It is now over 10 years ago (2009) since I discovered the book “The 4-hour work week” by the critically acclaimed #TimFerris. At the time, I was on a working holiday visa in Australia, and somehow had managed to land myself a job as an Advertising Manager at a publishing house. My boss and mentor in that job told me I should read it because in his words he wanted me to “work smart, not hard”. What I read with enthusiasm over the next 376 pages beguiled my 25-year-old brain, and started me thinking “if only…”. This was the first notion I really had of how to work smart and how I could work remotely (what is currently trending as #WFH), allowing me to adapt my work to my physical location so that I could be flexible whilst productive, and even balance my time vs. income to work more in my favour.
More than a decade later, living once again back in Europe (Spain to be exact), I have not managed to fully transition to a “4-hour work week” as depicted in the book, and I am not sure I really want to either. As what happens to most people as they leave their 20´s behind them, thoughts evolve and change, shaped by life experiences and growing responsibilities. The idea of outsourcing all my tasks and automating my life is no longer something I choose, because quite honestly, some of those tasks are necessary for understanding who, and what I am, and what I want to evolve into. However, I still highly value the ideas within Tim Ferris´ book and I have learnt and implemented some of the more important lessons and tools from it. Arguably, some of its teachings are even more relevant today than when I first read it, and I feel it still offers guidance to a healthier and happier work-life balance – so it is still very much a valued book on my bookshelf.
But this is not a book review; rather I chose this book as a springboard to highlight the shifting attitudes in business towards the #WFH practice that has gained considerable attention over recent months. Many are now speculating it will fundamentally change how many businesses will operate in the future, and rightfully so, along with the implications this will have on hiring talent and the job interview process. Admittedly, remote working has been a growing trend over recent years in certain sectors, but still not to any great magnitude, and certainly not on a mass scale across multiple sectors. Despite the attractions and benefits it can provide to many employees and companies alike. Many managers and decision makers have remained highly sceptical, reluctant, or even down right repulsed by this way of working until recent events. Why? Well it could be for a variety of reasons:
1. the deep rooted (but often unproven) belief that if managers do not actually see people work then there is an assumption that employees won´t work. In other words, trust issues (which I will address in another article).
2. The justification that employees can only do their jobs when they have access to the office resources (which may be the case in some circumstances, but not all considering the access most of us now have to affordable personal computers connected to the internet).
3. People are (generally) paid on the basis of their time, rather than productivity or results and this can be a complicated matrix to securely monitor when it isn´t physically observed (and can also be further complicated by matters such as how to compensate things like overtime).
4. A questioning of how companies can ensure and insure the safety of their staff against work related health and safety issues in an environment outside of their control. Who will be responsible for injury during work activity? (This is especially relevant to how their workstations are set up to prevent physical issues such as neck and back injuries from prolonged bad posture at their computer – something I personally have suffered from quite recently, which hurts my business as much as my back)
5. Or maybe just the enviable fantasy and idea that someone could be doing their job whilst sitting next to a swimming pool, with a cocktail by their side, whilst their superiors or other colleagues are looking at the same 4 boring walls every day and wearing stiff office attire, causing jealousy to set in (which is the alluring implication that Tim Ferris writes about in his book the 4-hour work week I mentioned at the start).
6. Or possibly all the above to various degrees.
Whether there is merit in some, many or all of these justifications, or not, there has been quite a lot of resistance in general from companies to implement such policies with their staff on a widespread scale (usually only high managers or directors have been afforded this “trusted” privilege).
What the world, and more relevantly, business managers/leaders have seen though with the current pandemic crisis, may have fundamentally shifted our minds about business practices. At the time of writing, thousands or millions still have to #WFH as matter of survival (in all senses of the word). What this has demonstrated (and even being promoted), is that a mass shift to a #WFH policy can keep business´ functioning and staff in general can be trusted to work as required (which contradicts what many business leaders/managers believed until very recently). Already many are now questioning and coming to a realisation that the need to return all staff to a permanent office environment, may be unnecessary (at least on a full time basis). With the likes of Google, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft (to name a few according to forbes.com) leading the charge and announcing most of their office staff will work remotely for at least the remainder of the year. It feels like it could be the start of a movement that will redefine how we work on a global scale moving beyond this crisis. It´s hard to argue with it when there are obvious gains to be made concerning the cleaner climate debate as well as reducing overall expenses from overheads such as the cost of large office space and car parking facilities, utility bills, and other company infrastructures that can have fixed running costs going into the millions.
