How To Build A Remote Development Team In 2025
AUTHOR
Talent JDI
READ TIMES
1 minutes
LAST UPDATED
Mar 03, 2025
As the demand for digital transformation accelerates, many businesses are looking to build a remote development team to expand their tech capabilities and tap into global talent.
At Talent JDI, we’ve seen this trend firsthand, having supported over 300 innovative businesses in building offshore tech teams in Vietnam. A question we’re often asked is how to effectively build remote teams and whether it’s worth the investment.
Here are some of our insights and tried-and-true tips to help you lay the groundwork for a successful remote development team.
Why Companies Should Build a Remote Development Team
Building a remote development team is a big commitment that requires not only substantial upfront investment but also time and other resources. Yet, both enterprises and startups are still opting for offshore tech teams for their strategic advantages:
A. Expanded Talent Access:
A remote team opens the door to a larger global talent pool, offering expertise that may be scarce or difficult to find locally. This is why businesses facing severe talent shortages and fierce competition often turn to this approach. With no geographical restrictions, you can secure top-tier developers from anywhere in the world.
B. Cost Efficiency:
With remote teams often based in regions with lower labor costs, companies can secure high-quality work at more affordable rates. Hiring engineers from places like Vietnam, for example, can cut salary costs by 40–80% compared to markets like Singapore and the U.S.
C. Scalability and Flexibility:
Remote teams offer rapid scalability, enabling companies to quickly bring in specialists for tech project needs. These dedicated teams are built for longevity but allow greater flexibility than in-house teams when it’s time to adjust the team structure due to market shifts.
When Are Companies Ready To Build a Remote Development Team?
1. Have A Strong In-house Tech Team or CTO
We recommend that businesses planning to build a remote development team in Vietnam first have a CTO or an onshore, in-house tech team in place. This is essential to ensure the company has well-defined workflows and can effectively manage the development process, with someone capable of overseeing the remote tech team.
If your business doesn’t have an in-house person to take on this role, we highly recommend starting with outsourcing software development or hiring a freelancer. Running a remote development team is complex and likely to encounter challenges without a dedicated leader to guide the team and ensure they meet your expectations.
2. A Commitment to Long-Term Remote Culture
Building a remote development team is a long-term commitment—it can take months, even years, to set up, grow, and manage successfully. Think of it as opening a new branch in another country; ensuring the investment pays off is key.
So, if your goal is a quick project under a year or a one-off development, we’d suggest starting with software outsourcing instead. It’s a smart choice for short-term needs without the commitment of a fully remote team.
3. Better Control Of Development Process
If your company wants more control over the development process but has trouble finding tech talent locally, building a remote team abroad might be the perfect solution.
A remote tech team lets you manage parts of your projects from a different location without compromising on quality or security—essentially keeping everything “in-house” but with a broader reach.
5 Key Steps To Build A Remote Development Team
Step 1: Determine Team Structure
Finding the right setup for your remote tech team is key—it impacts the roles you’ll need, the number of developers to bring on board, and the budget. Getting the structure right from the start helps you plan smarter and spend wisely.
A. Core Remote Team Structure (3 to 5 Pax):
Why | The team structure is kept very lean, led by a team lead who manages day-to-day operations and keeps the CTO or HQ management in the loop.
In other words, your first hire must be a team lead with more than 4 years of experience. He/she will become the backbone of your remote development team. |
Structure | 3 to 4 Pax
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Best for: |
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B. Mid Size Remote Team Structure (5 to 10 Pax):
Why | The team structure has expanded substantially, so the first hire should be a technical project manager to ensure the team can handle the increase in manpower, tech projects, and backlogs.
Depending on the size of the team, the project manager can either act as the team lead, or you can hire a team lead to manage the developers and report directly to the project manager. |
Structure | 5 to 10 Pax
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Best for: |
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C. Dedicated Offshore Center Structure (over 10 Pax):
Why | The team has solid capabilities, showing a strong aptitude for leading key tech projects and stepping up to greater responsibilities within the company. To support them effectively, a sustainable investment in infrastructure and talent management will be essential.
