Guest blog by Words by Lucy Patchett, Novo-K Journalist.
As we welcome three new recruits from across the globe to Novo-K, we’re here to discuss insights on why increased remote working models have enabled HR to take advantage of global talent hubs, and how to lead a team effectively from different locations across the world.
As the pandemic has waged on, workers have proved that operating efficiently from home is achievable. Since 2020, remote jobs have increased – with a 173% jump in searches on Google US for “work from home” in November 2020 vs. 2019 – as more companies are becoming open to bringing people in (virtually) from different continents. This has enabled better diversity, the ability to leverage more talent data to meet business needs, accessibility to alternative talent hubs worldwide, and reduced impact from geopolitical risks. As a result, location strategy has jumped to the top of workforce planning.
Where recruitment would have previously been constrained by whether there are offices in the area, HR managers now have the opportunity to lead location strategy and tap into labour workforces beyond the traditional talent hubs. Smaller companies will no longer have to compete as strongly with large corporations for the top talent in cities as global labour markets are accessible.
72% of chief finance officers expect the corporate real estate footprint to decline within the next two years, with remote/hybrid working resulting in companies putting talent-strategies first to ensure business resilience long-term, according to a Gartner report.
“The pandemic has brought me as many opportunities as it has challenges.
Riya Jithu, Marketing Executive at Novo-K, commented as a remote worker based in India “One such opportunity is being able to do meaningful work with NOVO-K. Location is no longer a bottleneck and my generation seems to be taking full advantage of this newly accepted working model.
It’s truly a win-win situation as I am able to provide more value for time and money by being in India, where it’s a lower cost of living. Personally, I’m able to hack into better employment opportunities in first world countries, get exposure on a global scale and work with diverse teams without needing to relocate.”
Jithu highlighted that it helps to have a coordinated and cooperative team that can accommodate different working hours due to the time zone difference.
Companies are able to benefit from increased productivity and cost reductions due to office rental cuts, lower real estate investments and employee absenteeism, with estimated employer savings at around $11,000 per telecommuter per year, according to Global Workplace Analytics.
Ten tips for managing a remote team:
- Communication – Regular meetings and virtual interaction is even more important in a long-distance team-working dynamic. Create a strong support system to enable validation and guidance to achieve the desired goals, keep everyone on the same page and facilitate coordination of projects.
- Technology – Dell recommends a three-fold strategy to remote work technologies: empowering your people, managing your devices, and securing your data, according to Forbes. Video conferencing platforms, cloud-based project management tools and automatic synchronisation across calendars are all key examples of necessary tech for empowering employees for the future of work.
- Strong technical team – As expected, along with more technology comes the need for reliable IT support to ensure employees can continue working seamlessly.
- Keep goals realistic and control workflow – When working in isolation it’s easy to be unaware of the strain others are under. Be sure to tailor deadlines to time zones, consider cultural holidays, and encourage honesty regarding due dates, updates and delegation of duties to prevent your employees from being overwhelmed.
- Create routines and well-documented procedures – Having a daily schedule with a regular meeting to kickstart the day and interact socially helps keep people on track and engaged. Equally, online guidelines help employees act autonomously.
- Listen – Ask for feedback on how to improve anything, what your team needs, and. Maintaining an open conversation and building an environment of trust where employees feel seen, not surveilled is vital.
- Treat everyone equally – When working hybridly, co-located team members can sometimes experience benefits (i.e., paid lunches, mentoring), ensure these extend to remote employees too.
- Prioritise well-being – Encourage social interaction with coffee breaks and daily walks, and emotional and mental support. Look for collaborative opportunities for colleagues so people can interact with each other more.
- Be flexible – Accommodate different time zones, be considerate of employees with care responsibilities, and most of all, stay positive.
- Provide ongoing training – New skills to function efficiently remotely may be needed, and managers will benefit from training juniors in smaller tasks so less micromanaging is necessary.
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