Remote Developers Are the Real Solution to America's Tech Skill Shortage

I worked remotely for 18 months for a startup in SF.

Eventually become probably the most prolific developer in the company despite not being on site.

Has it's downsides though, you are generally overlooked for lead developer/mgmt positions because you are not on site.

I think this is a mistake, I eventually left because of said mgmt choices and I think this sent a wakeup call to them.

Remote developers are certainly part of the solution. In my experience, they're great when all you want is a developer to implement well-specced features. I have no problem hiring and managing remote developers in such situations (in fact, half my team is currently remote).

However, I do think there's a fundamental ceiling for remote developers in becoming leads or "product engineers." Collaboration, especially with non-tech stakeholders, is still much harder when you're not in the same office. As such, it's unlikely that we'll see many remote developers in positions which require extensive product discovery and brainstorming or high-level architecture.

Unfortunately, such work (ie. senior developer work) is precisely where the talent shortage is most acute. I have no problem finding junior/midlevel developers who can implement a function locally or remotely—but finding local senior developers is nigh impossible.

I work for a company that employs a lot of foreign workers. They don't do it because of a "skills shortage," they do it because they don't want to pay higher salaries. Every American programmer they hire is underpaid and the rest refuse to exchange their highly skilled labor for working class wages.

Sometime back, I started sorta list curating companies that encourages and relies heavily on remote workers.

http://oinam.github.io/remote-teams/

What tech skill shortage? I understand a few companies like Google have trouble finding people with advanced math degrees, but most startups are just basic websites / mobile apps.

I'm finding it a little tough to find a frontend gig the past week, but it may have something to do with the holidays...

I would assume there is a shortage of expert programmers with skills in JS or C++, but the market for junior-mid level programmers aren't as hot because it's pretty easy to learn the basics of HTML CSS and JS

I wonder how people are measuring this "skill shortage"?

"Solution"? Meh. I guess the notion that this is an actual problem depends on your perspective.

Because maybe, instead, it's one of the relatively few remaining U.S. labor markets wherein the labor pool has even a semblance of parity. For now.

Zapier hires 100% remote and it works beautifully for both sides. We're looking for javascript and full stack engineers - https://zapier.com/jobs/.

There is no "tech skill shortage," there are barriers that need to be broken to empower non-middle-class, US origin n00bz. Likewise: we need to get past our unhealthy obsession w/ only hiring others who mirror ourselves, personally, in startups.

The below article is a superb read, and I highly encourage as a more complete view on the subject.

https://t.co/pCv7JgF7mF

Probably a combination of immigration reform + remote developers.

I'm a software developer originally from a rogue nation, so living in SF bay area is really awesome.

Excuse me I may not know all the inner workings and skills of a developer. I respect the hard work and hours coding that they do. However, I have discovered that a lot of them are rouge. They have access to SDK’s, data bases and programs all free of charge.Hidden alone working on different programs for big companies. I have caught one and did not just wipe my machine. I believe I deserve an explanation for my computers being breached and hacking all my imac’s, ipad and iphones. And they work remotely. I have documented proof of the new technologies the public is not aware of. I am responsible enough not to act like a nut blabbing like a paranoid freak. Once I expose the big companies that are being used as well, it will be up to them to find him. It is not a russian, it is not North Korea. Wake up! The computer was invented here and the ones that are masters are baby bombers here in America. Steve jobs and Bill Gates age.There is no protocal for when you catch a programmer remote managing your phone or computer.Or when you find them accessing audio and video.. oooppps. I will not stop my resolve until either some convictions happen or some laws but in place. There are more ethical developers than these animals. And I respect them very much. BUt to screw with my phone bill, phone calls, computer , and even managed to damage my credit report. So on a personal note I am on a mission. Also the ideal of someone discovering what I have and go through what I have been. I cant just walk away. One part of me says to leave it alone. But that is not an option now. Its too late. I have lost my job and now they are still playing games like sick ego trip sore looser rejects corporate drop outs.May be Guido can get on his computer and spank all those fools and have the python draw them all in to face the music like Men and not cowards. Secretive Cowards of the night. LM-Honolulu Hawaii- jayjacobs808@gmail.com

I don't disagree with the Matthew Gertner article. As the differences between working with remote co-workers and local co-workers diminish, working remotely will become the preferred method, regardless of what our immigration policies are. Americans themselves will benefit, as they move to countries with lower costs of living. This is already happening with teams which do not require in-person interactions, but I think we are still a decade or two away from technology reaching a point where remote work can completely replicate the in-person experience and thus become the widespread and defacto standard.

Says the CEO of a Prague-based remote contracting firm.*

Personally, having a crap ton of experience working with overseas teams, the timezone difference is absolute hell. Moreso than the "not physically in the same room" thing. You can't even get on a phone or be in a chatroom together for most of the regular working day. That blows.

*(He mentions that he has experience hiring European developers, but it's not obvious from this post alone that he has a direct financial interest in the offshoring model.)

Few companies like remote for various reasons and this is unlikely to change.

Only the top x% of engineers that have already proven themselves beyond any doubt and are pioneers in startup technologies are likely to have a steady access to remote jobs that pay on par with on-site positions in expensive cities like NY, SF or London.

Just one thing to point out - there are lots of remote jobs in web and mobile app dev space already. But C++, systems, non-web engineering jobs are rare in REMOTE space.