Ruehie Jaiya Karri

“When you work from home, a Tuesday is pretty much a Saturday.”

This sounds like something I would say. Having been confined to my house and working from home for over a year now, I forget what it feels like to eagerly wait for the weekend.

I know I speak for a lot of us when I say I have fallen into a rut – into a never-ending cycle of waking up, working on my laptop for the better part of the day, and then going back to sleep. My days are running into nights as are my weeks into months. I miss the ‘watercooler conversations,’ cafeteria lunches, and coffee breaks with my teammates.

Nearly a year ago, when COVID was just beginning to show its wrath, 88% of organizations encouraged or required employees to work from home until further notice. With the world being engulfed in the second wave of the pandemic, I see no signs of going back to the office just yet.

Companies are well aware of the pitfalls of working from home and are trying to do their best to push their employees out of this COVID-enabled rut. To switch things up and to ensure their corporate culture stays alive, organizations are designing several employee engagement strategies for all the employees working remotely.

What are some employee engagement strategies we use?

1. Communicate regularly with your team

This one is a no-brainer, right? With their entire team working from different locations, managers need to put in extra effort to make themselves available and keep in touch.

Although I’m new at HackerEarth, work remotely, and haven’t had a chance to meet my team yet, I’ve never felt out of place. Simply because every single person in our company prides themselves on being open, friendly, and responsive. I can reach out to anybody, be it my team or the CEO, and they will always be open to talk.

Our VP sets up periodic meetings with the entire team, as well as one-on-one calls. This helps to keep everyone in the loop. My manager makes it a point to regularly ask questions like, ‘How can I help you feel productive,’ ‘How are you dealing with working from home,’ or ‘I’m always available if you need to talk’. The way things are right now with the pandemic, having someone to talk to is important and I know I have my team to fall back on when I’m having a bad day.

2. Host virtual and fun-filled activities

Interactive team bonding activities let employees get to know each other in a more casual atmosphere. This also leads to better working relationships. Nobody wants to sit and stare at their laptop screens for a monologue on how to have fun. The key here is to make these sessions as interactive and communicative as possible.

At HackerEarth, we host MyStory sessions, which spotlight employees’ personal stories and experiences and allow others to learn from them. These sessions are an incredible way to create a feeling of connectedness where every employee is celebrated holistically. We also take some time out every other week to play fun games like puzzlesandFreecell, along with organizing Trivia Nights, organize Pet Show and Tell sessions, Fun Fridays, or even virtual Happy Hours.

3. Define specific goals and carve out career paths for your remote employees

When teams are fragmented, it falls upon the manager to ensure everything is getting done on time. The first week of each quarter is reserved by my manager for us to plan what needs to be achieved in these three months. Setting clear deliverables and specific metrics to track progress helps avoid things getting lost in translation. We follow the OKR model every quarter to evaluate and take stock of the productivity of our team.

Another important thing that falls on the managers is the discussion of career graphs for each employee. The employee needs to know where they fit into the big picture for them to stay motivated. HackerEarth proposes various learning and development (L&D) initiatives for all of us – this shows us that the organization is willing to invest in our growth rather than simply hiring new employees with advanced skills.

In these unprecedented times, it serves to define a career path for them and ease some of the uncertainty that people have about their jobs.

4. Appreciate and reward employees

It is difficult to recognize and appreciate the hard work done by your employees, especially when you don’t get to see them regularly. A virtual employee recognition experience is a must and goes a long way in letting employees know that their work is not going unnoticed.

Simple gestures like saying thank you,implementing an employee of the month program, giving a compliment on a job well done, and then on a larger scale, holding virtual awards have a massive impact on employee engagement,

The HackerEarth Quarterly/Annual Awards is one event that we all look forward to. It brings all our people together and there are fun awards for the New Joiner, Best Performing Employee, Best Team, etc.

On a side note, I will be eligible for the New Joiner Award next quarter, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

5. Send thoughtful care packages

One way of creating a sense of belonging is by sending out fun goodies to your employees. Popular choices of goodies include scented custom candles, snacks, books, etc. SnackNation has whole packages designed around a theme like corporate gifting, retreat packages, workday wellness, and so on.

In the short while that I’ve been at HackerEarth, I received two care packages for two different occasions; one was a new joiner starter kit, consisting of a welcome note from my CEO and company paraphernalia, the second was a very thoughtful and beautifully curated ‘Thank You’ package. Could a girl ask for more?

What screams ‘We care!’ other than a selected curation of feel-good products?

