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The importance of leadership transparency and accountability in a hybrid and distributed workplace

Posted on April 5, 2022April 6, 2022 by naveen

The time of in-person office is on its way out. As over 61% of people do not want to return to offices and want to work remotely, it is evident that hybrid and distributed ways of work define the future of the workplace. Companies that embrace the hybrid and distributed work environments provide a more fulfilling experience for current and prospective employees.

There is an urgent need to rethink approaching culture and connection in a hybrid and distributed workplace. The findings of this study indicate that 77% of respondents say they have experienced employee burnout at their current job, with more than half citing more than one occurrence. There are many more similar studies which show that employees experienced burnout due to work ever since the lockdown; there exists a severe need to change how things are being done. A distributed workplace requires a mindful culture to keep employees from feeling burnout or a sense of loneliness.

It is essential to bring transparency and accountability in leadership for the best working environment.

What does leadership transparency in the workplace mean?

Transparency in leadership in a hybrid and distributed workplace means involving employees in the decision-making process, sharing the good and the bad, and generally keeping them in the loop of everything that’s happening in the organization. It’s quite easy for employees to start to feel disconnected as they no longer come to a central place to work. Another key aspect is to welcome honest feedback about leadership and decision-making.

While a distributed workplace is now a priority for employees, it can result in isolation unless you step up and encourage involvement among team members. In a team with transparency in leadership, there are no unpleasant surprises, no uncertainties, or feeble behavior that might make the leader look weak. The most transparent leaders practice what they preach, set clear goals, and communicate effectively.

Accountability is another required quality in leadership, which is especially important in a hybrid and distributed work environment. If you expect your employees to be honest and open with the work and how they conduct themselves in a distributed workplace, they must see you do the same.

How does transparency and accountability help?

A transparent and accountable leader is someone to look up to. They will be in a better position to earn an employee’s loyalty and trust, without much effort. However, the benefits of this leadership style are aplenty.

Encourages openness and collaboration

According to a Microsoft Work Trend Report, 9 to 5 work culture is fast disappearing, and employees want more flexibility in their work schedules. What started as a pandemic-induced work culture shift has become the new normal. As teams have experienced the freedom of flexibility and seen how much more productive they are, it’s more appealing to them.

Creating a hybrid and distributed work culture that is opposed to a 9 to 5 routine means enabling work that fits around the life of employees, whether it’s dropping kids to school, picking up essentials, or working out. The new work culture is asynchronous, requiring more focus time for deep work. Companies with a distributed workforce have employees working in different time zones. Adopting an asynchronous work model improves collaboration in real-time, allowing employees to attend meetings and avoid late-night calls. It also helps increase productivity.

Problem-solving and collaboration become more efficient when there is default transparency in the work environment; teammates are on the same page and can work unhindered with all the necessary resources available to them.

Promotes a greater employer brand

When you successfully integrate transparency and accountability in leadership, you build a strong employer brand. An essential part of being transparent with employees is to invite their honest feedback. It is easy for misunderstandings to occur in a distributed workforce or for discontent to build. When you let employees share their feedback honestly, you make them feel valued. It is also a way to show your employees that you value their opinions and contributions, building trust and loyalty.

It is not uncommon to see resentment among employees towards leaders who don’t show interest, or who do not value an employee’s time and thoughts. When you show appreciation, and when you recognize their efforts, you make them feel valued. It is because of the employees that an organization can do well. Let them know. Transparency in leadership implies you are not just a mysterious boss tucked away in some corporate office but also an actual human being. Present yourself as someone willing to understand and support his employees.

When you develop a personal connection with them, your employees are more open to accepting constructive feedback, and willing to make the necessary changes to benefit the organization and its objectives.

Leading by example

If you think that traditional command-and-control management will serve you in a hybrid and distributed workplace, you are in for a bit of a surprise. In such a work environment, you are isolated from your team, and hoarding all information to make decisions individually that affect the whole team will damage morale and reduce agility.

Remember your aim is to bring in accountability and transparency, which is why you should look for opportunities to democratize decision-making. When you keep employees in the loop, you create an open culture in which every employee is aware and confident about their duties, and there is no uncertainty. This will make everyone feel part of the team, and the efficiency and productivity of the team will increase. When you create an openness for communication, the risk of information overload becomes a threat. Here, tools like Slack come in handy to control information flow such that people get information that is relevant to them, not the whole conversation of the entire team.

Transparency in leadership requires leading by example. It is not the era to communicate once a month via email. Today, you actively communicate with employees via video meetings and live feedback to foster an inclusive culture. Some of the most outstanding CEOs allow people to drop in a message directly to follow up. The top leadership has widely encouraged open communication with distributed teams through Slack in the past year. Employees have shown enthusiastic responses, sharing over 11 million messages on Slack in the past year.

Enables faster problem solving

Leaderships’ primary goal is to encourage problem-solving, smooth workflow, and help employees improve their skill set.

With accountability and transparency, employees can be brought together. One of the most significant advantages of a distributed workforce is diversity. People with diverse cultural backgrounds working together solve problems faster. As a team leader, you might get instructions from the management to handle things differently or deliver on goals. Be transparent with them rather than keeping this information to yourself and putting pressure on your subordinates. Tell them the end goals you need to meet as a team and how they will affect the whole team.

Such transparency will encourage the entire team to work together to achieve common goals and solve problems faster.

For hybrid and distributed workplaces, the traditional leadership qualities simply don’t cut it. There is an unprecedented need for transparency and accountability in leadership. For more on how you can manage a globally distributed workforce, set up a free consultation today.

5 powerful reasons why your company should embrace diversity and inclusion

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by naveen

Diversity and inclusion are now guiding principles of the modern workforce. However, in some regions of the world, talent and employment discrimination is still an unfortunate reality. People of color, for instance, face workplace disparities such as lower hiring rates, unequal pay, deprivation from leadership roles, and negative work experiences. Many leading enterprises are now making conscious changes to all aspects of their functioning to combat this.

Companies like Sodexo, Mastercard, Lenovo, Johnson & Johnson, and L’Oreal are exemplars that have initiated diversity and inclusion in their talent strategy. In fact, more than 80% of CEOs whose companies employ diversity and inclusion strategies strongly advocate for such policies. They believe it enhances business performance and in truth, it does!