If the trend is increasing for many of us to adapt to a #WFH culture, many companies will have to reassess not only the way they perform their day to day activities, but also how they retain and acquire talent to effectively adapt to this change. If companies are no longer bound to the physical
restrictions of pulling in employees from the local area, then the whole employer-employee dynamic will change. Even if the position that is required is a predominantly customer facing position (which will always still be most effective when done so physically, face to face, to strengthen the bonds of trust), the tendency will likely have an even higher dependency on video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams (to name only a few) than before 2020. At which point, the job pool suddenly expands way beyond local talent and scales up to the global market. Marketing and administration teams (and other departments) could have 5 different people in 5 different countries all working on a project together remotely. Multi-nationals (which could now include SME´s because infrastructure costs will be so much more affordable) could absorb the impact of cultural traditions, public holidays, and religious festivals with much greater efficiency. PR departments will salivate at the prospect of demonstrating that their internal culture is more inclusive and diverse, as well as being able to provide jobs to those in impoverished areas where office infrastructure is not viable, and consequently take credit for stimulating local economies.
However, it won´t just be companies that could benefit from this shift in working practices. Those seeking a new job could also take advantage, by having greater number of options of who they choose to work for, rather than being limited to the local job market. No longer could you be told “just be lucky you have a job” and then have the regional unemployment figures thrown at you as a scare tactic (a tactic many companies still use to bully their staff into submission). Now you could have the means to get a job anywhere on the planet whilst not having the stress and cost of relocation and staying a comfortable distance from your very own coffee machine located in your kitchen, and work whilst petting your dog or cat to relax you during those tense moments. No longer could you be forced to work to the time zone in which you are living, giving you the greater possibility of being able to pick your kids up from school, or do those necessary errands (like banking and grocery shopping) at a more convenient time that suits you. No longer could you have to deal with so much face time with dis-likeable colleagues, reducing your anxiety and stress levels (there is always someone in the office we dislike seeing). All because getting hired in the job market could now be truly global thanks to a Work From Home policy and business model. You could be in the driving seat when deciding the type of company you want to work for, anywhere in the world, whilst choosing the cultural values that are important to you both at work and in your private life. No longer will you have to choose a local job just because it is available in your local area, and you need a job.
I know what you are thinking; that this will not be the case in all jobs, in all sectors. And you´re right. It won´t be. For many, physical location is fundamental to their job operations. But the discussion is already here about how companies and jobs that are more administrative or technological in nature will be leaning increasingly towards a #WFH practice. It´s not the future, it´s already here and happening now. Tim Ferris may have been on to something all those years ago when he first wrote about this in 2007, its just taken a pandemic for us to open our minds and accept the idea on a mass scale.
So how can we start preparing for this seemingly inevitable change? Well, as with all good strategy, there needs to be a clearly communicated understanding of what this new land will look like, starting with the expectations that are created on both sides of the relationship. Whereas I could (and will) write an article about how this “new normal” needs to be communicated and implemented to existing employees regarding this cultural change; real success and survival starts with how organisations adapt by looking to the future (and the next evolutionary step in business), and that starts with how they hire talent from here on out, and how talented job seekers need to change their approach in securing employment which allows them to find fulfilment in what they do.
Tips for hiring Managers & HR Departments
The job market will have expanded its geographical limitations, meaning companies will be able will have a much larger pool of candidates to select from, and therefore a greater number of opportunities to attract a desirable workforce (the backbone of any good business). The question will then be how to select the right candidates for the job. Here are some tips for HR departments and hiring managers to consider when choosing who to hire:
Company culture will become increasingly important as a deciding factor for desirable talent, making sure that candidates understand what is expected of them culturally in how the company operates needs to be addressed early on, so the relationship can be a long and mutually beneficial one. It is therefore important to clearly define certain words and values that are important to the organisation itself and be aware that everyone defines simple words slightly differently. For example, the word “professional” is one that everyone uses, but it has slightly different meanings depending on the cultural norm of the environment. In Northern Europe it has more to do appearance, dedication, and time management, whereas in Southern Europe it has more to do with attitude, likeability, and qualifications. Studies have shown that when asked the standard interview questions “How do you consider yourself a professional?”, there are variations on how people interpret that word, and some of those interpretations are wildly different to other people´s interpretation of the word. Therefore, it is important that the hard work is done before even posting the job advert and consider and clearly define how the company interprets certain words that are important them such as professionalism, trust, value, work ethic etc. Otherwise there will always be misunderstandings of expectations on both sides of the working relationship due to miscommunication & misunderstandings which can cost a company up to an incredible $62.4 million per year according to The Holmes Report.
