A Software Developer's Remote Best Practices

ANDREA AMATO IN CONVERSATION WITH MOHAMMED NADEEM KORUMTELLEA AND VINAJ JHUMAN

Software developers are at the forefront of digitisation, amending current technologies to suit an era that favours the latest tech inventions. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the working society forcefully moved remote, and quickly had to adapt to available technologies such as video conferencing software to simulate a virtual office environment.

As time goes on, employees are becoming more comfortable with the idea of working from home. Supportively, an abundance of research following workplace trends presents a general want for remote opportunities. I spoke with some of our software developers at Castille for their remote work advice, as the individuals who are assisting this digital revolution.

Mohammed Nadeem Korumtallea

Software Technical Lead

Can you describe your role at Castille and tell me a bit about what you do on a day-to-day basis?

I am a Software Technology Lead, and I am mainly involved in software development and assisting clients with issues related to their applications. On top of that, I am in constant communication with our clients and have meetings on a daily basis.

My main challenge has been to find the right balance between work and family time.

Can you give me an example of a challenge you experienced whilst working remotely and how you overcame that challenge?

Personally, I enjoy working from home and avoid the morning and evening traffic jams. They were costing me three hours daily. Now, I’ve more time for sleep and leisure. My main challenge has been to find the right balance between work and family time. I have two daughters, one who is two years old and the other two months old. That pretty much explains the challenge!

Often, while attending meetings, my daughters will pop up and start shouting or crying.

There isn’t much I can do about that, though thankfully there are some noise-filtering apps available online which I installed. I also managed to set up my work space away from my daughter's playing area.

I am thankful to my colleagues who understand that these are situations that do occur, and present this understanding when meetings are interrupted.

If you have a noise problem at home, consider installing a noise-filter application!

How do you see remote work evolving in the future?

Remote work has always been a common solution, mainly in the IT sector. At Castille, we’ve chosen to remain remote first even after the pandemic. This applies to both our offices in Mauritius and Malta. Recent surveys show that people working remotely are not only happier and healthier, but they are actually more productive.

Messaging apps are updating their platforms to enhance online meeting experiences, internet connections are being upgraded everywhere, and companies are providing up-to-date laptops for employees to work easily from home.

Also, the ability to work from home is becoming a ‘must-have’ criterion in job searches nowadays. This is the new normal and people will have to adapt sooner rather than later.

This is the new normal and people will have to adapt sooner rather than later.

Vinay Jhuman

Development Lead

Can you describe your role at Castille and tell me a bit about what you do on a day-to-day basis?

As a Development Manager at Castille, my main role is to plan, direct, and coordinate all activities related to internal projects development by setting attainable goals to team members. In order for the project to be finished on time, I provide guidance to team members and encourage them to work productively whilst ensuring a timeline is followed.

I represent the software team in meetings, and I monitor, evaluate, and ensure the completion of tasks whilst providing technical support to the team and other stakeholders involved in internal projects.

I provide guidance to team members and encourage them to work productively.

What do you enjoy about working remotely?

I love the work-life balance that working from home offers. Working from home allows me to begin my work day sooner. I can skip traffic and avoid the tiredness and stress that comes with it, which then leaves me with two and a half more hours daily that I can dedicate to my job.

Working from home allows me to begin my work day sooner.

How do you think teams can remain connected whilst working remotely?

Well, working from home does not mean being alone. At Castille, we have regular yoga sessions through Zoom and birthday greetings through Microsoft Teams, which I think is a good initiative to keep us connected. We can also have virtual morning breakfasts or coffee breaks to alleviate the day. A space where we can host virtual social events where we can chat and share ideas. There are a lot of ways to get teams to remain connected.

There are a lot of ways to get teams to remain connected.

How do you think leaders can support their remote teams?

Moving to a remote work environment can be challenging for maintaining socialisation and connection. However, with some creativity, one can keep teams motivated and connected.

For leaders, performing at a high level whilst working from home creates role-models who are educative, inspiring, and able to ignite positive action in their remote teams. One of the best things leaders can do is to be transparent and forthcoming with teams as much as possible and maintain regular video calls to support employees.

One of the best things leaders can do is to be transparent and forthcoming with teams.