There’s a simple reason for this, and it is that diversity uncaps limitations. When companies embrace diversity and inclusion (D&I), they find the best talent, boost employee engagement, and even see better sales figures due to heightened public perception. A diverse culture is in a better position to innovate for a range of communities too.

For a better understanding of D&I in the workplace, its importance, and why adopting it in your business strategy is the right thing to do, read on.

What is D&I in the workplace?

Diversity in a workplace is a staffing endeavour that focuses on hiring across backgrounds. It means having employees of different cultures, genders, races, religions, ethnicities, belief systems, and more. Inclusion, on the other hand, refers to creating a safe, valued, respectful, fair, and supportive working environment for every employee.

D&I together empower employees to work irrespective of identity, background, or circumstances. Both the aspects of diversity and inclusion are equally important, and approaching them separately isn’t as effective. Diversity in an organization without inclusion can lead to toxic work culture. And inclusion without diversity is a tell-tale sign of impending stagnation, be it from the creative or the innovative outlook.

Why do companies need a D&I strategy?

The millennial employee prizes fairness and ethical morals in the workplace. Over 80% of millennials carefully consider employment policies of diversity, equality, and inclusion before taking a job. Companies can’t afford to ignore this requirement, especially if they’re looking to tap into the best of the generation. Other reasons why D&I is a must-have are:

Improves business performance

Businesses that focus on diversity and inclusion are 35% more likely to outperform competitors by earning higher profits, as per a 2020 study. Another report by BCG found that diverse companies earn 19% higher revenue and have 70% more possibilities of capturing new markets. This points to obvious performance gains that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Improves employee well-being and reduces turnover

When an employee feels included, their engagement improves, and they are more likely to go the extra mile. An inclusive work environment also makes employees feel valued. This builds trust and fosters the right type of associations with brand culture. With increased job satisfaction, turnover reduces, effectively retaining quality talent and minimizing overheads.

Increases productivity and innovation

About 83% of millennials get more actively engaged in work when their organization supports D&I initiatives. Inclusion within a diversified team can boost productivity by 35% when encouraged to think outside the box and be innovative, and a Deloitte report confirms that it yields results. According to findings, D&I boosts innovation by 20%. This may also lend itself to the fact that diverse teams are 60% more effective at decision-making.

Grants access to a larger pool of talent

As per a Glassdoor survey, 89% of black people, 80% of Asians, 72% of women, 70% of Latinos, and a significant majority of white respondents deemed the workforce diversity as crucial. Diversifying your workforce expands your talent pool and attracts more talented and qualified candidates, who bring new skills and perspectives to work.

How to achieve diversity and inclusion?

Although there may be roadblocks in inculcating D&I policies seamlessly in business strategy, it is not impossible. Here are a few tried, tested, and approved approaches.

Educate and involve top leaders towards D&I efforts
Structure an inclusion committee and promote learning
Honor global events and occasions for inclusion
Communicate and act on feedback
Follow fair recruitment and workplace equality practices

Navigating the nuances of D&I is no simple task, but it is well worth the effort. Companies looking to create this environment should embrace modern solutions, among which is to approach a trusted talent hub. To access the best talent from around the globe, and to find individuals ready to dedicate to growth, partner with Talent500.

Feature among the enterprises and Fortune 500s that trust us in managing and scaling their teams, be it remote or via the EOR model. Our pre-assessment tests and Intelligent AI fit tool matches candidates across various parameters and help you get the best-fit profiles for every opportunity. To leverage the best in the industry, schedule a free consultation today.

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Employee retention is important: 3 ways to manage it

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by naveen

In the present job market when employees are resigning at an unprecedented rate and looking for greener pastures, abundant opportunities are available for them on a global scale.

This has led to a decline in company loyalty and retention. According to PWC’s Next in Work Pulse survey, the rate of attrition is at an all-time high with 65% of employees reporting they are looking for new opportunities. Furthermore, 80% of executives surveyed admitted that their organizations are witnessing turnover much higher than normal.

Employee turnover can be extremely expensive for companies as this report suggests. This is why it is expected of companies to invest in strategies that will increase their employee retention rate.

Why is employee retention important?

The success of any company at keeping employees is measured by employee retention rate. It is an important metric, especially during uncertain times like the pandemic as a low retention rate can be seen by prospective employees as a warning sign of a dysfunctional team. You must have strategies in place to retain employees for the long haul and to reap the benefits of high employee retention.

Consistent productivity

When you are not continuously interviewing candidates and onboarding new employees, the managers, and teammates can focus on important tasks that contribute to the company’s growth. This significantly improves the company’s output.

More satisfied customers

When you have enough employees, your company can provide better customer service. A happier customer base implies steady business. If you are understaffed, the teams will constantly struggle to keep up with customer requests and there can be burnout issues.

Key information remains in-house

When teams remain consistent, there is a higher degree of collaboration as members are aware of tools and techniques that help them work together. Also, retaining employees helps you keep key knowledge within the company that might give you a competitive advantage.

Increased revenue

Replacing employees can be a costly affair. In the US alone, it costs a trillion dollars to hire employees every year. By improving employee retention, you can save millions that can be more constructively used to carry out other initiatives important for company growth.

3 ways to increase employee retention

For the sustainable growth of a company, it is important that employees feel part of the vision and goals. Your workforce is the only competitive advantage that cannot be copied, this is why it is mandatory to take all steps necessary to retain the talent at your company.

Given the fact that employee retention is of utmost importance right now, here are three strategies that can help with employee retention.

1. Set up a positive feedback loop

Industry leaders are aware of the fact that employees need positive feedback to keep up the morale and work productively. But for some reason, companies have failed to actively help employers with positive feedback. This scenario has undergone complete change post-pandemic, and employees expect you to provide an inclusive environment with more positive feedback.

That being said, in what proportion should you provide positive feedback?

A Harvard study suggested that the ideal ratio between positive and negative employee feedback must be 5.6 (positive) to 1 (negative). That’s 6 to 1.

We are not surprised, as positive feedback has always been psychologically proven to motivate employees to give their best with determination, going forward. This should not discourage managers from sharing constructive and corrective feedback when there is the need for it. Such constructive feedback is important to nip the problem in the bud.

