The Remote Developer’s Checklist: 7 Best Online Collaboration Tools

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“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford

Software developers already account for the largest and the fastest growing percentage of professionals working remotely all across the globe. The current situation of COVID-19 has made more developers, working for various organizations across the globe, shift to a similar style of working.

A survey reveals that around 73% of developers mentioned that they consider remote work way better than the regular office job. Some of them even referred to remote work as a ‘perk’. The software development process requires very high concentration levels because of all the programming done to work on complex mathematical algorithms.

Workplaces can be quite noisy and full of distractions that can hinder the productivity of a software developer. Therefore, given a choice between an office job and working from home, the latter is the most preferred option for developers.

The Single Biggest Challenge Of Remote Work - Collaboration

Today, remote work is being practiced by a large number of businesses across the globe and offers a number of benefits for employers and employees. However, remote work can be tricky. Working from home also poses some unique challenges for widely dispersed employees.

These challenges can hamper remote employees’ productivity, adversely impact their morale, performance, and well-being a big time and software developers are no exception to this.

Let’s take a closer look at some main collaboration challenges that software developers face while working remotely.

1) Inadequate Communication

86% of employees and executives cite a ineffective communication for workplace failures. It would not be an exaggeration to state that communication and collaboration are the two most important components of remote work. However, many remote software developers struggle to be on the same page with team members, managers, and clients.

Not choosing the best team collaboration and project management software is the main reason why so many developers remain out of the loop. Lack of communication and collaboration can lead to mistrust amongst team members, significant delays in work progress, frustration, and reduced team productivity.

2) Poor Time Management

Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2020 revealed that 18% of remote workers find it difficult to unplug. It’s very easy to get up from your chair in the middle of your work and prepare a meal for your kids or do your laundry, for example. There are good chances that you are already clocking more time than an average office-goer employee does.

You can get relaxed due to the lack of direct supervision of your manager and try to shift your focus from your assignment to domestic work many times in a day. This usually leads to the loss of concentration and disruption in the workflow, which can impact the quality of your work.

3) Isolation and Lack of Human Interaction

20% of remote workers struggle from loneliness. Remote employees who are living alone, away from families, can feel isolated and lost due to lack of human interaction, which is the heart and soul of a regular office environment.

Even though you have access to the internet 24/7, working from the same place for 8-9 hours in a day all by yourself can take its toll on you. Working alone for an extended period can lead to loneliness and mental health struggles.

4) Overworking

Overworking is unhealthy and overrated. The International Labour Organization reports that Americans work longer hours as compared to other professionals in most of the world's developed nations. This is clearly not a figure to be bragging about!

Remote software developers, like other remote workers, are more likely to overwork. The reason? The failure to create a fine work-life balance and inability to switch off when your personal life and work are under the same roof. Chronic overwork can result in all kinds of health issues, like unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, less than adequate sleep, and work burnout.

5) Learning & Mentorship

In the office, when you are stuck at work, you can always reach out to your coworkers for guidance to learn things you need to know. On the other hand, remote work can make you feel helpless in certain situations when you need help but don’t know how to initiate the conversation.

For some people, working remotely is like working in a vacuum. You are working in a bubble alone. Your coworkers are far away and they are no more easily approachable. Much of your queries remain unresolved and your learning ceases (literally).

Online Collaboration Tools To Help Remote Developers Work Effectively

As you can read, being a remote software developer is not easy in the face of some formidable challenges. However, thanks to technological advances over the last few years, there are some highly effective collaboration tools to help you improve coordination with your colleagues.

Let’s have a closer look at some of the top collaborative solutions.

1 GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting is a web-hosted service created and marketed by LogMeIn. GoToMeeting ranks amongst the top video conferencing software solutions that enable the users to schedule video calls and meetings with other remote professionals across the globe via the Internet.

GoToMeeting is equipped with powerful features to encourage intelligent team collaboration for any type of business. Connecting with virtual teams is easier than ever with GoToMeeting as this application stands out for its exceptional call quality, robust features, and excellent customer service.