Remote work may seem like a dream for workers, but it presents a different set of challenges for many employers. From establishing adaptable leadership to managing distributed teams, companies often face hurdles that aren’t immediately obvious. There’s a big difference between being thrown into remote work and being built for it. At BairesDev, we’ve spent years refining talent strategies and developing the infrastructure that makes remote collaboration successful.

Over fifteen years ago, our Argentine founders realized that hiring talent from Latin America wasn’t just about accessing a skilled workforce; it was about ensuring smooth integration with U.S. teams. With aligned business practices, overlapping time zones, and a work ethic rooted in adaptability and innovation, LATAM professionals were uniquely positioned to thrive in remote, global environments.

Our remote-first model didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of strategy, adaptation, and a deep understanding of what it takes to build high-performing teams across borders. In this article, we’ll share insights from over 15 years of remote collaboration success.

Our Borderless Foundation

The early days laid the groundwork for the systems and processes that have been essential to our remote collaboration success. Let’s examine the steps we took to establish our remote DNA and how they’ve shaped our journey in this space.

Remote DNA from Inception

When our first teams serviced U.S.-based clients remotely, we saw that distance wasn’t a barrier to delivering quality software solutions. As our services grew more specialized, we realized the need to broaden our talent search to a global pool to find the best professionals. The remote nature of our relationships with clients and teams only worked to our advantage, providing immediate access to the right expertise.

At the same time, we recognized that building effective processes was essential for maintaining consistency and quality as we expanded. These streamlined workflows, from recruitment to project delivery, ensured that we could adapt quickly and scale without compromising on results.

This need for solid processes was particularly evident when we started reaching thousands of remote candidates. To support this, we developed a recruitment system that attracted and vetted professionals on a global scale. In 2024, we processed over 2 million applications using AI-powered automation, allowing us to hire only the top 1% of tech talent. What does that mean? We select professionals who pass rigorous technical evaluations, knowledge assessments, and in-depth interviews. These examinations ensure they’re not only technically qualified but also primed for effective remote collaboration.

The Nearshore Model Advantage

A remote work model should make sense for your business. For us, the advantage of serving U.S. clients with a distributed workforce across LATAM is clear: time zone overlap, real-time resolution of blockers, and seamless collaboration within the same working hours. The model has to serve the business and ensure sustained success. In our experience, distributed teams are the most fitting model for sourcing experts and delivering results in software development nearshoring.

Our talent is primarily located across LATAM. While each country in the Americas has its own unique culture and character, there’s a strong alignment in work culture. Clients often recognize the seamless collaboration with our teams, where professionals contribute skills and commitment on par with their own. Ensure that a remote work model, however you want to customize it, serves your goals and is supported by the right talent and infrastructure.

A Trust-Based Leadership

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies switched to remote work as a crisis response. But without a remote-first mindset, it’s no surprise that many have since issued return-to-office (RTO) mandates. At BairesDev, remote work has always been our way of operating.

For remote work to succeed, an adaptable and trusting leadership comes before anything else. In case you just missed that, here it is again: adaptable and trusting leadership is the first building block for remote work success. Once that’s in place, the next priorities should focus on clear processes, management and collaboration tools, methodologies, onboarding, and remote work best practices.

And the demand for flexibility isn’t going away. According to a Gallup poll, 60% of remote employees said they’d start looking for a new job if forced back into an office full-time. This means that those hiring strictly for in-office positions will miss out on great talent. By putting remote work first, we attract and keep the top tech talent, so they stay committed and focused on delivering results.

Insights on Productivity

We stand by a performance-driven culture where professionals have the flexibility to manage their schedules while staying accountable for client success. Our teams are encouraged to take ownership, tackle challenges head-on, and think creatively to improve processes.

To reinforce this culture of productivity, we:

• Define best practices to guide efficient and effective work.