Simply put, keep a track of how many negative comments you share with your employees about the positive feedback you provide. Do the math and commit to providing 4 to 6 positive comments for every negative or constructive feedback you give an employee.

2. Create continuous growth opportunities for employees

It is not uncommon to see companies promoting people from outside of the organization, but not providing any opportunities for in-house training and upskilling of existing employees. This is a terrible mistake that can cause you to lose not only the best employees but also degrade your employer’s brand.

When there is no way for employees to advance or improve in their company, they become disillusioned in their roles and are most likely to leave. Can you blame them for leaving a company where they cannot envision their growth?

This is why it is critical to create ongoing education programs that make your employees feel valued for employee retention. The opportunities for continuous growth give them something to look forward to and feel part of the company’s success. If you fail to help your employees see a laid-out path for advancement, your employee retention rates will continue to decline.

As an employee retention strategy, create opportunities for continuous growth by implementing training programs to help employees grow within the company. For this purpose, you can use outside resources such as workshops, online courses, and expert professionals. Employees will see such programs as a powerful incentive to stay with your company because these initiatives suggest that you are willing to invest in their future.

3. Include your employees

Just as the absence of growth opportunities drives away employees, feelings of isolation and exclusion can also increase the attrition rate. Your current and prospective employees want to feel purposeful at their jobs. It is important to them to know that they play a key role in helping the company achieve its goals.

As a measure to increase employee retention, you can plan strategies that enable diversity in the workforce, at the same time making inclusion a priority. According to Josh Bersin, founder and principal at Bersin by Deloitte, companies that have policies to encourage diversity, inclusion, development planning, and leadership building are 3.8 times more likely to coach people for improved performance, 3.6 times more capable to deal with personal performance problems effectively, and 2.9 times more likely to identify leadership talent and help them grow.

This is a remarkable study that suggests that companies must take a top-down approach to create a culture of inclusion, whether they are hiring leaders or doing performance management. There are no shortcuts to creating a culture of inclusion in the workplace.

The most effective step will be to have open conversations with your employees individually. Ask them about their thoughts on their roles within the company. Such open-ended strategic meetings will help managers understand how inclusive employees are feeling at your company. Depending on the outcome, you can frame policies to help them feel more at home.

Bottomline

With technology improving and becoming more accessible, companies are competing based on their workforce. It is more important than ever before to retain your employees for sustainable growth in the long run.

Talent500 can help you hire, build, and manage a global workforce. We keep employee retention high by creating optimal digital workplaces. Request a consultation today to discuss your requirements.

Strategies to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by naveen

Companies with diversity in the workforce are more likely to be profitable in the long haul. Most recruiters and managers accept the fact that diverse teams help companies be more innovative and creative. According to a McKinsey study, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile—up from 21% in 2017 and 15% in 2014.

There are no surprises here, it has been well researched and well experienced too – diversity and inclusion improve an organization’s overall performance. As distributed working is becoming the new normal, it is easier than ever before to add diversity to your teams. The main reason there’s so much conversation around the need for organizations to have a strong DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiative is because, apart from improving overall production, it adds richness to an organization’s culture.

In this article, we will explore some strategies to help you build more diverse teams.

What is diversity recruiting?

Workplace diversity is an indication of openness that your company has. It is a positive cue that presents your employer brand as friendly and embracing, one that supports individuals of color, race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical disability.

Diversity recruiting, simply put, is the practice of a transparent recruitment process, free from biases for or against any candidate. It is merit-based recruitment that aims to hire the best candidate giving all applicants an equal opportunity irrespective of their background. Creating a diverse workforce enables organizations to understand and meet the needs of employees from diverse perspectives, and enables an atmosphere that supports positive and safe relationships, and communications.

Why is having a DEI recruiting strategy important?

Consider this:

According to Deloitte, diversity of thinking produces creativity, enhancing innovation by 20%.
Diverse teams are 70% more likely to capture new markets and are 87% better at making decisions.
According to Boston Consulting Group, companies with diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues.
Such companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in the markets they compete in.
85% of CEOs agree that hiring a diverse workforce has helped their companies improve the bottom lines.
76% of job seekers now look for companies that have diversity in their workforce.

But how can organizations ensure that they are doing the right things to attract and hire diverse team members? A diversity recruitment strategy needs to be well defined. It needs to look into the goals, accountabilities, action items, and success measures for attracting, engaging, assessing and hiring diverse talent with the aim of driving an organization’s business success.

Here are some of the key steps to include in the DEI recruitment strategy.

Audit job ads

An important step in including diversity in the hiring process is to audit the job ads that the organization posts. Incorporating more inclusive words in the language used becomes critical, it needs to consider a broader community of candidates. It’s imperative that managers review each posting to ensure that it is not gender-coded or doesn’t unintentionally use discriminatory language. Organizations would also benefit from adding a powerful statement about the company’s commitment to DIE initiatives.

Encourage diverse candidate referrals

Employee referrals are known to be one of the most efficient ways of hiring. U.S. companies hire 29% of their workforce through referrals. At companies like Ernst & Young, referrals can account for up to 45% of non-entry level hires.

When you are looking to hire someone from a more specific demographic, a good strategy might be to reach out to employees who fall into the same/similar demographics. Encourage them to promote and share job ads within their network. Make all tools available that they will require to showcase how your company values different backgrounds and cultures. This will also make your employees feel more included and valued benefiting overall team morale and engagement.

Develop an employer brand that supports diversity

The organization’s employer brand is the single most effective tool to attract diverse talent without much effort. When organizations create an employer brand that reflects their values and shows their respect towards all, there is an organic resurgence of diverse candidates.

To develop an employer brand, having open conversations about the importance and benefits of diversity with teams, seeking and incorporating (if relevant) their feedback will make it more genuine and impactful. This will help in building a brand that truly values diversity.

Target sources where diverse candidates hangout

Another way to maintain a diverse workforce is to hire candidates from a variety of different places. By relying on the same sources to hire a candidate, it will lead to a limited or fixed pool of talent. This is why organizations need to explore more sources to get access to a diverse talent pool and build diversity in the workforce.

