While customers bring in the money to keep a business running, they’re not the only lifeblood for every company. Many other factors make an enterprise successful, but if you look at the core, the ones that can give the most consistent and greatest impact on your brand’s performance are your employees.
In the tech industry where transformations in development operations continue to unfold, skilled people in the field are still considered the main players in the game compared to tools. A strong IT development team can easily drive a project forward to satisfy both the client’s and the business’s goals.
If you’re looking to assemble a development team of your own for the first time, take note of these important posts that can pivot your business to success.
8 Key Roles in an IT Development Team
1. Project Manager
In every tech project, you need a project manager (PM) to direct and manage the whole team. They’re responsible for mapping out the requirements for the group, both from the business and software side of things, to ensure that they can send the deliverables accordingly and on time.
Although PMs might not usually know the step-by-step process in producing their product, they’re the go-to person when it comes to communicating with the client, motivating the team, and ultimately, controlling the flow of the project.
2. Full-stack Developer
Consider a full-stack developer as the jack of all trades in the team. They’re programmers with a wide range of knowledge and skills, as they don’t specialize in just one specific area.
Their broad scope enables them to code solutions for various layers in the system—from business logic to databases—which is a great asset that keeps the project in order at all times.
3. Front-end Developer
The quality of everything that users see in the system—texts, images, animations, buttons, and navigation bars—can dictate how a project turns out. Making sure that your clients receive the best possible experience in your product is the job of a front-end developer.
They’re developers trained to make every single user’s interface as optimal as possible. A lot of their effort goes into checking the product’s performance in every browser, device, and system and ensuring they all have the same level of resolution across all platforms.
4. Back-end Developer
In the team, you want a skilled back-end developer that can effectively produce well-written codes and efficiently solve issues for your product. They’re programmers responsible for developing and maintaining your application from start to finish.
Apart from establishing complex business logic and data layers, an excellent developer also plots a more secure and stable product by seeking multiple ways to go about a problem even before it happens.
5. QA Lead
No software application is bug-free, which is why your developers need a quality assurance (QA) lead acting as an extra pair of eyes to improve your product. They’re in charge of managing a team that spots errors in your system before your users do.
More than ensuring that the product features meet the set requirements, the QA lead compiles documentation and test cases essential for future project developments.
6. UI/UX Designer
A good user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) can make a lasting impression on your end-users about your product.
UI designers focus on curating the best interface with content, graphics, and style, while UX designers develop an overall seamless browsing experience for your customers. Together, they work with the front-end developers to optimize your product by producing user-friendly designs and journeys for your clients.
7. Automation Architect
Ideally, every development operation should run on automated systems that are free from any foreseeable obstacles. An automation architect organizes that for the team.
They analyze, create, and deploy long-term strategies for the continuous development of the group throughout the production process. Not necessarily involved in the technical framework, an automation architect usually deals with automating business processes alongside the leadership team.
8. Software Tester
A group of software testers makes a QA team. They crosscheck the work of the developers by conducting automated or manual tests on the system.
Aside from verifying that everything is in order and all functions are running as they should, software testers are also responsible for proposing alternative paths to eliminate as many risks as possible before deployment. Like their QA lead, they bring new perspectives to the table that can improve the performance of a product.
How to Work as a Team
Now that you’ve identified the roles essential to make a cohesive team, here are some tips on how to be productive as one:
1. Align goals and expectations. Getting everyone on the same page is a good start when working in a team, so lay out the group’s requirements before anything else. Discuss the scope of work and expected deadlines to help your members set priorities for the project. You can use a project management tool to map it with more clarity.
2. Delegate tasks. Let the experts in your group do their job. Assist them in staying on track with their responsibilities by properly allocating tasks. To-do lists are an effective guide for knowing which points are being worked on and which ones are next in line.
3. Monitor progress and share updates. In every business, communication is key. Be sure to regularly check up on your employees and ask for progress reports. Emails and chats work, but a project management tool provides a real-time record of the team’s accomplishments at any given time.
4. Trust the team. When assembling a group, you have to be sure you’re hiring people you can trust. That is very important in a remote work setup since you can’t monitor everyone’s performance and interactions personally. With guidelines and training already set in place, start building trust and transparency among your team members to promote a conducive work environment for all.
Finding the Right Development Team
There is no one formula in building an IT dream team. But it does start by preparing a clear set of responsibilities for each member and a detailed workflow before getting the work started. The most crucial step: finding the right individuals for the right roles.
If you need assistance in putting together a team for your business, partner with an expert IT recruitment agency to scout the best professionals in the tech industry. Contact Manila Recruitment to learn more about our IT recruitment services and start building your dream team today!
