Building out the team abroad
The first step to building an abroad team is to meet with established companies and providers who already have a function in the area being looked at. This will help the team looking to expand understand the journey, as well as providing suggestions on how it can be achieved by learning from the mistakes of others.
One member partnered with a start-up in the Indian city they wanted to set their team up in. This helped the member secure an accurate budget and provided local expertise on a strategy with added support on role definitions, training models, and the hiring of local experts to form the team. Additionally, the start-up would train new starters before handing responsibility back to the UK team which saved on resources and time.
Once the first steps to building out the strategy for the team have been taken, data leaders then need to attract talent. It is important to understand what people value most in the culture they are looking to work in, and this will help guide team leaders in developing the best environment for growth and retention.
For example, the UK-based teams learned that in India the three most important things for hiring talent were:
- Location
- Stability
- Package
Location is important, as is the amount of time required to be in the office, with the more days in the office, the fewer people will be interested. Additionally, stability is hugely valued, particularly when offering full time roles instead of short-term contractual ones highlighted the security and stability of the job. Finally, the package being offered needed to be competitive and provide a good quality of life for the skills required. The recruitment and retention of data talent has been an ongoing issue for numerous years now.
Developing the relationship with the team back in the UK
Adding a new team or function can be difficult when it comes to understanding and managing how they will all work together within the organisation. Adding the additional complication of being in a different country can only add to the difficulty, so how do data leaders bridge the gap between these teams and get them working together effectively?
One suggestion is to link the vision of the work each team is doing (individually and together) back to the corporate centre, which will help the teams understand the value and purpose of the work they are seeking to achieve as one entity.
To support this, rigorous processes and meetings need to be set in place, encouraging collaboration and showcasing the trust management have in both teams. This will also help keep management up to date on the progress of the work; it is important to get the balance of the trust and check-ins right which will go a long way to improving retention rates and avoiding inefficient micromanagement.
Regular fun meetings – with cameras on – and taking part in activities that help show individuality between the teams can enhance collaboration. Teams can create a day in the life video or play games in casual meetings to help improve relations. However, these actions are virtual, so it is important to try and have annual in-person events for the teams to meet and develop relationships further. If budget allows, teams should look to meet regularly and experience different cultures while being rewarded for their efforts with invitations to industry events or international away days.
Managing teams from abroad
Going from a national to a global team brings many challenges and it is important to impress a global mindset onto both teams; instilling a new way of managing. The first step is deciding how to line manage the teams when the head is not based in that country.
Having two separate line management structures has been proven to be successful for DataIQ members: one line manager locally, to support the abroad team in their day-to-day well-being, and one based at the company headquarters looking after meetings and work performance. It is important for people to have a line manager on the ground for them to check-in with. Leaders should check in regularly with the abroad team and the local line manager. This can help combat the issue of a proximity bias in favour of the UK based team.
Another way to combat the issue of proximity bias is through making sure opportunities – especially learning and career progression – are clear and equal in both teams across the company. Some DataIQ members have dedicated a portion of the working week to encourage e-learning which can be offered globally.
Additionally, it is important to develop a healthy culture within the team abroad. Any team, regardless of their geography, should not be afraid to raise issues or share ideas, which can be more intimidating if you are based abroad. It is pivotal that data leaders encourage an open and conversational workplace and rewarding such an atmosphere for abroad teams as it is a good way to improve the overall culture and ultimately the efficiency of the business.
It is hoped that these insights and points for consideration will help data leaders and business decision makers build out new data functions, encourage truly global collaboration, and successfully manage a team based abroad. Of course, these suggestions need to be adapted and tinkered to fit with each organisation’s own values as this is not a one-size-fits-all approach but more some friendly guidance from fellow DataIQ members.
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