It is easier to seek out candidates with diverse backgrounds when organizations know where to look. For example, there are many online forums and groups where women in technology hang out. Such sources can be great to meet with high-caliber talent for women-tech roles. Such a proactive approach helps organizations minimize the duration of the hiring process, since this process is more proactive, rather than waiting for them to find you.

Create policies that support diverse candidates

It is easy for organizations to claim they have diverse recruiting strategies in place to build competitive teams, but do little to actually ensure that diversity is truly embraced in the workplace. Creating and implementing company policies that hire and nurture diversity among candidates, and take care of their considerations and needs, and protect their best interests once they become employees is what makes all the difference.

Introducing flexible work hours such that candidates can continue to be involved with their communities is an example of an inclusive policy. When employees are forced to conform to a cookie-cutter schedule, it could very well hinder their freedom to be their whole selves. When organizations have such policies in place, it becomes easier to incorporate and promote it during the recruitment process to let candidates know that their diversity is respected.

Use blind resumes

This is an increasingly popular technique used by recruiters to remove bias from the screening process. It entails blacking out any personal information such as name, school, gender, specific locations, etc. on a resume such that there is no factor available that can cause discrimination. This will ensure that recruiters are not subconsciously biased towards certain candidates over others. It is even more important when hiring women for tech roles.

Diverse recruiting is about hiring the best candidate for the role, regardless of their background but it does require effort to create such an environment. These strategies will get you started with the process of improving diversity and inclusion in your company.

Talent500 is a platform for hiring diverse and skilled talent from across 50 countries. We help you build global teams by connecting you with the best talent. Request a consultation today to know more.

Remote employee benefits: are you aware of these perks?

Posted on April 5, 2022 by naveen

Remote employee benefits include more than just flexible hours and work-from-home opportunities. As companies are adjusting to most of their workforce working remotely, they are offering new benefits to encourage remote employees. In this article, you’ll discover the employee benefits of being a remote worker.

Why are companies incentivizing work-from-home culture?

A recent Gallup research shows that 59% of the U.S. employees who started working from their homes during the coronavirus pandemic would prefer to become remote workers permanently.

To retain talent and improve employee engagement companies are offering amazing benefits. Studies show that 69% of employees believe a wider array of benefits is important to be more loyal to their employer. Furthermore, 78% of employees report benefits programs as the major reason to stay with an employer.

Let’s face it, the pandemic has caused a major shift in how employees perceive job satisfaction. These are just a few stats that show remote workers want more support from companies to continue working with them.

1. Mental health support

It is not surprising that ever since the pandemic hit us mental health is on peoples’ minds. According to the recent US Census Bureau survey, more than 42% of people surveyed reported mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, an 11% increase from the previous year.

Chevron Corporation is one such employer offering mental health and well-being support to its remote workers through its Employee Assistance and WorkLife Services program. This program provides remote workers access to licensed counselors to help them cope with mental issues.

Remote workers need more of a practical approach to prevent stress and anxiety and fight burnout. This is why companies are onboarding experts to offer support through mental health information sessions. Good mental health training helps remote workers create a more engaged, safer, and productive work environment without feeling isolated.

2. Increased location and schedule flexibility

Companies are increasingly appreciating the flexibility in work schedules and how it benefits both employer and employee. Employers are offering an increased level of flexibility allowing remote workers to take more responsibility for their schedules. This leaves scope to manage any precarious crises that may arise establishing a healthier work-life balance.

Companies are getting comfortable with custom scheduling and longer deadlines. There have never been better opportunities for remote workers to work from any location they want. If you are planning to become a remote employee but are worried about managing your personal and professional life simultaneously, increased flexibility in terms of location and schedule is an incentive that will help you strike a balance.

American Express, the credit card giant has adopted a flexible scheduling model for its workers offering them the flexibility to work from home and manage their timing for a more balanced work and home life.

3. WFH allowance

Monetary compensation is one of the major contributors to job satisfaction. Companies are incentivizing this by offering work from home allowance.

Remote workers often complained about missing the perks culture of being on campus. Employers like Google are building this gap by offering a stipend for buying home-office equipment, paying internet and phone bills, and setting up workstations.

Organizations are seeing the positive impact of moving dollars to the pockets of employees. Since other bills at home go up, adding WFH allowance to the benefits program makes remote workers feel rewarded.

4. Learning and development opportunities

Previously, remote workers were not able to benefit from upskilling programs companies offered to in-house employees. It is not true anymore.

As work-from-home culture is becoming the new normal, companies are offering learning and development opportunities. A recent IBM research suggests that employees are 42% more likely to remain at the same company if they are trained to get more skilled and perform at a higher level.

Employers are helping remote workers learn new technologies, enhance their skills and grow professionally by offering an L&D budget. Another way they are encouraging employees to learn while working simultaneously is by partnering with courses on-demand providers such as Udemy and Coursera. Squarespace’s robust L&D program is a good example of how a blend of in-person and virtual classroom development experience can be effective for the self-paced upskilling of remote employees.

Many companies are now offering remote workers the opportunity to access premium online courseware as a benefit.

5. Subsidized insurance plans

Employers are adjusting their strategies to accommodate remote workers from a health benefits perspective. As employees working from home may not be in the same geographical region as the employer’s office they may not benefit from the in-network coverage offered by the company.

Companies are now offering subsidized insurance plans to help remote workers avoid paying higher costs. DuckDuckGo and the cryptocurrency group Ethereum Foundation signed up with SafetyWing, a company offering subscription-based travel and medical insurance for remote workers to provide insurance cover for their employees.

This adds to the sense of financial security of the employees making them more loyal to the organization.

The best way forward

The pandemic might have accelerated the pace at which employees choose to work from home permanently, it is not the only reason. Becoming a remote worker is more lucrative now with many new benefits companies are offering. It is the best path forward for anyone seeking a more balanced personal and professional life.

Talent500 can help you find a remote job offering the best benefits. Join our elite global talent network to connect with employers who value remote work and understand its importance. Sign up today.

Rethinking Remote Employee Benefits: Are you aware of these perks?