6. Encourage learning and upskilling

Organizations should offer easily accessible L&D programs to their employees. Continuous online learning fosters better employee engagement and retention. A recent study showed that 42% of millennials are likely to leave a company if they do not have enough learning opportunities.

We, at HackerEarth, are encouraged to utilize our skills assessment software to the maximum. The L&D platform helps create tailored, self-guided learning pathways to assess employees’ effectiveness. We can schedule courses non-work-related accordingly, complete them at our own pace, and re-evaluate where we stand. Hackathons are another great way to gather our developers in one place, encourage upskilling and make learning fun.

7. Recreate those ‘watercooler talks’ in a virtual setting

Watercooler conversations are quintessential for no reason other than they form a workplace tradition that spans nations and across company cultures. It is a chance for employees to get up from their desks for a few minutes, stand around near the water cooler, and chat with their work friends.

Come the pandemic, water cooler talks are no longer a thang. With everything going remote, employees miss these little moments. There is a dire need to amp up informal conversations between employees, to boost engagement and morale.

Our L&D team set up different Slack channels to have more casual, non-work-related conversations. Each channel caters to a specific interest area like a WFH (work from home) channel, where we usually share resources, L&D training progress, and any challenges faced. We also have channels for organizing games, discussing the pandemic, and for our daily chitchat. This lets us de-stress as well as have some form of human interaction.

Why is it important to keep your remote team engaged?

Remote employee engagement is a reflection of the level of commitment, enthusiasm, and connection that employees working from home (WFH) feel towards their jobs and the company. Investing in employee engagement is a win-win. Engaged employees experience greater personal satisfaction and become invaluable assets to the company. Their dedication translates into increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability, as research confirms with a 17% boost in the former and a 21% jump in the latter.

If we had to quantify the benefits that improving employee engagement for remote teams can offer, then these would be it:

• Enhanced productivity: Engaged employees are more likely to be productive and proactive. In a remote setting, high engagement can combat the distractions and isolation that might otherwise reduce productivity.
• Better employee retention: Engaged remote employees are more likely to stay with the company, reducing turnover rates. This is crucial in the tech industry where the cost of losing and replacing talent is high.
• Improved work quality: Engaged employees often produce higher quality work. In tech, where the quality of work is paramount, engagement can lead to more innovative solutions and fewer errors.
• Positive company culture: Remote engagement helps in building a positive company culture that transcends physical boundaries, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among WFH tech teams.
• Enhanced employee well-being: Engagement strategies often include supporting employee well-being. In a remote environment, this can prevent burnout and promote a healthier work-life balance.
• Better communication: Engagement initiatives improve communication channels and collaboration among remote teams, which is vital for the success of tech projects.
• Competitive advantage: Companies with high levels of remote employee engagement can have a competitive edge in the tech industry, as they can attract and retain top talent, foster innovation, and maintain high productivity levels.

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The pandemic has provided organizations with an opportunity to re-examine relationships with all their employees and also redefine their workplace culture, albeit remotely. Creating a positive employee experience must be deliberate and thought ahead.

While businesses are adapting on the fly and trying to keep their entire workforce connected, you have to think about ‘Zoom fatigue.’ It’s a very real thing and leads to employees feeling burnt out from constant meetings, fun activities, and other video calls.

We all crave human interaction, but maybe not so much in virtual meetings, eh?

Strike a balance between live meetings and quick text updates via Slack or e-mail to reduce fatigue. Be empathetic and foster strong relationships with your employees based on trust.

Most importantly, let your team know that you’re there for them in these times of hardship and stress. That’s the kind of trust and loyalty that is necessary for companies to build, in today’s times.

The intern hiring season (beginning in February) usually serves as a breath of fresh air, and offers an undisturbed, fresh talent pool for companies. Throwing a full-fledged spanner in the works, however, last year’s pandemic led to nation-wide lockdowns, and shuttered campuses and offices. Hiring for interns on Glassdoor for April 2020 fell as much as 39% when compared to April 2019.With the inevitable shift to remote work, virtual or remote internships started coming into the spotlight. With a wider talent pool to pick from, recruiters have had their work cut out for them to make good hires.

In post-pandemic 2021, the one word defining any practice is reinvention. The same is also true of tech recruiters who, whether hiring for interns or full-time employees, need to transform their practices, right from the grassroots level.

They have to ask themselves, are remote internships a new fad or are they here to stay?

What do we think?

At HackerEarth, reinvention is second nature to us. We aim to stay ahead of the curve and constantly change the way we address our talent needs, right from sourcing to onboarding. We decided to assess where we currently stand on remote hiring for interns and how best to take it forward this year.

