The gap between confidence and trust

When we asked C-suite executives how confident they felt in their own AI expertise, 70% described themselves as “very confident”. 

When we asked the rest of the organisation how much they trusted C-suite AI expertise, the picture looked very different. 

Confidence in C-suite AI capability, by seniority:

• C-suite self-assessment: 70% very confident 
• Directors: 48% very confident in C-suite 
• Senior management: 50% 
• Middle management: 36% 
• Entry-level staff: 33% 
• Intermediate staff: 27% 

The further you get from the boardroom, the less trust there is in leadership’s ability to make informed AI decisions. 

Why this gap matters

A confidence gap might seem like a perception problem. It is not. It is a business risk. 

When employees do not believe leadership understands AI, three things happen: 

1. People stop flagging problems. If staff assume leadership will not understand the issue or will dismiss their concerns, they stay quiet. Small problems become big ones. 
2. AI initiatives lose momentum. Adoption stalls when the workforce does not trust the strategy behind it. People comply rather than commit. 
3. Trust erodes beyond AI. Confidence gaps are rarely contained. If staff question leadership judgement in one area, it spreads to others. 

The behaviour behind the numbers

The trust gap is not irrational. It reflects what employees are seeing. 

Our research found that C-suite executives are the most likely to engage in high-risk AI behaviours: 

• 93% of C-suite have made AI-informed decisions based on inaccurate data 
• 73% have uploaded confidential company data into AI tools 
• 78% have used AI for work they are not trained to do 
• 40% report serious business impact from AI-related errors 

These are not junior mistakes. They are leadership behaviours. And the rest of the organisation is watching. 

What needs to change

Closing the confidence gap requires more than communication. It requires visible action in four areas: 

Board-level expertise 80% of C-suite executives themselves say their company needs a dedicated AI specialist at board level. The demand is there. The appointments are not. 

Strategy that reaches everyone 56% of C-suite say their AI strategy matches reality “very well”. Only 16% of entry-level staff agree. If the strategy is not visible and understood at every level, it is not working. 

Governance with accountability Clear rules mean nothing if they do not apply to everyone. When senior leaders bypass safeguards, it signals that governance is optional. 

Honest self-assessment The leaders who will succeed are those willing to scrutinise their own confidence, competence, and decision-making. Seniority does not equal capability. 

Take the next step

If you’re concerned about AI readiness in your organisation, our Inovus team offers a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your AI strategy and data foundations. 

Book your free consultation

Read the full research

This article draws on findings from AI in the Workforce: The Hidden Risk for UK Businesses, our independent research with over 2,000 UK tech workers. 

The full report includes a practical framework for what to fix first. 

The post The AI confidence gap your board isn’t talking about appeared first on La Fosse.

As the talent market becomes increasingly competitive, companies must navigate the complex arena of hiring. Should you use an employment agency, build an in-house team, or leverage AI-powered platforms? 

This guide breaks down the benefits of using recruitment agencies and analyses the cost of recruiting a new employee. We also explore the best ways to recruit employees with innovative strategies tailored to the tech sector.

The evolving landscape of tech recruitment

Traditional recruitment agencies vs. modern alternatives

Traditionally, companies relied heavily on recruitment agencies to handle their hiring needs. These agencies provided deep market insights, access to vast networks, and the ability to handle time-consuming tasks such as vetting and interviewing candidates.

However, modern recruitment tools such as AI-driven platforms are changing the game. AI can streamline the hiring process by quickly filtering applications based on specific job criteria, while in-house recruitment allows companies to maintain more control over the process. While these alternatives have their perks, recruitment agencies still hold a significant advantage when it comes to accessing passive talent and offering sector-specific expertise, especially for tech roles. AI still needs a human overseer, it can miss details, doesn’t pick up on subtleties, can be biassed based on training data, and also has some privacy concerns. It is a valuable tool, but one that must be used in conjunction with human expertise and knowledge.

Breaking down recruitment costs

Average financial cost to recruit an employee

When companies consider how to recruit employees, one of the first questions is, “How much will it cost?”. The average cost to recruit an employee in the UK varies depending on the role and industry. For many tech companies, this can range from a few thousand pounds to significantly more for highly specialised roles.

Beyond the straightforward costs, there are often other expenses that businesses must consider:

Job advertisement fees: Posting job ads on popular job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed can add up quickly.

Screening and interview time: It takes valuable time to review applications and conduct interviews.

Onboarding costs: Once a candidate is hired, training and onboarding are required, adding further expenses to the process.

By comparison, recruitment agencies typically charge a placement fee – either a percentage of the new hire’s annual salary or a flat fee – meaning you only pay when you get results.

Agency fees vs. in-house recruitment costs

While recruitment agencies charge fees for their services, they also save companies the hassle of managing the recruitment process in-house. In-house recruitment requires dedicating resources to build a skilled recruitment team, which can be more expensive in the long run. Agencies, on the other hand, can operate at scale and already have the infrastructure to manage the process efficiently.

Key benefits of partnering with a recruitment specialist 

1. Industry expertise and market knowledge

Recruitment agencies, especially those specialising in tech, have their finger on the pulse of the industry. They understand the skills needed for specific roles and are adept at spotting top talent. This insight is invaluable for companies seeking highly specialised tech talent.

2. Time-saving advantages

Busy tech companies can often feel overwhelmed by the recruitment process. Partnering with an agency allows you to focus on your core business while experts manage the recruitment side. This not only reduces the workload but also speeds up the hiring process as agencies can quickly identify suitable candidates.

3. Access to extensive talent pools

Agencies have access to vast databases of active and passive candidates, including those who may not be actively looking for a job but would consider the right opportunity. This is particularly important in the tech sector, where demand often outstrips supply.

Best ways to recruit employees in the tech sector

The best ways to recruit employees vary depending on company size, role, and location. For tech companies, combining the expertise of a recruitment agency with modern strategies can yield the best results.

Tailoring strategies: Different tech roles, from software developers to data scientists, require different recruitment approaches. A one-size-fits-all strategy won’t work. Searching and hiring for a full-stack developer who specialises in Python, for example,  is a different process to finding a data scientist with a psychology background.

Balancing speed and quality: Speed is crucial in the fast-paced tech world, but rushing the hiring process can lead to poor hires. Partnering with an agency can help you find the right balance without sacrificing crucial aspects.

Innovative strategies for attracting top tech talent

The digital age has brought new, creative ways to recruit employees, especially in tech. These approaches can complement agency efforts, boosting your recruitment success.

• Leveraging social media and employer branding: Social platforms like LinkedIn and X (previously Twitter) are great sources for finding tech talent, however, there are more specialised platforms and communities to utilise. Recruitment agencies can help enhance your employer brand by crafting targeted campaigns that highlight your company’s values and culture.
• Targeting niche communities: Tech forums, open-source communities, and specialised meetups are great places to connect with top talent. Online spaces like GitHub, GitLab, and SourceForge are well-established and resourceful. Recruitment agencies often already have connections in these areas and can help you reach the right audience.

Long-term ROI of different recruitment methods

The true cost of recruitment goes beyond just the upfront fees. Companies must also consider the long-term return on investment (ROI) in terms of employee retention, cultural fit, and performance. Recruitment agencies can often provide higher-quality candidates who stay longer and perform better, compared to those found through rushed or less focused recruitment methods.

Employee retention rates and cultural fit

Hiring the right candidate goes beyond qualifications; cultural fit plays a crucial role in employee satisfaction and retention. Recruitment agencies often spend time understanding a company’s culture to ensure they find candidates who align with it, reducing turnover and improving long-term results.

Balancing quality hires with budget constraints

While in-house recruitment may seem like a cheaper alternative, it’s essential to weigh the long-term quality of hires. Recruitment agencies bring in-depth industry knowledge and talent-sourcing skills that often result in better-quality hires, resulting in a higher ROI.

Optimising your recruitment process

To really make the most of your recruitment efforts takes a blended approach – technology, agency experience and the human touch. It’s essential to streamline the process while integrating data-driven decision-making with the knowledge of an agency.

Agencies are finding a sweet spot by combining AI tools with the human touch to make the recruitment process more efficient and personal. AI takes care of the time-consuming tasks, like scanning through resumes and shortlisting potential candidates, which speeds up the initial phases. It can even predict which candidates might thrive in a role by analysing patterns and skills beyond keywords. But while AI can handle the heavy lifting, it’s the recruiters who add that critical layer of intuition, ensuring candidates are seen for their full potential – not just what the algorithms might suggest​.

