Remote teams

Remote teams

Flexible working is a hot topic that's rapidly making its way into the SME (small-medium-sized enterprise) market, especially after covid and all its repercussions on businesses Due to covid-19, many small to medium businesses have had to disband their in-house team, and those that were left working found themselves at home. This was especially prevalent in industries like social media advertising agencies, customer services relations, online-focused eCommerce brands and B2B businesses.

While some semblance of normality is likely to return in due course, the precise form of that return to routine remains far from certain. Of 1,250 British respondents quizzed for their views, widespread apprehension was recorded relating to 'pent up' emotions built up over months of lockdown. Acknowledging that social distancing measures are likely to translate into fewer instances of physical harassment, the report considers the pessimist's side of the coin - in that fewer staff may make individuals more vulnerable.

Many organisations are entering the year facing economic headwinds, while the early promises of AI have yet to be fully realised and hybrid working has still not fully settled. Leaders will be asking what it will take to unlock higher productivity in a period of uncertainty. At the same time, the labour market will feel unusually static. With a frozen jobs market for recent graduates, fewer people will want to take risks by moving roles.

If you were building global teams in 2025, you wouldn't need me to tell you it was a crazy year. We experienced economic volatility and AI disruption. Plus, tightened borders caused companies to adjust and readjust their approaches. 2026 won't be calmer. But the elements we need to master to stay competitive are now coming into focus: Navigating mobility disruption, creating unity across increasingly distributed workforces, and building the transparent, compliant infrastructure needed to employ people anywhere.

I believe we've yet to fix the challenge around silos, but I have seen a lot of people being unafraid to start again and find their new potential, whether that's in a new workplace, a new country, or even a completely new sector. There's an appetite to learn more, know more, and do more, and honestly I love that. I think the bravery is also in the ability to share.

Modern workforce analytics help teams understand how work flows, where friction appears, and how productivity and well-being intersect. Sargsyan describes this as the foundation of "work intelligence," a model where time is just one signal among many. "The future isn't about tracking hours," he says. "It's about understanding what work produced, why it mattered, and how effort translates into results."