Organisations should also consider broadening the dynamics of the job interview process beyond simple question and answer sessions. Candidates should be evaluated on how they can work together (remotely) in group exercises in real time on simulated situations. This method has been successful (admittedly in a physical setting) when selecting international candidates for EU officials and administrators (known as the EPSO competitions) for many years now. They assess skills such as decisions making, prioritising, productivity, effective communication, and teamwork on top of their technical attributes and experience levels. Additionally, this enables hiring managers clarity and greater objectivity of candidates on how they will truly perform and reduce the likeability or confirmation bias the interviewer may have for the candidate. This could also, in theory, address some of the social issues surrounding prejudice in the work place. Something that is becoming increasingly publicised in the media and can lead to some organisations having to deal with a costly crisis in the future.
Finally, the bonds of trust between company and employee are crucial for it to be an effective and mutually beneficial relationship – especially when that relationship is a “long distance” one. During traditional, physical face to face interviews, the hiring managers judge how much they trust the candidate by their “gut feeling”. This “gut feeling” though has been the subject of many scientific studies, and in basic terms comes from the additional, and mostly non-verbal, information we receive about the candidates. This additional and non-conscious information (which resides in the limbic section of the brain) we receive about candidates is what gives us that feeling of whether a candidate is a good fit for the organisation (or not as the case may be). We ultimately judge whether we can “trust” them or not based on this feeling we get, and then justify it with evidence (using the neo-cortex section of the brain). In remote job interviews though, that is hard to achieve, as the “window” we have to judge a candidate is literally the size of your computer screen and so being able to obtain that additional information about candidates and those “feelings of trust” is harder to obtain – but not impossible. Instead, interviewers need to be more perceptive and aware of how candidates present themselves remotely. Their chosen background (even if it is just a blank wall) on the video conferencing platform tells you a lot about a person. This will be the remote interview equivalent of the handshake (is it too strong? Is it too weak? Is it too sweaty? etc.) The phrases and words they use is just as important as the content of the answer they provide your questions. For example: Nike´s mission statement and values repeatedly uses words like “drive” and “impact” amongst other action verbs, and those qualities and words are noted by interviewers during the process. So if the candidate your interviewing uses similar language to your company´s internal culture and values, this means 1 of 2 things: either they are could be natural fit culturally for your organisation, or they have researched your company well enough to deliberately use those words when answering your questions (scientifically known as mirroring), which demonstrates how much desire they have to work for an organisation like yours. Either way, these can be indicators that a relationship of trust can be built. The takeaway therefore is that when hiring employees remotely, interviewers should be trained in active listening and perception skills so they can detect with greater precision and accuracy which candidate is the right hire for the position, benefiting the company with reduced costs in staff turnover, employee disengagement and other workforce issues.
Tips for job candidates
As companies seek financial and PR benefits to transition to a partial or full #WFH model, job seeking candidates should also be able to mutually benefit. Theoretically allowing employees the advantages of time flexibility, lifestyle choices, and if you market yourself correctly, having companies compete for you on a global scale rather than a regional one (giving you more leverage to achieve what you want in your career). However, to achieve such goals companies across the world will demand that those who can work remotely have the proven ability to have a much larger skill set than ever before. Soft skills will need to be proven: such as demonstrating strong and transparent communication abilities, autonomous management, being able to prioritise productivity tasks and decision making, and knowing how to self-motivate. These will all become as equally desirable and relevant in your application as your technical hard skills (maybe even more so). The only “window” companies will have by which they decide whether you are worth their time, effort and investment will be through your computer. In this format, it is much harder to “charm” your interviewer and gain likeability and trust points because the whole process is so much colder (no handshake, no small talk, no welcoming drink of water, coffee or tea to calm your nerves etc.). Instead the hiring manager(s) will be staring at you through a camera and quite literally into your life, not just professional face. Everything from the background of the video call, to how you communicate and think about the answers to their questions, to how you plan to show your value to someone who may never actually meet you in person, will all be assessed in micro detail (and maybe even recorded for deeper analysis of your answers). Web based interviews may initially feel more comfortable and convenient, but this will be a false sense of security and will in fact be more intense. Due to the limits of physical information interviewers will have about you, they will then analyse, make assumptions, and take meanings from every single detail you show them. In other words, a remote job interview will intensify the microscope you are under. So, it will be imperative and critical that you therefore know how to get it right!
