An organization is only as good as the people it employs. And 2022 is the year of the employee! Nowadays, more than ever before, employees all over the world want to feel valued, be rewarded and have their wellbeing cared for. Addressing the needs of workers scattered across the globe and possibly also working from home, however, makes it even harder than usual to fulfill employee demands.

It is up to management to initiate the necessary changes. Leaders must build and maintain remote-working teams and rethink the essence of “high-performing global virtual teams.” New forms of working remotely have to be finetuned, and teams need to be made more connected and responsive.

A Cisco survey (of over 3,000 organizations worldwide) found that the global pandemic has created an opportunity to reimagine and transform remote work into a robust and comprehensive strategy. A remote work environment can help organizations reach a higher level of resilience and generate more inclusive global teams in their future work. Such remote work settings require two essential qualities:

Infrastructure enablement – The proper infrastructure for working on any device from anywhere at any time.

Interpersonal engagement – A crucial set of interpersonal skills – including listening, speaking, and questioning skills – enables employees to communicate effectively with others.

As an organizational consultant who provides cross-cultural communication skills to global companies, I would say it is all about “being connected” (enabling the infrastructure) and “feeling connected” (interpersonal engagement and trust).

Many companies today have decided to adopt an organizational strategy that makes working remotely the primary option for most or all employees, meaning that few (if any) workers are regularly expected to do their jobs out of a centralized office. Examples of companies that are already implementing what’s called a “remote-first” mindset are DoIt International, which is presented as a “people-focused, remote-first technology company,” and LogMeIn, which offers a remote-centric way of working to provide flexibility for individuals and enable new talent pools.

A Korn Ferry survey shows that one of the ways for organizations to reinvent themselves in 2022 is by using the “power of all.” This approach aims to break down silos and overcome remote working challenges by ensuring that people feel connected to the company’s purpose and vision, as well as to each other. “Togetherness” doesn’t just give employees meaning; it brings tangible results. The “power of all” mindset when working together globally and virtually makes the topics of inclusion and diversity a higher priority than ever. Hopefully, 2022 will be the year when organizations will finally view diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) not as a threat but rather as a chance for global business success.

In summary, I will say that the key to advancing your company in 2022 and onward is continuous improvement in the following areas:

• Increasing focus on the “whole employee,” which includes the entire range of their emotional/physical/professional/social/financial wellbeing.
• Adjusting to new forms of remote and hybrid working.
• Embracing the full diversity of today’s workforces and providing a safe virtual space for collaboration.
• Setting a shared purpose for teams, not for silos.

Now that we have ushered in this new year, remember that good, smoothly running teamwork and trust go hand in hand. Supporting honest, ongoing communication is vital for excellent work and global success.