Adding remote talent is the trend. You save money on equipment and workspace, incorporate experts from anywhere in the world, and bring the latest tools closer to your in-house team. It’s a genuinely transformative model… if you apply it correctly.
Many companies integrate remote developers without leveraging their true potential. The reason is simple: they make mistakes that prevent them from choosing the most suitable programmers or that hinder their performance throughout the project.
This doesn’t have to be your destiny. When you understand the improvement opportunities and the most effective strategies to take advantage of them, adding remote talent becomes a true engine for innovation. We’ll guide you along the way.
Mistake #1: Not establishing guidelines or communication channels
It happens very often that companies overestimate incoming talent so much that they fail to provide important information, trusting too much in their experience on similar projects. When that happens, things don’t start well.
Think of it this way: a new team joins and their only instruction is to develop new features on top of an already-built internal system. There’s no additional information or ways to obtain it from the internal team. In this context, questions arise such as:
- What are the delivery dates?
- Which tools and languages will I use?
- Which features have priority over others?
- Who will supervise my progress?
- How do I proceed after a critical error?
A team without initial guidelines and communication channels works with no clear direction or connection to your business vision and objectives. The inevitable result is a product below your expectations and projected success.
How to avoid it?
Establishing tasks and priorities from the beginning
Talent has a general idea of their responsibilities once they join you, but nothing clarifies the landscape better than those first meetings where you explain what you need, how, when, and why. It is the cornerstone of all upcoming work and ensures developers always know what they’re building and how they fit into your business plan.
Providing communication channels
Working remotely without communication is unacceptable. The team doesn’t feel the impact of their contributions, isn’t aware of emerging changes, and doesn’t update task statuses. It becomes talent adrift, disconnected from the process.
Set clear channels to maintain communication among everyone and be the first to use them to lead by example. Whether it’s Slack, Microsoft Teams, Trello, Notion, or another app, using these platforms synchronizes efforts and ensures everyone stays aligned.
Mistake #2: Underestimating candidates’ soft skills
It’s true, you hire developers for their technical skills, but they aren’t the only ones that matter—especially in remote work. Soft skills matter too. Let’s look at this scenario:
Miguel: He is a Swiss Army knife in human form. Knows a lot, but has low self-esteem, poor communication, and doesn’t manage his work well.
José: He doesn’t know as much as Miguel, but he trusts his abilities, collaborates well, organizes his tasks effectively, and adapts quickly to change.
Although Miguel surpasses José technically, José is the better worker. He will integrate more easily into your team dynamics and will push your project forward as he learns new skills and grows as a developer.
Remember this: prioritizing technical innovation over everything else is costly. Mastering code does not compensate for a lack of work management or communication skills. Balancing both aspects is the best approach.
How to avoid it?
Using personality tests
One of the most common and easy-to-use methods is personality tests. Candidate responses offer insight into their behavior, sociability, and work ethic—three critical elements for team building.
However, keep in mind that it’s not a 100% infallible strategy. It is susceptible to dishonesty and social desirability biases. These tests also lack validity for predicting job performance beyond indicating which soft skills are present and which are not.
Using role-playing and simulated scenarios
It’s one thing for candidates to claim they have certain skills; it’s another for them to actually have them. You need methods that validate their abilities to avoid surprises, and for assessing soft skills, simulations are a strong option.
Using scenarios based on real situations in selection processes is an increasingly important trend. They are excellent for evaluating candidates as they put into practice the skills they claim to have, such as:
- Conflict resolution.
- Time management.
- Negotiation.
- Communication.
- Critical thinking.
- Leadership.
- Teamwork.
Mistake #3: Lack of onboarding and support processes
Just because a developer is remote does not mean they can work without complete onboarding and continuous support and follow-up strategies. Even if they don’t share an office with you, they are part of your organization and deserve benefits beyond their paycheck.
Any talent without a strong onboarding process works without foundations. They don’t know the established protocols and processes, the tech stack, the organizational chart, or anything that provides a complete understanding of their work environment.
The consequence is clear: low productivity, low commitment, wasted time, and a sense of dissatisfaction and disconnection. None of this takes long to show up in work relationships and in the product. The latter is the most serious.
How to avoid it?
Implementing mentorship programs
Consider this: a developer begins a new project. They have direct supervisors but also a more experienced colleague who guides them during their first days. This helps them understand everything much faster and, most importantly, with empathy and experience.
Mentorship programs build support networks and strengthen the sense of belonging—something essential in remote work. They help people feel accompanied and create chains of solidarity. These are options you cannot overlook.
Virtual team-building activities
The pandemic taught us a great lesson: creating spaces to connect and build strong teams goes beyond the office. Over time, we all learned that virtuality doesn’t prevent us from seeing our colleagues as real people.
Integrating team-building activities strengthens and showcases your culture for both external and in-house talent. It helps people see each other as human beings rather than just workers, creating a work environment everyone wants to belong to. Some activities you can propose include:
- Book clubs.
- Treasure hunts.
- Collages.
- Roses and thorns.
- Choose your favorite.
