As Remote Work Accelerates, Keeping Workers Engaged Becomes Essential

Flexibility has become a non-negotiable for workers. Where once remote work was an option, today is the rule in many nearshore industries. Employees value the ability to manage their own schedules, which has led companies to adopt hybrid or fully remote work models.

Expressions such as digital nomadism, collaborative work or multicultural environments are no longer a fringe trend and have forced business leaders to rethink the way they measure productivity, shifting the focus from hours worked to results delivered, and is redefining work dynamics, from the way teams interact to employee and customer expectations in terms of diversity, inclusion and flexibility.

Amid a wave of companies, especially technology companies, that are requiring their employees to return to working from the office, the possibility of remote work is here to stay, as it dovetails nicely with the cultural trends of a new generation of workers seeking a work-life balance. 

“Now many companies are forcing their employees back to the office. Many are doing it because they don’t have alternatives, but at the first opportunity to find a job that gives them flexibility and gives them remote options, they may be making that leap. So, companies that want to keep their talent in offices will find it increasingly difficult to attract and, above all, retain them,” says Luis Betancourt, trainer, consultant and lecturer in digital marketing.

Inhabitants of the world

Digital nomadism is the result of what in the pandemic was known as “Great resignation” and is no longer a trend but has become a major force in remote work, particularly nearshore. 

Countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica have emerged as attractive destinations due to their digital infrastructure, proximity to the U.S. and attractive quality of life, and companies are taking advantage of this trend by recruiting global talent and providing their clients with more diverse and flexible teams.

Remote work has also globalized the competition for talent. Nearshore companies are no longer limited to hiring within their borders, but can look for candidates anywhere in the world. This opening of the labor market has forced companies to offer more attractive compensation packages, as well as career development opportunities that align with the expectations of a global and diverse workforce.

These packages include benefits such as extra days off, performance bonuses, visa assistance, wellness and training opportunities. 

In turn, employees are also looking for companies that value their experience and offer them meaningful growth, regardless of their location.

Nearshore companies have had to adapt their strategies to manage cultural differences, time zones and work expectations. Cultural sensitivity training and adopting an inclusive approach to team management are now key components of success in this multicultural environment.

According  to Cathy Jooste, president of CGS’s Business Process and Customer Care Outsourcing Division, “employee engagement needs to be done in a very different way when employees are remote.  Proactive wellness checks by supervisors, virtual team get-togethers and gamification are critical to successful remote working configurations.  Additionally, some programs lend themselves more to in-office configurations.”

A technological leap

Flexibility and diversity has accelerated the need for tools that facilitate real-time and remote collaboration. This trend has also driven the adoption of agile and scrum methodologies, which foster effective collaboration between geographically distributed teams, improving efficiency and project delivery.

However, for Betancourt, there is still a lag inherited from the office culture, “we are used to having a meeting for absolutely every project. We are used to having a meeting for absolutely everything and this is very inefficient. Remote work allows us to work in much more organized ways where synchronous moments, meeting moments are used much more to debate, to discuss issues that are really important.”

Diversity and Inclusion as a Corporate Priority

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) have gone from being aspirational to strategic imperatives for many companies. In the nearshore sector, where operations often span multiple countries and cultures, adopting a strong D&I posture is not only essential to attract talent, but also to meet the expectations of global clients. 

“Remote work allows companies to hire from a wider geographic area and access more diverse talent pools, which can help them more easily find workers from underrepresented groups. This includes workers who may face barriers in traditional office settings due to a disability. In turn, this flexibility can also make employers more attractive to diverse talent and can lead to higher retention rates, which enables companies to build stronger cultures and highly skilled workforces. Finally, it is well known that diverse teams bring varied perspectives and are less prone to groupthink, leading to more creative solutions, innovation, better governance and ultimately, higher performance and competitiveness in the market,” says Jooste

Organizations are investing in cross-cultural training, promoting inclusive work environments and ensuring that hiring and promotion policies reflect these values. As nearshore companies seek to stand out in a globalized marketplace, diversity becomes a key competitive advantage.

“All these technologies and all these trends around remote work mean that many people who due to some kind of disability couldn’t have certain kinds of jobs, now can do it and can work completely remotely from home. They are usually very grateful and very productive people when they have this kind of opportunity,” explains Luis Betancourt.

Well-being and Work-Life Balance

Employee wellness has become highly relevant in remote work. Workers increasingly value work-life balance, which has led nearshore companies to adopt more flexible and mental health-focused wellness policies. A focus on wellness not only improves employee retention, but also increases productivity and job satisfaction. Flexible schedules, wellness programs and mental health support are now key features of talent retention strategies.

In fact, 91% of Generation Z and 78% of millennials believe that every company should implement a mental health policy for employees and 83% of companies plan to expand or maintain their wellness offerings over the coming years.

Cathy Jooste thinks that “companies are responding to the times. Already by just bringing employee wellness into the equation, we are seeing small changes that go a long way.  For instance, advanced analytic tools can alert supervisors in close to real time if an agent needs to be rescued from a particularly unreasonable situation, and they can even build in wellness breaks.” 

 Ethics and Sustainability in Remote Work

Younger generations, seek to work in organizations committed to personal well-being, the planet and local communities, and working remotely ends up being a point in favor of sustainability.

“Work at home is the single biggest contributor to sustainability in our industry.  Think of how many cars are not on the road to work, or even of public transportation savings.  Work-life balance has also benefitted, given that an employee logs out after his or her shift and can switch almost immediately into personal life without the delay of a daily commute,” says Jooste.

Labor relations of the future

What started as a momentary solution to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, has become a reality in the globalized world. The younger generations that were starting their working lives in the pandemic realized the benefits of flexible work and are looking for “more freelance jobs, more jobs by objectives where no one cares what they do with their time as long as they deliver their results on time,” explains Betancourt. “This is also going to lead to companies starting to have less fixed payroll and more tasks or more outsourced objectives for some very specific activities according to the needs of the company.”

“Over the next decade, as we see technology improve in ways we cannot even imagine today, we will continue to see more remote working configurations supported by robust security and engagement platforms. While there will be regional nuances and other factors at play, remote work is not a temporary solution, but rather a fundamental part of how work becomes structured and experienced.” says Jooste.