Posted on April 1, 2022April 1, 2022 by naveen

Remote employee benefits include more than just flexible hours and work-from-home opportunities. As companies are adjusting to most of their workforce working remotely, they are offering new benefits to encourage remote employees. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular benefits that new age companies are offering to their employees.

Why are companies incentivizing work from home culture?

A recent Gallup research shows that 59% of the U.S. employees who started working from their home during the coronavirus pandemic would prefer to become remote workers permanently.

To retain the talent and improve employee engagement, companies are offering some amazing benefits. Studies show that 69% of employees believe a wider array of benefits is important to be more loyal to their employer. Furthermore, 78% of employees report benefits programs as the major reason to stay with an employer.

Let’s face it, the pandemic has caused a major shift in how employees perceive job satisfaction. Here’s a list of some of the most popular benefits that new age companies are offering to their employees.

1. Mental health support

It is not surprising that ever since the pandemic hit us, mental health is on peoples’ minds. According to the recent US Census Bureau survey, more than 42% of people surveyed reported mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, an 11% increase from the previous year.

Employers are proactively providing mental health training sessions for remote workers virtually. If you think it’s the same self-guided meditation sessions scattered all over the internet, it’s not. Chevron Corporation is one such employer offering mental health and well-being support to its remote workers through its Employee Assistance and WorkLife Services program. This program provides remote workers access to licensed counselors to help them cope with mental issues.

2. Increased location and schedule flexibility

3. WFH allowance

Monetary compensation is one of the major contributors to job satisfaction. Companies are incentivizing this by offering work from home allowance.

Remote workers often complain about missing the perks culture of being on campus. Employers like Google are building this gap by offering a stipend for buying home-office equipment, paying internet and phone bills, and setting up workstations.

Organizations are seeing the positive impact of moving dollars to the pockets of employees. Since other bills at home go up, adding WFH allowance in the benefits program makes remote workers feel rewarded.

4. Learning and development opportunities

Previously, remote workers were not able to benefit from upskilling programs companies offered to in-house employees. However, that is not true anymore.

As work-from-home culture is becoming the new normal, companies are offering numerous learning and development opportunities. A recent IBM research suggests that employees are 42% more likely to remain at the same company if they are trained to get more skilled and perform at a higher level.

Many companies are now offering remote workers the opportunity to access premium online courseware as a benefit.

5. Subsidized insurance plans

Employers are adjusting their strategies to accommodate remote workers from a health benefits perspective. As employees working from home may not be in the same geographical region as the employer’s office, they may not benefit from in-network coverage offered by the company.

This adds to the sense of financial security of the employees making them more loyal to the organization.

The best way forward

At Talent500, we help companies build, manage, and scale their distributed teams. With our best-in-class benefits, managing a remote team becomes easy with us as your EOR. We leverage a host of community activities, learning and development initiatives, and many more methods to help bolster employee engagement. To know how we can help you achieve this goal, book a consultation online.

30 buzzwords on your CV that’ll get you the job

Posted on March 31, 2022 by naveen

Often “out-of-the-box thinking” creates a unique identity, but it might not be the best approach when writing your CV.

You are hardworking, innovative, and have impeccable communication skills – well, yes, so do most candidates (at least on their resume!) vying for the same job opening you applied to. Think about it, recruiters spend only 7 seconds with your resume before deciding to move to the next candidate or give you a chance. If you want to crack an interview, you have to ditch the hackneyed resume buzzwords and focus on including the perfect resume words that are concise and carry weight.

This article is all about the buzzwords that must have a place on your CV to attract recruiters’ attention and get you the job.

Keep it simple, silly!

At Talent500, we scan through several resumes every day and almost 70% of those have a repetitive tone. While we do overlook the monotonous language, what gets us over the edge is when candidates use business jargon or fluffy words just to come across as “smart.” Never had this approach convinced us about the “smartness” of a candidate, but it did confuse us at times for sure.

Before you start using the right buzzwords, go through the job description carefully. The most scope for utilizing the ‘word play’ is in the accomplishments section. While we encourage job seekers to use their voice in their CV, we strongly recommend replacing all the jargon with strong action verbs. These words rightfully highlight your skills and catch our attention as a recruiter.

Level up with action verbs

While ‘Responsible’, ‘Expert’ and ‘Proven ability’ often find a place on the CV, recruiters are moved by the action verbs. What’re those? They are the power words that describe specific actions taken or tasks completed. When you use action verbs correctly, you add an impact to the important information that you want the recruiter to focus on.

Assume you are applying for a frontend developer role. Instead of the common terms, you might want to use these action verbs.

Accelerated: Successfully accelerated the UI/UX development to meet the revised project deadline.
Collaborated: Collaborated with backend developers and clients to deliver results.
Implemented: Implemented framework updates and best practices for project success.
Designed: Designed a wireframe for a futuristic mobile application.
Enhanced: Enhanced customer experience by migrating an existing application to a new platform.

Highlight skills & experiences over personal strengths

In 2017, LinkedIn shared a study listing the top ten most-used words, and recruiters globally shared how they “hated” and “repulsed” such words. Those words were: Creative, Experienced, Expert, Focused, Leadership, Motivated, Passionate, Skilled, Specialize, and Strategic. You have a couple of these on your resume, don’t you? We don’t necessarily believe that there is something bad about using these buzzwords, but the English dictionary has 171,476 words, so you are not out of options.

It is nice, even recommended to mention your specialization on the resume. Just don’t be restricted to using ‘specialize’ or ‘skilled’, instead use these alternatives.

Well-versed in
Concentrated expertise on
Rehearsed
Trained
Exercised
Disciplined
Studied

The same goes for ‘experience’. Using the word ‘experienced’ is alright, but if you are experienced in a multitude of things why not zhoosh it up with variations like:

Competent
Qualified
Cultivated
Accomplished

Articulate with power verbs alternative to ‘leadership’

Leadership quality is a big sell, and recruiters want to see action-oriented words that portray your leadership abilities. Rather than just blandly using ‘leadership’, choose words that encapsulate the style of your leadership such as:

Accessed
Actualized
Directed
Enacted
Guided
Impacted
Influenced
Prerogative

Self-promotion vs. self-initiation: there’s a difference

We understand that candidates are tempted to sell themselves as a ‘go-getter’ and ‘point-person’, but honestly, as recruiters, we care more about how proactive a candidate is in taking initiative and getting stuff done. The CV is ultimately about showcasing what value you will bring to the company. So don’t waste your precious CV real estate on words like a team player, hard worker, or people’s person. It is expected of you, but it doesn’t make you appear unique.

