7+ Ways to Motivate Remote Software Developers in 2022

Optimal Virtual Employee
4 min readJul 25, 2022

Do you have a specific plan to motivate remote software developers? What does your company do to keep your developers motivated? If you don’t have any activities or ideas, read this article and find exciting ways to boost your employee’s morale.

The remote working environment is no more uncharted territory now. Since covid, we all have embraced this change and worked relentlessly. This concept is enrooted, and many of us are still working remotely, especially the developers, as today 86% of developers work 100% remotely worldwide to bring higher productivity, and it’s well proved now.

Like salary and lucrative benefits, a developer should feel motivated and enthusiastic while working and delivering quality results. But what is your organization doing to get these results consistently? If there is no exciting plan or activity, the organization may suffer a sudden downfall in the tech talents.

There is a dire need for fun and exciting ways to keep developers engaged and dedicated to their job. Keeping this in mind, here we have listed some suggestions you can consider and add to your list. So, let’s start reading and exploring some brilliant employee engagement ideas.

Top Ways to Motivate Remote Software Developers

#1. Send Appreciation Notes & E-mails.

Rewarding the developers from time to time is considered an effective way to inspire the remote team. They will feel valued and acknowledged in the organization. Managers can send gratitude texts to remote employees using apps like Slack, Workmates, and appreciate.

There are many apps you can consider providing public acknowledgment plus motivation among team members to keep on performing better. The apps also help peer-to-peer recognition and make this platform a good motivator.

#2. Conduct Regular Team-building Exercises

Regular games or exercises bring a new zeal to work and boost the mood. Such activities can build a positive atmosphere and keep developers motivated. You can conduct many virtual team-building activities like digital card games, recipe swap, watercooler trivia, and more.

The team-building events can boost developers’ work ethic. These online events can aid in rejuvenating staff, increase team building and boost productivity.

#3. Keep An Online Suggestion Box for Remote Employees

Having an online suggestion portal can help you better in knowing your employees better and their thoughts about the organization. It will act as an open forum where employees can express their issues discreetly. This solution can make developers realize that the organization s receptive to their problems.

Freesuggestionbox and Suggestionox are two popular websites available today where employees can share their suggestions anonymously.

#4. Opportunities For Remote Employee Development

As per a recent study, 33% find professional growth vital in making a job choice. Thus, providing developers the opportunities can encourage them to foster their learnings, eventually leading to better results. It will significantly boost employee morale and productivity by investing in their career and personal growth.

The frequent advancement opportunities through training and workshop will encourage employees to stay longer with your company. In short, it’ll engage and retain the developers for the long run.

#5. Vacation & Surprise Days-offs

What else is better than surprise day-offs and vacations for any employee? Yes, this is the most exciting thing that you can do for your remote employees. Offer your developers the extra vacation and surprise day-offs once they have completed their projects. This practice can encourage the team to meet goals timely and boost productivity.

#6. Special Awards to Remote Software Developers

Salaries bring happiness but never satisfy employees’ deep desire to feel acknowledged and valued for their contributions. You should implement an award system to recognize remote developers’ accomplishments. It will make them feel that their work is noticed and appreciated.

These awards are titled “Employee of the Quarter, Month, or Year, and you can also have categories that you find important. Following are a few award title examples.”

  • The Ace Employee
  • Achiever of the Month
  • The Growth Driver
  • The Eccentric Performer
  • The Star Employee
  • The High Flyer
  • The Mountain Mover

#7. Share Frequent Feedback

There is no growth without suggestions. To perform better, we should consider other suggestions and feedback. If you want to grow, having a check over your developer’s work is vital.

Consistent feedback and constructive criticism will help developers perform better. It will bring out the team’s best and eventually lead to a developer’s retention. But remember that while giving feedback, consider and comprehend the developer’s core strengths and shortcomings better.

Conclusion

Recruiting new developers is not always a solution sometimes. Retaining the existing ones and making them feel valued and acknowledged is vital for them as well as the organization’s success. So, have these fantastic activities and policies in place for your remote employees. These will keep the developers engaged plus motivated.

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Optimal Virtual Employee

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