Keeping candidates engaged during the hiring process is another area where AI and human skills work well together. Automated tools like chatbots can respond to routine questions quickly, ensuring candidates feel informed and not left waiting. This can make a big difference in keeping the process smooth and professional. Yet, there’s no substitute for a genuine human connection. When candidates interact with real people who listen to their stories and aspirations, it builds trust and rapport – factors that are crucial in making them feel valued and excited about the opportunity​.

AI also helps agencies tackle biases in hiring by focusing on data and skills rather than subjective impressions. It offers a more level playing field for candidates by reducing unconscious biases that might influence decisions. But AI isn’t perfect – it can pick up biases from historical data, which means human recruiters need to step in to ensure fairness and inclusivity. By working together, AI can provide quick insights, while humans ensure the process remains compassionate and aligned with the company’s values​. This balance helps create a recruitment process that is efficient without losing the human element that makes it truly effective.

The future of tech recruitment: Trends to watch

The future of recruitment is being shaped by emerging technologies like AI, data analytics, and virtual hiring processes. New programming and tech needs, languages, and goals are emerging in the sector. These advancements are transforming how companies attract and hire talent. Partnering with a recruitment agency gives you access to the latest trends, tools, and strategies without needing to constantly adapt in-house.

Crafting your winning recruitment strategy

In the ever-evolving tech sector, knowing how to recruit employees effectively requires a tailored approach that combines traditional agency expertise with modern tools. Whether you choose to partner with a tech recruitment agency or build an in-house team, the key is to continuously refine your recruitment strategies to attract and retain top tech talent.

Ready to elevate your recruitment game? Consider working with a Tech and IT talent solutions agency like La Fosse to unlock your company’s full potential.

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This article, based on one of our webinar panel discussions, provides actionable insights for tech leaders looking to build and manage a tech team that excels. Hosted by Sophie Hebdidge, Academy Director at La Fosse Academy, and expert panellists Ilona Simpson, CIO EMEA at Netskope, and Rob Bachan, Director of Product Development at TES, we delved into the essential elements of constructing a high-performing tech team; fostering innovation, inclusive culture, optimising team structure, implementing agile methodologies, and driving peak productivity.

The foundation of excellence

To lay the groundwork for a high-performing tech team, it’s essential to understand the fundamental elements that contribute to its success. Drawing insights from our experts, we can identify several key pillars:

1. • Stage for success: Start by defining what success looks like for your tech team. The definition of a high-performing team can vary depending on your organisational goals and roles. Whether it’s driving innovation, improving customer satisfaction, or boosting revenue, having a clear vision of success will guide your team-building efforts. As Sophie Hebdidge emphasised: “You really need to hone in on why it is that you want high performance. Is it to drive more business ROI? Is it to make it a better place for people to work? Is it to make sure [you]’re attracting better talent? What is the real reason why? And it could be a combination of all those things I just mentioned, but if we don’t have the vision for why we need a high-performing tech team, it’s very hard to put all the other stuff in place.”

• • Measurable success: Establish clear, quantifiable metrics to gauge your team’s performance. These metrics should align with your overall business objectives and translate directly into revenue and ROI. Common metrics might include project completion rates, customer feedback, and the impact of tech initiatives on business growth. Rob Bachan underscored the importance of translating technical efforts into business outcomes: “How do we measure it; how do we measure the comments and story points to [become] value points [that] translate to physical income revenue? So, we’re actually trying to get to that level of measurement…as we transform to this horizontal, moving away from product-centric to what we call platform thinking.”

• • Continuous investment: Building a high-performing tech team is not a one-time effort. It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous investment in your team’s skills, tools, and resources. Regularly assess your team’s needs and provide opportunities for growth, such as training programmes, workshops, and access to the latest technologies. “[The] thing I think that’s really missed out is all the groundwork you need to lay to ensure that the team maintains itself as high performing. And because it’s not a tick box that you’ve reached that high-performing stage – don’t have to think about it anymore – it’s something that’s continuous and people must continually think about and work on”, says Sophie Hebdidge.

• • Talent attraction in a competitive market: In today’s competitive tech landscape, attracting top talent is a significant challenge. To stand out, develop a strong employer brand that reflects your company’s values and vision. Streamline your recruitment process and clearly communicate your expectations and opportunities to potential hires. Emphasise the long-term career prospects and the unique benefits of working with your team.Rob Bachan pointed out the intensity of this competition: “Talent is hard to get because it’s competitive, extremely competitive. So, it’s not that it’s scarce, it’s actually extremely competitive and you’re competing on salary, you’re competing on benefits, you’re competing on culture.”Ilona Simpson added valuable advice on inclusivity in job descriptions: “[Position] your job description in a way to be more inclusive and to be more balanced…sentences or bits and pieces that [you] would replace or add to the role description so that it appeals to a wider group of people.”

• • Team organisation: A high-performing tech team is diverse in both skills and working styles. Ensure that your team includes a mix of technical experts, creative thinkers, and effective communicators. Leadership roles should be filled by individuals who possess both technical prowess and the ability to manage and inspire others.Consider structuring your team to maximise collaboration and innovation. Rob Bachan emphasised the importance of technical knowledge within leadership: “I think it’s really important in the makeup of a team to have engineering leadership roles where people are technically able and can sit down with a junior QA tester and have a conversation if needed and maybe even programme if needed. A strong engineering community is important.”

• • Environment creation: Foster an inclusive atmosphere that values diversity of thought and provides equitable recognition for all team members. Be mindful of potential burnout and consider implementing hybrid working models that balance remote flexibility with face-to-face collaboration. Creating a supportive environment where team members feel valued and motivated is key to long-term success.Ilona Simpson discussed the importance of fostering communication among diverse team members: “From learning perspectives and personalities, if someone is ‘ready shoot aim’ and you have a voice at the table with more conservative people, how do I bring those two together [so] that they actually start communicating? How do we create that environment where this diversity gets listened to, gets absorbed by the team and carried forward by the team.”

• • Unified team culture: In cases where your team includes outsourced or contract workers, it’s crucial to create a sense of belonging and equal value for all members. A unified team culture promotes collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to achieving common goals. Ilona Simpson goes on to add: “Internal people do town halls; we do all sorts of things with the employees that create additional bonding in the organisation…be mindful that if it’s a mixed team, if it’s a hybrid team, how do you compensate for that element of them kind of not belonging into still being an integral part of the team – being valued, appreciated and feeling equal?”

Identifying and recruiting top talent

A robust talent acquisition strategy is the first step in building a high-performing tech team. Here’s how to ensure you’re bringing in the right talent:

Effective technical assessment

Implement rigorous, unique, and relevant technical assessment methods to evaluate candidates’ skills and problem-solving abilities. Focus on the kinds of problems your organisation tries to solve, specifically. This can include coding challenges, pair programming interviews, and real-world scenario tests. These assessments not only help you identify top performers but also give candidates a taste of the challenges they’ll face on the job.

Employer branding

Your employer brand plays a critical role in attracting top tech professionals. Showcase your company’s culture, mission, and values through your online presence, including your website, social media, and job listings. Highlight the opportunities for career growth, the impact of your work, and the unique aspects of your company that make it an attractive place to work beyond the expected and usual ‘nice-to-haves’ – lean in on what sets your company apart.

Diverse hiring practices

Diversity is a key driver of innovation and team strength. Embrace diverse hiring practices that bring in talent from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This not only enriches your team but also enhances problem-solving and creativity, leading to better outcomes.

Fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning

Innovation and continuous learning are essential for maintaining a high-performing tech team. Here’s how to cultivate this culture:

Learning-focused environment

Create a work environment that prioritises learning and development. Encourage team members to take ownership of their growth by providing allocated learning time, access to online courses, and opportunities to attend industry conferences. Internal tech talks and knowledge-sharing sessions can also foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Diversity and inclusion (DEI)

As we covered before, embracing diversity and inclusion is more than checkboxes, it can act as a means to fuel innovation. A diverse team brings different perspectives, ideas, and problem-solving approaches, leading to more creative and effective solutions. Make DEI a core value of your team culture to enhance collaboration and drive innovation.

