Best ways to handle remote iOS development teams

Working from all over the map is the new tradition. Companies are progressing with making it permanent after the pandemic as operational costs are decreased by reducing office space. The shift has allowed brilliant minds to glow from all over the world and unlock new opportunities level.
Since 2020, i.e. after the Covid-19 pandemic; most human resources have been working remotely to avoid commuting and achieve a better work-life balance.  People are referring to the resources which assist in adapting new working ways. Moreover, things are different when you are collocated, and when you are not sharing physical workspace with teammates. Remote workers do not have the opportunity to socialize with co-workers.
Apple’s global revenue in the third quarter of 2022 was 82.96 billion US dollars, due to its loyal and affluent customer base in countries like the USA and Japan.
It is proclaimed that 22% of the American workforce will be working remotely by 2025. The percentage keeps hiking and it is almost 87% more remote workers than before the pandemic. Remote workers tend to exhibit more productivity as compared to full–time-in-house workers.

This blog post will explore the issues of managing remote iOS development teams, as well as the best ways to deal with them.

Challenges in managing remote iOS development teams

There is a huge difference when the teams sitting in front of the office and when they are working outside the office. Increasing remote working brings challenges to them. A few challenges are:
• Lack of proper communication.
• Hiring the right people.
• Setting no clear tasks and goals.
• Difficult tracking of performance.
• Mismanagement between in-house and remote teams.
• Lack of clarity
• Different working time zones

For managing and working with dedicated iOS developer teams that are seas away from one another, a management approach is required. Managing the remote teams, and gathering all the essential apex to bridge the distance between in-company and remote teams are:
• Develop a firm connection with every representative of the remote team.
• Keep an eye on the team’s achievements.
• Construct fixed work procedures.
• Keep aim and targets clear.
• Strengthen personal connection and meet in person.
• Workaround time zones.
• Boost conversation.
• Maintain transparency.
• Time tracking.
• Reduce workload.
• Flexibility.
• Reward team members.

 Work around time zones- People working from all over the country have different time zones making it difficult to work effectively. For effective and increased production, one can use “Golden Hours”- the time zones when both team members and you are available.
Using a simple template can also help-

1. Completed work ;
2. Assigned work;
3. Obstructing issues.
   

It’s necessary to have a full-time communication channel where the team can reach for any work at any time.

 Construct fixed/ defined work procedure-
There are 4 basic but crucial rules for managing a team that is important for remote teams-

1. It is good to endorse the in-house and remote workforce to the same caliber to avoid any bitterness. Draw up clear project guidelines for the team, in such a manner that every member knows what to do and how to do it.
2. Make sure the team understands the goal and idea of the project in detail.
3. Providing a clear vision makes the team develop faster and gives more precise work. The appraisal of the project relies on the instructions that are passed to the team.
4. Setting clear tasks and detailed explanation helps for better engagement. Review the project requirements and respond to emails promptly from the head for the development of the product.

In- company, iOS developers team are physically working with, but the remote teams do not share this leisure.  Making mistakes while communicating can lead to wasted development time delaying the project deadlines.
Quick-witted strategy is intermittently pre-owned by software development companies for swift product development. Scrum provides management of tools for a software project in small modules called sprints.

 Improve communication- Clear communication with both in-house and remote developers build a solid rapport with everyone. Slack for instant messaging can be used for remote developers. Video conversations encourage effective collaboration and allow each member to know each other better. Feedback has its own form for building a team. Feedbacks allow the team to avoid mistakes and make changes wherever necessary.

 Plan meetings- At convenient hours, one can schedule daily/weekly meetings or can have conference calls for discussion on the project's progress. These meetings are for sharing thoughts and efforts.  Make sure to send emails prior which serve as to-do lists and ensure all the relevant details are preserved.

 Strengthen personal connections- By eliminating the expressive distance between remote developers and their collateral will definitely create a healthy working environment and lead to good performance. While holding a meeting with a remote team, always talk freely and give enough space to build a healthy relationship. Find time for small tasks such as asking about their lifestyle, hobbies, and what they are into. These activities help in building a sense of trust among the team members and will keep motivating them to work efficiently.

 One-on-one meeting- Overall, it is a good proposal of holding a face-to-face meeting with every member of the remote team. This allows them to communicate about their issues.

Make sure that by the end of each meeting, you have answers to the following questions-
• Are the developers happy with their work and their working environment?
• Are they able to complete work on time?
• What could be done to solve their issues?

 Meet Physically- Once a year, bring all the teams together on the same platform for team building. It might be a reward party, a New Year party, or a formal conference. These formal and informal activities improve the morale of the workforce by reminding the values of the organization. Corresponding events make sure that the people on the teams are acquainted and see each other as people not just as colleagues. This helps them to understand each other better which in turn makes their work more effective.

 Time Tracking- Working with remote teams make it difficult to understand how a project is going, how long everyone worked on and how much each member is contributing. Via tracking one can get the overall performance review. The developers can also see the issues and the area where they are lagging behind so that they can improve their as well as the company’s performance.
Time-tracking tools can also be used as an alternative. Each member must have a time tracker in their system which report the number of tasks and time done to reduce wastage.

 Maintain Transparency- In-office employees share the commodities physically however the remote employees cannot perceive what is taking place in the company. The remote team should be acquainted with the company’s goal, its crucial decisions, any changes in the company’s strategy, and other important messages.
Clarity helps the remote team to recognize what achievement means for the company and what they should execute to attain it.

 Reduce workload- Humans are not machines that can do better. Routines destroy self-esteem faster than work. Work pressure can destroy mental health as well as the project’s progress. Technologize everything that can be automated and make the sure team has a fun workplace. Focus on long-term goals rather than short term and prioritize the already set objectives.

 Be Flexible- Flexibility is most important in remote teams. When a person is flexible, he/she is versatile, resilient, and responsive to change. Start by making sure that the team understands how their individual tasks fit into the larger picture which increases their sense of accountability.

 Reward team members- Rewarding and recognizing people leads to greater employment and creates a positive workplace. At the end of every meeting praising them for the job done so far would enhance their confidence. From pointing out the great ideas they have provided for the project to the gifts when the project reaches milestones can result in greater loyalty.

    There are 3 C’s of remote team management: Communication, Content, and Coordination. Educating yourself about the struggles and making sure that the right tools are accessible for productivity ensures better handling of remote teams. Usage of advanced technology to communicate in real time and to train and develop the team members increases the level of success. Remote works become more efficient and satisfying when the managers set the expectation for the frequency and ideal timing for communication. Allowing employees to develop a plan of execution enhances creativity and ownership. Virtual happy hours such as pizza parties, and non-work related conversations led to a happy environment for work. It also inculcates the feeling of togetherness even if the team members are not available physically in the office. Automation tools are used to automate management tasks. Happy team members are equal to happy customers. When the team members are happy and feel good about their work the results will be better. Developers will write clear code and supports members to give extra effort to make the customer happy. Remote working at this scale is new and fresh, so it’s important to be unbiased and engrossed in removing blockers and promoting the greater alliance.

Enrich your company with Talrn

Hire immediately available developers on talrn.com. Talrn helps companies hire & onboard resources instantly, at zero effective cost. Contact hello@talrn.com for more information.