Question

Please read article,

Business doesn't happen face to face as often as some would like. Instead, today's communication depends on conference calls and emails chains that make it challenging to get to know your partners. It's been a common lament among business people dissatisfied with the technology that has become the norm in their daily lives. But with so many workers worldwide now working in virtual teams, many business relationships do depend on technology. And that's not a bad thing -- as long they're using the right technologies in the right ways.

"Collaboration technology sprang up 20 years ago, but we kept acting, behaviorally, like we did when we were meeting face to face," said Keith Ferrazzi, best-selling author of the books "Never Eat Alone" and "Who’s Got Your Back."

As it turns out, the answer to all of the complaints about the evolving workplace wasn't to abandon technology for a more human way of working, but to evolve technology to make the new way of working more human.

"People have to have a delightful experience in their hand -- a joyful experience -- all behind a single plane of glass," said Rick Puskar, SVP of Customer Experience & Services for Unify.

A new generation of communications technologies are upon us. They are addressing the new way to work that is permeating workplaces worldwide. It's what Puskar calls a "dynamic, cultural shift in the marketplace." They're making the global workplace exactly what it's looking for: a joyful, delightful experience.

Who wouldn't want to engage with that?

Mobile Work-from-Home

We live in a global workplace without time zones or office hours. Just ask any spouse who has waited to serve the main course while awaiting a husband or wife to finish a work email at the table. Delayed dinners notwithstanding, the ability to shoot out that email at the dinner table actually allows that spouse to get out of work an hour earlier and be there in the first place. A fair tradeoff.

And it's also good for employers when employees have happy, balanced lives. "You might be on a conference call with Europe in the wee hours and have to get your kids to a soccer game in the afternoon," Ferrazzi said. "You can do it working virtually, and there’s real value in accommodating that employee need."

The better that mobile technology becomes, and the more employers embrace the bring your own device (BYOD) to work philosophy, the more deeply connected workers become to their workplaces, which exist on the same devices as their social networks and family photos.

Embracing the mobile workplace is increasingly compulsory. In its Tech Trends 2013 Elements of Postdigital, Deloitte projects a "mobile only" future to the global workforce.

Closer Collaborations

Collaboration used to happen in board rooms with whiteboards and bagels. Today, it's on documents being edited by multiple people all over the world at the same time. It's sharing screen data and chatting over video.

"Seventy-nine percent of people work on virtual teams," said Puskar. "What's interesting is that in most organizations there is a preponderance of using yesterday's tools."

And that's where the disconnect between the promise of the virtual workplace seems to fall short for most. When using the first generation of collaboration tools, workplaces sometimes miss out on the increased productivity offered by the newer wave.

Puskar related how he tested this theory with his own team during one of his weekly, 6 a.m. leadership phone calls. Instead of a conference call, he decided to switch to video.

"By leveraging video in a collaborative work environment, I took what was normally a 90 minute call down to 60," he said. "I could see where everyone was. They paid attention like nobody's business."

And it's more than just video that is bringing people together. It's also social media.

"Social media?" some companies may ask. "The thing we're not allowing access to?"

The surprising truth about social networks is that it fills the humanity gap many global workers feel in cold, impersonal email chains and conference calls.

Take the client of Ferrazzi's who witnessed the phenomenon herself. A home-based consultant of 20 years, she always felt something was missing in her relationship with her clients. Then, along came Facebook.

"She found that the ability to converse on a corporate social network with [her team] and to be able to text with them during conference calls and see them on video has enabled her to feel like people she's never met are some of her best friends," Ferrazzi said.

That's more than a warm and fuzzy outcome. Ferrazzi said one of the key predictors of employee engagement is whether they have a best friend at work. Even across the world, real relationships forming on social networks are making real impacts on productivity.

Unified Communications

So mobile communications are great, connecting via video is beneficial and social engagement boosts productivity -- doesn't that sound like an awful lot of digital clutter to keep track of?

It is. In fact, a McKinsey Global Institute study found that high-skill knowledge workers spend 19 percent of their average workweek searching for and gathering information. That's an incredible amount of lost productivity time.

"What this new generation of platforms is doing it pulling it all together," said Ferrazzi. "You get the information you need for the business moment you're in."

Puskar calls it a thought trail. This digital collection of data includes notes from conference calls, recordings of video conferences and every text conversation into a single stream that can be recalled at the click of a mouse.

"At the beginning of a recurring meeting, you get a picture of exactly where things stand, action item status, all relevant documents and emails," said Ferrazzi. "It's like the recap at the beginning of a television show. You quickly make the context switch and pick up right where the last meeting left off."

That's some real, measurable productivity. And when in human history has an increase in workplace productivity come hand-in-hand with an increase in workplace delight? Joy? Social connectivity? This is what makes the new generation of workplace collaboration tools so exciting -- they don't just make the new way to work more possible and productive. They also make the job itself more desirable.

A former downtown development professional, Natalie Burg is a freelancer who writes about growth, entrepreneurialism and innovation.

Question is please write a 250-300 word summary detailing what the article says about the impact.

Answer 1

The article in nutshell briefly explains that unified communication tools like videoconferencing and Easy editing of reviews through Blockchain methodology and at same time mobile communications and social medis and work from home all lead to easy business, work life balance, flexibility, higher productivity and efficiency maximisation.

If showcases use of technology in hiring and recruiting, talent management, expatriation, stakeholders management and HR Compliance in following ways :

Staffing global organisation requires methods like Social Media Hiring, Referral Hiring, and Thid Party Consulting based Hiring which gives quality candidates.

Social media hiring is best for cultural fitments however can be skeptical which is disadvantage as it doesnt give an holistic view.

Referral hiring is another effective way because of trust and Recommendations shown. However it can be disadvantageous if referrences are unchecked and unverified.

Consulting based hiring gives top level candidates based on requirements and expectations. However disadvantages being cost of hiring is very high.

Organisinations must check for quality and skills as well as qualification like global experience, overall countries travelled, cross border cross domain management skills, Leadership skills, International relations management, Team building.

Predeparting on boarding opportunity is very critical for global success and hence candidates must b egiven training in global countries and should be given sufficient time to adapt to its culture and way of doing business and then should be expatriated. Here entire family expenses are taken care of and sufficient financial and administrative support is offered for ease if transition to new nation.

Ongoung training will incorporate learning through peers, transition counselling through past expatriates, reverse mentoring and case studies and collaborative approach like on job training with senuor leaders. Here expatriates are offered regular support to understand working culture, management style and organisation structure and systems.

Repatriation policies like attractive remuneration and total rewards package, career development plan for next 5 years, family health and insurance, children schooling and education support, long term stock options and bonsues, flatter hierarchy.

US employments laws like Equal opportunities as per Civil Rights act Article VI is most important and critical to be considered when in UsA as major emphasis is given on non discrimination policy of hiring. Other Acts being Sarbanes Oxley Act and Foreign Corrupt Practice Act which leaders must be aware of for ethical compliance and demonstrating integrity and honesty.