blogs / 22 NOV 2021
Developing a Successful Global Talent Strategy: The Benefits and Challenges of an Increasingly Remote Work Population
Remote work. Hybrid workforce. Distributed workforce.
These are all terms that have become part of our regular conversations since the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020. Pivoting your policies, culture, training, and compliance to handle this new way of working can be overwhelming and time consuming. In many corporations, mobility leaders are being tasked with researching, developing, and implementing new remote work protocols for the entire organization. Mobility is now responsible for bringing all of the key stakeholders together to ensure that all aspects of remote work will be manageable—and, most of all, equitable—for the workforce.
The revised remote work policies must include several key components including:
where your employees can work
approval process and responsibilities
compensation adjustments
duty of care
clear differentiation on which costs will be incurred by the company and the employee
Corporate culture also needs to be woven throughout to ensure a cohesive organizational identity.
While developing these policies can be a painstaking process, there are many benefits to having a diverse, distributed workforce. Cost savings can occur in two ways: brick and mortar locations becoming unnecessary, and employees relocating to lower cost locations or reducing commuter expenses.
The search for qualified talent is now open beyond the commutable distance from the office hub, and the qualified population has widened significantly. With the commencement of the “war on talent,” candidates now have the upper hand due to the large amount of job openings available. A robust and flexible remote work policy will help to attract and retain the most qualified candidates.
Considering how to integrate new talent into your organization’s culture is key to developing solid connections with new employees. Training protocols must be adapted to support remote learning and performance management. Also, think about how will employees gain visibility, remain engaged, and grow their career within the organization. The list of employee-related concerns is long and critical and should be included in your written policy.
Compliance is another area that requires focus, research, and (potentially) a technology solution. Governments are becoming more focused on digitizing their immigration and compliance information and are working together to identify those individuals that are not compliant with immigration, personal tax, and corporate tax laws. Access to the information is faster and more readily accessible. This is in reaction to the increased spending that most countries had due to the pandemic and protecting their population. Fortunately, comprehensive solutions are available that can track your remote workforce and identify areas of immigration and tax risks without adding a large burden to your mobility team’s already full plate.
The business world has evolved and it is critical that your company is keeping up with trends and potential risks. For more detailed information about building a remote work policy, be sure to read our latest white paper, “The Growing Importance of Remote Work Policies to a Successful Global Talent Strategy.”
Word count: 444
Erika Reichard