Instead of that include words that will really make you stand out like:

Self-starter
Contributed
Diversified
Partnered
Volunteered
Participated

Bottomline

Recruiters don’t expect you to have a flair for writing (but it doesn’t hurt), but they expect it to be different from the run-of-the-mill resumes. Your CV must include information that recruiters will find valuable. When every other applying candidate has the skills and expertise, it comes down to how fresh your CV appears to a recruiter (and remember you have only 7 seconds!).

Talent500 is helping candidates hone their resumes and land their dream jobs. We not only evaluate your resume but also fix any weak spots and skills gaps through upskilling. Join our team of elite talent today.

Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the modern workforce: learning from 5 tech giants

Posted on March 9, 2022March 9, 2022 by naveen

Every day, we hear about instances of racism, sexism, and slavery, all of which are profoundly prevalent in today’s world. What we don’t hear enough is the word “ableism.” Sadly, it exists, but is not given the importance it deserves. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) constitute the most significant minority in the world. According to the WHO, persons with disabilities represent approximately 15 percent of the world’s population. 80% of this population resides in developing countries such as India, Pakistan, and the Far East.

A disability can happen to anyone from birth, due to a medical condition, or an accident later in life. Therefore, assistive technologies and disability supports, which help integrate people into the labor force, are of massive importance.

In this piece, we discuss the the strategies and best practices adopted by some global technology giants to create a more inclusive environment for their workforces, and the state of general diversity of the modern workforce:

Microsoft

As a company, Microsoft takes a multidimensional approach and delivers well on its promise of inclusivity:

Creating opportunities: Microsoft Real Estate and Facilities (RE&F) partners with employment agencies and vendors globally to create jobs for PWDs within their company. This includes people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Guarding against bias: Their recruiting teams are trained for accommodations, disability etiquette, and supportive expectations.
Expanding the talent pool: The Microsoft Autism Hiring Program reaches out to people within the Autism spectrum and supports them throughout their interviews and jobs. For example, all interview centers are equipped with increased accessibility in terms of accommodating reserved seating, personal attendants, service animals, open captioning, sign language, wheelchair/scooter rentals etc. All interviewees receive ADA housing accommodations. The company also organises Microsoft Ability Hiring Events where PWDs can appear in a one-day interview process.

APPLE

Apple has always been highly flexible when it comes to the needs of its employees with disabilities. According to Barbara Whye, Apple’s VP for D&I, “Inclusion and diversity are cornerstones of the global Apple community. We’re proud of the foundation we’ve built, and we’re clear-eyed about the challenges that remain. Together, we’re committed to continuing this journey with humility and resolve.”

Here are some steps that the one of the world’s most popular companies takes towards inclusivity:

Increasing access: Apple is dedicated to providing reasonable accommodation to job applicants and employees, consequently increasing accessibility for all persons with disabilities in its application process.
Creating awareness: Apple trains all its employees on inclusion, accessibility and human rights upon hiring. This training is an ongoing process throughout the year to ensure an inclusive work culture at a company wide level.
Incorporating feedback: The company understands that the process of inclusion is one that is constantly evolving, and gives due weightage to the experience and feedback from its employees in terms of their limitations and needs.

ACCENTURE

Accenture is a Fortune 500 company that has repeatedly proved itself to be a global leader in accessibility and inclusivity practices. In the words of Sanjay Dawar (MD, Capability and Global Network Strategy, Accenture),

“When we eliminate the barriers to socio-economic inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, we create a safe environment where everyone feels they belong.”

Here’s a list of things that Accenture is doing right:

Increasing access: As the first step, the company tackled the issue of accessibility by creating an IT accessibility program aimed at making 100% of the company’s technologies compliant with global accessibility standards. Accenture is also funding research to raise awareness and educate other companies about the value of accessibility.
Enablement via the right tools: Accenture has opened a world of possibilities for persons with disabilities by ensuring that they have access to all the tools they require during their workday. From training using captions and sign language interpreters to helping its employees upskill, the company believes in truly investing in its workforce.
Creating awareness: Whether it is through their website, publications or research – like this study in partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities, Accenture has constantly championed the cause of disability inclusion.

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC

Boston Scientific scored a perfect 100 on the Disability Equality Index (DEI) in 2021 for the sixth consecutive year. The company understands that achieving excellence requires tapping the untapped talent pool of differently-abled persons and managing workforce diversity.

Here are some concrete steps that Boston Scientific has been taken to ensure its perfect DEI score:

Employment partnerships: Boston Scientific is a member of the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN), dedicated to workplace inclusion. This partnership has led to improved comprehension of over 500 regulatory requirements on how to enhance PWDs inclusion in the workplace and at the same time find talent through sourcing partners.

Expanding the talent pool: Boston Scientific partners with various disability services for students with disabilities on university campuses, where they actively recruit talent for their organization.

Reasonable accommodation: The company’s efforts towards inclusion also reflect in its ready access to reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants.

BOEING

“I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams I would be where I am today. I want to represent to other Muslim women who want to be engineers someday that this is something they can do too,”

says Zina Alnoor, Electrical Systems Design Engineer, The Boeing Company. Boeing has made the inclusion of people with disabilities an essential part of company culture. Boeing is a part of “The Valuable 500”, a global campaign to put disability at the forefront of corporate priorities worldwide. The company has also held the perfect score on the Disability Equality Index five years in a row.

Here’s what the Boeing leadership is investing in:

Creating awareness: One of the ways in which the company ensures its participation is by being an active part of the conversation. From its website and company values, to organising conferences like “Diasbility:IN”, a career networking event for persons with disabilities.
Enablement and networking: The company’s commitment to an accessible culture is also illustrated through ongoing investment in professional networks, like the Boeing Employee Ability Awareness Association.
Reasonable accommodations: Like Apple and Boston Scientific, Boeing also ensures that all employees and job applicants with disabilities have access to reasonable accommodations.