My conversations with Sachin Gupta, our CEO, Vishwastam Shukla, CTO, and Murali Krishna, HackerEarth’s Senior HR Generalist, brought to fore some insightful strategies that everyone can benefit from when hiring and onboarding interns this year. Read on!

#1 How has HackerEarth transformed the entire process of hiring and onboarding post-COVID?

In Sachin’s words, “Interviewing and in a lot of cases, even screening, was done manually before COVID-19. The pandemic has forced everyone to move to a virtual recruiting process. This has had a huge impact on campus recruiting and face-to-face interviews.

HackerEarth has been instrumental in helping companies adapt their recruiting processes to a completely virtual set up. The take-home assessments can be used for screening candidates in both campuses as well as lateral hiring and FaceCode makes it super simple to have pair programming interviews.”

#2 When you think about remote onboarding, how much of it is purely digital? Is there still a need for the “human element” to be present? If yes, how can recruiters ensure that personal touch is brought to the table, virtually?

“Personally, there is always a need for “human element” in onboarding. While a lot of functional aspects of onboarding interns can be covered digitally through pre-recorded videos and self-serve portals, they can only do so much. A human touch to it can make the employees feel a lot more welcome and integrated.

A simple way is to ensure there are regular check-ins about work and casual interactions about everything else by the key stakeholders for every new employee. We, at HackerEarth, assign a buddy to each intern at the beginning of the onboarding process. A buddy helps ease them into their role and navigate uncharted waters. For the initial two weeks, every manager that interns would be working with takes some time and personally introduces themselves and their team,” says our CEO.

#3 How do you think HackerEarth has been able to provide an engaging, meaningful internship experience, all the while from a remote perspective?

Our CTO, Vishy being the expert in this area, answered this for us.

“Interns at HackerEarth were always entrusted with significant responsibilities. Continuing with this practice and asking interns to help with high impact projects has helped us engage with them at a deeper level right from the beginning.

The pandemic required us to do things a little differently to make sure that the interns felt like they belonged here. We assigned each intern with a buddy engineer who has always been available to guide them. Virtual mentorship has meant that managers and mentors double down their efforts towards mentees by defining crisp goals for them.”

#4 At the onset of the pandemic, and throughout the last year, companies’ hiring processes have undergone significant changes . What changes would you want to keep, and what part of the pre-COVID hiring process would you want to go back to?

“At HackerEarth, two big changes that we saw were a wider adoption of automated screening and an increased number of virtual video interviews . We believe both are likely to stay even if we go back to pre-COVID work environments. The ability to effectively screen candidates without a lot of manual intervention allows companies to widen their recruiting funnel without spending too much. This leads to a more diverse candidate pipeline and eventually a better talent pool.

Even in the case of interviews, it’s highly ineffective for people to conduct in-person interviews where the candidates have to write code on a white board or use pen/paper. Our intelligent tool, FaceCode allows interviewers conduct streamlined interviews and reduces discrimination or bias while making decisions,” shares Sachin.

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#5 Companies are changing the way they usually hire and are looking at newer traits in 2021. What, in your opinion, does talent acquisition look like in the post-COVID phase?

Our CEO believes that the outlook towards recruiting has been significantly altered by the pandemic.

He says, “We are likely to see a lot more hybrid workspaces where people are working from office, working from homes and working remotely. Today, both candidates and companies will have a wider set of options at their disposal, which means that recruiters will have to dip into sourcing channels that were earlier not relevant to them.

It also means that they will be competing for the candidate’s mindshare against organizations that were previously not their competitors. Recruiters have to step up their game and provide the right candidate experience to attract the best talent from this diversified pool.

COVID has accelerated adoption of tools across segments and talent acquisition is no different. Recruiters should be proactively thinking about how they can be more efficient by using the right tools in their recruiting process. We will see increased adoption of tools that help automate various aspects of recruitment, without taking away the human touch from it.”

#6 What are some practices that you have used personally that you would suggest recruiters follow to ensure that new joinees feel like a part of the team, right from the start?

One of the most difficult things, according to Murali, that the team had to face when onboarding new joinees was making them understand our work culture.

“We overcame this by trying to create as much interaction as possible. We wanted to ensure that they were a part of conversations that had nothing to do with work. Holding fun-filled virtual activities also helped in making them get to know each other and engage comfortably with the existing team members.

We made sure that the new joinees had access to all the required tools and resources right from the get-go. Providing google drive access, which consisted of policies and documents related to HE, assigning a buddy to each new joinee and holding orientation sessions with every team, helps in making every new member feel like a part of the team.