Mentorship programmes

Implement mentorship programmes where experienced team members can guide and support less experienced colleagues. This not only helps with skill development but also strengthens team bonds and knowledge sharing. Mentorship can be formal or informal, but its impact on team growth and cohesion is significant.

Structuring your tech team for optimal performance

The structure of your tech team plays a crucial role in its performance. Here’s how to optimise it:

Team structures

Explore different team structures, such as the squad model or matrix organisation, to find the one that best suits your organisational dynamics. Each structure has its pros and cons, so consider your company’s goals, the nature of your projects, and the level of collaboration required.

Clear roles and responsibilities

Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and career progression paths within your team. This not only helps team members understand their contributions but also provides motivation and direction for career growth. Regularly review and update these roles to adapt to changing needs.

Specialisation vs. cross-functional skills

Strike a balance between specialisation and cross-functional skills within your team. While specialists bring deep expertise, cross-functional team members can collaborate across different areas, enhancing flexibility and problem-solving. A combination of both can lead to a more agile and effective team.

Technical leadership

Strong technical leadership is essential for guiding team structure and performance. Leaders should not only have the technical knowledge to make informed decisions but also the interpersonal skills to inspire and motivate their teams.

Implementing agile methodologies for project management

Agile methodologies are widely recognised for their effectiveness in managing tech teams. Here’s how to implement them successfully:

• Benefits of agile: Agile methodologies offer numerous benefits, including increased flexibility, faster delivery, and improved team collaboration. By breaking projects into smaller, manageable tasks, teams can respond more quickly to changes and deliver value incrementally.
• Popular agile frameworks: Consider implementing popular agile frameworks like Scrum or Kanban, depending on your team’s needs. Scrum focuses on iterative development with set sprint cycles, while Kanban emphasises continuous workflow and visual management. Both frameworks can help streamline project management and improve efficiency.
• Enhancing collaboration and communication: Agile methodologies thrive on collaboration and communication. Use daily stand-up meetings, retrospectives, and collaborative tools to keep everyone aligned and informed. Regular feedback loops ensure that the team can continuously improve its processes and outcomes.
• Overcoming challenges: Agile implementation can come with challenges, such as resistance to change or difficulty in scaling. Address these challenges by providing training, setting clear expectations, and gradually integrating agile practices into your team’s workflow. Flexibility and adaptability are key to overcoming these hurdles.

Measuring and improving team productivity

To ensure your tech team is performing at its best, it’s essential to measure and improve productivity.

• Data-driven decision-making: Use data-driven decision-making to manage your team’s productivity. Implement tools and dashboards that track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cycle time, code quality, and deployment frequency. These metrics provide valuable insights into how well your team is performing and where improvements can be made.
• Key performance indicators (KPIs): Identify the KPIs that matter most to your team and business objectives. Common KPIs for tech teams include velocity, defect rates, and customer satisfaction. Regularly review these metrics to assess your team’s progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Productivity measurement tools: Leverage productivity measurement tools that provide real-time data on your team’s performance. Tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana can help track progress, manage tasks, and ensure that projects stay on schedule.
• Balancing metrics and assessments: While quantitative metrics are important, don’t overlook the value of qualitative assessments. Regularly seek feedback from team members and stakeholders to gain a holistic view of your team’s performance. Balancing both quantitative and qualitative insights will give you a more accurate picture of your team’s effectiveness.

Building the best tech teams for your company

Building and managing a high-performing tech team is a continuous process that requires adaptability, strategic planning, and a commitment to fostering a culture of excellence. As the tech landscape evolves, so too must your approach to team management. By implementing the strategies discussed in this article, you can create a tech team that not only meets but exceeds your company’s goals.

When it comes to finding the right tech recruitment partner, consider working with La Fosse to help you build the right talent solutions for your business. With a passion for people, a proven track record, and pride in multiple awards for tech recruitment excellence, La Fosse is well-equipped to help you build and manage a tech team that drives your business forward. Contact our team today and let’s start a conversation.

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So, as such a vital component in organisational success, how do you ensure that architecture has a real presence in the boardroom and is ultimately seen as a major contributor, rather than as a cost centre whose primary role is to keep the lights on?

Long-term strategy vs short-term execution

When we hear about enterprise architecture failing, it’s usually down to little buy-in from the C-suite or lack of sponsorship from those with a seat at the top table. There’s either miscommunication or a lack of understanding of what architecture really is and how it can help the business. We’ve all heard examples of CIOs and CTOs bringing in enterprise architecture thinking it will solve all problems.

Before even considering a Chief Architect hire, the leadership team must be clear on what can be achieved and how the role will benefit the organisation, with a realistic timeframe for delivery. The situation can be likened to the pattern of football club managers being hired, only to lose their jobs after a short spell of losses. They may have inherited a poor squad, or the owner has unrealistic expectations of what’s possible to achieve. In both cases, it’s the manager (or Chief Architect) who suffers, the organisation loses confidence and trust, and successful implementation falls out of reach – a vicious cycle.

Getting buy-in at board level

When it comes to interaction with the board, communicating value is key to getting buy-in. Especially with technical or lesser-understood business functions, the ability to demonstrate the positive impact of your team is an important skill. Think about:

• Shifting mindsets – there’s always been an air of intimidation from the technology team, that they are the all-knowing experts of everything IT-related. This is obviously not the case, and the majority of Chief Architects we’ve spoken to have admitted to panicking anytime a shiny new technology is launched and the board demands to know how it can fix their problems (Chat GPT/AI anyone?). If you make yourself vulnerable and admit that you’re not the expert, but can find someone who is or develop your own knowledge, you’ll gain trust and reduce the ‘us and them’ divide.
• Knowing your audience – numbers are the language of the C-suite. When engaging them, if you can evidence what you’re saying with specific, compelling metrics, they’re more likely to take note. Bear in mind that success is dependant on the stakeholders you’re engaging. For example, a CFO will be more interested in cost-saving and revenue increase numbers, but a CPO will have different drivers. Get to know your stakeholders, their motivations, and ultimately what helps them to succeed in their role, and then tailor your approach to it.
• Alleviating pain points – it may be a business process that could be easily streamlined or upgrading legacy tech, but by uncovering your stakeholder pain points early on, you can find some immediate successes and easy wins. If you can help someone, you’ll get them on-side. Even if it’s not necessarily your area of expertise, gain trust by making things easier; it’ll quickly open doors and help develop stronger relationships. Consider the bigger picture – could mulitple people or branches of the business benefit from something you’re working on? Find and improve connecting functions, not only making efficiencies but bringing different elements of the business toether.
• Being properly prepared – We hear so often that the challenge is getting into the boardroom in the first place, but once you do, do you have a clear plan? Being prepared is about having a business case fully worked out, knowing the answers to follow-up questions, and mapping out next steps. Be ready to make decisions and take accountability, but also think about suitable options for projects that require more stakeholders involvement. Be clear that architects aren’t just problem-solvers; they’re also idea-generators. Considering architecture at the ideation stage is vital with any new projects or initiatives. Ask some of your less-technical peers for feedback on how you communicate your technical points; peer review gives a different perspective to ensure your message hits the mark.

Balancing advancement with BAU

Whilst it’s true that digital transformation and technical innovation are key success drivers, there’s a need to balance new projects with the day-to-day. Without a solid architectural foundation, those development areas won’t have a stable footing to start out on. It’s easy to get caught up in the shiny and exciting stuff, but the engine needs to keep running.

Data can be helpful here – what’s working well? What efficiencies could be made? What small changes can help to support those efficiencies? Identify where minimal changes can have a big impact and showcase your team’s value in these areas whilst leaving space to carry out BAU tasks.

Sometimes, tech ideas come from less technically minded business functions. For example, the Product Team may ask for what they believe is a simple and straightforward update but is actually a complex undertaking. Manage expectations by collaborating with them and plotting the realistic scope of the project. If the alignment with overall business strategy isn’t apparent, or the effort outweighs the end result, where does the value lie

Building a tech culture

Culture may be the word of the moment, but it’s a key business focus for a reason. Building a tech culture is about embedding technology throughout your organisation, enabling your workforce to utilise tech tools, and using them to support growth and success.

Collaboration is a huge part of successful tech culture – there needs to be a mutual respect and understanding between different branches of your business to facilitate growth. For example, the Product Team can lead the creation of a business value case, but they must be aligned with the Architecture Team to understand the full scope and plan implementation.