Key Takeaways:

Daily life for people with disabilities is the same as what the rest of the world experienced during the covid-19 pandemic. The digital divide concerning people with disabilities predates the pandemic. This challenge cum revolution in the way we work, which took all our jobs and tasks online, has opened new opportunities and pathways for people with disabilities.

Here are some key strategies being adoptedby technology giants to achieve optimal workplace inclusion:

Business leaders and senior management must openly speak out about disabilities and encourage others to come out and do the same. A firm step by the top management helps cultivate an inclusive work culture.
Invest into assistive technology. The integration of enabling tools and assistive technology into the recruitment process, training stages and during actual working is perhaps the best way to bridge this gap. Steps taken by Apple, Microsoft, Boston Scientific, and Google are stellar examples.
A significant amount of research shows that investing in raising awareness and education about the value of accessibility helps the culture of inclusion, both ways.
Ensuring access to reasonable accommodations for PWDs help integrate them better into the organization and perform optimally from day 1.

Workplace inclusion does not only mean that the employees are allowed to be together; it means that they are genuinely valued. Diverse teams bring value to the organization and enable everyone to achieve diverse dreams and the impossible together. The untapped pools of talent of people with disabilities can serve as a goldmine in the fast-changing remote work culture worldwide.

6 steps managers can take to enhance the productivity of their distributed teams

Posted on February 16, 2022February 16, 2022 by naveen

Worldwide, the percentage of people working remotely has risen from 17% in 2019 to 32% in 2021. More importantly, 99% of people surveyed in this period chose to work remotely for some part of their week.

However, the shift to location-independent work demands a clear switch in the way managers lead their teams. As the manager of a remote team, how do you ensure productivity when you can no longer check in on your team physically? We’re here to help.

What we have learned

Flexibility is non-negotiable

A whopping 82% of workers surveyed said that that lack of flexibility is their mean reason for not accepting a job offer. 69% of millennials would give up on certain work benefits for a more flexible working space. Want to retain your star performers? You know what to do.

“Flexibility” refers to the ability of an employee to break free from the 9 to 5 window of traditional working hours. There remains little doubt today that the work-life narrative has taken a 180-degree turn post-pandemic.

With this intermingling of personal and professional responsibilities, it is important that every team member has the flexibility to decide how, when, and where they work.

Communication is essential, but so are boundaries

We understand that driving key results and outcomes requires you to stay on top of everything. However, it is equally important to not let the need for quantitative productivity eclipse your team’s quality of life.

Disconnecting from work is one of the biggest challenges faced by remote workers, with employees feeling that they must always be “present”. While it’s a good thing to be available for your team at all times, watch the thin line between “available” and “intruding”.

Our take: We highly recommend following the 9 to 9 rule – restrict all work-related communication between 9 AM to 9 PM.

Here are some steps that managers can take in order to enhance the quality of remote work:

1. Share your vision and goals

After all, there is no better motivation than a shared goal. Sharing your vision about the team’s short and long-term goals is a great way to get buy-in from your team members. It helps your team members find deeper meaning in what they do, and understand how they are contributing to the bigger picture.

We recommend dividing this into two stages:

Sharing the broader vision

By this, we don’t just mean the company’s vision and mission, although that’s a great place to start. Talk to your team members about the problem that you are solving as a company, service, or product. One of the best ways to motivate your team members is by helping them understand how their individual goals are aligned with the company’s goals.

Sharing short-term goals

Having shared the common goal with your team members, the next step is to get them on board with the short-term milestones. Instead of simply assigning tasks, include your team members in the ideation and goal-setting stages. Set realistic timelines after consulting with your team to ensure timely deliverance.

2. Find the right project management tool

From Trello and Asana to Jira and ClickUp, there are over a hundred project management tools today. The trick is to find a project management tool that addresses the specific needs of your team. Jira is considered one of the best tools for agile project management, whereas Trello helps teams break complex deliverables into individual tasks.

Is your team struggling to find an overlap between too many time zones, or facing trouble with collaboration? Understanding the barriers faced by your team will help you identify the tool that is the most effective for you.

3. Encourage asynchronous communication

Managing multiple time zones is a problem faced by most remote teams. Asynchronous communication solves this by giving team members the agency to work according to their own schedules. According to Darren Murph, Head of Remote, Gitlab, “the first steps to maximizing productive remote workflows include understanding and embracing asynchronous work”.

However, leveraging the complete potential of asynchronous communication will require some homework on your part. Documentation is a good place to begin with.

Digital whiteboards like Miro or knowledge management tools like Confluence and Notion enable each team member to participate according to their schedule. Ensure that all relevant details are stored at a central place, available to every stakeholder in the project. Divide all communication into synchronous and asynchronous according to urgency and importance.

4. Cut down on video calls

Remember the good old days, when video calls were a luxury, to be used only for connecting with overseas clients or team members in different branches of the office?

Not every conversation needs to be a meeting, and not every meeting needs to be compulsory. As a rule, try and make attendance optional for all meetings. This enables all key stakeholders to prioritize their day according to their individual requirements instead of forcing them to attend each call.

We also recommend cutting down on recurring meetings. Perhaps a project required bi-weekly updates in the beginning but will run perfectly well with a weekly meeting now. Dividing meetings into blocks of 25 and 50 minutes instead of 30 and 60 is another simple, yet effective way to reduce zoom fatigue. Many companies like Citigroup reserve a no-meeting day in the week, where the entire organization does not schedule any video calls.

5. Encourage autonomy and ownership

It is now scientifically proven that an increase in employee autonomy increases productivity. Want a productive team? Resist the urge to micromanage.

Instead of regularly checking in on your employees, define clear goals, milestones, and timelines. Remember that you hired your team due to their experience and skill set, and trust them to drive the results. If a team member has a specific skill or experience that is valuable to a project, encourage them to take the lead. When giving feedback, remember to give constructive, actionable points instead of mere criticism.

Not only does this build trust, it also increases job satisfaction. As a result, companies see a higher employee engagement and retention.

6. Invest in the right tech

Arming your team with the right tech and tools is one of the best ways to boost your team’s productivity. Here are a few ways in which you could empower your team by enabling them:

Home-office setup

The lack of a proper workspace is a big hindrance to productivity. Help your team members overcome this hurdle by giving them access to a home office allowance. Whether it is in the form of an ergonomic chair, uninterrupted power supply, or a better computer, these small steps go a long way in helping your remote team maximize its productivity.

