A Guide to Managing Remote Software Developers

Leaders are facing a new reality: while remote work surged during the pandemic, many businesses continue to embrace this flexible approach. Yet Harvard research reveals a concerning gap - 40% of leaders feel unprepared to manage remote teams effectively, and 41% struggle to keep remote employees engaged. Perhaps most telling is that only 40% of remote workers feel supported by their managers.

These challenges show that successful remote leadership requires more than just scheduling video calls. While collaboration tools have made remote work technically possible, truly effective remote management needs both foundational leadership principles and innovative approaches to virtual team building.

However, when done right, remote working can be magic. Based on Atlassian research, 92% of Atlassian’s employees say their distributed work policy allows them to do their best work. 91% say it’s an important reason why they stay at Atlassian.

Let's explore practical strategies to help you navigate common remote leadership challenges and set your distributed team up for success.

Sections:

‍

Remote or not, the role of a manager at it's core remains the same: to define a clear purpose, build and motivate a great team of employees, and create processes to drive performance excellence.

In remote leadership, managers must strike a balance between excessive oversight and neglect, recognizing that “it’s like being a coach who is very much in the game but not on the field.”

It’s not just tools and processes. Success truly comes from creating an environment where people can do their best work - no matter where they're located.

Let's explore the key differences between remote and in-person working when it comes to location.

Time zone differences need to be considered

If you have a remote team, your team likely spans multiple time zones. Traditional 9-5 collaboration isn't always possible. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, we can view it as an opportunity to build more flexible, considerate ways of working.

For example, rotating meeting times ensures that no one team member always needs to join calls at inconvenient hours. Documentation becomes your friend here - capturing decisions and discussions means everyone can stay informed, regardless of when they're online.

Building real connections requires stronger intention

Harvard research found that real connections at work drives higher performance, given the natural human desire to feel like we “belong”, which is required to drive motivation. Without shared lunch breaks or coffee chats, we need to be more intentional about creating space for connection. This doesn't mean forcing "virtual happy hours" - instead, think about natural ways to bring people together. Some teams start meetings with quick personal check-ins, while others create dedicated Slack channels for sharing wins or weekend plans. The key is finding what feels authentic for your team.

Measuring what matters becomes even more important

In distributed teams, measuring success shifts from "time at desk" to impact (more importantly!).  It becomes even more important to set clear goals with your team and trust them to manage their time. Regular one-on-ones become even more valuable - use this time to understand blockers, offer support, and ensure everyone has what they need to succeed. Remember, good managers are enablers, not overseers. Focus on outcomes, not outputs.

‍

Leading distributed engineering teams comes with unique challenges and opportunities. While we may miss the spontaneous whiteboard sessions and coffee chats of office life, remote work opens up possibilities for flexible schedules, global talent, and more focused deep work. The key is being intentional about how we adapt our leadership approach.

Let's explore six proven strategies that help remote engineering teams thrive.

i. Start with trust

Trust isn't just a nice idea - it's the basis of an environment where great work happens. When teams foster an environment of  real trust, they typically feel confident sharing early-stage ideas, raising concerns, and taking initiative without fear. This kind of psychological safety doesn't come from team-building exercises or trust falls - it comes from daily interactions where people's voices are heard and their contributions are valued. In fact, a two-year study by Google called Project Aristotle found that the #1  thing for improving team performance is building psychological safety.

Creating an environment founded on trust starts with leadership. When managers model transparency, admit mistakes, and welcome feedback, they set the tone for the entire team. No amount of team bonding can overcome a leader who doesn't walk the talk. The good news is that small, consistent actions build trust over time - being clear about expectations, following through on commitments, and showing genuine care for your team's growth and wellbeing.

Key actions for managers:

• Focus on building connections with your team members – listen to them and take a genuine interest in their lives and wellbeing. Culture Amp’s research has found that the manager/direct report relationship is one of the best levers when it comes to motivation in the workplace
• Show vulnerability by sharing your own challenges and learnings, modeling that it's safe to ask for help and not to have all the answers. This is a sign of a secure leader
• Publicly recognize and celebrate when team members take initiative or raise concerns, reinforcing that their voice matters

Rread more about how to build trust with remote engineering teams here.

ii. Setting clear expectations, early

Remote engineering teams thrive on clarity, not control. When everyone understands what great work looks like and how to effectively collaborate, they can focus on building great software instead of figuring out processes. Take time upfront to create clear documentation around roles, responsibilities, and ways of working - this investment will pay dividends in reduced confusion and faster execution down the line.

