The rise of remote working in global development

GLASGOW, Scotland — The events of the last few weeks have brought new challenges for many global development employers, as offices all over the world rapidly emptied and meetings went virtual. “Our recruiting pool naturally has more diverse applicants than if we were tied to recruiting from only one geographical location.” --— Emily McLaughlin, director of human resources, Nuru International But before the current lockdown, the possibilities for remote working in development were already on the rise — from young, tech-savvy organizations that had always intended to operate remotely to big, established employers trying to take advantage of telecommuting’s benefits. The recent “Devex Talent Outlook 2020” report revealed that 27% of global development professionals surveyed had turned down a job because of the location. In an industry spread all over the world, many believe the growth of remote working will continue far beyond the next few months, helping organizations attract more diverse talent and even improve productivity. Devex spoke to NGO leaders and recruiters to find out why. Retaining talent Professionals are increasingly looking for more flexible working arrangements, and with so much competition among employers to find the right talent, organizations have to respond, said Jack Norman, director of talent management at Catholic Relief Services. The push to introduce remote working options at CRS was partly about ensuring its attractiveness to candidates and allowing staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance, he said. In addition to remote roles, staff in some offices can take advantage of work-from-home days. The organization has adopted a “progressive approach” that closely considers the “regional mandate” of a role — in other words, whether the employee needs to be physically within a country or can still provide a seamless service to partners and other staff members while based elsewhere, Norman said. Requiring staff to relocate or be based in a particular country can have an adverse impact, and allowing individuals to remain close to home often helps with recruitment, he said, adding that this can be a “win-win” for both parties. Aerie Changala, chief program officer at Nuru International, a social venture that supports projects in Africa but operates remotely, suggested that not requiring staff to move to development hubs or relocate overseas has helped retain talent. Organizations often lose staff members as they move home or start a family, Changala said, but functioning remotely “really has given us the freedom to retain staff for long periods of time and keep staff very content with how the organization was set up.” As a result, this “allows us to keep a good amount of organizational memory.” More diversity Recruiting for positions remotely can also enable organizations to tap into a larger and more diverse candidate pool, recruiters said. Not having to hire based on location and instead focusing on each candidate’s experience and fit for the role are huge advantages, said Emily McLaughlin, director of human resources at Nuru International. “Our recruiting pool naturally has more diverse applicants than if we were tied to recruiting from only one geographical location,” she continued. There is greater diversity in the nationalities and geographies of applicants for international roles, and the organization is not limited to a U.S.-based recruiting pool. The ability to work from home can also have advantages for people with caring responsibilities, which can particularly benefit women. Building local capacity Since Nuru International creates separate organizations on the ground and supports them until they are ready to run on their own, the decision not to have offices based in those countries was a conscious one, Changala said. “The vision from our inception has always been that we need separate local organizations that have long-term vision for their own country,” he said. Setting up an office and having those structures in place can make it harder for an organization to step back once its part is done — a familiar paradigm that Nuru International was eager to avoid, Changala added. Instead, the international team acts as “scaffolding” for those local entities and, upon exiting a project or country, technical support can still be provided from afar. This builds capacity in countries and ensures local ownership and decision-making, he argued. Norman told Devex that while CRS does have a number of expats overseas, the organization is always looking to develop leadership at the local level. The ability to bring in global technical expertise remotely, rather than have a staff member based there full-time, can facilitate this. Cost-effectiveness Working remotely can also be more budget-friendly. It is expensive to set up regional offices or headquarters, particularly in cities that are typically considered development hubs. By operating remotely, organizations can instead allocate this money elsewhere — such as for staff training — although there may still be costs for bringing people together when needed, for example. “Being remote doesn’t mean you are always remote,” Changala noted, adding that Nuru International’s annual organizationwide, weeklong retreat is important for aligning values and coordination in the year ahead. Flexibility and productivity Remote working can be particularly attractive to those based outside of the usual development hubs or with family commitments. Having a flexible schedule and avoiding the daily commute are perks that candidates recognize and staff appreciate, McLaughlin suggested. As a working mother, she said the ability to set her own schedule has helped in achieving more “work-life satisfaction.” “Some days, you might be pulled more into work; some days, you might be pulled more into relationships and family or other things outside of work,” she said, so additional flexibility is a real bonus. Not having strict hours in place also helps productivity since people work in different ways, according to Changala. He is more efficient when working from home rather than in a busy environment, he said, emphasizing the importance of being able to start his day early when he is better able to concentrate on more complicated tasks and when colleagues in Africa are online. But working remotely isn’t for everyone. People who are more extroverted can struggle with the lack of personal interaction, suggested McLaughlin, who often spends the morning at home and moves to a cafe in the afternoon to work alongside friends. Some organizations offer flexible working options depending on what works best for the individual. Norman said that as the sector is increasingly focusing on deliverables, it’s clear for teams what needs to get done. If organizations hire passionate, skilled, and knowledgeable professionals, they then need to give them the “freedom to figure out how to best reach those objectives,” he said.