Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 53 | Page 44

TALKING

‘‘ business

Some businesses haven ’ t kept up with salaries and this can be a major barrier to hiring staff at the right level , especially if you want them to return to an office ; spoiler – they won ’ t .
are looking for in order to hire and retain their organisation ’ s best assets . Here ’ s some considerations to help create a culture of belonging in the remote working landscape .
1 . Become people-engaged from the top
This is about a culture change which comes right from the top and should start by looking at your diversity and inclusion metrics . You can ’ t attract talent unless you are what you promise to be , so that means behaving like a business which wants to share workers ’ values . A hiring process that treats people universally is key to breaking down bias , barriers and building supportive and productive teams which people want to be part of .
2 . Don ’ t underestimate the love of remote work
Remote work is here to stay – remain flexible and offer flexibility as much as possible within the time zones and office location parameters you have . Consider working around specific office times for the right candidate . Of course , having them on the team calls is important , but if they want to do the job at 5am and it works for you and them – why not ? Remote team building is not an accident , it takes a dedicated strategy , tools and leadership skills to make it work .
3 . Embrace the widening talent pool
Remote working has opened up opportunities for us to collaborate with many more workers in a way we simply couldn ’ t before . Identifying talent and making a role fit around lifestyles is the modern way of working , which means offering flexibility within clear mutually agreed boundaries . It ’ s not a one-size-fits-all approach , but you ’ ll soon realise how working hard to embrace this talent will deliver huge value to the business .
4 . Understand workers ’ value
Some businesses haven ’ t kept up with salaries and this can be a major barrier to hiring staff at the right level , especially if you want them to return to an office ; spoiler – they won ’ t . Consider a package of salary , stock and bonus according to their experience and value .
5 . Find new channels to bring people together
There are some innovative tech tools , such as Donut and Tandem , for ad hoc , drop-in meetings which give developers that informal , flexible way of working they like and boost collaboration while allowing them to keep up on many topics .
6 . Keep work interesting
Making sure workers have got exciting and interesting things to work on will keep inquisitive creative developers engaged . This might mean moving people around into new programmes from time to time to keep things fresh and give them a clearer understanding of where the wider organisation is going .
7 . Offer training and personal development opportunities
Ongoing training and education will support and develop workers in their roles and provide growth opportunities . For new hires , if there are industry certifications that help them in their growth and role , for instance CISSP ( Certified Information Systems Security Professional ), offering these will show candidates you ’ re investing in them .
Developing a connected workforce
Making people feel part of a team when they ’ re physically disconnected has never been so important . Different things work for different teams and leaders , but learning the most you can about each individual , what motivates them and makes them tick is what will keep them in that team and keen to develop their skills . There ’ s no one magic solution to reel in the right skills but by treating workers universally from the moment you ’ re engaging with them , via inclusive-orientated job adverts , and giving them a clear understanding of where they fit within your organisational goals , you ’ ll be valuing your employees and creating loyalty .
It ’ s all well and good having a diversity and inclusion programme , but if you don ’ t live by these values , you will be quickly told about it . By building company values that workers can identify with and fostering a sense of belonging , you will build mutual trust that keeps workers happy . p
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