Engineering Team Communication & Collaboration
Communication and collaboration help engineering teams work together effectively and efficiently. What strategies do tech leaders use to support effective communication and collaboration, and how successful are they in implementing them? Read on to find out.
One minute insights:
Almost all believe that effective communication and collaboration are necessary for software engineering teams
Faster project completion and better error detection are the most reported benefits of effective communication and collaboration in engineering
Tech leaders report that time zone differences and hesitancy to share differing viewpoints are significant obstacles to successful collaboration
While asynchronous tools are commonly used, recurring meetings are the top way leaders say they support communication and collaboration efforts on their engineering team
A majority of respondents say they are actively trying to improve communication and collaboration on their teams, with manager training, project retrospectives and new tooling being the top ways
Tech leaders believe that effective communication and collaboration are necessary in software engineering
Is effective communication necessary for a software engineering team?
All (100%) respondents believe that effective communication is necessary for a software engineering team.
Note: Sum may not add to 100% due to rounding
n = 200
Is effective collaboration necessary for a software engineering team?
Almost all (98%) believe effective collaboration is necessary for a software engineering team.
Note: Sum may not add to 100% due to rounding
n = 200
Question: Do you have any final thoughts to share on communication and collaboration within engineering teams?
There is no way an engineering project is successful without proper communication and collaboration.
Good and timely communication is more important than delivery tools or platforms.
Effective communication and collaboration reduce project time in engineering departments, but differing time zones can present a challenge
When asked about top communication and collaboration benefits, almost three-quarters (70%) of respondents say that effective practices reduce the time needed to successfully complete projects and deploy code.
What are the top benefits of effective communication and collaboration? Select up to three.
Ensures each team member understands their personal responsibilities 20% | Improves employee retention 11% | Increases agility 10% | Streamlines decision-making 9% | Creates a positive work environment 8% | None of these 0% | Other 0%
n = 200
However, for 62% of respondents, differing time zones make it difficult to connect, which prevents effective communication and collaboration.
Tech leaders also identified discomfort sharing divergent opinions on an individual level (58%), lack of spontaneity due to remote work (48%) and communication skill gaps (48%) as top challenges.
What are the top challenges that prevent effective communication and collaboration? Select up to three.
Team members don’t receive timely feedback on their work 13% | Current communication processes take too long to follow 10% | Current collaboration processes take too long to follow 10% | Insufficient/unsatisfactory collaboration tools 9% | Silos within the engineering department 8% | Company culture isn’t receptive to open communication 6% | Company culture isn’t receptive to collaboration 1% | Not sure 0% | Other 0%
n = 200
Question: Do you have any final thoughts to share on communication and collaboration within engineering teams?
One must put extra efforts to ensure collaboration especially with a number of folks working remote.
It is very important to leverage on better collaboration tools to strengthen these areas in the organization.
Tech leaders use meetings to support their communication and collaboration efforts, and most are trying to boost these in their organizations
When it comes to communication and collaboration strategies, many respondents use meetings to support their efforts. 69% use recurring one-on-ones where employees can communicate directly with managers, 66% utilize recurring team meetings to synchronize on work and 64% schedule project meetings where attendees can discuss status updates.
Which strategies do you currently use to support communication and collaboration efforts on your engineering team? Select all that apply.
None of these 0% | Other 0%
n = 200
Are you currently trying to improve communication and collaboration on your team?
87% of respondents are currently trying to boost communication and collaboration on their team.
Note: Sum may not add to 100% due to rounding
n = 200
Of those currently trying to improve communication and collaboration (n = 174), 60% are offering or planning to offer manager training initiatives to address the issue. 59% are scheduling or planning to schedule project retrospectives and 52% are introducing or planning to introduce tools to streamline communication and collaborative work.
What initiatives are you implementing or planning to implement to improve communication and collaboration on your engineering team? Select all that apply.
n = 174
Encouraging managers to schedule regular, one-on-one meetings with their direct reports 35% | Automating project status updates in shared platforms 14% | Creating step-by-step documentation of internal workflows 12% | Establishing cultural initiatives at the executive level 10% | Hiring DevOps leaders to update team practices 5% | None of these 0% | Other 0%
Question shown only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question “Are you currently trying to improve communication and collaboration on your team?”
Question: Do you have any final thoughts to share on communication and collaboration within engineering teams?
Collaboration works best when all feel they have an equal voice.
Encourage knowledge sharing: Encourage team members to share their knowledge and expertise with one another. This helps to build a more knowledgeable and skilled team, and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
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Respondent Breakdown
Note: Sum may not add to 100% due to rounding