Author: temp

As we progress into an increasingly digitized world, the concept of flexibility has taken center stage across industries. Much of the shock, and drastic overhaul, to the traditional work trends came at the hands of the pandemic but there is no denying that change was afoot. The modern workplace could not adhere to age-old standards and its limitations, especially since newer technological capabilities pushed companies to think outside the brick-and-mortar box. 

Given how work is conducted today, we are at an interesting crossroad. Do companies embrace complete flexibility, adopting remote-first strategies? Or is a hybrid approach better suited to the competitive landscape? Both have their merits, but it would seem that flexibility, in the form of remote working models, are in popular demand. As the numbers stand, one report found that 99% of people prefer to work remotely forever, while another report found that 77% of workers felt they were more productive in the WFH setting. 

Flexible work comes across as a win-win solution and it is very likely that this trend will not be phased out any time soon — or ever. The question is what’s in store for 2022? Here are some possible trends to expect. 

WFX: A likely mainstay for years to come

The concept of WFX suggests work from anywhere, so long as there is access to the internet. Stemming from the WFH model, WFX redefines the limits of remote work. Employees are all-in for such a model as it has the inherent benefit of flexibility and opens doors that were otherwise closed due to a lack of remote working possibilities. But WFX readiness isn’t at the acceptable levels from an HR standpoint. Even today, many struggle when handling all-virtual teams, as scattered network facilities, poor infrastructure, and inexperience act as roadblocks. Perhaps a sea change of these basic facilities will be the catalyst for global adoption. 

Asynchronous communication will be more popular

Historically, work was synchronous with communication, making the latter a key factor in productivity. But, as async workloads came to the fore, it wasn’t long before communication was untethered from the model, giving employees the flexibility to prioritize as they saw fit. This concept is best noticed with GitHub’s ‘we measure results, not hours’ policy. As remote working happens across different time zones, work gets done all the same without having collaboration take a hit. 

The upgraded home office – A soon-to-be standard

The pandemic forced companies to rethink their physical footprint, and many have ditched the idea of the office. As a result, the spotlight shifted to the next best thing— the home office. In early 2020, this may have looked like a well-lit space with a desk, good internet connectivity, and ergonomic tech. Going forward, companies are likely to pay more attention as they adopt either the hybrid or permanent remote work model. This means better infrastructure to enable work and ensure minimal downtime. Many companies are offering perks at shared working spaces, even ‘hotel desks’ to support the shift. 

Decentralization of the brick-and-mortar standard

Following the Hub and Spoke Model, flexible working in 2022 will not need an ‘office’. Digitally interlinked ecosystems are now doing away with the concept of these well-defined spaces, requiring companies to restructure accordingly. It is very likely that dedicated physical spaces for employees will get phased out and these spots will transform to serve as dedicated hubs for a wide range of company tasks. These may include hosting meetings, engaging in brainstorming sessions, celebrating milestones, and other such activities without the overarching burden of mandates. 

The virtual office is on the rise as well, altering the status quo on how administrative work gets done. These provide businesses with permanent digital real estate, replete with all the supportive services you would assume are needed otherwise, just in a more flexible medium. 

As the world inches closer to the end of the pandemic, it is important to know the trends that will define what the future will look like. As it stands, flexible work is here to stay and it is best that companies embrace the benefits on offer. Among the most important is the unrestricted access to a diverse talent pool, enabling seamless global expansion. For a strategic and efficient way to leverage remote teams, partner with Talent500. Access a network of the top IT professionals and build global workforces that deliver. Schedule a consultation today and stay ahead of the curve.

Resources

• https://hbr.org/2022/01/11-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2022-and-beyond
• https://hrexecutive.com/b eyond-the-great-resignation-7-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2022/
• https://www.jaga.com.au/2022-flexible-workplace-trends
• https://hbr.org/2014/01/to-raise-productivity-let-more-employees-work-from-home
• https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210217-is-it-bad-to-you-work-from-your-bed-for-a-year
• https://www.ltts.com/blog/work-anywhere-wfx-looking-beyond-pandemic#:~:text=WFX%20shatters%20the%20constraints%20of,or%20even%20a%20farm%2Dhouse.
• https://buffer.com/resources/asynchronous-communication/
• https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Insights/Publications/The-home-office-becomes-the-new-normal.html

