Hiring Remote Developers: What to Set Up Before You Start

Remote hiring works well when communication and access are designed on purpose. Location matters less than habits.

Evaluating remote candidates

• Judge written communication: clear, specific, answers the question asked.
• Check they ask good questions about the scope.
• Use a short paid trial rather than only an interview.
• Confirm availability and overlapping hours in writing.

Set up before day one

• Access: individual accounts, least privilege, nothing shared by password.
• Repository: code lives in your account, with the developer as a collaborator.
• Documentation: a one-page README for running and deploying the project.
• Communication: one chat channel, one task tracker, one weekly demo.

Working rhythm

Agree overlap hours rather than "always online". Prefer written updates others can read later. Review working software weekly so problems surface early. Time zones are covered in the timezone guide.

Where to find them

Filter by remote availability, skills and country in the professionals directory, or look at agencies that work across regions. Contract and payment basics for cross-border work are in hiring internationally.