{"id":41,"date":"2021-09-02T11:49:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T08:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/developer-blog\/?p=41"},"modified":"2024-09-09T11:29:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T03:29:12","slug":"remote-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/talent-blog\/remote-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote Collaboration: How to Collaborate Effectively as a Remote Dev"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After the coronavirus pandemic upended The Way Things Are Done<\/em>, the world has seen firsthand that knowledge work doesn\u2019t have to be done in the office to be done correctly. Similarly, collaboration doesn\u2019t have to happen IRL to be effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For software engineers, remote work can be a godsend. Asynchronous communication, reallocating those commute hours to self-improvement goals, fewer meetings, no pants \u2014 there are certainly plenty of perks to be had as a remote developer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, working remotely does pose its own challenges<\/a>. While many in-office collaboration tips stay true for a distributed team, there are ways to collaborate effectively that are unique for remote software development teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we go through our top tips for developers on how to collaborate effectively when working remotely<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking to hire the best remote developers? Arc can help you:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u26a1\ufe0f Get instant candidate matches without searching
\u26a1\ufe0f Identify top applicants from our network of 350,000+
\u26a1\ufe0f Hire 4x faster with vetted candidates (qualified and interview-ready)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try Arc to hire top developers now \u2192<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Communicate the Appropriate Amount<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t under-communicate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the saying goes, less is more<\/em>. Unless it\u2019s not. For remote developers, too-little communication can easily cause problems. As you work on features, products, and projects, every stakeholder needs to be able to understand what you\u2019re doing in order to take up the task after you in the development process. Follow-up questions for clarification and improperly carried-out assignments waste everyone\u2019s time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time\u2026 Don\u2019t over-communicate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe it\u2019s just about unanimous among software engineers that every extra huddle, stand-up, and one-on-one meeting is a waste of precious time. Similarly, being too wordy in your Slack messages or emails can become tedious to your coworkers. Rather than achieving your goal of communicating clearly, you may end up turning readers into scanners<\/em> \u2014 those who merely glance at text to understand the gist within a few seconds, so as not to read the whole thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid miscommunication<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write a message with everything they might need to understand without having to follow up. Link to documents or URLs you refer to so as to avoid misunderstandings. Attach screenshots. Use all the markup available to you to format your message for clarity \u2014 make use of bullet points or numbered lists when helpful, and call out any actions you\u2019d like taken in bold. For more complex communications, use bold sub-headings to signpost key information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Be Flexible and Adaptable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remote work would be impossible without some level of flexibility and adaptability, both on the company\u2019s end and on the part of employees. Likewise, collaboration becomes more effective when colleagues (at least the majority of them) are willing to make changes and respond to changing conditions creatively, constantly, and without much negativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For remote software developers, there are many ways to go about this. Be mindful of team members in different time zones<\/a> \u2014 make use of the \u201cschedule to send\u201d button, or learn to communicate asynchronously<\/a>. Send jokes and ridiculous memes when the situation calls for it, but be on your A-game when it\u2019s crunch time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While planning ahead is great, don\u2019t forget to be agile, responding to just-in-time requests and changes in stride. Remain calm, stay optimistic, and be open-minded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you increase your flexibility and adaptability, you\u2019ll be making your team a better place, your coworkers happier, and your own life a whole lot easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read More<\/strong>: How to Keep Learning on a Busy Developer Schedule<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Use Collaboration Tools Collaboratively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Working effectively on a remote team requires powerful collaboration tools and procedures. You\u2019re probably already using Slack to communicate, Jira for project management, GitHub for version control, Dropbox or Google Drive for file management, Figma or Invision for prototyping, and Zoom or Around for video conferencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, keep in mind that these tools are powerful and effective for remote teams specifically for being collaborative. Meaning, those tools which only you use or have access to are useless when it comes to remote collaboration. Not only are you creating information silos, but there will likely be redundancies in information, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, build in public<\/strong>, so to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than using a notepad or your personal to-do list app to create follow-up reminders for yourself, create a page on Notion with your upcoming tasks that are accessible to your teammates. Instead of sending Slack messages to the intended recipient, consider pinging them in a team channel to keep everyone on the same page (something we practice here on my team at Arc).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you take notes when planning a sprint, give document access to the other meeting participants. And, to manage logins for all these accounts, use a shared team password manager plan rather than opting for your personal account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work the way you want from anywhere<\/em> in the world \ud83c\udf0e<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find top freelance and full-time remote jobs.
Learn more about Arc \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Establish SOPs for Communication<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Standard operating procedures, or SOPs<\/em>, can often take the fun out of things, especially when there are just way too many of them. However, it can be effective \u2014 even fun \u2014 when lightly and properly implemented. Whether you are the only WFH software developer on the team or your entire team is made up of digital nomads, great communication is critical to success. While it may feel overly-engineered, SOPs work because they keep everyone on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, here at Arc, our marketing team uses a standardized Slack emoji system for communication<\/a>. Prior to this, the lack of clarity in the intent behind some messages became a blocker for many team members. However, this improved drastically and almost overnight with this creative-yet-simple solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, for some of the more important messages we send on Slack, we now begin them with a particular emoji, depending on the result we\u2019re seeking. For the recipients of said message, we\u2019ve assigned several emoji reactions to specifically mean one thing, used as an immediately understood response. We\u2019ve chosen actions that our team do frequently and the type of work we do \u2014 so take that into account if you want to design your own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a look at our current system:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"remote<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Bonus<\/strong>: If you\u2019re a junior-level or mid-level developer, pitching the creation of a set of communication SOPs like these can help show leadership potential<\/a>. Even if you don\u2019t move into a senior position<\/a> at your current company, you can still showcase the implementation of this project on a future resume. This will easily highlight your initiative, problem-solving skills<\/a>, and communication skills, all in one go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read More<\/strong>: The Complete Networking Guide for Remote Software Developers & Engineers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Participate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To have an engineering team that functions like a well-oiled machine, everyone needs to participate. But, there are unfortunately some developers (and other team members, of course) who do the bare minimum. They do just enough to get through their tickets, their day, and their sprint, and nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since you\u2019re reading this, and looking to improve your skills, I\u2019m sure you yourself don\u2019t fall into this category. Still, there\u2019s always room for improvement! Participation isn\u2019t a Boolean yes<\/em> or no<\/em>. Instead, it\u2019s a spectrum, and any IT department or engineering team that considers itself to have excellent collaboration likely has excellent participation across the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now<\/strong>: what is good participation?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good participation is being active. It\u2019s about doing your share, just as in any relationship. Let\u2019s break down some of the key aspects of this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n