Navigating Remote Development: 5 Challenges and How to Solve Them

Even before the pandemic, many software developers worked remotely. The job is well-suited to a work-from-home environment, given that the responsibilities are largely digital and cloud-based. 

Unsurprisingly, the share of developers working remotely escalated in the wake of COVID-19. 

According to our 2024 State of Remote Engineering report, today, 63% of developers prefer location-independent teams, and 54% want to work from home full-time.

This is becoming more and more of a reality. Now, 38% of developers work fully remotely, and another 42% work in hybrid environments, the Stack Overflow 2024 Developer Survey finds.

There are numerous benefits of remote development:

• Workers are generally happier, research shows.
• Businesses see lowered costs thanks to factors like reduced overhead costs.
• Tech companies can increase diversity by hiring global talent, which also enables them to access hard-to-find skills.

However, there are many challenges to remote development. Here, we’ll look at how to solve common problems, including communication and collaboration, productivity and accountability, connectivity and technical issues, compliance and cybersecurity risks, and engagement.

Communication and Collaboration

Zoom saw an overwhelming surge in users in the wake of the pandemic. With most physical offices shuttered, employers turned to videoconferencing and other remote tools for communication and collaboration.

However, remote collaboration tools don’t fully replace face-to-face, in-person communication. Nonverbal cues are missing, even when team members use videoconferencing platforms. Development teams may grapple with timezone differences, leading to delays in response times. There can also be language barriers in global teams.

The Fix

First, establish a unified platform and ensure all developers on your team have access. You’ll probably want to use different tools for different uses; for example, you might use Slack for frequent and brief messages, Jira for longer-term project management, and Zoom for infrequent meetings. 

Additionally, consider using tools like Loom to relay quick video messages that might be difficult to explain over email or text. Or, if your projects have visual components, platforms such as Miro provide an interactive whiteboard for mapping out user journeys, generating ideas collaboratively, and more.

Be careful to avoid overusing these tools. Only use videoconferencing platforms when it’s necessary to touch base face-to-face—too many meetings could become tedious and waste your developers’ time. Also, rely on asynchronous communication when synchronous isn’t possible, such as if your work hours don’t overlap with those of other team members.

Leveraging Agile methodologies and frameworks like Scrum for distributed teams also helps keep teams aligned and track progress. Additionally, version control systems like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, along with cloud-based IDEs like Visual Studio Code Live Share, enable remote collaboration. You can collaborate on documentation through tools like Confluence or Notion.

It’s also best to ensure English competency prior to hiring developers so team members can rely on a shared language.

Productivity and Accountability

There have been numerous conflicting studies comparing productivity in the office to remote productivity. A Stanford study found that fully remote work is associated with a 10% decrease in productivity (although there’s no impact on productivity when it comes to hybrid work). 

Productivity and accountability are challenges in any setting. People working from home may contend with distractions—which is not to say there aren’t distractions in an office. Developers may feel less pressure to meet deadlines when there’s no visible oversight from managers and leaders. It’s also more difficult to notice when employees are disengaged. And when teams aren’t physically present, informal knowledge sharing is less fluid. It’s harder to ask a quick question by the water cooler, for instance. This can lead to bottlenecks and confusion about roles and responsibilities.

Managers may be tempted to micromanage to ensure productivity and alignment. Unfortunately, this can lead to a decrease in morale and even lower productivity. 

The Fix

Start by evaluating where you are in terms of productivity. For example, you can get a sense of how your developers feel about their own productivity by conducting anonymous employee surveys. Hold structured standups to discuss progress and align team members on project goals and expectations. Use retrospectives to identify problems and blockers to prevent them from interfering with future projects, too.

It’s also essential to establish accountability and encourage productivity through frameworks. Some examples of effective frameworks are SMART goals and OKRs. They help make the objectives clear and ensure that the goals are attainable. 

Encourage developers to use their own time-tracking or productivity methodologies, such as the Pomodoro method. These types of approaches hold your team members accountable to themselves while still affording them independence. 

You might also consider using time-tracking software like Toggl. However, bear in mind the drawbacks of this solution—you don’t want your developers to feel like you don’t trust them. If you do use a time tracker, focus more on observing overall inefficiencies rather than individuals not pulling their weight, so to speak.

For instance, avoid detecting mouse movements or keyboard strokes. Recording employees’ faces or screens and location tracking are also invasive and can contribute to lower morale. These activities will seem like micromanagement (or worse) to your developers. Focus more on the results than on the amount of time a developer spends on a given task or project.

Connectivity and Technical Issues

In 2021, 36% of individuals working from home reported having a slower internet connection than they had had in the office. Many people continue to experience slow connections and delays in accessing cloud-based tools and other platforms. Some may have frequent disruptions, which are especially prevalent in certain regions. Connectivity can also result in version control management conflicts, causing merge issues or delays in pushing or pulling repository updates.

Connectivity problems aren’t the only technical issues developers experience. There can be incompatibilities with various hardware setups as well. Developers might also lack proper access to testing environments, which can affect quality assurance measures. Unfortunately, these and other technical issues are difficult to resolve remotely. 