Another thing that is specific to HackerEarth is our MyStory sessions. We aim to make every employee feel like they can be their complete self with no apologies or judgement. These sessions are a platform for our employees to share their personal experiences and stories and show them that we care. Not only about their work but also about their personal lives. We try to bring their personality out into the world and make them feel comfortable,” says Murali.

#7 A recent Forbes article listing predictions for hiring and recruitment in 2021 foreshadows an increased adoption of practices aimed at eliminating bias in the screening and hiring process. This being one of HackerEarth’s critical values, what do you think needs to be done to eliminate bias, wherever possible?

We posed this question to Sachin, and here’s what he had to say.

1. “There needs to be a measurement framework in place that regularly tracks the diversity quotient of the recruiting process, metrics like ratio of diverse candidates, fallout from screening to interviews, and interviews to hire. This should allow companies to see how their diversity efforts are trending, and enable them to identify areas that are having a high negative impact on diversity.
2. A lot of bias is unconscious so it’s important for people to understand where they can go wrong. Rigorous bias training for hiring managers and recruiters helps in identifying and controlling their biases.
3. Remote interviewing tools are a great way of reducing bias in the recruiting process. They have options to mask unimportant PII from hiring managers, as well as the option of conducting a blind interview.
4. Skill-based hiring processes ensure that hiring managers focus on skills and not on other traits that may not have any relevance to the job.
5. Structured interviewing process enables recruiters to use pre-defined, standardized questions and evaluation parameters. This ensures that all candidates are assessed fairly and objectively. Post interview feedback should be recorded in real-time to avoid recency bias.”

Companies are plodding on and finding ways to make remote internships work, because internships serve as a test drive for employers to seal the deal with the new joinees. They are the most effective way that a recruiter or hiring manager can see the value that the interns bring to the table. According to research by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), nearly 68% of interns are offered full-time jobs.

Interns, there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel! Stay equipped to intern virtually and better your chances of getting that job.

You can always write to us at contact@hackerearth.com to know more about how HackerEarth can help you with remote hiring.

“Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Verna Myers

In 2021, hiring employees for the symbolic “ticking of a diverse box” will not suffice anymore.

You will be judged harshly, and by millennials no less. A Deloitte study shows that 76% of millennials are empowered when they believe their organization fosters an inclusive culture.

Covid-19 has revealed the dark underbelly of the tech industry, sparking uncomfortable conversations around tech hiring. The light being shined upon prevalent biases in the tech industry and the lack of diversity in the workplace is more focused than ever before.

An organization looking to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace with intent knows that diversity hiring is only one-half of the equation. The other, more important half lies in ensuring these employees feel included, and equally contribute to the value of that organization. Companies are slowly realizing that an inclusive workplace has numerous tangible benefits.

With that out of the way, it’s easier said than done. Having rules and policies in place, and encouraging learning sessions that cater to the diverse community can only do so much. D&I tends to remain a distant illusion until the people in your organization can bring it to life.

What does being diverse and inclusive mean?

The first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word diversity is either gender-based discrimination or racism. But that’s not it. To be truly diverse at your workplace, you need to hire people from all walks of life irrespective of who they are or where they’re from. They bring varied talent, skills, and perspectives to the table that will supremely benefit your organization. To put it simply, diversity cannot be forced. You have to make changes from within the company, attune your company culture and align your hiring similarly. The minute you start hiring employees, for their skills and performance and in a non-discriminatory manner, diversity follows.

Inclusion, on the other hand, is trickier. Thinking that inclusion is just smiles and friendliness all around is a rookie mistake. The key to an inclusive environment is a meaningful and well-thought-out culture. Small gestures like observing diverse traditions, and holidays from other cultures, being sensitive to your colleagues’ cultural or religious practices and gender preferences go a long way in making an employee feel like they belong.

Recommended video: Beyond Binary: Normalizing Gender Inclusivity At The Workplace

Benefits of diversity in the workplace

1. Diverse teams bring a wide range of perspectives, leading to more creative and innovative solutions.
2. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring different skills and experiences, enriching the company’s talent pool.
3. An inclusive workplace fosters a sense of belonging, leading to higher employee satisfaction and retention rates.
4. Diversity in teams can lead to more thorough and well-considered decisions, as different viewpoints are taken into account.
5. A diverse workforce can better understand and connect with varied customer bases, leading to improved market reach and customer service.
6. Companies known for their diversity and inclusion efforts often have a positive public image, attracting talent and customers alike.
7. Many studies link workplace diversity to better financial performance, including higher revenue and profitability.

