Hiring Talent Is the First Step: Now It’s Time to Lead

We all know that it’s hard to find good people, but hiring talent is only one aspect of what it takes to form a successful team. The world of software development is populated by many passionate and knowledgeable individuals; however, such ability is not always accompanied by the strongest of interpersonal skills. Rockstar developers may have the ability to be productive when working individually on programming tasks, but on larger, collaborative projects, technical skill isn’t everything. At the same time, not every developer you hire will be a rockstar, and it’s sometimes necessary to build technical competency from within.

Starting out as a solo developer at a burgeoning SaaS startup, I quickly found myself in the role of a team leader responsible for 5–10 members, depending on whether my product was an active priority at the time. I initially felt annoyed by the added responsibility, time spent managing was time lost writing code, and there was much to do. Over time I learned the importance of my responsibilities as a leader, not to brush them aside, and I developed an effective process that proved useful for someone who wasn’t a natural “people person”. Team members will be most productive when their objectives are clear and they’re working together harmoniously; the work required to facilitate this should not be neglected.

Although many roll their eyes at the prospect of “leadership advice”, I’ll share some practical tips on how to successfully onboard staff, build a cohesive team, and ensure that internal challenges don’t send a project off the rails.

Building a team

The first step towards success is hiring staff that fits your organization’s needs and dynamics. Luckily, here at Scalable Path, we have a wealth of talented freelancers to fill such roles.

Regardless of whether someone is working on-site or remotely, their abilities and overall “fit” must be considered. In a remote setting, this necessitates a certain level of autonomy, but the ability to communicate and engage with your existing team still matters. In fact, being able to share meaningful status updates, ask for help when needed, and provide support to others is crucial to preventing remote workers from becoming siloed. Just because team members…