hybrid work – Talent500 Blog

How hybrid working is enabling enterprises to leverage the benefits of global talent

Posted on April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 by satya

If there’s one phrase we have heard repeatedly over the last two years, it’s “the new normal”. Remote working is the new normal, travelling as you work is the new normal, and now, it seems that hybrid working is the new normal. So what does a hybrid work model really mean?

A hybrid work model integrates multiple working processes by blending colocated, remote, and semi-remote employees into a single system, thus enabling employees to work according to their comfort and schedules. We know that there are pros and cons to each working style; people in physical offices spend considerable time and money on their daily commute, while remote workers often struggle with isolation and Zoom fatigue. The hybrid model enables organisations to reap the benefits of both models by giving employees the autonomy to decide how they work.

Enabled by technology, an increasing number of multinational companies are choosing to go the hybrid route due to its many benefits:

Eroding geographical boundaries

By removing the barriers of location and physical presence, the hybrid model gives companies access to a limitless pool of talent. No longer restricted to hiring within a 20 mile radius, businesses now have access to a highly diverse and skilled set of candidates from across the globe. Today, hiring is determined by technical excellence and specialisation, not where the talent resides. Having a hybrid workplace enables companies to easily hire different types of employees, whether they work remotely or from the office, as freelancers, contractors, or full time employees.

Reducing operational costs

The hybrid model enables companies to reduce operational costs by as much as 27%. Employers are able to substantially cut down on office rent as employees share the same workstations on rotation. Not only does this considerably reduce a company’s real estate cost, it also reduces spending on utilities like electricity, maintenance, and pantry. This reduction in cost enables companies to offer better salaries, giving them access to highly skilled talent across the globe.

Reduced employee attrition rate

‘Flexible working hours’ and ‘the ability to work from home’ are some of the most valued employee benefits according to millennials. According to this survey by Ernst and Young, 54% of employees surveyed from around the world would consider leaving their job post-COVID-19 pandemic if they are not afforded some form of flexibility in where and when they work. Want a highly engaged workforce? Give them the autonomy to decide how they work. Switching to a hybrid work model is one of the best ways to increase employee engagement, and consequently, retention.

Increased productivity

Did you know that the relationship between remote work and increase in productivity has now been proved? 77% of people who work remotely at least a few times per month show increased productivity, with 30% doing more work in less time. When employees have the flexibility to work according to their own schedules, the result is a visible increase in their productivity. This is especially true for employees who are primary caregivers to children or adults.

Improved collaboration and team bonding

According to this survey by Microsoft, a hefty 67% of employees said that they would want more in-person work or collaboration post pandemic. One of the biggest benefits of the hybrid system is that it enables all types of employees – remote, semi -remote and collocated, to find their own office and home balance. Hybrid teams can choose when they want to work from the comfort of their homes, and when they want to sit together for an in-person brainstorming session. The ability to blend in-person interactions with virtual meet-ups helps teams form better relationships, which in turn boosts collaboration.

Improved scalability and global expansion

Thanks to the benefits of a distributed team, companies can expand globally without having to set up a legal entity in a new country. Scaling up becomes easy as employers now only need to pay for the cost of the talent, without having to worry about relocation, travel and visa costs. A company in the USA’s silicon valley can recruit a DevOps engineer in India’s Hyderabad with zero hassle.

More importantly, hybrid working has made it easier for multinational corporations to enter new geographical markets via local employees. Instead of having to set up a new foreign office, companies are choosing to simply hire remote team members who are aware of the on-ground social, economical, and cultural aspects of the foreign country. An increasing number of employers are choosing to leverage the services of an employer of record to build their global teams without worrying about the hassle of legal compliance and paperwork.

Prepping for the transition

In the last section, we’ve talked about the multiple benefits of a hybrid work model, especially for global companies. However, as we get ready to make this transition, it is important to remember that the hybrid model is also prone to certain challenges.

Here are a few important factors that all employers must account for before switching to a hybrid work model:

The proximity bias

One of the biggest and most common challenges faced by hybrid teams is the presence of the proximity bias, a phenomenon where remote colleagues are often meted out second-hand treatment when it comes to new initiatives, appraisals and opportunities. Employees who physically commute to the workplace experience better visibility in the eyes of the leadership, are viewed as more productive and consequently experience better rewards and recognition.

As is the case with all biases, the first step towards correction is to accept that the bias exists. Hybrid managers and leadership must regularly check for, and take active steps to guard against any kind of proximity bias. A good place to start would be by putting in place objective and qualitative measures for performance evaluation.

Redesigning workspaces

As many as 66% of employers are considering redesigning their workspaces for hybrid work. The pandemic has changed how we view our physical offices. What was once the “ dreaded workplace” has now become an avenue for collaboration and socialising.

However, this transition to hybrid working will require employers to strategically use their physical office spaces in order to increase the spaces for collaboration, and cut down exclusive cubicles. Companies will also need to ensure that all conference and meeting rooms include video conferencing facilities, stable internet connection and optimum bandwidth so as to ensure uninterrupted meetings.

The hybrid work model emerged from a need to consolidate the benefits of the different existing work models. Its beauty lies in its flexibility. Employees are free to carve out their own home and office schedules, and employers are no longer restricted to hiring within a specific geographical region. For companies exploring global expansion and location strategy, the hybrid model is the perfect way to extract the maximum potential of a distributed team.