Key actions for managers:

• Create clear documentation around role expectations, success metrics, and career growth paths
• Define and document ways of working norms (which tools to use when, e.g., Slack vs email, async vs meetings)
• Regularly discuss working practices as part of retros to ensure it is working for everyone

ii. Over-communication always beats under-communication

Whenever you’re unsure how much you’re interacting with your team, over-communication is better than under-communication. [Harvard research](https://hbr.org/2022/11/how-great-leaders-communicate#:~:text=Harvard Business School professor John,Transformational leaders overcommunicate.) found that most managers tend to under-communicate. A few extra minutes spent writing a detailed message or adding context to a decision can save hours of back-and-forth clarifications, prevent misalignment, and reduce the frustration of incorrect assumptions. While we want to respect everyone's focus time, unclear or insufficient communication can often create more interruptions in the long run.

Key actions for managers:

• Invest in well-written communication that provides context and clear next steps to prevent follow-up questions (see Amazon’s memo culture)
• Set up structured communication opportunities (e.g., daily stand-ups, weekly check-ins, and “open door” virtual hours) to keep everyone aligned and reduce confusion. If you have a new colleague, consider a 30, 60, or 90-day check-in to help them settle in smoothly.
• Document decisions and share notes or recordings so team members can quickly catch up and reference important information async

iv. Measure, but don’t micro-manage

Peter Drucker's quote “What gets measured gets managed” often rings true — but this doesn’t mean that measurement should be used as a weapon against individual contributors. Data can be a powerful tool for understanding team dynamics and identifying areas for improvement, but if it becomes a source of stress, it will drive the wrong incentives for people to game the metric.

The goal is to use metrics to support your team's growth and collaboration, not to scrutinize every detail of their work day. Focus on measures that highlight meaningful patterns in how work flows through your team, enabling you to provide the right support at the right time.

Key actions for managers:

• Use data to identify collaboration patterns and ensure feedback and support are evenly distributed
• Review team-level metrics together, fostering transparency and shared ownership of improvements
• Focus conversations on removing blockers and enabling success, not monitoring activity

Multitudes helps you measure what matters in a human-centric way — helping engineering teams be happier and higher-performing, without burning out. Find out how.

v. Supporting work-life balance and proactively preventing burnout

Remote work offers flexibility, but it can also make it harder to switch off. The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome or “occupational phenomenon” that comes from workplace stress.

So, as a manager, you play a crucial role in helping your team maintain healthy boundaries between work and personal life. The key to this is creating an environment where sustainable work habits are the norm, not the expectation.

Key actions for managers:

• Monitor for signs of consistent out-of-hours work (measure this with Multitudes!) and proactively address workload concerns directly with team members
• Model healthy work behaviours  yourself! Respect off-hours, take regular breaks and maintain a balanced lifestyle
• Support your team in establishing clear work boundaries and having regular discussions about their energy levels

vi. Create connection opportunities for your team

Strong teams are  built on shared purpose, trust, and genuine connection. In remote settings, we need to be more intentional about creating opportunities for team members to connect as people, not just colleagues. While virtual social events have their place, the strongest cultures emerge when teams feel united by meaningful work and supported in bringing their whole selves to that work.

Key actions for managers:

• Create dedicated spaces for non-work conversations and shared interests, such as dedicated Slack channels for sharing weekend plans (but keep them optional)
• Plan thoughtful in-person gatherings where and when possible, focusing on meaningful connection over forced fun
• Explore investing in virtual HQs such as Gather Town, which creates a virtual office and gamifies collaboration

These strategies aren't just theoretical - they're approaches used by successful remote engineering teams around the world. You can read more about what great looks like from the Atlassian distributed work report.

‍

3. Use Multitudes to build happy, higher-performing remote teams

Multitudes helps engineering managers support their remote team to be at their best – whether remote, hybrid, or in person. Using Multitudes' insights, managers can identify where their team is unblocked, who needs feedback, whether team members are working out of hours, and more. With these insights, managers can make data-informed decisions to help get the best out of their team.

Multitudes integrates with your existing development tools, such as GitHub and Jira, to provide insights into your team's productivity and collaboration patterns.

With Multitudes, you can:

• Automatically track  key engineering performance metrics, such as Change Lead Time and Deployment Frequency
• Get visibility into work patterns and where the team’s time went, e.g. into feature work vs. maintenance work and bug fixes
• Identify collaboration patterns and potential knowledge silos within your team
• Understand individual and team health through metrics such as out-of-hours work, incidents, and meetings
• Get nudges via Slack about blocked work and who might need more support, sent just in time for your next stand-up, retro, or 1:1

Our clients ship 25% faster without sacrificing code quality.

Ready to unlock your higher-performing team?

Try Multitudes today!