Remote-by-default is the latest trend in digital product development, all with good reason. Brands are discovering going to remote-by-default practices, they can empower their teams to produce the best results.
Not only are businesses saving on office space, but they’re also able to hire top talent from all around the world.
Today, we’re going to examine why remote-by-default is the best way for your team to create amazing products. We’ll explore the ways that it impacts autonomy, results-focused culture, and options for collaboration.
#Give Your Team Autonomy for Ideal Product Development
Empowering designers and developers with autonomy goes far in aiding the product development process.
Giving teams control over how they work, when they work, and where they work means that employees can find the methods that will best accommodate their individual working style.
When you have a remote team, every team member can work to their highest potential.
They can work at their peak productivity hours, which might not necessarily line up with standard business hours.
They will be able to take breaks whenever they need to.
Sometimes, things as simple as being able to take a walk around the block or run on the treadmill in the middle of a workday can keep the creativity flowing.
Designers and developers simply love the autonomy that’s available through remote work.
These fields are focused on creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Employees aren’t part of an assembly line designed to produce the same code or designs every day; they’re constantly creating new material.
However, one of the very best benefits of giving your team autonomy is that they’ll simply like their jobs more.
A team member who is satisfied with their job is going to produce at a higher level than someone who is only there for a paycheck.
#Focus on Results, Not Hours Logged
Traditional employment has a heavy focus on logging hours.
People commute to work, put in their eight hours, and then clock out. It doesn’t matter what they accomplished during the day, how efficiently they worked, or what they created; all that matters is that they were at their desk for the right amount of time.
Having a remote-by-default product development team flips this entire practice upside down. While you can certainly still have your employees log their hours, it’s often better to shift your focus to the results that they produce.
A results-focused environment encourages everyone to work at their best.
Employees aren’t left wondering how to kill eight hours before they can leave; they’re thinking about the task at hand and how to complete it efficiently.
Projects will move along faster, employees will be more motivated to work more efficiently, and the entire business will benefit from a results-focused environment.
#Give Your Team Collaborative Options
These days, there are seemingly endless tools for remote collaboration.
While it is important to define your remote collaboration tool stack to keep everyone on the same page, you should also empower your team to use whichever tool seems like the best fit for the tasks that they are assigned.
Your remote collaboration tool stack should have an option for text, audio, and video. Let your employees decide which method will be right for their needs.
Text will likely be the default for collaboration, as it is non-intrusive and gives everyone time to craft their responses.
It’s the ideal option for most situations that are not time-sensitive. It also provides a space for off-topic chat, which is actually great for creating a sense of community for your remote team.
When a time-sensitive situation arises, audio and video are ready and waiting. You can also use audio and video to conduct regular team meetings, which is a great way to remind everyone that they’re part of a greater team.
Ultimately, giving your employees the flexibility to communicate however they like will go far in aiding in the product development process. Some team members may gravitate towards audio calls, while others will focus on text. Either way, create a tool stack that allows members to choose how they collaborate.
#Make the Most of Your Teams by Using Remote-By-Default Pros
We strongly believe that remote work is the best way to build a stellar team that will produce amazing results.
Remote teams are results-focused and have the ability to be productive far beyond traditional work hours. We fully believe that remote work is the way of the future. The sooner brands adopt this new mentality, the better.
That’s why we created RemoteCreativeWork.com – a job board for remote-by-default companies to find the top talent in their respective fields.
By using this job board, you’ll be able to build your dream team with the right professionals. You can find designers, developers, editors, and content creators that will help your business to grow by leaps and bounds.
With Pulp is a design agency that is remote-by-default. We’d love to help transform your workforce into a remote team that’s empowered to create amazing products. Contact us today for more information.