Building trust is also important here. It takes time to establish your credibility and value, but each team needs to be able to rely on the other. There’s a common opinion that architects offer options, but rarely take a stance; as with the board, build trust by showing that you can make decisions and guide the narrative.

In any workplace, understanding people is at the heart of good culture. Take time to talk to people, find out what drives them, how they make decisions, what’s important in their day-to-day role. If you’re able to understand the vision of the people you working with, it’s easier to feed into and facilitate that together.

Reading list:

• Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture, by Martin Fowler
• Empowered, by Marty Cagan and Chris Jones
• Influence, by Robert Cialdini
• Surrounded by Idiots, by Thomas Ericson

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Start with culture

It’s no secret that a successful business has a successful culture at the centre, so embedding an expectation of excellence within that culture is a great place to start. Company culture is made up of three things: the things that are written down, the things that are said, and the things that are demonstrated and believed. As a leader, it’s your job to set the tone and really show up; you must live and breathe your company’s culture and elevate the environment.

The next stage is driving those messages and actions throughout your teams and the wider organisation. Visit employees in each location, encourage input from everyone on what’s going well and what could be improved, and welcome suggestions on different ways of working. It’s only by collating different opinions that you’ll understand how embedded those cultural elements are. Remember, culture needs to be championed across the company from top-to-bottom, so buy-in at board level is equally as important.

Hire for personality

Tech comes and goes (after all, it’s just a tool), but the person using the tool and using it well is where success lies. The most important thing you can do is hire good people, and ‘good’ doesn’t necessarily mean technically proficient. Skills can be taught; personality, problem-solving ability, and work ethic cannot.

Of course, there’s a basic skill-level requirement, but it’s not the leading factor. Having a detailed understanding of the soft skills and ways of working already present in your teams can help you to identify what you’re missing, and therefore recognise the value-add candidates. Bring on people who are smarter than you; if you’re wise enough to realise your gaps and shortfalls and then hire people to fill those gaps, you’re on to a winning formula.

Optimise collaboration

Online technical collaboration tools make working over the web pretty simple, but emotional contagion is a huge factor of working as a team, and being physically together at regular times is vital to understand the more subtle nuances of interaction. Combining the two can work well; the time spent together in person can focus on communication, the time spent online can focus on technical work. Ensure you’re enabling both environments as much as possible.

Testing collaboration at the interview stage can also be a great indication of individual work practices and approaches. Try giving your candidates a problem and then work with them to find out how they solve it – you’ll see practical examples of problem-solving, critical thinking, resilience, curiosity, and reaction to failure, all of which will help you to understand how each person will work within your team.

Understand drivers

In a competitive marketplace, understanding what attracts and motivates candidates isn’t where the conversation ends; to retain your staff, you must ensure they feel fulfilled in their roles. Find out what drives them – recognition, working with others, remuneration, trust in managers, challenge, career progression – and keep talking about this on an individual level as their roles develop. Remember, the things that make one person happy are not necessarily what make another person happy.

Commonly in tech, innovative and dynamic ways of working are an attractive prospect for candidates and employees, and being open to suggested new ways of working, alternative tech stacks, or unfamiliar software can not only motivate but also show a willingness to be flexible.

Focus on happiness

Defining success within teams can be difficult, but ‘The Happiness Factor’ is the leading indicator of whether people will deliver, bring people along with them, and help build a positive culture.

Autonomy is a huge element of happiness; people don’t want to be order-takers, and so allowing for self-management (to an extent) can help to create a more positive environment. If you’ve hired the right people, trusting them to do their job should come next.

As with understanding drivers, talk to your teams about what makes them happy. Send out regular surveys and ask for feedback, welcome suggestions, and check in on your employees with regard to their mental health and well-being.

Manage your vendors

If you’re using external agencies and vendors to hire into your teams, treat them as closely as you would an employee or internal hiring manager, and hold them to the same standard. Communicate the cultural elements that are vital to your business’ success and ensure they are hiring against them. Align your interview questions to uncover ‘personality’ factors, collaboration styles, and soft skill sets. Your vendors are a representation of your business; excellence should be front of mind for them, too.

Reading list:

• Riding the Waves of Culture by Charles Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars
• Communication for Engineers by Chris Laffra
• Legacy by James Kerr
• Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais

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From maintaining a robust IT framework to keeping an eye on emerging trends, ITSM leaders are a key driver of innovation and business growth. 

But how can ITSM leaders bring value and navigate their many challenges? 

During our recent ITSM Summit event, we brought together ITSM leaders to discuss how to get the most from your teams and what the future holds for the industry.  

Here’s a round-up of the key themes from the night. 

Set up for success

ITSM, like any other service, needs clearly defined goals to measure success.  

It may sound obvious, but it’s vital to be clear on the role of ITSM in your business. What does the user want? What do they need? If your service meets or exceeds expectations, you’ll have a seat at the table and get the visibility and influence you need to drive value. 

When you’re working on large matrix projects, make people accountable and get cross functional teams to work together. This will ensure projects don’t take too long and cost too much. Fast feedback loops are a useful way to keep teams engaged. Collate feedback, produce improvement plans and showcase delivery. 

The tools you use are also a key factor in user perception. ServiceNow is used by nearly 85% of Fortune 500 companies and 70% of our ITSM Summit attendees, but it may not be the best fit for you. Gartner’s magic quadrant can help you understand where you stand. 

Move from traditional to agile

There’s a growing expectation for ITSM to be flexible and adaptable to business needs. Essentially, you shouldn’t work for the processes, the processes should work for you. 

Cloud transformation has made it easier for ITSM teams to work to within an agile framework, and make the most of the flexible roadmaps, ongoing adjustments and constant collaboration that comes with it.  

It’s also allowed for a closer relationship between ITSM and DevOps. While the teams may have a different focus, they can come together to deliver shared objectives. Integrating tools and systems between the teams is a useful way to share knowledge and align on strategic projects. 

While agile brings many benefits it’s important to not lose sight of traditional ITSM principles. Strong processes and detailed documentation complement agile ideals and make for a strong structure that delivers a better user experience, reduced risk, improved culture and better adherence to regulations. 

Optimise with automation

Automation and AI will undoubtedly have a part to play in the future of ITSM. However, its implementation should be linked to business objectives. If automation doesn’t help you achieve your goals, it’s not much more than a vanity project. 

Depending on your use case, automation can bring about significant benefits. For example, it can allow you to simplify processes to allow service desk agents to focus on continual service improvement (CSI). Virtual assistants, chatbots and machine learning can all help optimise your process, cut costs and improved user experience. 

In a poll of ITSM leaders after our event, over 50% said that optimising processes and productivity were their focus points for the next 12 months, with integrating AI the next most popular goal. 

This highlights that process is still a key focus for ITSM leaders and AI and automation is likely to be part of that journey. But it’s important to stress that a human element and a personal touch will always be needed. 

Build great teams

Alongside having a clear strategy and access to relevant tooling, building a strong team culture team is key. The book Radical Candor by Kim Scott outlines how leaders can be more effective by combining sincerity with care. 

Modern ITSM should move away from a command-and-control culture to one that promotes collaboration and problem solving. An example being the simple switch from ‘change manager’ to ‘change enabler’ mindset. This will help ITSM SMEs to think like a developer, becoming more agile and able to adapt to challenges, and foster an environment for continuous improvements. 

The change in team culture can also be seen at leadership level. A recent trend has showed a shift from a traditional CIO approach to the people- and product-led CDO vision.

But team culture is only as effective as talent you have available. Hiring staff that can successfully manage change and are comfortable working with a range of stakeholders will remain a core part of delivering value.

Get in touch with ITSM recruitment experts

At La Fosse, we help leaders build great teams. We have built strong relationships with a large network of ITSM professionals over 10 years, making us well placed to find the match for any of your future hiring.

If you have an immediate hiring need, or would like to discuss the ITSM market, please submit a brief.

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Digital solutions

The recent transformation to hybrid and remote working that many companies have adopted has resulted in an increased demand and need for the implementation of more robust working solutions. Within a digital setting, there are far more cyber risks and a subsequent need for better IT tools to combat this. Many companies have faced challenges from operating digitally, especially in terms of being affected by cyber attacks, so investing in new technologies should be a priority. When discussing how to avoid falling victim to cyber attacks, the IT Pro Portal writes:

“Companies can look for intelligent cloud-based solutions that combine the benefits of streaming an online workplace effortlessly with complete trust in the solution to resolve exposure to hackers.”

