Remote’s Global Benefits Report 2022 Indicates that Flexibility is a High Priority for Indian Employees

CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Ms. Jane Wonjin Lee, Director of Sales – APAC, Remote

• Explain briefly what remote does as a company?

Remote is an international tech start-up that makes it easy for companies to hire and pay people living anywhere in the world. We also support payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance for businesses of any size. We help companies become global powerhouses by expanding their access to talent beyond their borders.

Even for fully remote roles, employing and paying an employee or contractor who lives in another country is often expensive and time-consuming. Remote handles the entire employment process from start to finish, including paying in local currency, administering benefits, managing local taxes and ensuring compliance with local laws. This means that companies are able to hire great people anywhere in the world, helping them to find talented individuals for hard-to-fill roles, diversify their teams, and expand to new markets. For individuals, Remote expands access to new opportunities for employment. This helps to level the playing field for anyone to build a better life for themselves and their loved ones, regardless of where they were born or live.

Remote was founded in 2019 and now supports thousands of companies around the world.

• How do you see workplaces evolving? What are the trends you see in this space of remote and flexible working?

Workplaces have evolved a lot over the past few years. Every global trend points toward a continued increase in work flexibility in around the world. Some companies are figuring it out faster than others, and they are building a competitive advantage. They recognize that the company with the best talent has the best chance of achieving their purpose. Employees now operate under a distinct set of norms, and their demands and opinions are evolving quicker than ever. Even before the pandemic struck, the workplace culture had already begun to shift. Extreme flexibility and hybrid work has been defined as the new work culture for the upcoming years.

• According to your recent Global benefits survey, what are few of the important benefits employees around the world are seeking? Can you give any stats from the report?

While the talent pool is larger than ever, so too is the pool of opportunities for top talent. Benefits are a critical component of hiring competitively in new places. Our recent Global Benefits Report states that 60% of employees say they have chosen one job over another because it offered a better benefits package. For remote and hybrid workers, flexibility is an essential benefit. In fact, the majority of these employees (57%) rank flexibility as even more important than their compensation (40%). International employees expect benefits to be tailored to their specific needs, with a large majority (67%) stating that they expect their benefits to be comparable to those of other professionals in their country or city.

• Upskilling is a huge area of focus currently. How critical is upskilling in this constantly evolving landscape?

One of the most important types of upskilling for the modern workplace involves training people to succeed  in a remote-first environment. As more companies adopt remote work, it is becoming more critical to train employees in skills like asynchronous working. Because communication is not required to be rapid in asynchronous work, workers can manage their own schedules to relieve stress on themselves and their coworkers. When you work asynchronously, individuals can maximize their productivity without waiting for others to complete tasks. Companies that embrace async are able to move projects forward much more quickly than their competition. In addition, businesses with async workflows tend to have higher employee morale, thanks to the trust and increased communication and documentation practices necessitated by an async approach.

• Some interesting trends that you came across in your survey, with respect to India?

Benefits are a critical component of hiring in new places. Many people don’t understand just how different benefits across countries can be. Remote has conducted significant global research in this area and found that people in different areas will frequently leave one job for another because of benefits. Localized benefits also offer a strong advantage in the labor market. When hiring in India, we found that certain benefits were much more important for Indian employees than those in Eastern Europe, Brazil, the UK, and the US. When we discuss India’s entry into the flexible and remote working sphere, we notice a few themes.

According to the report, Flexibility is a high priority for women, younger employees, and contractors and the opportunity to work flexibly could make or break their decision on where to work. It is very crucial in a competitive markets like India, where 51% of employees have considered switching jobs for the flexibility to relocate abroad. One other trend we can talk about is in India, awards and incentives (65%) are also important as is life insurance (63%). Competitive benefits offerings are important to both attract new top talent and retain the talent companies already have. Recruiting globally enables employers to cast a wider net for talent, but it also increases the number of companies and organizations employers are competing against for this top talent.

• One piece of advice for all companies looking to expand globally and hire across different geographies?

Flexibility is key to creating a better work environment in my opinion. Working remotely doesn’t always mean doing so from your house or another specific place. People want to be trusted with the responsibility of balancing their job obligations with their personal life and wellbeing, not the other way around. The amazing thing is that when people have that freedom, they experience a sense of empowerment that frequently motivates them to produce their finest work.

You must let go of the notion of a regular 9-to-5 job when you allow individuals to work from wherever they choose. At Remote we work asynchronously and I would encourage more companies to explore it for themselves. I recommend working async for a few reasons. First, it’s a productivity hack – you enable each person on your team to get more stuff done independently. Asynchronous work is also more inclusive and equitable, by enabling people to schedule their work responsibilities around what’s going on in their lives, whether that be childcare, wellness, or simply being on the other side of the globe from the rest of your team.