• As the appetite for innovative products, services and solutions accelerates, diversity of thought is becoming a business necessity
• McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are  35% more likely to have financial returns that exceed their respective industry norms.
• However, workplace diversity in itself does not by itself guarantee greater business success. Leaders will need to work hard to build trust and respect between people of diverse backgrounds in a distributed workforce so as to augment cross cultural communication and collaboration
• It’s important to cultivate cultural intelligence or meta-cognition across the workforce. This enables your teammates to pay attention to cultural context in shaping the way they do business – such as an awareness of differences in communication style 
• Teams can be better prepared for misunderstandings that arise from cultural gaps if leaders encourage mutual learning between everyone in the company. To this end, GitLab Inc, the platform for developing and collaborating on code, even created a comprehensive Cross-Culture Collaboration Guide for its employees who are based in 45 countries
• Establishing organisational norms that are either culturally neutral or negotiated for the entire team to follow gives employees a framework to follow. Buffer’s Code of Conduct has specific guidelines on expected and unacceptable behaviours.
• Identifying employees who can act as “cultural brokers” can be hugely helpful in addressing cross-cultural conflict.  Gojek, the Indonesian super-app trains aspiring Gojek programmers and data scientists on navigate cultural differences by giving them the opportunity to work with people of different nationalities during holiday internships
• If leaders take the effort to create a climate that consistently encourages and supports cross-cultural consideration, it will pay off in the long run. The resultant cooperation and cross-cultural creative collaboration can give companies an edge over the competition. 

Against the backdrop of aggressive and widespread business disruption, organizations ranging from AbInBev to Zapier are leveraging the advantages of a distributed workforce to boost organizational innovation. The importance of cross cultural teams have of course been long trumpeted, but as the appetite for innovative products, services and solutions accelerates, diversity of thought is becoming a business necessity instead of a lip-service pleasantry.

Harvard Business School professor Roy Y.J. Chua points out the presence of team members from different backgrounds and experiences can stimulate new ideas and approaches to problem solving. “The more your network includes individuals from different cultural backgrounds, the more you will be creatively stimulated by different ideas and perspectives,” Chua comments. “Importantly, these ideas do not necessarily come from the network members who are culturally different from you.” And this competitive edge can result in increased profits. McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are  35% more likely to have financial returns that exceed their respective industry norms.

However, workplace diversity in itself does not by itself guarantee greater business success. It’s one thing to assemble your cross cultural team, but it is quite another to lay the groundwork –  ie an organization’s systems and structures – to enable trust and respect between people of diverse backgrounds in a distributed workforce so as to augment communication and collaboration, but at also harness differences to power new approaches and solutions. Here are some key practices recommended for those leading multicultural distributed teams.

Cultivating cultural intelligence 

Leaders and teams with cultural intelligence or meta-cognition have the ability to pay attention to cultural context in shaping the way to do business, assess and select an appropriate response, and develop strategies for future encounters to improve effectiveness in culturally diverse situations. “I often compare it to the heightened awareness you have when driving in a foreign city where you will pay more attention to the road signs and traffic signs” Chua says describing meta-cognition.”It’s this kind of heightened awareness and reflection about what I think about other cultures and how other cultures think about me that helps cross-cultural creative collaboration.”

To illustrate the need for cultural intelligence, take something as simple as a meeting between two team members in different geographical locations – let’s say Japan and Brazil – can be fraught with complication. Time is, after all, relative. In Japan, it is important to be on time, or punctual, for an appointment, but in Brazil, flexible punctuality is characteristic of business etiquette. These differing attitudes to punctuality can lead to frustration and misunderstanding, especially if cultural context isn’t taken into consideration. 

Similarly, communication styles vary from culture to culture, so while Americans prefer direct and frank discussion, Chinese or Indians often prefer information, especially if it’s negative, to be communicated in a more diplomatic manner. These conflicting approaches can have an adverse effect on team relationships, which in turn can negatively impact collaboration and productivity.

Conflicts that arise from intercultural interactions in distributed teams are the result of behaviourisms and communication based on language, culture, assumptions, experience, and expectations. Teams can be better prepared for misunderstandings that arise from cultural gaps if leaders work hard to build cultural awareness across the company, with the following in mind:

• Encourage mutual learning between everyone in the company – to probe differences within the team with curiosity rather than contempt.
• Instruct colleagues to observe both their positive and negative interactions with people, and learn from them. 
• By identifying the nuances that exist among cultures and how those differences impact business practice, employees will be equipped with the information and confidence needed to successfully collaborate and conduct business across cultural boundaries. To this end, GitLab Inc, the platform for developing and collaborating on code, even created a comprehensive Cross-Culture Collaboration Guide for its employees who are based in 45 countries
• Run workshops to foster cross cultural team building

Organisational ground rules for cross cultural teams

Establishing organisational norms that are either culturally neutral or negotiated for the entire team to follow gives employees a framework to follow. These protocols or norms clarify performance expectations that supersede cultural idiosyncrasies. Buffer’s Code of Conduct has specific guidelines on expected and unacceptable behaviours for everyone on the team to follow.