These solutions can help businesses establish a more robust working environment and find solutions to any cyber issues they are presented with.

At La Fosse, we have already implemented change ourselves to help the transition to hybrid working run smoothly, and we understand the importance of creating a cyber-secure digital environment. We also have an extensive cyber security team who help our clients find the right employees to implement cloud-based solutions and infrastructure, helping them to build more robust working solutions for their business. Alongside this, our consultancy arm La Fosse Digital Outcomes offers various managed services which can help you implement further transformations within your business.

The digital divide

As well as cyber issues, moving to a more digital world of work has created a digital divide, particularly between generations, wherein many older users or employees are not as used to using the technology needed to work completely remotely. This limits their ability to carry out their job and so companies need to address this and make sure they are taking the necessary steps to ensure inclusivity and accessibility to all employees. In some cases, the digital divide forces employers to rethink the way they communicate. According to Insight,

“Due to COVID-19 precautions, many employers continue to limit or prohibit in-person workplace interactions among non-essential workers. For these organisations, digital channels have become the primary, if not the only, means of communication.”

This compounds the digital divide, often leaving many employees unhappy with their work life experience. Worryingly, “just 2 in 5 organisations assess overall satisfaction with communications, behaviour change and business outcomes.” This creates a divide not only between employees but between the employee and company itself, potentially resulting in a negative impact on overall business.

Wellbeing and culture

Luckily, there are ways to close the digital divide. In addition to properly training staff on new digital tools, technology and wellbeing go hand in hand to create a consistent and functioning workplace. Companies offering regular meetings, team calls and online events can increase wellbeing within the company and give employees a greater sense of belonging and inclusion.

Additionally, constant screen time and minimal face time when working from home can result in more stress and a poor work-life balance, negatively impacting wellbeing. With home working being a big part of ‘the new normal’, both employers and employees will need to learn to adapt. Although it can be overwhelming now, Kenneth Cukier, senior editor at The Economist, gives his view that,

“Over the next 10 years, the industry will get better at making it more subtle rather than distracting, and people will develop the social norms and personal behaviours to interact with digital technologies less frenetically.”

Building a desirable company culture is key to any business. Especially after COVID, it is more important than ever for attracting new talent and employees, standing out from other companies, and maintaining a happy workforce. According to research by Deloitte, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to a business’ success. In addition to this, a recent Robert Half survey found that more than a third of workers would pass on the perfect job if the culture wasn’t a good match for them and over 90% of managers said a candidate’s fit with the organization is equal to or more important than their skills and experience.

A recent LinkedIn study also found that if you’re looking to positively impact hiring, talent management, or employee experience, you must provide them with an environment that gives them purpose. Speaking from their own analysis, LinkedIn reported:

“Our purpose-oriented employees have higher levels of engagement and fulfillment with their work. They outperform their peers in every indicator, including expected tenure and leadership competencies like self-advocacy and comfort with senior leadership.”

The executive chairman of LinkedIn states also that “companies that understand the increasing emphasis of purpose in today’s professional landscape improve their ability to attract such employees and also their ability to retain them for longer periods of time.” LinkedIn also found that companies who didn’t prioritise their company culture and were not ‘purpose-led’ saw a 42% drop in revenue compared to those who did.

At La Fosse, we take culture seriously. Our consultants regularly advise client on how to improve company culture and make their business more attractive to potential employees. But don’t just take our word for it – listening to our employees and constantly implementing changes throughout the years has resulted in us being named one of the ‘100 Best Small/Mid-Market Companies to Work For’ for 9 years running!

Most recently, we have hired our first Chief People Officer, Jackie Dane, who is in charge of maintaining and enhancing our company culture and looking after our people. In Jackie’s own words:

“Creating a culture where people can thrive is critical to business success. A healthy culture should make everyone feel a sense of belonging and identification with the organisation’s values, beliefs, and behaviours. Having that connection allows individuals to be themselves, feel psychologically secure and create better engagement and creativity in the workplace. It goes without saying that companies that harness diverse and inclusive environments drive innovation that’s reflective of the diverse views of the communities they serve.”

As well as listening closely to the needs of our employees through regular employee surveys, we also offer a range of wellbeing and mental health offerings – this goes hand in hand with culture, and we believe that services such as counselling, hypnotherapy, wellness coaching, and our volunteer mental health first aiders across the business help our employees to feel supported and able to bring their best selves to work.

Don’t forget, it’s still important to look after your health and wellbeing when you’re between jobs too. Check out this article for our top tips.

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As our founder, Simon La Fosse, advocates;

“Today more than ever, mental health needs to be a priority for all leadership teams. My employees’ wellbeing is something I’ve always been very conscious of, and as a business, we’re constantly looking for new ways to support everyone at La Fosse in bringing their best selves to work. It’s an undisputed fact that when employees feel their mental health needs are being met, they are better placed to look after their customers – putting your people’s wellbeing first is not just the right thing to do, it’s better for business.”

In today’s hybrid working culture, it’s more important than ever for organisations to recognise the impact that mental health has on every aspect of life and start prioritising their employees’ wellbeing. We’ve compiled five key factors to include when developing or reviewing your mental health strategy, and some tips to help you get there.

One size doesn’t fit all

When developing your workplace mental health strategy, it’s important to remember that mental health looks different for everyone. To ensure inclusivity, your policy should reflect and address the needs of each individual’s needs within the business.

For some, this means communication – offering the opportunity to talk with a therapist or have a one-to-one session with someone within your HR team. For others, it may mean having a flexible time off policy so people can take a short break when they feel their mental health slipping.

We recommend using surveys, mental health risk assessments, employee focus groups and/or online tools to gain insight into your workforce’s needs before creating a plan from which to build your strategy. But initial research is not enough – to ensure you’re able to measure how well you’re catering to employees needs and alter plans accordingly, it’s highly beneficial to send a regular pulse survey to all employees.

Make mental health a part of your culture

Create, implement, and consciously communicate a benefits plan which promotes positive mental health and outlines the support available for those who need it. Without proper communication of your offering, some people will assume there is nothing in place and be less likely to reach out.

Fostering a culture of care is a huge priority for us at La Fosse. A few ways we promote a healthy work-life balance is through regular social activities, cultural trips to museums and exhibitions, and a range of internal clubs and networks. These activities really help people get away from their desks and have time to socialise and bond with people across the business.

As well as offering physical health benefits such as weekly massages and gym passes, we also address mental health directly through a range of externally provided partnerships. These include a BUPA Healthy Minds 24/7 telephone helpline, a qualified hypnotherapist, and Sanctus wellbeing coaches.

Ensure full backing and championing from leadership

For a mental health strategy to succeed, full leadership backing is essential – when leaders are openly discussing mental health, employees are more likely to feel comfortable doing the same. As well as training managers on how to start conversations on mental health and teaching them the right skills needed to deal with different situations that might arise within their teams, having regular check-ins between them and your HR function not only helps you spot gaps in your strategy, but also in turn provides further support to those managers.

Educate employees on how to understand and help each other

Although it is first and foremost the organisation’s responsibility to support its employees by training managers and making mental health information, tools, and support readily accessible to all employees, employee-led mental health schemes can also be beneficial. One such way that we have employed is through training up volunteer Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) with MHFA England – these volunteers act as a friendly face for a confidential chat about mental health and have been trained to spot early signs of distress, provide mental health ‘first aid’, and signpost people to the appropriate source of help and support.

Celebrate wins

Workload and workplace contribute massively to an individual’s mental state and wellbeing. As well as creating a stable, supportive environment for employees, it’s also important to recognise and celebrate success, ensuring people feel appreciated and motivated to keep working hard.

There are plenty of ways to do this, from sharing successes via email or in team meetings, to putting incentives in place across the business to reward employees based on performance. One successful way we have implemented this at La Fosse is through our weekly culture nominations where employees leave anonymous nominations for others in the company who have gone out of their way to offer their time, assistance, support or motivation. We then celebrate these at weekly company meetings where a winner is chosen to receive a small gift and a huge round of applause from the whole company.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate wins and show your appreciation for one another in order to promote a positive and happy workplace and workforce, finding what works best for your business is a great way to get started.