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.

6 strategies for building a hybrid workforce from CEOs who did it overnight

Posted on February 7, 2022 by shanthamurthy

Data from a study by Upwork’s Chief Economist, Adam Ozimek, is conclusive: the remote revolution is here and accelerating. The 5-year growth rate for fully-remote teams rose from 30% pre-pandemic, to 65% post-pandemic. The figures for work forces that can be called “significantly remote” and “some remote” are similar and favor flexible work.

While nobody was trained to pivot to a cloud-based office overnight, some of the biggest names in the industry have – and increased their markets while doing so too! Read on to learn from 6 companies leading the remote-hybrid work challenge.

Twitter: Flexible work starts with flexible leadership

The attitude a company’s leadership has towards work from home defines how the option is received. For Twitter, the option to work from home “forever” was always on the cards. Back in 2018, Jack Dorsey, then Twitter CEO, had mentioned the idea of Twitter employees being open-minded when it came to flexible work and “optimizing for where people feel their most creative.”

When leaders are positive about remote work, employees can leverage the option to its fullest potential. Employees know that they aren’t going to “miss a promotion”, have to meet certain “expectations”, or have to worry about “micromanagement”.

Jennifer Christie, Chief HR Officer at Twitter, urges Tweeps to #LoveWhereverYouWork. “Opening offices will be our decision, when and if our employees come back, will be theirs,” she says.

Slack: Manager-employee transparency is crucial to success

Slack backed up its decision to offer employees the “option to work remotely on a permanent basis if they choose” with healthy, open conversation.

According to studies, many employees quit for reasons such as:

No clear direction
Poor relationships with managers

Slack avoids these and does an excellent job at engaging employees by bringing future-defining deliberations into the common forum. When employees are made part of the process of change, the buy-in is strong. For instance, while affirming that the company will be more distributed in the future, Slack asks its employees to think about things like:

The challenge of building a culture of belonging
Improving trust amongst employees who have never met in person.

By being open about the hurdles, Slack employees are more likely to share a common vision. Ultimately, Slack has its employees understand that remote work is more than “technology and tools”. It’s about “culture and norms”.

Upwork: Productivity cannot be tied to a desk, but the office isn’t dead

For freelance platform Upwork, remote work has always been part of their DNA. However, the pandemic led it to a remote-first model. Its CEO, Hayden Brown tweeted, “Going forward, working remotely will be the default for everyone, while teams will also be able to come together—once it’s safe—for intentional collaboration and socialization.”

From the time of the announcement, May 2020, till December 2021, Upwork’s market cap has grown from $1.43 billion to $4.27 billion, and this includes its rising beyond $7 billion on multiple occasions.

Loss of productivity? The figures point to the opposite.

However, instead of shutting all offices, Upwork intends to work with 2 of its 3 workspaces. The reason? “Intentional collaboration and socialization.” Yes, despite the upsides of remote work, Upwork’s approach shows that companies must find space for human connections.

Google: Hybrid work models must be effective and attractive

Tech giant Google seems certain that a fully remote setup cannot be the future for its vast and myriad operations. In-person collaboration is a must. Its approach has been that of encouraging “voluntary return to office”, and secondly of embedding flexibility into Googlers’ work life in multiple ways.

At Google, hybrid work is attractive:

~60% of Googlers will work from office about 3 out of 5 days a week
~20% of Googlers can work from global locations
~20% of Googlers can work remotely
To support holiday travel, Googlers can work from anywhere for about 4 weeks
Employees across Google will enjoy the day off on “reset” days

After tasting the benefits of remote work, many employees seem to need a reason to return to the office. With hybrid work being unchartered territory, companies like Google are envisioning work models that safeguard company culture and goals, as well as allow for employee benefits.

Salesforce: Remote-first works best when coupled with employee-first

In an interview with CNBC, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said he expects 50-60% of his workforce to work from home in the future. This step towards a digital future despite making huge real estate commitments showcases Salesforce’s greater commitment to its people.

For Salesforce, becoming remote-first is a product of being employee-first. When the pandemic struck, the company ran employee wellness surveys to discover employee pain points. The results were revealing.

~50% of employees wanted to come to office only few times each month
80% wanted to remain connected to a physical space

Keeping the results in mind, Salesforce devised a hybrid work plan in which:

Most employees will come to office 1-3 days a week
Some will be fully remote
A small amount will be predominantly office-based

Keeping to its people-centric approach, Salesforce doesn’t compel itself to fit hybrid work into the confines of company culture. Rather, it views the future of work as “the next evolution of its culture.”

Shopify: The home office deserves to be an office

Amid the pandemic, CEO Tobi Lütke announced that Shopify would henceforth be a “digital-by-default company.” “Office-centricity” in his words was “over.”

Shopify had remote employees on their roster well before the pandemic, and the company was proficient at this model. Existing remote workers would know that even if office-centricity was over, the office experience wasn’t. That’s because Shopify considers investments in home office setups a matter of great importance, according to an interview with John Riordan, Director of Support, Ireland. It’s about making work from home sustainable, even enjoyable. Amid the pandemic, Shopify is reported to have offered its employees $1,000 towards their home office setups!

The approaches taken by industry leaders show that when you are open to change, people-first, and intentional with your vision, the transition to hybrid work can happen without major hiccups.

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.