The clearer these guidelines are, the less room there is for ambiguity and guesswork. Enable your remote talent to advance and deliver with what’s already established and proven.

• Implement onboarding programs that support continuous learning and skill development.

While “hitting the ground running” sounds ideal, thorough onboarding is key to team success. Guide them, introduce them to key contacts, share documentation, and keep the door open for follow-up questions. It’s your responsibility to ensure their role and tasks are clear.

• Encourage intentional interactions between team members and managers.

Remote work can feel isolating, especially for those new to the model. Encourage peer connections, establish weekly meetings, and create a culture of mutual support. It might sound obvious, but it’s not as common as one might think. Things will get done quicker and better when you’re backed by a remote supportive team you trust. A software engineer shared, “During the first project I was assigned at BairesDev, I was able to meet spectacular people who are now my friends. My English has improved greatly, and my ability to tackle large-scale projects is even better.” This account goes to show the importance of company dynamics efforts.

We’ve covered remote work practices, cultural aspects, and soft skills. However, proprietary technology is another layer of success for distributed teams. To illustrate how technology supports our business, we need to look no further than our Team Recommendation Engine, powered by an ML algorithm. This system matches, assembles, and deploys the best possible team for each client project. It considers key factors like technical skills, seniority, and industry experience to ensure every team is the best possible fit.

The system also tracks factors like performance, client feedback, and talent satisfaction to pinpoint potential attrition risks. The goal is not just to find the right people for the job but to keep them dedicated and productive for the long run. This technology reflects our company’s mindset around scalability, efficiency, and sustainable performance. Remote collaboration demands agility in talent processes, from acquisition to performance, especially when it’s time to scale.

Embracing Flexibility While Scaling

Flexibility benefits both tech talent and our partnerships. For professionals, it means improving work-life balance and reducing stress, leading to stronger drive and loyalty. For businesses, our nearshore model leverages time zone alignment for real-time collaboration and access to top regional talent.

Deloitte found that organizations fostering a strong learning culture are 92% more likely to develop innovative products and processes. That’s why we’ve created a flexible environment where employees can carve out time for upskilling, thanks to the remote, zero-commute setup that can add up to 4 extra hours to a person’s day.

One BairesDev software engineer shared, “I live in São Paulo, and the traffic here is chaotic. Working from home saves me 3 to 4 hours a day, which I use to be with my family, study, and invest in new hobbies.” For our team, flexibility isn’t just about saving time, it’s about staying energized and focused throughout the workday.

Remote work fosters this flexibility, offering opportunities for individuals with diverse lifestyles, whether caregivers, homemakers, or those with disabilities or unique personal circumstances. It creates a path for professional growth in these varied situations, supporting the broader goal of scaling teams while allowing diverse talent to develop in a flexible work environment.

On the other hand, scaling a company is more than just adding talent. It’s about preparing teams to succeed. Flexibility and adaptability have been essential for navigating new scenarios and an evolving company structure. To address this evolution, we prioritize clear documentation and 24/7 access to training materials, ensuring our teams are equipped to deliver results as the company grows.

The Challenges of Balancing Growth and Autonomy

Encouraging flexibility in a remote work environment comes with its own set of challenges. To keep teams on the same page, we’ve had to answer the following questions:

• How to manage communication in distributed teams?

Asynchronous work can make it tricky to keep everyone on track. We focus on clear, structured, and prompt communication. Regular newsletters keep teams informed, and meetings are only scheduled when they’re truly necessary—no pointless check-ins. Even with these efforts, maintaining alignment across a fast-growing, remote-first company takes constant refinement. Pay attention to your unique pain points.

• How to keep processes updated?

Growth brings change, and with that comes the risk of information gaps and silos. To counter this, make sure internal processes are updated regularly, with at least an annual revision of important documents (fast-paced environments will call for more frequent revisions). Adjust the organizational chart when needed, and gather feedback to optimize workflows. This might seem like a low-priority task for most, but distributed teams rely on knowledge hubs to operate.