To summarise:

“The old ‘people officer’ HR regime operated in a world where if you had a problem, people would say ‘pull yourself together’ and keep going, whereas I think now, we’re seeing more mental health issues coming to the fore. Although the shift to recognising mental health conditions is good, I think the real challenge for employers is how do we destigmatise them, and how do we work to prevent them?”

Where to next?

If you liked this blog, why not check out:

Mental Health: Why it’s better when we talk about it

Maintaining Physical Health and Mental Wellbeing During Your Job Search

Secret Leaders Live: Mental Health Among Tech Entrepreneurs

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What are the advantages of hybrid working?

The nature of work is changing. Pre-COVID, work was a ‘place to be’ rather than a ‘thing to do’, but recent pressures have resulted in this office-focused mentality being tipped on its head. As such, a hybrid model is essential for most organisations going forward; something which must be led from the top and have buy-in throughout the business to work effectively. From a leadership perspective, this involves a lot of re-wiring of working practices. Across the board, business leaders are working on a tactical basis to adapt to home working, and even some of the most progressive businesses are not yet analysing remote work productivity as a metric. As the dust settles on the new normal, employers need to ensure all decisions are not only proactive and intentional, but also flexible – home working is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and different working conditions such as parenting, and house sharing must be considered when setting expectations and targets.

There are many positives to businesses operating with a hybrid work model which have come to light throughout the last year. One of the main pros is the increased emphasis on productivity, which many companies have reported as a benefit of hybrid working. This is due to there being a shift in focus from ‘set hours worked’ to completing a project within a set timeframe. Instead of trying to fill up time throughout the day in order to look ‘busy’, there is now less focus on just appearing productive and more focus on actually being productive. This now means that employees are more likely to be judged on the quality of work and their results rather than their daily behaviour.

Another main component which adds to the increased productivity found amongst businesses is that working remotely allows people to fit work around their personal schedules, enabling them to be more productive in the hours they are at their desks. In order for these ways of work to be successful, employees must also pull their weight by optimising their use of collaboration tools to effectively carry out daily tasks and maintaining strong relationships within the team. This could mean anything from understanding virtual meeting etiquette (waiting to talk, muting to avoid distractions, etc.) to being mindful of family circumstances when trying to get hold of someone. Not only must employees ensure they are getting their work done, but they must also show they can be trusted to perform effectively from home. Already, it has been found that the hybrid working model instils a sense of trust in employees and motivates them to get work done efficiently.

In addition to increasing levels of productivity, many reports show that staff wellbeing and morale have also increased over the past year. It’s been found that people tend to prefer the remote/hybrid work model; Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2021 report found that over 97% of respondents would “like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of [their] career”, with key benefits including the ability to have a flexible schedule and work from anywhere, not having to commute, and the ability to spend time with family.

Results and reports from hybrid work model trials have shown that flexibility helps build a better work culture where employees are happy, more efficient and productive, and employers are satisfied with returns and overall improved business performance. As seen below, reports from Employment Hero provide many statistics which support the above arguments. Whilst productivity increased, so did job satisfaction and retention rates. 55% of workers said they would look elsewhere if remote/hybrid work was not an option in their company, and 13% were more likely to stay in their role for 5 years if they could continue working in this way.

​Source: Employment Hero

​How has working from home affected cyber security?

Although some companies have been ready for remote working for years, many have had to scramble to get their tech up to scratch and ensure everyone knows how to use it. This is especially important when onboarding new joiners, but even existing employees should have a working knowledge of the tools available to them in order to maximise efficiency and ensure IT time is spent on more urgent matters.

Any companies with a physical presence must also reflect these changes within their office space for the same reasons. With some participants in the office and others at home, meetings are becoming increasingly hybridised, but there has been concern among many of our clients that this can result in peers joining remotely being given either all the attention or none at all. Where possible, AV systems in meeting rooms should be set up to encourage equal participation through collaborative tools such as interactive boards and screen sharing options. As previously noted, all staff should know how to use the technology, and it is advisable to keep instructions on a shared drive as well as in the room itself.

With this in mind, a huge negative of switching over to a remote working structure are the cyber security issues that come with it. According to a study by Twingate, 59% of people felt more cyber secure in the office compared to at home, and many experienced cyber breaches during meetings, with over 1 in 10 employees having their video calls hacked. Despite, 86% of managers claiming to have prepared their teams to work from home securely, only 60% of employees felt prepared – this leaves a large percentage of employees not feeling confident with security. Moving forward, therefore, if businesses want to continue working online, they must ensure they carry out the correct training and education for their employees and make sure they have a secure system in place to combat breaches.

​Source: Twingate

​Do we need an office at all?

For some smaller businesses, the shift to remote working has brought into question the need for having a central office at all, especially when productivity levels seem to be just as high at home. There are some issues with this model, however.

While there are many positives to working remotely, there are also numerous reasons why for many people, returning to normal can be seen as going hand in hand with returning to the office. Despite other studies indicating otherwise, a global study conducted by Qualtrics, SAP and Mind Share Partners found that over 40% of people said their mental health has declined since COVID started, and they reported increased levels of anxiety and stress. In many cases, this directly links to a lack of social interaction. Although many studies show that a hybrid working model proves to be the most popular, humans are inherently social creatures. Therefore, a lack of work-life balance, especially for those with less ideal home working conditions and declining mental health, could affect the overall potential of the business as a whole.

Judging by the number of our clients who have begun to return to the office in recent months, we have also learned that face time is something that cannot be replaced. This is particularly important with reference to onboarding new joiners, working on collaborative projects, and ultimately staff morale. Not only can this impact the work/life balance, but Twingate also reported that 40% experience mental exhaustion from video calls and are drained from the reality of having to attend more meetings throughout the day while working from home, attempting to maintain the same level of interaction that they would typically experience at a normal day in the office. Similarly, Forbes reported on a Doodle survey that found a full week of virtual meetings leaves 38% of employees feeling exhausted, while 30% felt stressed. This heavily suggests that face-to-face interaction is not important solely for social purposes, but also to promote mental wellness and morale amongst workers.

​Source: Twingate

​While being able to work remotely has been a blessing during the pandemic for many companies, not all roles or businesses can cope with working in this way forever. According to research carried out by Gartner, remote working can actually marginalise people who may find it harder for their voices to be heard. It can also cause divisions between teams, with employees feeling as though their colleagues who have better home working conditions have the upper hand. Further supporting the risk of marginalisation, a survey from Igloo found that remote workers experience great challenges with inclusion in meetings and general office dynamics. The report states that 55% of remote workers feel left out of brainstorming sessions and meetings whilst at home, and feel as though they do not have access to adequate resources and information in order to do their job or progress. This, alongside reduced social interaction, can result in diminishing relationships between colleagues, demotivating them and therefore negatively impacting the company dynamics.

To combat this, many companies are considering establishing out-of-town offices, utilising co-working spaces, or even just holding team meetings at a café or library. Although space requirements are shifting, especially in the uncertainty of the short-term landscape, offices are crucial for maintaining employee mental health, motivation, and a sense of togetherness – there will always be a need for them, the question for business leaders now is: in what capacity?

​How does remote working affect customer satisfaction and experience?

There is a direct link between employee satisfaction and customer experience. For many businesses, client interaction is crucial to the overall success of a company and the services they provide, but some employers may not be aware that they also need to keep an eye on how remote employee performance. Although remote working has in many cases led to increased personal performance, it has not necessarily led to increased company performance in certain sectors that depend mostly on employee-client relationships, nor made it easier for interactions with clients. Remote working has, in some cases, proven to have a negative impact and interrupt customer experience, especially for physical consultations from specialist service providers. The hybrid model is likely here to stay, but in order to combat this challenge going forward, businesses need to rethink both customer and employee experience. This could be achieved through implementing long term plans to ensure longevity of service, making sure they have the correct technologies and systems in place, and also making a point of checking in on employee satisfaction and happiness to ensure this translates and reflects onto their client base. Organisations must find the right balance of human interaction between clients and employees, as clients and customers personalised interactions and relationships greatly affect perceptions of the service’s value.

