Improving communication in remote software engineering teams

If there's one thing I've learned from years of working in remote-first teams, it's that the number one thing that can always be improved is communication.

Remote work is here to stay, and with that comes the need to improve how we communicate, collaborate, and work efficiently. Let's talk about some of those problems.

Document all the things

When teams are remote, the loss of in-person conversations means that written communication becomes the cornerstone of how we talk to each other.

You can't rely on "hallway chats" or "just a quick word" with your colleague. Instead, the focus shifts to documenting everything, and I mean everything - from decision-making to the smallest bug fix.

One of the best examples I've seen was from a team that held a "documentation sprint" every quarter, ensuring that all docs were up-to-date and relevant. If you treat your documentation like a living part of the codebase, it will evolve with your team and your product.

Over-communicate, but with intent

In a remote setup, there's no such thing as too much communication - at least, not when it's meaningful.

Engineers often think, "Do I really need to send this update? Everyone will know it eventually." My advice: yes you do need to send that update, but do it thoughtfully.

Make sure you're over-communicating with intent. It's about making sure critical information is surfaced to the right people, at the right time. Whether it's a Slack message, an email update, or a status report, ensure that the communication is purposeful, clear, and actionable.

If you're leading the team, set an example by sharing project status updates, technical roadblocks, and progress reports frequently. Being transparent reduces the chance of being misunderstood.

Lean fully into a "remote-first" culture

If a hybrid team exists where part of the team is remote and part is in-office, there's a risk of in-person meetings and side conversations dominating decision-making. That's where remote workers can quickly feel isolated.

To avoid this, default to remote-friendly practices. If a meeting is happening in person, make sure everyone, whether in-office or remote, joins via video call. Record important meetings and share those recordings with the team. For team-wide communication, move key discussions to public channels rather than DMs.

At one company, we adopted the policy of "if it's not written down, it didn't happen," which transformed how decisions were made. Every major decision was documented in shared spaces like Notion or Google Docs, so everyone had access and could provide input, regardless of their physical location.

Foster personal connections

It's easy to underestimate how much personal connection fuels team collaboration. When everyone works remotely, you lose out on the small interactions that build relationships, like grabbing coffee with a coworker or chatting about the weekend plans.

But, how do you create personal connections in a remote setting? One thing I've seen work incredibly well is creating intentional space for non-work-related interaction - you shouldn't assume that these will happen organically.  

Many teams schedule virtual coffee chats, where two or three people meet for 15-20 minutes to just chat about anything but work. Another practice I've seen grow in popularity is the "donut call," where people are randomly paired every week to have a short chat.

These initiatives might seem trivial at first, but they go a long way in humanizing your interactions, fostering trust, and making everyone feel more comfortable speaking up in more formal settings.

Use tools that support collaboration

No matter how good your communication skills are, without the right tools, remote collaboration will always hit roadblocks. The key is to choose tools that simplify communication rather than complicating it.

What's important, though, is having a shared understanding of how to use these tools. I've worked with teams where Slack became so noisy that it was counterproductive, with people spending more time searching for information than actually working.

The solution? Establish guidelines on how to use the tools, such as what warrants a direct message, when to use @here and when is best to default to project management tools to track tasks.

The right tool, combined with the right process, can eliminate confusion and keep everyone aligned.

Build a Culture of Communication

Improving communication in remote software teams isn't just about tools or processes. It's about building a culture where communication is valued and every team member feels comfortable speaking up, asking questions, and sharing knowledge.

This takes time and effort but can be achieved with intentional practices, transparent leadership, and a focus on clarity.

As remote work becomes the norm, investing in communication will be key to building stronger, more resilient engineering teams. And as with any skill, the more you practice it, the better you'll get.

If you're interested in improving how your team communicates technical issues, check out capture.dev for a developer-friendly way for anybody to report issues.