• How to sustain engagement?

A strong remote culture is built on purpose and connection. Teams won’t stay engaged if they’re not sure how their work contributes to the bigger picture. It’s sometimes easy to “get lost” in a remote company org chart. Team meetings help build that sense of connection, while recognition keeps motivation flowing.

Here are a couple of examples that illustrate the sections above. Early on, a senior engineer became the sole expert on a critical microservice. When he went on vacation, a minor bug turned into a crisis because no one else fully understood the system. After that, we ensured no single person became a bottleneck, requiring cross-training and clear documentation so knowledge is always shared.

Another challenge arose when a frontend developer assumed an API would return data in one format while the backend team built it differently. The mismatch led to wasted hours and last-minute fixes. Now, we mandate API documentation before development starts and hold cross-team technical check-ins to catch misalignments early.

We also found that alignment isn’t just about meetings, it’s about shared habits. Some engineers prefer async updates, while others thrive in real-time discussions, so we adopted a hybrid approach: key decisions are documented, but daily Sprints maintain clarity. Proactively solving these issues before escalating, makes scaling smoother without losing alignment.

Fostering a Borderless Digital Culture

A remote-first setup works especially well between LATAM professionals and companies in the Americas because of the following shared business values and work styles.

• Compatible Work Ethic: LATAM professionals take a results-driven approach, just like their U.S. counterparts, with a focus on hands-on problem-solving, collective accountability, and quality performance.
• Clear and Fluid Communication: Many tech professionals in the region speak fluent English and understand U.S. business etiquette, making teamwork feel natural.
• Innovative Mindset: LATAM has a strong culture of problem-solving and creativity, which is in line with the U.S. startup-driven approach.

Why does cultural alignment make or break partnerships like ours?

Cultural alignment is key to successful partnerships in remote software development. It ensures continuity and clarity for the next developer. Take documentation, for example. The best teams leave a clear path for those who follow. A well-documented API or knowledge base guarantees smooth handovers and avoids costly mistakes. Imagine a healthcare startup relying on a single machine learning engineer who understands the AI model. If he burns out or gets poached, the company struggles to reverse-engineer his work, causing delays and setbacks.

This fragility is avoidable. Strong teams share knowledge, so no one is indispensable. Engineers document thoroughly and collaborate in cross-team standups to spot misalignments early. LATAM teams align with U.S. companies in work styles, decision-making, and communication. They’re comfortable with flat hierarchies, direct communication, and real-time collaboration, just like U.S. tech teams.

LATAM engineers thrive in fast-moving environments, taking initiative and embracing autonomy. With overlapping business hours, fluency in Western business etiquette, and a shared sense of urgency, LATAM engineers ensure seamless handoffs, reducing errors and delays. Cultural alignment keeps projects on track.

A strong remote culture also emphasizes helping people feel unified from day one. We support new talent through our engagement-focused programs:

• The Buddy Program: New hires are paired with experienced employees who help them settle in and feel at home.
• The Global Ambassador Program: Workers organize local events, building relationships and strengthening local community ties.
• The Circles Program: Top talent gathers for knowledge-sharing and upskilling sessions and discussions about industry trends and technology.

When people feel supported, they bring their best ideas and perform at a high level. Companies that invest in a culture of trust keep top talent around for the long haul.

Lessons from 15+ Years of Remote-First Excellence

Fifteen years of remote collaboration have shown us that success comes from a culture that blends flexibility with accountability, giving professionals the autonomy they need to stay engaged and drive results.

As remote work keeps evolving, the companies that lead will be the ones that embrace adaptability, trust, and innovation. Scaling in a remote-first world means investing in talent and refining processes to fuel both growth and productivity, ultimately shaping the future of work.

Looking to scale your team with top nearshore talent? Let’s chat about how BairesDev can help you build a high-performing, remote-ready workforce.