When it comes to these different working models, there is no one size fits all, and each company and individual adapts and copes differently. Whilst the hybrid model seems like the best option for many businesses moving forward, there are industries that would not benefit from this to the same extent and so will continue with this in mind. We know remote working can work when it needs to and that there are benefits to it, even if it is only carried out for a short-term period. Moving forward, we must accept that there are many pros and cons to each working model and find a happy medium.

Whether you’re going back to the office, staying remote or implementing a hybrid model, we can help source the right talent for you. We have a network of over 30,000 professionals ready to slot right into your organisation – head over to our specialisms page to find the right consultant to assist with your hiring needs.

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I was delighted to be joined by a host of industry leaders last week for the latest in our Design Leadership Forum series, “Staying Connected”. Led by Daniel Corder, Head of UX & Design at Gumtree, the virtual event brought forward a range of ideas and experiences around supporting the mental wellbeing of their teams in these unusual circumstances, and using tools to maintain productivity and collaboration.

Here are a few key takeaways from the event:

Current concerns

The significant shift in business practices that has emerged as a result of COVID has already begun to have an impact on design teams. Particularly among cross-functional design ‘squads’, there is a growing tendency for teams to be siloed, a concern which has been compounded by the lack of a central office. The absence of physical face time is not just affecting creativity, as teams have no shared space to collaborate on new ideas, but many designers have also struggled to get their thoughts across as intended over message-based platforms: phrasing can easily be misconstrued, resulting in less efficient communication of ideas.

Aside from the business impact, design leaders are also concerned about the effect of remote working on their teams’ personal wellbeing. With most interactions taking place in a meeting format, there is a distinct lack of the banal, water cooler chat where inspiration often springs from. Without this ‘real human interaction’ to break up the day, many employees
are suffering from burnout and a lack of energy towards their work. Similarly, working from home and the lack of an office schedule has left many feeling isolated and at times overworked, finding it difficult to switch off at the end of the day.

Staying connected

Although it can be argued that connectivity has been made easier through the removal of booking in face-to-face meetings in favour of impromptu video calls and group chats, the above concerns indicate that there are still issues that need to be resolved.

Teams

For any design leader, success starts with facilitating effective connectivity within teams. Most managers are using a mixture of tools to achieve this, usually comprised of a chat-based platform like Slack or Teams, a video-based app such as Zoom or Hangouts (Teams also covers this function), and a range of collaborative design platforms such as Miro and Figma.

As the world begins to open up again, some leaders are beginning to facilitate informal in-person meetings, but for now the general consensus is that even just making time for informal chats and regular individual and team catch-ups is conducive to maintaining a positive attitude.

The wider business

In order to combat teams being siloed, many businesses are looking to better connect their designers with the wider business, through initiatives such as involving people from different
departments in initial discussions for maximum buy-in, and buddying employees up with teammates from different offices to share working practices and ideas between locations.

Users

For some companies, adapting their services to deliver remotely is a challenge, sometimes requiring an entire company strategy shift or pivoting into alternative verticals and products to suit the current climate. When it comes to engaging with users, however, COVID has provided a range of new opportunities. For example, remote testing is now a much more widespread means of gathering feedback from users; as people’s familiarity with digital communication increases, tools such as Validately, Lookback and Dscout are already becoming increasingly valuable to design leaders. Remote communication also allows a deeper level of accessibility, be it for connecting with users in other regions, increasing diversity and reach, or even for engaging stakeholders without having to book in-person meetings around busy travel schedules.

Staying happy

The unique challenges created by COVID have prompted many businesses to pay more attention to the wellbeing of their employees, and this is especially true for line managers. As facilitator Dan noted:

‘Happiness shines through our product. It helps keep us in our workplace, helps to focus us, and allows our brains to be more creative, solve problems, and identify opportunities.’

In many cases, promoting happiness within teams is focused around trying to break up the monotony of back-to-back meetings and be a little more flexible with expectations. Some of our design leaders have introduced schemes such as flexible working and productivity outlooks, blackout hours where employees cannot be scheduled into meetings, and even wellbeing days to focus on their personal health. Similarly, lots of people have implemented changes to the meeting structure, whether it be starting early for an informal chat, cutting meetings by five minutes to encourage breaks, ending meetings early where appropriate, or even urging participants to take their meetings outside when they do not need to be actively present on camera.

Many team leaders are also arranging optional fun activities outside of work time to make up for a lack of social bonding time. Although there are some challenges regarding maintaining engagement during non-mandatory calls, managers are finding the sweet spot with a mix of quizzes, virtual team drinks, themed social calls, and ‘brown bag sessions’ where team members present on a hobby, interest, or topic of their choice to colleagues.

Staying positive

Although businesses have no doubt faced many challenges over the past few months, it has also yielded some unexpected benefits. Despite concerns that hours gained from the lack of a commute have been replaced by some choosing to work extended hours, it is undeniable that being at home has had a positive effect on the work-life balance of many employees – people are able to spend more time with their families and are not stuck in the office until late in the evening.

This balance is also useful to consider when engaging in research and testing – many design leaders have found that users are currently more relaxed and willing to chat. Increased
confidence with online tools has also made it easier to reach international users, which in turn makes opening business up to new regions a very achievable goal.

In a time where concerns around communication and efficiency are at the back of every manager’s mind, design leaders have stepped up, using digital proficiency as a chance to bring
their craft to the forefront of conversation and set the groundwork for a more connected, happy future for their teams and wider organisations.​

To learn more about our Digital Leadership Forum events, please drop me an email at annabel.adams@lafosse.com or call me directly on 07876831846.

Browse all our current job openings here.

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La Fosse were delighted to host a virtual event, facilitated by Dan Gilbert, Director of Data at News UK, where senior Data and Analytics leaders could compare challenges and trade insights on how their teams were dealing with remote working.

We also discussed what impacts this might have on the market and on our own businesses in the short and long term.

There were so many interesting points discussed, but here are a few key takeaways:

How are companies coping with virtual working right now?

Mental health: checking in

“It’s a lot more of a natural process to ask someone how they are when you see them in the office everyday: now you need to be more deliberate about it.”

Mental health in the workplace has been receiving increasing attention for some time, and Covid-19 has both drawn on these previous conversations and acted as a catalyst for new ones.

Many attendees raised the issue of how we “check in” with our team. Without being able to pick up on body language or energy, it’s much harder to recognise the early stages of somebody struggling, with the consequence that managers only realise later on down the line, potentially closer to crisis point.

Leaders are therefore having to be more rigid about the mechanisms they use to support and assess their team’s mental health. One leader described setting up a buddy system across different teams in the business and gaining, whilst some are using anonymous mood assessment tools like OpenBlend and OfficeVibe to gain visibility of the organisation’s mental health as a whole.​

Communication: board meetings from broom cupboards

“It’s broadly been positive in giving everyone a bit of an equalising perspective on one another’s lives. Even super senior people look like they’re shoved into broom cupboards to make calls.”

It’s not just speaking face to face vs Zoom: remote working has clearly significantly affected the tone of how we communicate with one another, and what we say.

For some, having a window on each other’s lives – like an insistent six-year-old banging on someone’s door during a stand-up – has made the team feel closer together. In general, managers are setting aside more time to communicate with their teams and putting more thought into how to do so effectively. For many, reporting lines aren’t being as rigidly adhered to, with senior staff making a point of checking in with junior members of the team.

This definitely isn’t to say it’s all been good – informal chats are no longer possible and replacing every two-minute conversation with a half an hour zoom call has felt at times frustratingly unproductive.

However, some felt that concentrating on how to best communicate as a team has taught them some important lessons about how to work together effectively. One attendee observed “for years I talked about cross-functional teams and quoted all the keywords – but it wasn’t until I started working at home that I realised how well it could work when it’s working well.”

​So, what might this mean for the hiring market long term?

With the caveat that we were discussing possibilities rather than making predictions, our Zoom guests had some interesting ideas on what all this might mean for the future.

Flexible working: here to stay?

“There are a number of people who have anxiety about going back to the old ways of things. When it gets to the point where people can go back, there will be a subset of people who may struggle if they’re forced to.”

One of the most self-evident points from this experience, is that some people thrive in remote working environments. Indeed, this might particularly be the case in Analytics, where personalities can be more introverted, and the work is intensely focus-driven. Many people are also just appreciating the hours they gain back from their commute or getting to spend more time with their family.

Moving forward it’s hard to see how businesses who traditionally had a tight cap on remote working and non-flexible hours will justify snapping back their old policies, particularly if some employees have found flexibility agrees with them.

