Hiring Remote Developers? Here’s What to Look For

Gone are the days when hiring software developers meant searching for the best talent within driving distance of your company. According to a recent report, 75% of tech companies are now either fully remote or offer talent the choice of whether or not to go into the office.

Many companies and startups are realizing the benefits of a global talent pool unbound by distance or even time zones. Whether you’re considering hiring a fully remote development team or outsourcing work to remote software developers to supplement your in-house team, we’ll fill you in on what you need to know to find and hire remote talent.

The global landscape of remote developers

In today’s digital-first world, remote work has become the norm for many industries, especially in tech. Companies and developers alike have embraced the flexibility and efficiency of remote working arrangements. This shift allows businesses to tap into a global talent pool, hiring remote developers for both full-time positions and short-term projects to meet diverse business needs.

Full-time vs. freelancer remote hiring

Hiring top-notch tech talent can happen in various ways. Some companies hire full-time remote employees, while others seek a more flexible solution.

Freelance developers are independent skilled professionals who take on remote jobs from one or multiple clients on a project-to-project basis. Hiring freelance talent can be a flexible, cost-effective solution for businesses and startups with short-term or fluctuating project needs.

Freelancing platforms like Upwork and Toptal provide access to a global pool of skilled developers with a wide range of skill sets. No matter what your project needs or timeline, remote work can offer many benefits for top talent and clients.

Benefits of remote hiring for businesses

Benefits of remote work for developers

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Defining the essential skills for your project

Whether you decide to hire full-time or freelance remote software developers, you’ll want to consider a few things before you begin the hiring process. Now is the time to don your project manager cap and ask yourself the following questions:

• How would you describe your project? (iOS app development, e-commerce mobile app, learning platform, etc.)
• What is the total budget for your project?
• How much of your budget should be devoted to hiring developers vs. other team members, such as programmers, coders, or software engineers?
• Does your project require web developers proficient in specific programming languages or corresponding tools like PHP, Java, Javascript, node.js, Python, HTML, or CSS?
• What other frameworks or technologies in your tech stack should developers be familiar with, such as Angular or React?
• What type of technical skills (front-end development, back-end development, full-stack development, etc.) will your project require?

Leveraging freelancing platforms

Finding and hiring remote developers with the right skill sets requires effective planning and execution. That’s why freelancing platforms like Upwork have tools designed to streamline the remote hiring process.

You’ll also enjoy services that make project management, payment, and communication much easier. Signing up for a free Upwork client account comes with benefits like:

• Job postings. Once your account is up and running, you can begin posting jobs to gain access to 12 million independent professionals in over 125 categories. Within 24 hours, you’ll begin getting proposals from top talent who possess the skills needed for your project.‍
• Top talent previews. Upwork also uses advanced algorithms to suggest a shortlist of freelancers who best match your project needs. Invite promising matches to check out your project requirements or generate your own shortlist using Upwork’s AI-powered filtering system.‍
• Interview tools. Once you’re ready to begin the interview process, you can use Upwork’s communication tools (Messages and Zoom) to conduct interviews and assessments. No need to coordinate third-party communication apps or disclose your personal contact information.‍
• Built-in contract generator. Once you and a remote developer agree on project terms, Upwork will automatically generate a contract for you both to approve. This helps eliminate the cost of hiring pricey legal counsel or the time needed to draft a contract yourself.‍
• Project management tools. Upwork will provide you with your own project management space for communication and check-ins with talent, secure file transfers, and transfer of payments. Upwork also offers escrow services that allow you to release payment to developers when they hit certain agreed-upon milestones.

Freelance platforms like Upwork offer all the tools you need to execute your hiring methodology in one place. Browse candidate portfolios, conduct interviews, and enjoy a smooth working relationship from hiring to project success.

Networking in the right online spaces

Embracing remote hiring doesn’t mean missing out on the opportunity to network. On the contrary, online communities and social media platforms like LinkedIn are great places to broaden your network and interact with professionals all over the world.

At Upwork, we’ve built a networking space called Upwork Community. It’s an excellent place to connect with remote developers through discussion forums, groups, and virtual or in-person local events. Use the search bar to find answers to Community questions, participate in posts, and use the private message feature to connect with remote developers you’re interested in working with.

The Upwork Resource Center also features helpful articles on remote hiring best practices and other topics.

Trusting the vetting process

Different freelancing platforms have their unique vetting processes, which is something to consider when deciding where to scout talent. For example, Upwork requires all talent to verify their identities with government-issued IDs and offers. Upwork also provides talent badges and expert vetting for the top talent in our database.