Tech-tools and software

Imagine asking an athlete to run in the wrong shoes. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it? And yet, innumerable managers make the same mistake when they deny their team members access to certain essential paid software or applications. Most tools offer a limited period free trial – use this time to assess the value it can add to your deliverables.

Automation

Today, thanks to the integration of AI & ML into every industry, we have tools to automate the most repetitive and standardized tasks. From invoicing and data entry to inventory management and capturing customer feedback, there are tools to automate most processes. Freeing your workforce from these mundane tasks will enable them to concentrate on more analytical tasks.

In the words of Peter Drucker, the founder of modern management, “Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”

The way we work might have changed, but what remains constant is the role that good leadership plays in driving productivity in a team. Whether it is in terms of effective communication, taking ownership of tasks, or empowering and investing in your workforce, managers must lead by example.

Combatting the Great Resignation: 3 ways to strengthen your ranks and retain employees

Posted on November 10, 2021 by naveen

Don an employer’s hat, and you’ll quickly realize that the Great Resignation or Big Quit of 2021 resembles a war-like situation. You have opposing camps scouting for seasoned and new talent, employees who will willingly “turn coat” for better prospects, and a rise in “adieus”, each of which leaves employers with fewer resources.

Resignations are on the rise — 4.3 million Americans called it quits in August 2021 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). As per a September 2021 SHRM report, over 40% of the US workforce have new jobs on their radar. Further, research shows that employee turnover can result in overall costs to the tune of 90-200% of the employee’s salary.

From the employee’s point of view, the Great Resignation is truly “great”. The very fact that workers are ready to call it quits in the face of rising vacancies and on the back of pandemic-related pay cuts means the grass does seem greener on the other side. Yet it isn’t all downhill, experts suggest, and employers can make their companies resilient by identifying the root problems behind employee attrition.

Here are 3 factors fueling the post-Covid employee exodus, and countermeasures you can adopt to keep your talent happy and at home.

Tackle burnout with organizational changes

The year 2020 is considered as the most stressful year in history by many, but by the reports, 2021 could be worse. The Employee Well-Being Report by Glint notes a 9% surge in employee burnout between April and July 2021, a figure that’s 12% up from a year ago. Concurrently, happiness at work fell by ~3%. These are alarming figures, and McKinsey further points out that employee burnout is underreported, partly because burnt-out employees have already left the office.

a. Unplugging and recharging

While there isn’t the faintest doubt that the uncertainty and fear roused by the pandemic has contributed to alarming stress levels, experts suggest the burnout experience may have roots in organizational factors that were askew before 2020. Here are some:

Demanding workloads
Lack of time to complete tasks
Insufficient support from employers
Unclear career trajectory and stagnation

Reports have it that resignations are highest in the IT and healthcare sectors, and this ties in well with the idea that heavy workloads coupled with less time are fueling burnout. LinkedIn had its team of ~16,000 employees take a weeklong vacation, with paid leave, starting April 5, 2021, and efforts to reduce work-induced stress such as having no-meeting days are paying dividends.

b. Bolstering employee engagement

To ‘listen’ and to ‘engage’ are crucial steps to improving employee retention. In fact, even before Covid-19, surveys showed that up to 76% and 92% of employees would seek other jobs because they didn’t feel valued and because of a lack of empathy, respectively. As per Herzberg’s 2-factor theory, ‘recognition’ is a motivator that spurs employees to perform better. In the same vein, peer relationships and job satisfaction are hygiene factors that must be met if employees are to fulfil their psychological needs.

Employee engagement is essential to retention. Here are some quick ways to boost it:

Invite feedback
Communicate regularly
Increase face time
Recognize performers
Organize volunteer events

Make hybrid work a permanent feature

Most employees know hands-on the benefits and limitations of working from home: 10-second commutes versus decreased collaboration, flexible schedules versus the ability to keep work and personal life separate, and so on. What employees want today is the ability to choose.

Money matters in every job market; however, reports indicate that professionals are willing to forego monetary benefits to retain the option to work remotely. A study by GoodHire had 61% of respondents agree that they’d take a pay cut (some even up to 50%) to maintain their remote working status. About 70% would forfeit benefits like health insurance and retirement accounts to work remotely, and 85% would apply to companies that offer the option to work from home.

a. Adopting a hybrid work model

The middle ground, which employers must seek, is a hybrid work model. Offering flexibility in terms of work timings and location, the model has advantages too big to neglect:

Improves productivity
Increases job satisfaction
Maintains company culture
Enhances mental health
Provides options for collaboration
Safeguards relationships
Keeps employees safe during breakouts of the virus

Meet the soul-searching worker with clear answers

Most employees have spent months if not the entire year evaluating how they work, why they work, where they want to be in 10 years, what their life goals are, and more. Top board members have resigned, citing reasons such as changed life circumstances and perspectives post COVID. The result of all the introspection is a workforce that’s keen to invest in themselves.

a. Extending options for growth

HBR notes that mid-career employees, aged 30 to 45, are the ones driving the spate of resignations. As opposed to young professionals, these are employees who can leverage their experience to seek better career progression. How to invest in their personal development and have them remain in your organization instead? Here are some options:

Have cross-departmental training programs
Organize workshops on soft skills
Reward initiatives and not just results
Offer opportunities for networking
Assign a mentor or coach
Send employees on training programs
Invest in self-paced learning resources

Investing in employee wellbeing

Employees today are on the lookout for wholesome benefits instead of simple office perks. Free coffee and foosball tables won’t make the cut, but some that will include:

A shorter work week
Wellness packages
A sabbatical
Mentorship programs

Many employers wrongly assume that money is the main reason employees quit. The truth is many leave for a better job, and today, one that caters to the health and wellness of the workforce is sure to stand out.

Strengthening and consolidating your workforce is essential to a strong post-pandemic recovery. There may be some pent-up resignations that surface in the near future, but paying attention to burnout, flexible work, and career growth is sure to help you turn the tide on the turnover tsunami and transform a deluge into a drizzle.