The cloud economy has made the war for talent truly global

One of the great benefits of cloud computing is that it makes software and data accessible from just about anywhere. For workers, this no longer means we are tied to our office, because with the right tools we can get work done from almost anywhere.

This change has become incredibly clear in recent times, with unprecedented numbers of people working from home.

This raises an important question though. If workers no longer need to be gathered in a single location to be productive, then do we still need to think about jobs as being tied to a particular city? Or even to a particular country?

Cloud-based applications give workers access to the systems and processes they need to get their jobs done, while cloud-based collaboration tools mean they can participate in meetings and workshops sessions no matter where they are.

One clear example has been Amazon Connect, which is our cloud-based contact centre solution. Even before the pandemic started, we saw many clients adopt Connect as a way of expanding their contact centre without having to increase their floorspace, by enabling team members to log on from home. When the pandemic came and many clients had to send their entire contact centre teams home, thanks to Connect, they were still able to stay in touch with customers during this critical time.

In the cloud era, work has become truly portable. For employers, this creates the opportunity to tap into talent pools that are so much bigger than what just one city can offer.

Expanding the recruitment net

The simple truth is that in the 2020s geography is becoming less important when making new hires. This is certainly true for us here at Amazon Web Services (AWS), and we see many of our partners and customers adopting the same mindset.

The market for talent has become global, and the employers that recognise this are seeing the benefits. It’s no secret that some skills have become hard to find, especially in the technology sector. A recent report from AlphaBeta finding the top five in demand skills were in large-scale data modelling, software operations support, web/game/software development, cloud architecture design, and cybersecurity.

But if those skills are in short supply in one market, we can quickly increase the possible number of candidates by increasing the number of markets we are looking in, and it is the cloud that makes this possible.

If an existing worker can use the cloud to access their work resources and data from home, then it doesn’t matter where their home is, and also applies to new workers. Once they are provisioned with a proper device and internet connection, a new worker can quickly become productive without ever stepping into their employer’s office.

Removing location as a?recruitment criteria means employers can e make offers to the candidates who are best suited to the role – not just the ones available nearby. This not only increases the total number of candidates, but also boosts the odds of finding exactly the right candidate. This is also helpful for organisations that want to improve the diversity of their workforce, thanks to the larger pool of candidates the cloud makes available..

A better work-life balance

The pandemic has introduced many workers to the work-life benefits of working from home, and even when the crisis recedes, many workers are likely to retain the option of a more flexible working life. ?We can take that concept of flexibility one step further though. While I’ve spoken at length about the benefits to employers, for workers the cloud means they no longer need to think about changing cities just to pursue their dream job. Relocating can be incredibly disruptive – and expensive for employers who foot these costs as part of a worker attraction package. Thanks to the cloud, there is now less need to relocate such new hires.

I grew up in the United States, but in my career, I’ve lived and worked in the Asia Pacific region, and one of my kids now attends university in Australia. So when I was offered the role of Managing Director at AWS for Asia Pacific and Japan, I chose Melbourne as my home, because I knew it was a city that was in easy reach of my customers and my regional team.

What I didn’t expect was that Covid-19 and subsequent travel restrictions meant I’d be unable to leave Melbourne for much of the year. Thanks to cloud-based tools such as our Amazon Chime collaboration service, this didn’t pose a problem as I can easily keep in touch with customers and co-workers.

In fact, I’ve probably seen some of them more than I would in the days when face-to-face meetings were more commonplace. That’s something I’ve also heard from the leaders of our customers, who use cloud tools to stay in close contact with their people – closer in some cases than when they were all working in the same buildings.

And there is another benefit that comes from having senior staff spread throughout the region. It ensures they are highly visible to workers throughout the organisation – and that workers are visible to them too. This doesn’t happen so much when senior leaders are all based in one location.

Investing in people as well as tools

However, there’s a flip side to this. Reducing the emphasis on geography also makes it easier for other companies to try and poach your staff. For employers, that means it is more important than ever to invest in people and ensure they feel happy and engaged in their work.

One way to do this is to help them acquire new skills. We’ve been working closely with many clients to do this, such as at National Australia Bank to create its cloud Skills Guild, and with Singapore-based DBS, where we are helping equip thousands of workers with skills in AI and machine learning (ML).

Making this work also means having the right cloud-based tools. Video calls, virtual meetings, and webinars have helped people stay connected during the crisis, but there is more that can be done to ensure these deliver seamless experiences that are as good as being there.

In fact, the ability to record and transcribe virtual meetings instantly using our AI tools, and even have them translated into different languages, means these collaboration tools can sometimes deliver outcomes that are better than what we’ve achieved before now.

Maintaining the human touch

While the tools are important, the human touch is critical.

Common courtesies are vital in remote collaboration, such as ensuring you are really listening to others and not getting distracted by what’s on your screen, and making sure everyone gets their say.

And when you are working remotely from your colleagues and customers it becomes vital that you make time to talk with them – not just for scheduled meetings, but also informal catchups.

Because, despite its benefits, remote working takes away the chance for their accidental or spontaneous meetings that happen in lift lobbies, corridors, and break rooms. The importance of these is often understated as it allows for checking in with staff and passing on words of encouragement. None of that should be forgotten in a virtual world.

Building a cloud workforce means putting more effort into managing the emotional and mental health needs of workers. An organisation’s culture can be a fragile thing, so we need to lead by example by being visible and ensuring we communicate what we expect from our managers and staff.

The human connection is equally important in our customer relations. After all, it’s hard to be customer obsessed if you aren’t regularly interacting with your customer. Even if you can’t visit them, it’s still important to make time for your customers to be aware of what they are going through. Knowing this will most definitely help us serve them better.

A growing cloud of people

In almost every way I can think of, the cloud can deliver a better life for workers, by giving them options for where they live and how they divide up their time, by exposing them to a wider range of roles, and by creating opportunities for professional development.

One of my goals at AWS is to hire the best, brightest, and most diverse people, no matter where they might be, and the cloud certainly makes that easier.

But it requires a real commitment to equipping people with the best tools and the culture they need to feel happy and engaged.

It’s a big challenge, but when you think about the benefits, it is an opportunity worth pursuing.