However, we also encourage clients to use their own vetting methodology to ensure the right candidates for each position. Throughout the next few sections, you’ll find several recommended assessments and a few common remote hiring mistakes to avoid.

The importance of interviews

While a remote hire’s portfolio and reviews can tell you a great deal about them, resist the urge to skip the interview process altogether. This common mistake can have frustrating consequences for both parties.

Imagine, for instance, that you hired a highly sought-after remote developer with years of experience, only to discover that they spoke very limited English or had no familiarity with your chosen tech stack. Interviews and assessments are a valuable opportunity to understand a candidate’s soft skills.

Strong communication skills, for example, are vital to a productive remote working relationship. Discuss details like check-in schedules, preferred project management approach, and communication tools to avoid surprises.

Speaking with a potential candidate can also give you a better feel of how they’ll fit in with other software development team members, which can be particularly important if your project requires collaboration. That said, make sure they also possess a strong enough sense of autonomy to handle the demands of self-management.

Conducting assessments

Whether you’re hiring a remote worker virtually or in person, there are only so many ways to verify the claims on their resume. That’s where assessments come in.

Once you’ve created a short list of the best developers for your project, offer to hire your top choices to complete a small paid test project. This cost-effective method can be an excellent way to evaluate each candidate in several areas:

• Technical skills. Judge candidates’ effectiveness based on speed, accuracy, and quality, etc.
• Communication skills. Screen candidates for professionalism, code documentation, and ability to present and articulate outcomes.
• Troubleshooting skills. Software development is all about problem-solving. An assessment can help you evaluate how each candidate resolves issues that arise during their test project.‍
• Independence. Did the candidate need hand-holding to complete the task? If so, was it more or less than what you hope to provide?

The results of your test projects can give you plenty of helpful hints about which developers to move through to the onboarding process. Throughout your interviews, you can also create a roster of on-demand talent that you can use for future projects.

Mastering remote interviews and onboarding

More than a top freelance marketplace, Upwork can also connect employers to developers open to full-time remote employment. If you’re worried about the legal complexities of hiring international talent, Upwork has you covered with Upwork Any Hire.

Whether you want to transition a freelance developer to a full-time remote hire or hire an international developer you found outside of Upwork, Any Hire can help. Any Hire is designed to help make it easy to navigate international payments and compliance in 190 different countries.

Upwork also has plenty of great resources to walk you through interviewing and onboarding either freelance or full-time talent. Here are a few tips for acing remote interviews and onboarding:

Remote interviews

When hiring remotely, video interviews can be incredibly helpful—especially when interviewing full-time developers or talent for a particularly complex project.

First, body language can tell you a great deal about each candidate’s enthusiasm and comfort level with various aspects of your project. Second, video interviews can also help ensure that there are no technical or communication issues that would prevent your candidate from joining in on future video collaborations.

As for what questions to ask in a remote interview, you may rely on some of the same questions you’d use when hiring developers for in-person roles. But consider also asking interview questions about each candidate’s experience with remote work and how they approach its unique challenges.

You’ll also want to cover any potential scheduling challenges, particularly when interviewing candidates in other time zones. Last but not least, candidates should be allowed to ask any questions about the job or project.

Remote onboarding

Onboarding remote hires can look very different from one company (or project) to the next. Upwork helps streamline your process by allowing you to attach any necessary onboarding tasks or documents to your contract offers. These might include things like:

• New hire paperwork or independent contractor agreements
• Intellectual property (IP) ownership agreement
• Confidentiality agreements
• Company codes of conduct

Creating an onboarding strategy beforehand can help ensure you’re able to get new team members up and running as quickly as possible. In addition to covering your bases with the necessary paperwork, map out a plan to familiarize new developers with the project they’ll be working on and the team members they’ll be working with.

Building your global tech team

Hiring remote developers offers an exciting opportunity to work with high-quality professionals worldwide. No matter how diverse your required skill set is, the world is your hiring oyster.

Upwork removes traditional hiring barriers by connecting all sorts of clients with the best developers. The talent marketplace offers all the tools you need to safely find, vet, and hire the best developers for your situation.

Hire remote developers on Upwork

Want to build a fully remote team of top developers from all over the world? Or perhaps you’re looking to hire remote software developers with skills you simply can’t find among your local workforce?

Regardless of your situation or project needs, Upwork is here to help. Sign up for a free client account today to take the first steps toward hiring the best remote developers on Upwork.