Overall, the whole experience has brought employees’ personal and professional lives much closer together, and businesses have had to shift accordingly to accommodate them – whether it’s giving away extra holiday days to parents who are also acting as full-time teachers, or checking in more regularly with a junior staff member who lives alone. It seems likely that this shift will have a lasting impact on the relationship between businesses and employees.

​Hiring and recruitment – opening the door to more talent?

“If we move completely towards a distributed model, the nature of how we hire people has fundamentally changed.”

So, with the knowledge that location need not necessarily be a barrier, could Covid-19 open the door to new talent for certain businesses? Some of our attendees thought so.

The experience has taught many businesses that virtual working need not lead to a lower quality of output. If virtual workers are regarded on an equal footing with an in-person employee, then this gives businesses access to whole new pools of talent, whilst giving candidates the opportunity to work at a broader range of businesses without a painful commute. Many contractors are already asked for reduced rates based on the time they save commuting, and in general it could become rarer for company to pay a premium based on a candidate’s proximity to a London office.

The crisis could also have an impact on the way in which the younger generation approach the job market. With millennials 3x as likely as older employees to have changed roles in the past year, they have been branded the “job-hopping generation.” However, one attendee suggested that Covid-19 has been “an eye-opener” when it comes to the value of job security, in that “anything can change in the space of a second.” This change of perspective might understandably make employees more risk-averse when it comes to changing roles, and more likely to try and grow at one company for the long-term.

I’m Lucie, coordinator of the Analytics Leadership Forum and Analytics consultant at La Fosse. If you’d like to learn more about the meetup please get in touch at lucie.cassius@lafosse.com or call on 07854267552.

Find out more about our remote working opportunities.

Read more on managing teams remotely here.

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In this article, we draw upon the discussion that took place and shed light on the key challenges tech leaders and their peers face within their organisations.

Getting buy-in from stakeholders on agile transformation

One of the greatest challenges facing tech teams is getting people, departments, and whole organisations on board with what agile transformation is and understanding what it can do. This often takes time but, as one attendee suggested, it can be overcome in two key ways: by providing clarity as to why agile is key to strategic growth, and through gaining stakeholder advocacy. Take the redevelopment of a website for example.

Leaders and senior management teams will invariably be focused on achieving a next-generation site – one that is adaptable, scalable, and leverages software to better reach and engage customers, use data to drive decision-making, and deliver greater efficiencies in a way that gives it a competitive edge. It is the job of the project team to not only stress the transformation imperative, but to do so in a way that clearly communicates how the planned project supports the overarching strategic aims of the business.

Then there is the advocacy piece. Yes, the work will be carried out by the development team but, without ongoing consultation and buy-in from key people within each stakeholder group, the project runs the risk of being derailed. As one attendee put it, having advocates from the executive team who believe in what you’re trying to achieve will filter all the way through the organisation. This is critical to the overall success of the transformation project. It’s about forging a good network and if one doesn’t already exist, making one.

Of course, challenging the perceptions of business leaders themselves can also be key. One way of approaching this is by asking how they believe the business is currently positioned versus how they would like it to be perceived. For example, if you operate a bank do you want to be seen on a par with the likes of Santander or HSBC, or will scale and competitive advantage come from being the next Netflix in your space? What is your vision? It is a conversation that moves beyond revenue targets to considering how A will lead to B.

Moving from service to function

Many believe that development can be and is seen as a ‘service’ rather than a ‘function’, such as marketing, legal or human resources. But it is very much of the latter, so – can a shift in perception be achieved? According to one attendee, the answer is yes – as long as there are the right people at the top to make it happen.

In his experience, the best organisations were those with a CTO and CEO who could both see how development is critical to helping deliver and increase the product and revenues. But one needs to be reminded that agile as a discipline is still a relatively new concept – 20 years ago it didn’t exist, and many traditional companies didn’t have software developers back then. As one delegate pointed out, fast-forward to today, and one could argue that we are all tech companies.

Defining ‘quality’ in agile

How we define what software quality in agile looks like has long presented a challenge for those in the profession. Does it refer to code, people and teams, infrastructure, or the performance of the solution itself?

Perhaps the closest we can get to a meaningful definition is limiting the number of bugs that impact the customers using the software. It is about ensuring an enhanced user experience and a universal understanding of what you can and cannot have – setting a ‘quality bar’ that project teams are responsible for.

In pure agile organisations, quality is defined and measured from within the development team, not outside. It is an integral part of their planning and development, as it is they who are ultimately responsible for – and are measured by – the quality of the code. As such, code quality becomes the goal for the whole team, which in turn drives them to deliver as close to code nirvana as possible – zero bugs.

Maintaining quality at times of rapid scale

The last few years have seen a sharp rise in the number of ‘hyper-growth’ tech companies – those whose scale continues to defy the odds and put paid to the traditional, more stable road to growth that has hitherto dominated the world’s economies. But how can these high-growth enterprises ensure that the culture created by their founders is not left behind as the organisation expands?

As a business, La Fosse is in the unique position of being one of the biggest providers of staffing solutions for many of the UK and Europe’s fastest-growing tech employers. That gives us an insight into how founders, CEOs, and other key stakeholders successfully balance both the needs of the business from a strategic perspective and the way in which they scale their cultures at the same time.

It is true that all businesses, irrespective of size or current rate of growth are susceptible to the same economic conditions and socio-political factors. But when a business is rapidly accelerating, the need to have the right people and systems in place is imperative. If these factors cannot be met, the business runs the risk of running out of steam before it has even got going. This puts pressure on the ability of its leaders to maintain the culture of the organisation, its underlying beliefs, and the values that shape it.

Changing dynamics

The dynamics within any scaling business will inevitably change once the number of people working within it reaches a certain point – often the 150-mark – and often in ways that one could not have predicted. This can be something that start-up founders struggle to contend with.

Quartz is a great example of this. Between 2016 and 2018, the digital publishing company saw its employee count rise from one to 150 before the leadership team took stock of how the culture of the business had evolved within that two-year period. ‘Evolved’ was optimistic – ‘devolved’, from a cultural perspective, is perhaps more accurate.

The company sought to address this, and following a series of internal surveys, a variety of issues were highlighted. These included an absence of hierarchy which left many people unsure as to what the decision-making process was; a lack of information about the vision and strategy for the business; and an eagerness among many employees to advance their careers within the business but an unawareness of whether such opportunities existed.

Quartz soon recognised that the dynamics had shifted as they grew, and their next step was similar to what the likes of Netflix, Facebook, and just about every other major fast-growth tech company has learned to do (often after having gone through the same painful process as Quartz) – they did what Google would have done.

Overcoming the culture challenge

Google addressed the challenge of ‘lost’ culture through repetition. By always communicating and reminding everyone within the business of the vision (what it wants to be), mission (how it will achieve the vision), values, and principles, Google was able to not only make its core messages memorable but also ensured its culture could easily be maintained as its workforce scaled. They figured out a way to create an ‘optimal’ culture.

The culture challenge can and often does get all the greater when there are distributed teams. At one of our recent roundtable events, one delegate shared his experience of working with a team spread across the UK, Australia, Australia, India, and the USA, to name but a few. Each team has its own area of specialism, and managing that collective team and creating a sense of connection with the organisation’s culture is not easy. But it is achievable.

For example, if you have a team of data-orientated coders – people whose focus is on ‘getting stuff done’ – there is a chance of miscommunication between remote teams. This then makes each team feel as though they sit within a collection of individual teams scattered here there and everywhere.

However, leaders can create greater cohesion through a number of initiatives, such as regular webinars with colleagues, quarterly gatherings whereby everyone is brought together at the same location, and regular video communications – rather than over-reliance on emails – to share knowledge and ideas with one another.

All of this increases familiarity within teams, breaks down the communication gaps that can sometimes appear when people are operating in different locations, and encourage greater collaboration within an environment where people feel they can freely express themselves.

Maintaining the culture of the organisation shouldn’t just sit with the leader. As the business grows, so does the range of new roles that are created, such as the COO. The burden of responsibility must rest on the shoulders of mid- and lower-tier managers, too. It is they who interact with employees on a day-to-day basis and it could be said that they have the greatest opportunity to ensure that the values and beliefs that constitute the organisation’s culture are put into practice every day.

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