This is especially critical when team members are working in different geographies and time zones. Leaders can define expectations for timings (how late is too late) or establish a common language for meetings (when to use direct communication and when indirect is better) which is the most convenient for the business to grow. They can also indicate in which cases flexibility is permissible, and set the consequences if rules are not respected.

However, it’s equally important for leaders to also keep an eye out for those on the team who might have difficulty in meeting these standards or need additional resources. If, for instance, a leader who wants to hold an all team brainstorming session, but recognizes that some team members can be reticent due to their cultural upbringing, they will need to take extra care to explain the importance of this process, and maybe even run them through some smaller brainstorming exercises to help them become more confident. Leaders can even run an asynchronous text-based group brainstorm via a discussion board. Not only does asynchronous communication tools make complex issues simpler to follow and understand, but it can give the more introverted and diffident members of the team a safe platform to share their opinions.

Addressing conflict 

Even with cultural sensitization, it’s inevitable for misunderstandings to occur. To help employees, one way for leaders to address cross-cultural conflict, as stated earlier is to make sure your team is aligned on which tech tools to use to communicate; for instance using asynchronous channels for project discussions between teams with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds can ensure that details and nuances are not lost or misinterpreted.

Identifying employees who can act as “cultural brokers” can be hugely helpful in addressing cross-cultural conflict. Sujin Jang, writing for the Harvard Business Review, describes cultural brokers as “team members who have relatively more multicultural experience than others and who act as a bridge between their monocultural teammates.” They help colleagues reach outside their silos to build a rapport, can mediate misunderstandings or disagreements, and be a role model. 

Having even one cultural broker in your workforce can go a long way. Based on studies involving more than 2000 global teams, Jang and her colleagues found that diverse teams with at least one member who acted as a cultural broker outperformed teams without one. 

For Gojek, the Indonesian super-app, putting this into practice starts as early as their holiday internship programs. The company trains aspiring programmers and data scientists through GoSquads, with many of the graduates returning to work at Gojek, the Jakarta Post reports. One of the benefits of the programs is that interns are able to work with people of different nationalities, including Indians, Singaporeans, South Africans and Ukrainians. This gives them the opportunity to learn how to navigate cultural differences.

Accept some business inefficiency as functional

Cross cultural management can be difficult. Multicultural distributed teams need time and support to learn relevant cultural knowledge,  and become more adept at understanding and dealing with differences among cultures. Fostering sensitivity and empathy requires a lot of patience.

The good news: this will pay off.

In terms of the Tuckman model, once teams put in the required effort in learning about each other and their differences, it will result in higher performance. With distributed teams, this means that more mindful interactions can foster trust which in turn makes collaboration more effective.  Employees are more willing to share new ideas with open-minded teammates in a “psychologically safe environment”, which in turn can fuel outside-the-box thinking.

Conclusion

Managing cross cultural teams can bring their companies unparalleled levels of productivity and creativity, but only if leaders lay the groundwork for employees to work together across different cultural and logistical divides.

Team members need opportunities to learn about the  business cultures of each individual members’ countries, evidence of the benefits, and recognition of positive outcomes to steadily work towards intercultural team competence. This is easier said than done. But if leaders take the effort to create a climate that consistently encourages and supports cross-cultural consideration, it can ultimately become intuitive. And the resultant cooperation and cross-cultural creative collaboration can give companies an edge over the competition. 

• Most business leaders know that building a strong work culture for their distributed team is important, but many aren’t sure how to go about it
• Leaders can take a cue from Buffer which established its values after a team discussion, and set norms for behaviour for everyone to follow no matter where they were located. Buffer also tries to help build personal connections between team members, and continually solicits feedback to improve their company culture.
• Part of setting up work culture values and behaviours is accounting for cultural differences within the team
• Leaders of successful distributed teams are responsible for blueprinting their desired culture and then making sure that it stays alive and kicking. 
• Work culture has a direct impact on business profitability. It contributes to employee engagement and productivity that affects revenue. It can also lead to a rise in stock prices. And it helps attract top tier talent.

