The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has made remote work more prevalent than ever before. It has provided businesses with the perfect opportunity to discover that it is possible to function effectively in a fully remote environment. With the widespread adoption of remote work, the expert guest on The Bo & Luke Show, Sayem Faruk, highlighted the importance of utilizing talent from offshore locations like Bangladesh.
The global trend is clearly toward remote work. As mentioned by Sayem…
“Remote work is no longer the future, it’s the present.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught businesses that it is possible to function in a fully remote environment, and with the benefits that come with remote work, there is no way to put the trend in reverse.
Working with talent from offshore locations like Bangladesh has many advantages, and Sayem has extensive experience in this area. The company he founded, Airwrk (pronounced Air-Work), uses technology to distribute and scale talent acquisition to help startups approach talent acquisition in a better way.
Sayem emphasized that…
“The quality of offshore talent varies, and vetting is important to find the right fit for mission-critical projects.”
However, with the right vetting process in place, businesses can access highly skilled and talented employees at lower costs than in-house hires.
Bangladesh is one such location that provides enormous potential for businesses who are looking to benefit from offshore talent. The country has a young population with a median age of 28, and its economy is currently on a growth trajectory. Basic needs like healthcare and education are subsidized, and the government is now focusing on digital initiatives to aid the development of the country.
One of the key takeaways from this episode is that there has never been a better time to start a fully distributed remote team.
Sayem noted that…
“Startups can compete with bigger companies by offering benefits that people actually care about, such as work-life harmony, more downtime, and the ability to live in rural areas.”
The benefits of remote work are well-known and highly documented. Remote working allows employees to enjoy greater work-life balance, reduce daily commute times, and flexible schedules that enable them to handle personal responsibilities. In today’s candidate-driven market, providing these benefits is necessary for companies looking to attract and retain top talent.
Offshore talent has a lot to offer in terms of cost efficiency and access to a larger pool of highly skilled workers. With modern technology making it easy to communicate and collaborate, the distance between global teams is minimal, and the ability to work in real-time on collaborative tools means that working with offshore talent is easier than ever.
Sayem talked about the benefits of working with talent from Bangladesh and how the country’s undervalued technical talent makes it a promising location for businesses. Bangladesh graduates around 20,000 fresh computer science graduates each year, and there are efforts underway to improve the country’s digital infrastructure.
Companies that are worried about control and oversight over offshore teams need not be concerned. Sayem emphasized that modern technology enables businesses to measure output and assign KPIs to ensure productivity. “Managing by objectives” equips leaders with the ability to track performance based on individual employee performance, irrespective of their location.
As highlighted by Sayem and through the lens of his experience with Airwrk, setting up offshore teams requires careful consideration and the need to carefully plan the execution to ensure success. It is crucial to have a leadership team in place, exercise due diligence during the vetting process, and start with small projects before scaling up.
In conclusion, remote work has made it easier for businesses to access talent from offshore locations, and there has never been a better time to start a fully distributed remote team. The advantages of offshore talent are many, cost-effectiveness, access to a larger pool of highly skilled workers and the ability to engage in a truly global collaboration.
The Bo & Luke Show’s episode featuring Sayem Faruk sheds light on the potential benefits of working with offshore talent from Bangladesh. Companies that have not yet considered the advantages of remote teams and tapping into offshore talent need to assess how they can benefit from these trends to meet the challenges and opportunities of the current, highly competitive, and rapidly evolving market.