So how can you, as a candidate, show the best of you under such intense conditions? Here are some tips:
Setting up
1. Make sure you have a clear microphone and reasonable web camera. Be aware of background noise and lighting (natural light is always best, but be aware of shadows hiding all or part of your face, just like photographers do, be aware of where the sun is so you don´t look like a silhouette.). The background should feel natural and personal but not staged (blank walls are boring and can have the interviewer wonder what your hiding or if your personality reflects your wall). Neutral pictures or decorations are good, but not too distracting, or even a bookshelf with interesting books that you have read are all good choices. If all else fails, look into virtual backgrounds which are available to download. But be cautious, because whichever background you choose will also say something about you to the interviewer.
2. Body posture is important too. Your eyes should be 2/3 of the way up the screen and in the middle, so the interviewer can see your whole face. Also sitting with your feet under your chair straightens your back and overall posture, giving the impression that you are alert and motivated. Additionally, move further away from the computer than you normally are used to so the camera displays between 30-60% of your upper body. This allows your interviewer to read more of your body language, which builds rapport and trust.
3. Appearances really matter. Dress appropriately for the interview, and not just the top half of your body. Scientific studies have shown that the clothes you wear not only affect the way people see and judge you, but also how you feel and judge yourself, even if you´re not aware of it. It also affects how you think and how you respond to questions. So, wearing a suit on your top half, but wearing jeans and tennis shoes on your bottom half, will affect how seriously you respond to the questions being asked of you.
Do the research
1. It sounds obvious, but amazingly most people still don´t do sufficient research about the company they are interviewing for. In this day of age, with a world of information at our fingertips, this is inexcusable. Look at their web page, read everything you can on it, especially their “About” section and their Mission Statement/Values (if available). Check out their social media. Do a Google search and see what news comes up. Even check their stock price over the past few years if they are a public company. Knowledge is power, and whether the information is necessary in the interview or not, it will tell you a lot about the direction and personality of the company and what is important to them.
2. It is not just the company you should research, if you know the name of the person who will be interviewing you, try and research them too (ethically and legally of course). Look at their LinkedIN page if possible and other social media. Try and find a company profile on them. By doing this, you can see if you have common interests which you can try and casually bring up during the interview and increase rapport with your interviewer. If however, you can´t access or they do not have a social media footprint, this also tells you something, that they value their privacy, or that social media doesn´t interest them, which again tells you something about how they could possibly see the world.
3. Take notes on key words they use in their marketing material, especially when they are promoting their mission and values. The words they use indicate the type of company they are, and how they want to be seen. Then if these words authentically align with you, make sure you use these words and synonyms of these words to demonstrate to them that you “speak their language and values” too, and increasing the chances of trust and a successful interview.
Finally, know your interview strategy
Since the creation of the job interview by Thomas Edison in 1921, employers have created many different methods, strategies and formats to determine who is the best candidate for the job position. However, good job candidates also have a strategy when it comes to the job interview. They have planned, prepared, and practice their answers repeatedly and thought about the different ways in which the interviewer(s) will judge them. This takes time and effort and possible specialised guidance (from someone like me, for example 😉) who can support you and enable you to show the best version of you. If you are being asked for an interview, there is a good chance you already look good on paper to them and have the technical abilities to do the job. Now you must convince the interviewer(s) that you have the right qualities and assets to bring value to them beyond hard skills that also add to their cultural profile, which is going to be needed more now than ever in a business world that embraces a #WFH policy to any extent. In other words, gone are the days where companies will just ask simple questions about your strengths, weaknesses and where you will be in 5 years’ time. Remember, as a remote worker you could be competing with people all over the world, so having a clear strategy on how to do that will give you the competitive advantage.
Although these tips for both sides of the interview screen are not exhaustive and will require deeper understanding for all involved, the way many of us will be working and adapting to remote job interviews will surely be on the rise in the coming months and years. I do admit however, that as I paint a utopia regarding remote working and its benefits for both sides of the employee-employer relationship, there are questions that issues I haven´t outlined, such as its social implications, or legal conundrums regarding workers’ rights, taxation, and jurisdiction. However, much like the invention, adoption, and expansion of technology, when it comes to attitudes of work practices and finding advantages, where there is a will, there is a way! And it has to be said, that right now, it looks like many of the workforce will be based at home (even on a partial basis), and remote job interviews is a path many of us will be walking in the near future, if not already. Therefore, it is time to start preparing for the “new normal”, especially in these transitioning times when job security is on everyone´s mind. To quote the boy scout motto:
“Always be prepared”