When diversity hiring goes wrong

If we want a future where technology is inclusive and built with everyone in mind, we need a workforce that is inclusive, diverse, and representative of the market that a tech company hopes to reach. With almost every company hopping on the train to diversity, it’s bound to be derailed. The bigger picture will be lost in translation and diversity hiring becomes another trend that you are already tired of.

Ask yourselves. What is it that you’re doing wrong?

• Going through the motions of diversity hiring on autopilot and changing a few policies at the surface level.
• Forgetting that diversity and inclusion are part of the same package. If you do not foster an inclusive culture in the workplace, there is no point in hiring people from diverse backgrounds.
• Paying lesser remuneration for a woman or a person of color or a person from any minority group.
• Trying to foster D&I initiatives just because everyone else is doing it.

Recommended read: Embracing DE&I At The Workplace – #1 Back To The Basics

How can you manage diversity in the workplace?

For years, there have been talks about improving the D&I representation in the corporate world. There will be some noise made around this topic, some companies undertake diversity hiring to fill their quotas, and then it all dies down. “Mischief managed” if you know what I mean.

But COVID-19 made it difficult to steer the discussion away from diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Our recent developer recruitment survey showed that most of the respondents prioritized diversity in tech hiring, despite COVID constraints. And that’s saying a lot.

Recommended read: State of Developer Recruitment 2020

At HackerEarth, it’s back to the basics for us. We put great emphasis on communicating with each other and being open-minded. We approach with respect and shun anyone who doesn’t. We believe that everyone smiles in the same language.

Steps to build a diverse workplace

We have carefully curated an inclusive work culture following some rules of thumb. Read on.

• Challenge stereotypes right from the beginning – Instead of chasing quotas and hiring people for the sake of it, hire them for their skills. Take away the personal factor from the process, and you’re one step closer to diversity. First impressions of candidates are often clouded by unconscious biases. Objective assessments and interview tools, like HackerEarth’s FaceCode, can help keep the process blind for the initial stages (by hiding all personal information) and give a fair chance for everyone to succeed. A healthy mix of tools and human expertise does wonders for your workplace.
• Always encourage your employees to talk it out – The most important tenet while handling a diverse workforce is letting them be themselves. If that is being hindered in any way, employees should feel comfortable and safe in voicing their concerns to their managers – especially about their treatment in the company due to their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, or other factors. Managers should consciously try to use inclusive language, and facilitate multiple channels of communication where people can give feedback. Make it a point to address the feedback and take action.
• Recognize bias at the workplace – An employee from a different culture, ethnicity, age group, or gender, does not always have equal opportunities for participation. If they have something to say, it will be heard only if you are willing to listen. Companies need to provide unconscious bias training for employees, and leadership programs for managers alike to keep their biases in check.
• Have an air-tight D&I policy – As a company, make your stand very clear on this. Have a zero-tolerance policy in place, where insensitive jokes and comments are not taken lightly. Ensure you have a grievance policy to action when non-inclusive behavior is reported.
• Observe holidays from all cultures – This might seem like a small thing to do but it’s an important one, nonetheless. As an empathetic manager, you can ask your employees to take a day off on their holiday, if they need to. Understand your employees’ needs and be respectful when scheduling meetings on such days.
• Reward employees on controllable criteria – Hold all your employees accountable for their work, against a standard scoring system. Performance evaluation of employees should focus solely on their performance and nothing else. Leverage quantifiable analytics and reward your employees accordingly. Do not let irrelevant factors like race, ethnicity, pedigree, and similar diversity factors influence your decisions.

When you are in a position to influence hiring decisions and bring about change, then you should go ahead and do it. Make room at that table. Embrace diversity.

An equitable, honest, and pleasant workplace is the dream. Seize the moment to make this “too good to be true” dream actually come true.

FAQs

Q1: What are diversity programs in the workplace?

A: Diversity programs in the workplace are initiatives and policies aimed at promoting diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and other factors. They focus on creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued.

Q2: Why are diversity programs important for a company?

A: Diversity programs are crucial because they foster a more inclusive and creative work environment. This leads to increased innovation, better problem-solving, improved employee engagement, and a wider talent pool.

Q3: How can a company implement an effective diversity program?

A: Effective diversity programs can be implemented by setting clear goals, providing diversity training, ensuring fair hiring practices, promoting an inclusive culture, and regularly evaluating the program’s effectiveness.

Q4: Can diversity programs improve a company’s performance?

A: Yes, numerous studies suggest that diverse workplaces perform better financially, are more innovative, and have higher employee satisfaction rates.

Q5: What challenges might companies face in implementing diversity programs?

A: Challenges include resistance to change, unconscious bias, a lack of understanding about diversity benefits, and difficulties in measuring program effectiveness.

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