Asking business leaders what great ‘work culture’ constitutes is a little like the old fable of the three blind men and the elephant. Asked to describe it, the men each touch a different part of the animal, and therefore each has a very different point of view. While none of them are able to provide a complete account of what the elephant looks like, each is right in their own way.  

Similarly, while all business leaders know that a strong work culture is critical for their distributed teams to be successful, most only have a slight idea of what it is made up of and how to build it. This is not to say that there is a one-size-fits-all approach. Leaders can draw some comfort from Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, who somewhat vaguely put it this way: “There is no magic formula for a great company culture. The key is to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.” 

However, to only go by Branson’s advice would be a grave mistake. Leaders will have to work hard – really hard – to create an atmosphere that is attractive and supportive, in which distributed team employees can achieve organizational goals through established and shared values and beliefs. It is crucial for business success.

Building work culture for a distributed team

Pertinent guidance can be gleaned from the way Buffer builds company culture for its fully distributed team of 90 people living and working in 15 countries around the world. Hailley Griffis, Buffer’s Public Relations Manager points to shared values such as openness and inclusivity, and clear guidelines on communication and accountability as integral to the company’s culture.

 “The key thing for us was setting values as a team in the early days and having everyone agree on them,” she comments. “[We] make sure everyone knows that their voice is valued in each discussion about continuing to create culture. [And we] ask the Buffer team for feedback in Slack and in surveys, and implement that feedback.”  Buffer also tries to help build personal connections between team members through optional events like pair calls, informal chat opportunities on fun Slack channels, and also organizes retreats at least twice a year. 

Along the same lines, FlexJobs holds a monthly virtual lunch for its distributed team of 60 employees and 40-plus contract workers. Zapier’s team creates chat rooms around people’s interests, such as amateur radio, cooking, and science fiction. “Some companies would shut that down because it’s not work-related, but in a remote company, people need a place to blow off steam,” CEO Wade Foster points out.

In setting or building work culture for their own distributed teams, leaders would do well to take their cue from Buffer, Zapier and FlexJobs by establishing clear values for their organization, promoting an inclusive environment, and setting up channels and norms for clear and open communication.  

Furthermore, creating employee friendly policies and programs such as career development workshops, sensitization workshops, code of conduct guidelines etc will go a long way in helping your team members feel part of one unified company.

Leaders will also benefit by continually evolving and reiterating work culture. For this to work, listening to feedback from team members is the only way to keep it relevant and alive. It has to be a two-way process.

Managing cultural differences

Running a team whose members are located in different countries means accounting for cultural differences when establishing the company’s work culture. This means acknowledging the elephant in the room: differences in language and culture can affect collaboration. It can seem like a tricky hurdle to cross, but leaders, by instilling respect for other cultures as well as inclusivity as part of the team culture, can create a comfortable working environment for everyone. 

Work culture starts with leadership

Creating and maintaining a strong work culture takes deliberate and constant attentiveness – and this starts with the leadership of a company. Leaders of successful distributed teams are responsible for blueprinting their desired culture and then making sure that it stays alive and kicking. 

To this end, leaders need to live and breathe their work culture, in effect being the change they want to see so to speak. They need to demonstrate the values they espouse, and follow the established norms of behaviour they set, in the way they communicate, interact with the team,  and perform their work responsibilities,  otherwise employees won’t take it seriously. 

Yes, work culture has an impact on your top line

Brian Chesky, CEO of AirBnb sums up work culture’s importance for a distributed team succinctly, commenting “The stronger the culture, the less corporate process a company needs. When the culture is strong, you can trust everyone to do the right thing.” 

So employers who are able to create a positive digital environment for their distributed team will find that it strengthens employee engagement with the company, and that this translates into productivity. Case in point: a survey by Deloitte found that 83% of executives and 84% of employees surveyed rank having engaged and motivated employees as the top factor that substantially contributes to a company’s success. On the flip side, a study cited by Harvard Business Review found that disengaged workers had a higher percentage of absenteeism and upto 60% errors in their work. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that its culture can mean life or death for your business.

