How to hire remote developers: Your complete guide for successful hires

So, analyze the project’s requirements and deliverables as well as the target platform and desired or current tech stack. Based on those, identify the team members you’ll want working remotely. Ideally, you should start with a core non-remote team and augment it with remote hires. Otherwise, it will be much more difficult to secure the project’s success. 

Then, you’re ready to pinpoint: 

• Developer type (e.g., mobile app developer, data architect, back-end developer) 
• Tech stack expertise you require (e.g., frameworks, programming languages)  
• Tool expertise (e.g., Dataiku for analytics) 
• The developer’s seniority level (junior/middle/senior) 
• Payment model (hourly/monthly/fixed) 

A simple way to estimate your budget is to answer the following question: How much are you willing to pay your remote developers per hour? Keep in mind that the cheapest option often means subpar quality; however, you also need to avoid overpaying for the expertise. 

Hourly rates vary widely across regions. You can gauge those differences by browsing Glassdoor, Payscale or Indeed; however, the final cost will depend on the specific company, engagement model, developer seniority and skill set, etc. 

The cost structure that will determine your budget depends on the model you choose for hiring remote developers: 

• Full-time/part-time employees. In this case, you’ll have to take charge of all employment benefits and costs on top of the compensation for labor itself. You may also need to comply with local regulations in the developer’s jurisdiction. On the flip side, you can demand an in-house level of commitment from the new hire. It’s most suitable for long-term, continuous needs, not for one-off projects. 
• Independent contractors/freelance developers. A more cost-efficient option, this involves finding developers on freelance platforms like Upwork and contracting out a specific scope of work to them. However, if you need a remote development team, the burden of project management falls completely on your shoulders. You may also be concerned about the quality of work and deadlines, and rightly so. 
• Outsourcing. In this case, you turn to an outsourcing company and hire them to take on the scope of work. The cost structure here is straightforward, but it can vary based on the pricing model (time and materials/fixed price). This is the most flexible arrangement, as you can choose between team augmentation, a dedicated team of outsourcing employees, project-based outsourcing and more. 

Then, there’s the question of how you choose to pay your remote developer: 

• Monthly salary (most suitable for long-term engagements) 
• Fixed amount for the scope of work (most suitable for short-term engagements) 
• An hourly rate for time spent on the project (most suitable for long-term needs with highly variable workload) 

A job description gives potential candidates an idea of who you’re looking for and whether they could be a good match for you. So, it should be clear and straightforward, with as little business speak and marketing as possible. At the same time, it should be compelling enough to motivate the right talent to apply for the position. 

Here’s what a job description should include: 

• Job title. Avoid vague descriptors like “coding ninja” or “code rockstar” — they’ll harm the discoverability of the job description. Stick to the following formula: Seniority Level + Developer Type + Tech Stack + (Remote). You can also add the company’s name or description (e.g., EdTech startup)
• Opening. This is your chance to grab the reader’s attention and give them an idea of your company and its culture. Describe your industry, what you’re building and the company’s mission, at the very least
• Role and responsibilities. Describe what the developer will be working on, what their impact will be and how they will fit in with the rest of the company. List their responsibilities clearly and straightforwardly. You can also mention the team description, the tool stack you use and your approach to collaboration
• Ideal candidate’s skills and experience. This is where you list the minimum and preferred requirements for the developer. Those should include the experience level, qualifications, hard skills and tech stack expertise. You should also mention the expected soft skills and language proficiency, if applicable
• Detailed arrangements. Describe the nature of remote work (full-time remote/hybrid), schedule flexibility (fully asynchronous, flexible working hours, fixed hours) and time zone overlap requirements
• Compensation and benefits. Mention the salary fork and break it down into base pay and bonuses, if necessary. List additional benefits if you plan to provide any (e.g., equipment compensation, company retreats, health insurance)

Before you deem your job description ready to see the light, have someone with technical expertise read it and give you feedback. Make sure to proofread it and add relevant keywords pertaining to the developer type, tech stack and remote work. 

