on for a comprehensive set of remote work tips to create your superb remote tech team!

Define your team

Information Technology has several branches. For this matter, you need to define the undertakings to assign to your tech staff.  

Some key questions to ponder on to aid in that decision-making include:

• What types of projects will they handle? 
• What responsibilities will you delegate to them? 
• Will they be hired on a short-term or long-term basis? 
• Do you need a database team or one that will concentrate on developing and maintaining websites? 
• Are you looking for tech experts who will create apps and software to augment your services? 
• Is your internal workflow in need of a well-managed CRM or HRM system? 

Finalizing your IT organizational structure fleshes out feasible strategies for transitioning your operations into remote work. Take time to figure out the specific domain in technology that you want in your organization.

Consider the following job roles as your basis:

• Chief Technical Officer (CTO) — The CTO oversees every aspect of your projects. They possess an intricate web of knowledge that enable them to measure the efficiency of a pool of IT personnel. They engage in proactive product development tactics to help meet set objectives and desired results. Given their experience in multiple tech disciplines, they may also provide valuable opinions when hiring more people.

• Project Manager— These individuals take care of the fieldwork needed to meet client demands. They serve as the middle ground between your team and end-users, clients, or business partners. They see that the workflow and arrangement of tasks are consistently smooth-sailing and implement appropriate solutions in case the team encounters roadblocks.

• Quality Assurance Testers or Experts — Before launching any program or software, quality assurance testers help pinpoint any discrepancies in your software (if any) and provide valuable feedback to fix any errors or bugs. They do this to guarantee that the system works well. 

• Developers or IT Engineers — Their role is to produce IT programs and systems based on project requirements. IT Engineers fix bugs and maintain the efficiency of the software. 

• Data analysts — Data analysts help create, add, and preserve the value of all data systems in any IT software or organization. They scrutinize information inputted in software and integrate it accordingly.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

It is true—every department in your company has its own culture. The same idea applies to a group of individuals well-versed in IT. Beyond their hard skills that make them qualified for the job, they must also possess soft traits that assimilate their individuality into the team. 

Make sure to be keen on the following attributes:

1. Collaborative

The lack of face-to-face interaction in remotely based teams makes misunderstandings inevitable. There are effective ways to communicate with your remote tech team. Proactive team conversations support the idea that the right encouragement and a welcoming environment inspire people to share their insights.

Skills can only get your team so far if one or more of them are unwilling to cooperate. While there should be room to highlight and acknowledge everyone’s ideas and suggestions, there should always be a common ground. Here, the salad bowl of ideas converges into a feasible process or project. When clashing egos and contrasting visions get out of hand, it will be almost impossible for you to realize an ideal tech team. 

Look for someone whose specialty is not just apparent in front of the computer. It is essential to show adeptness in interacting with colleagues and adapting to the group’s unique dynamics. 

2. A Strong Drive to Improve

Nobody is perfect. Not even the best developer, programmer, or data scientist is free of committing mistakes every once in a while. Errors exist to show how a person’s skills may be lacking and what they can do to be better. Those who are not afraid to admit to their shortcomings and are willing to correct their mistakes are the secret ingredient to a tenacious remote tech team.

3. Curiosity

A tech team that does not stay inspired or motivated to innovate will be one of your biggest downfalls in the long run. There is always something new to learn. Also, the tech industry evolves as society’s demands shift and exhibit an active upward or downward trend. 

An excellent tech team player goes above and beyond to stay updated with these trends. They are well-prepared and knowledgeable on both fundamental and new terminologies in tech lingos. They need to have that innate hunger to uncover and reshape ideas and concepts into concrete data sets. 

1. Transparency

Trust comes with transparency. It is the core of virtual meetings best practices. One of the main challenges of work-from-home is you can never really tell whether work is being done unless you ask for solid proof of their progress. Micromanagement is also out of the question. With transparency and cultivated trust also comes mutual respect. Hence, it should be within your staff’s discretion to perform their duties. They must be responsible enough to let their co-workers know ahead of time if they encounter any problems with their tasks. 

Don’t aim to build perfection as you interview candidates who will comprise your remote IT department. Focus on creating a team of professionals who exercise a passion for the industry, respect for each other’s expertise, and a desire to strive for excellence together.

By Bash Sarmiento*

*Philippines