Leaders may also be pleasantly surprised to learn that working towards making their company  one of the ‘best places to work at’ as a result of its work culture, is not just a feel-good achievement. It can literally pay off.  The stock prices of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for” rose 14% per year, while companies not on the list only reported a mere 6% increase in their stock prices – a small but statistically significant effect. Adding to this, being known as a top company to work at can help attract talented candidates who are looking for companies with values and ethics in their business model, not just profit – a definite advantage for mid market firms given today’s competitive market.

Conclusion

When employees talk about ‘a good work life’, they are referring to a culture that can very much be built. While this may prove challenging for leaders to implement, it’s worth the investment. The effort in building a culture of trust, and respect  will result in dividends, growth of the company and more importantly, proud employees.

Gig-workers and job seekers have long been fascinated by the concept of remote work because of the flexibility and the autonomy it brings with it. They were drawn by the allure of choosing to work on their own terms like a moth to a flame. The options were aplenty – work as an FTE or as a contractor, from home, a cafe, or while globetrotting.

Come pandemic, the WFH model was a welcome change. As more and more professionals get vaccinated, WFH is becoming the “Work From Anywhere” or the WFX model. Every day, companies are adopting hybrid or remote models of work and the debate about whether or not working from home is truly beneficial continues.

While WFX has its own challenges like measuring output, building trust, dealing with diverse employees separated by time zones, overcoming distractions, and even unplugging after work, leaders are addressing the shifting landscape of industries. Upgraded workplace policies have been implemented to cater to these challenges. For example, Automaticc’s remote work policy states that every employee should be assigned a mentor in the same time zone. One clear indication of the effectiveness of some of these newer policies, is a report by Google Analytics Survey, claiming 80% of the employees still want to work from home at least some time of the week. Seeing the current scenario and the response of employees, employers, I think the WFX model will thrive.

Today, access to talent is no longer constrained by geography, thereby giving recruiters the opportunity to explore the candidacy of diverse candidates. From sourcing and assessment to interviews, HR can evaluate candidates in a fully virtual environment. After going remote, Infosys started using an internal app named LaunchPad, which helps them onboard employees virtually. New employees are sent identity cards directly on their smartphones and are given the option of choosing between working from home or the office. Moreover, companies are no longer restricted to hiring only from tier 1 cities and talent hubs and as a result, we at Talent500 are noticing a remarkable increase in employment opportunities for candidates in tier 2 & tier 3 cities like Kochi, Indore, Pune, Mysore, and more.

WFX is a big leap towards a more accessible and inclusive workplace. Remote working is no longer a lifestyle choice. It is opening doors for candidates to an array of jobs that weren’t available to them before and is even making jobs accessible to candidates with special needs or chronic illnesses who would otherwise struggle navigating in an office setting.

Profitability & cost-saving through a decrease in employee density per square foot is another benefit behind open-plan offices. Even the employees who come to the office partly need not be allocated permanent spaces, which alone could save a hefty amount of money. For example, commuting is a heavy expense when you consider that employees need gas and a car and employers need to provide parking, which takes a fair deal of real estate costs. According to CNN, Dell India saves around $12 million a year by offering 25% of employees flexible work options and consolidating extra office space. A survey also shows that most employees are willing to take reasonable pay cuts in exchange for more flexible work options, adding to the overall profitability of an organization.

We’re also seeing that frontline leaders have shouldered higher responsibilities while decentralizing the workforce. Adopting an approach that gives employees the freedom to work from anywhere has also led leaders to change the mindset about making tactical changes. They are prioritizing urgency, keeping a check on productivity, and in fact, also mentoring. In the Global Talent Trend survey by Mercer, it was recorded that 94% of employers agreed the overall productivity of their organizations remained the same or increased.

No doubt, remote work can be very isolating, especially for introverted employees. To mend this, many organizations want their employees to “plan randomized conversations” to engage in unstructured conversations as a way to cool down. Github, one of the world’s largest developmental platforms has a plan for covering gym memberships of their employees. Buffer on the other hand offers a fixed stipend for coffee every month to each employee. Such initiatives can have a critical impact on higher employee satisfaction and retention.

Remote working isn’t a novel concept. It has been around for decades – ever since professionals traveled while working. However, the recent rise in remote working is highly technology-driven, since collaborations are made easier via cloud-based systems, instant chats, and collaboration tools. Due to its drastic rise and the benefits it comes with, many organizations have already embraced the WFX model. Judging from today’s scenario, the future of work will be dominated by a younger generation of employees with an intent of working to live instead of living to work, and working from home is a great way of achieving this. It will definitely work in the long run.