The Reality of Working Remotely, Vision 2030 and The Race to the Bottom

Welcome to my newsletter!

This week's focus:

The Reality of Working Remotely – what works and what doesn’t work.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 – it’s the halfway point, let’s have a look at the progress so far. 

The Recruitment Race to the Bottom (And How to Avoid It) – if you want to stand out in an oversaturated business environment, keep reading! 

The Reality of Working Remotely 

I'm going to let you in on my biggest learning when it comes to managing remote teams.  

We embrace a remote, flexible approach because we want our people to feel empowered, not micromanaged. This also makes sure that we have access to the best talent to run our business verticals.  

As well as having teams servicing our clients in our main hubs of Dubai and Hong Kong, we offshore to the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Chennai while looking out at South Africa too. Some are fully remote, and some are hybrid.  

But here's the thing – that flexibility only works if your staff already have the experience and the training on how your business works. Let me be blunt: trying to train and develop fresh talent remotely just doesn't cut it.  

You can't expect them to pick everything up over Zoom calls and virtual meetings. To put it plain and simple; it won’t work! 

If you have juniors in your team, then they need to be in the office, rubbing shoulders with the seniors who've been around the block and know how things work. The junior staff need to see it in action, hear how the experienced heads operate, and interact with colleagues face-to-face. That's how real learning happens for the newbies. Soaking it all up being physically present. 

So, let your seasoned staff work remotely if that's the setup that works best for both parties. But those juniors? They need an in-office structure, at least a few days a week. That's the recipe for nurturing their development and setting them up for long-term success. 

 Trust me on this one. It’s something I have learned the hard way over my career. The hybrid approach is the way forward - embrace remote flexibility, but don't neglect that vital in-person training component for the junior talent.

It's make-or-break stuff! 

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030