Now, it’s time to let the world — and more importantly, your ideal candidates – know you’re in the market for a remote developer. Here are the four channels you can use to find remote developers: 

• Social media. If your company already has a considerable reputation, use its social media profiles to publish information about the job opening. Startups and SMEs, on the other hand, should focus on spreading information where potential hires already hang out
• Job portals. From global job boards like FlexJobs and Remote to country-specific portals, there’s no shortage of platforms where you can publish your job description. Keep in mind that they typically charge a fee per posting or hire
• Recruitment/Developer agencies. These agencies already have access to a talent pool in your target location. They will comb through it to find developers matching your ideal candidate’s profile
• Development companies. You can turn to them for the dedicated team or team augmentation services

Once applications start to pour in, it’s time to filter them and pre-select the candidates that meet the basic criteria outlined in the job description. This stage can be done manually or using an application tracking system (ATS). 

However, resumes and cover letters rarely tell the full story. To have a grasp of what kind of person is behind this or that resume, you’ll need to sit with them on a video call for the first screening. It typically lasts around 30 minutes. 

During this part of the hiring process, your goal is to pinpoint the soft skills of the potential employee and understand how well they will fit in with your in-house teams. Here’s what you should pay attention to during the first screening: 

• Communication and interpersonal skills. Does the candidate ask questions when something is unclear? Do they communicate their ideas and thoughts clearly? If you plan to hire remote software engineers in a country with a different native language, pay attention to the candidate’s English language proficiency and fluency
• Collaboration skills. How well will the candidate work as part of the team? To gauge that, discuss how they stay in touch with team members if they’ve worked remotely before. If that’s not the case, ask them how they plan to handle the switch to remote collaboration 
• Self-discipline and self-organization. When you hire remote programmers, you can’t have someone look over the developers’ shoulders and micromanage their working time. It’s up to the remote worker to organize their working day, manage their productivity and meet deadlines

After the initial screening, you can pick out the candidates who will make a good addition to your team and have the necessary soft skills to be productive remote workers. Next, you’ll need to conduct technical screenings to see whether they have what it takes to write clean code. 

Technical screening is all about assessing the candidate’s hard skills — i.e., their technical expertise. This stage can combine several assessment forms: 

• Technical interview. The interview process typically includes hands-on questions that focus on the developer’s experience and portfolio, as well as how they approach challenges and solve problems. This interview should be conducted by someone with technical expertise, such as the team lead or tech subject matter expert (SME)
• Exam or test. This will help you assess the candidate’s background and knowledge and gain quantitative data to compare candidates in your pool. However, exams or tests are better when short as trial projects are more effective at demonstrating whether the person can write high-quality code
• Trial project. In this case, you ask the developer to solve a problem and write a piece of code. The task should be similar to the real-world assignments the person will be working on. A trial project is better done before the interview since it will also give you an opportunity to understand the reasoning behind the code
• Pair programming session. During the technical interview or outside of it, you can organize this kind of session. A pair programming session involves the candidate writing code while one of your developers is reviewing it in real time

Once you find “the one”, it’s time to seal the deal and hope your candidate will say “yes”. But before you send the job offer, discuss the contract’s details with stakeholders, executives and your legal department. Pay extra attention to any legal obstacles that may arise when hiring a remote developer abroad. 

If the candidate accepts your job offer, you should also ask them to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This is a standard practice to protect your intellectual property. You may also consider adding a non-compete agreement or clause to the contract. 

Once you hire your remote developer, your job isn’t done yet. You need to onboard them to ensure they integrate well into your team and know exactly what’s expected of them. The onboarding processes typically include: 

As probationary periods are typically regulated, consult your legal team on your obligations and rights in this area as well as those of your new hire. If you have an internal probationary period policy, ensure you comply with it, too. 

When you plan to hire a remote developer, you have two distinct talent pools you can choose from: 

• Freelancers are self-employed professionals who typically offer their services under a project-based model. They usually juggle multiple clients’ projects at the same time
• Dedicated developers work on your tasks exclusively. They can supplement your in-house team in the long run or, if you hire a whole remote development team, take on a separate scope of work