Hiring a VP of Engineering with 8+ years of experience, or possibly a Country Manager, should be a top priority. The final team structure will also need to align with the CTO’s vision and requirements. |
Structure | Over 10 Pax
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Best for: |
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Step 2: Pick the Optimal Location for Your Remote Development Team
When it comes to building a remote development team, companies usually have two options: regional hiring or global hiring. Each option comes with its own perks and trade-offs, mostly around cost, expertise, and flexibility.
Regional hiring makes communication easier with compatible time zones and provides access to localized expertise. In addition to cost-effectiveness, offshoring enables companies to scale their tech capabilities rapidly, given the rich availability of skilled developers and engineers in emerging tech hubs.
That’s why many companies prefer offshoring, especially in countries with more affordable labor rates, like Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam’s IT infrastructure and supportive policies create a conducive environment for offshore development centers, enabling companies to build a reliable remote team with confidence.
Get full market insights through our latest report:
Step 3: Research on Local Legal and Operation Setup Requirements
After selecting the ideal location for your remote development team, the next critical step involves researching local legal and operational setup requirements. Here’s a closer look at what to consider:
A. Talent Research:
Start by evaluating the availability, quality, and average rates for tech talent in the selected region. Having an informed budget and clear expectations helps ensure a smoother hiring process and solid results.
For example, if you're thinking about building a remote development team in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are your go-to spots. These cities are home to over 61% of Vietnam’s developers, making them prime locations to find the right expertise.
B. Legal Research:
Navigating legal regulations early on is crucial to avoid unexpected challenges. Familiarize yourself with local employment laws, tax obligations, and other compliance requirements.
C. Operational Setup Research:
A successful team needs more than talent; it requires the right environment to thrive. Companies will need to consider the workspace, equipment, and available resources to ensure the team has everything needed to perform at their best.
Step 4: Identify Optimal Hiring Process
Offshore hiring has its own set of challenges as each country has certain cultural, educational, and linguistic disparities. Fortunately, the blueprint remains largely the same.
Drawing from our experience in helping companies secure top remote developers, here’s what consistently delivers fast and effective results:
- Clearly define the job description and responsibilities.
- Referrals are your strongest weapon.
- Leverage the right hiring channels and platforms.
- Optimize your sourcing and screening process.
- Shorten the interview process.
- Keep the onboarding process lean and straightforward.
Discover more details: How To Hire Great Offshore Developers In 2025
Step 5: Establish Team Management & Monitoring Process
Your team is in place, now it's time to implement strategic management to drive peak productivity.
Make sure every team member understands their role, remains accountable, and meets deadlines without compromising quality. At the same time, a strong communication framework must be developed to bridge the gap left by limited in-person interactions, thereby keeping everyone aligned and resolving conflicts efficiently.
It’s also important to provide HR support, as team leads or project managers shouldn’t be the only ones responsible for employee well-being.
More insights: How To Manage A Software Development Team in Vietnam
Conclusion
The race to build a remote development team is not just for cost savings, but to drive further innovation and expand tech capabilities. But success demands both investment and execution.
Unfortunately, not all companies have enough spare time and resources for this. Therefore, we recommend partnering with experienced local vendors to simplify and streamline the process.
With a network of 16,000+ skilled tech candidates, Talent JDI helps businesses secure top tech talent in a matter of weeks.
We take care of everything—from sourcing top talent to seamless onboarding—allowing you to focus on scaling your business. More than just a service, we’re a trusted partner, having empowered over 200 businesses and enterprises worldwide to unlock Vietnam’s thriving tech talent pool and drive innovation at scale.
Interested in hiring Vietnamese developers and building your own dedicated tech team? Reach out to us and share your requirements—we’ll make it happen!
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