The Fix

Addressing technical issues starts with ensuring that developers have the proper equipment. Today, many companies (tech and otherwise) provide employees with remote setups, including laptops, webcams, headsets, monitors, and so on. Some also provide mobile hotspots or incentivize individuals to invest in reliable internet connections by reimbursing connectivity expenses. 

It’s also essential to have ample IT personnel on staff to resolve issues promptly. Otherwise, there could be extensive—and debilitating—delays. They should address problems immediately to minimize the loss in productivity. 

Encourage software developers to use local environments to create, test, and debug software. Platforms like Docker and Git facilitate offline development efforts. Additionally, some cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs and Drive, provide offline access for certain tasks. These tools allow developers to continue their work without an internet connection.

It’s helpful to develop a policy for dealing with connectivity and other technical issues when they arise. For example, instruct developers to sync their local work at the end of every work session with GitHub or a similar tool to avoid major disruptions. Confirm that they are downloading updated copies of important documentation as well, so they can continue their work without an internet connection.

Compliance and Cybersecurity Risks

With remote developers working on disparate networks, there’s a higher risk of security breaches. There is an increased attack surface, with some remote developers using personal computers and devices, outdated software, and unsecured networks, making them vulnerable.

There are compliance issues as well. Businesses must adhere to regulations governing all areas of operation. Employees may not be aware of the laws that apply to their location and their employer’s. This lack of awareness can lead to unsafe practices such as storing sensitive data on personal devices, which violates data protection laws.

Additionally, with distributed teams, IT personnel have less oversight over software updates and may be unable to install security patches efficiently. They also have less control over shadow IT, which can bypass company security protocols.

The Fix

Addressing cybersecurity and compliance concerns is a multilayered process. It’s the responsibility of both the company and the developer. However, the company is tasked with equipping the developer with a safe operating environment that protects the business and the individual.

The employer must start by implementing rigorous endpoint security. They should require all employees to use encrypted connections and VPNs and implement role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication. It’s also essential to conduct regular security audits and perform penetration testing, as well as continuously monitor network and device activity. 

Businesses need to stay up to date on regulations governing all areas of operation and industries affected, including the GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. They should educate developers on these regulations and common security threats since even technically capable individuals are still at risk.

In day-to-day work, it’s critical for developers to adhere to secure coding standards and practices such as those provided by OWASP to prevent XSS, SQL injection, and other threats. Conduct regular code reviews as well.

Finally, ensure that you have automated data backups and disaster recovery procedures in place. Keep administering regular training, and perform reviews of your security policy to ensure your organization and developers stay up to date.

Engagement

Remote work can increase feelings of isolation thanks to a lack of day-to-day socialization. Even the absence of minor, routine interactions can affect workers. Some developers miss the hustle and bustle of an office environment. This can lead to a decrease in motivation and connection. Ultimately, a lack of engagement could result in burnout. 

Another casualty of remote development is less interaction with management and leadership. Expectations may be less clear, and workers could receive limited feedback. This can cause developers to feel a lack of purpose and disconnected from the organization’s mission and goals. Managers may be less willing or able to praise developers spontaneously, which could lead to them feeling undervalued. 

One developer’s lack of engagement affects the whole team. If a team member is checking out, they aren’t contributing effectively. Teamwork is, of course, a critical part of software development. When others are forced to pick up the slack, they, too, may feel overburdened and under-engaged. It’s a vicious circle.

The Fix

It’s difficult to repair a lack of engagement, but you can take strides to prevent it from happening in the first place, as well as heal disengaged team members. Be proactive so developers don’t succumb to burnout.

A study in the International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior finds that establishing clear guidelines for work-life boundaries and offering support for mental and physical health can improve employee satisfaction and enhance productivity. Additionally, researchers suggest delivering feedback and supporting professional growth.

That could include establishing mentorship and/or peer-support programs, workshops, and other upskilling opportunities, where developers can learn or gain exposure to new technologies and build soft skills. 

It’s also essential to ensure that developers have plenty of support from their managers. According to one study, nearly half of employees say the most successful managers check in frequently with their team members. 

This goes beyond a simple virtual open-door policy. Proactively check in with team members and have 1:1 meetings to discuss progress and challenges. Support developers in creating individual goals, too. 

Ensure developers understand how their work contributes to larger company goals. Gallup data finds that the most effective recognition is unique and individualized to the employee. This will make them feel more valuable in the big picture. Additionally, offer them ample opportunities to give and receive feedback. Celebrate achievements and milestones, focusing on individual accomplishments as well as team successes. Developers should receive credit where credit is due. 

To support work-life balance, encourage developers to separate from their responsibilities completely when it’s not work time. Don’t contact them outside of working hours; instead, schedule Slacks and emails to reach the recipient at an appropriate time. Provide ample PTO and make it easy for developers to use it. That is, recognize that they’ve earned their time off and never make them feel guilty for using the benefit. 

A Final Word

In many ways, remote development is no different from in-person development. When recruiting developers, for example, you should look for the same competencies as you would in on-site developers: industry and niche experience, a proven track record of quality work, and so on.

But there are other considerations when it comes to remote development. You need developers who can self-direct and complete their responsibilities independently. You must also consider team cohesion—professionals who are comfortable working together remotely, who respect global and diverse perspectives and input.

When you take these factors into account and strive to build a collaborative, remote development environment, you can more seamlessly navigate these challenges and create a stronger workforce.