Remote working was adopted early by the tech industry, and is becoming increasingly popular across all sectors. Hiring remote workers means a broader talent pool and an ability to be more competitive in the eyes of top developers.
However, remote developers can miss out on skills that those in the office might pick up naturally. And in the face of a widening skills gap, upskilling and training is becoming increasingly important.
So how can you ensure you keep your remote workers up-to-date with the latest skills?
Create a learning culture
Learning is an integral part of a Developers career trajectory. According to one survey, almost 90% of developers say that they’ve taught themselves a new coding language without taking a formal course. Spending their own time learning new skills necessary to do their jobs.
As an employer you need to ensure remote workers are encouraged to spend their time upskilling and measure this time as a positive step towards their business goals.
Build a community
From our own experiences working with Developers, we know that many place enormous value on community. The sustained popularity of sites like Stack Overflow shows developers’ openness and willingness to be supportive. Over 70% of software developers feel a sense of connection with their peers. Which is, of course, vital when working remotely.
Businesses can leverage this desire for collaboration by providing access to internal or external communities. Platforms such as Slack allow remote workers to freely engage, ask questions, exchange information, and bond over shared experiences with their coworkers.
Set goals
When it comes to training and upskilling developers, every team member has a different skill set and training need. This means employers must establish individual plans for each remote worker allowing every individual to reach their highest potential.
However, it’s crucial to leave as much freedom to your employees as possible. Most people prefer to learn on their own terms, so it may be counterproductive to impose a certain training/learning plan. It’s also important to think about training that will be beneficial to your company’s overall growth.
Relinquish control
There are many options for training and learning, including less traditional methods such as, bootcamps, hackathons and online coding competitions. It’s important to give your employees the a degree of choice when it comes to learning.
Although some methods may appear ‘non-traditional’, giving your developers the opportunity to choose how they learn will make them feel appreciated and will build trust. This will also lead to increased productivity and a healthier, more successful working culture.
Equipping employees with cutting-edge skills will keep them happy and impact your company’s bottom line. Tech has always led the way when it comes to effectively implementing remote working.
And as the modern workplace evolves, other businesses need to step up in order to stay relevant and attract top talent. Accepting remote working as a positive is most certainly part of this.
Are you looking for talented tech professionals to join your team? Speak with our specialist consultants today to hear about the hottest talent.
