In this new hybrid world of work, “Work from Anywhere” (WFA) schemes are proving popular—and for a very good reason. ‘WFA’ policies are flexible, fair and they provide employees with the ultimate autonomy over how and where they work.
For the vast majority of knowledge-based work, as long as you’ve got the right tech, a strong WiFi connection and an environment that you’re able to concentrate in—you can work from anywhere you choose. This could be a coworking space in Cape Town, a relative’s house in Reading, or even your local lido. It’s in the name, really.
This level of flexibility and trust can do wonders for your business. Not only do ‘WFA’ policies improve employee retention and widen the talent pool, but they also give employers an opportunity to rethink how their business operates so that they can thrive in a hybrid world.
This may include how you approach recruitment, employee wellbeing and bringing the best of the company culture to their doors—no matter where they are in the world. There are also legal implications to think about, as well as the learning and development of your distributed teams.
While adopting a ‘WFA’ policy may seem like a daunting task, it’s not one that employers need to do on their own. There’s a plethora of companies out there that specialise in helping businesses manage distributed teams via a bunch of remote-friendly tools and services.
And as the world’s first hybrid workplace platform, we’re going to introduce you to a few of them—some of which we’ve proudly partnered with. So, without further ado, here’s a list of the 20 best companies you need to know about if you’re planning to adopt a “Work from Anywhere” scheme for your business.
EoRs (Employers of Record)
Omnipresent
Omnipresent is an Employer of Record that’s on a mission to take the hassle out of employing, paying and providing support for distributed teams. Their global reach is pretty impressive; they’re currently based in 150 countries (and counting!)—so they are pretty much everywhere you need them to be.
Omnipresent are experts in providing employment solutions to businesses with international teams—wherever they need it. Whether it’s payrolls, benefits or taxes; you can rest assured that Omnipresent will take care of all the complex administration, so you can focus on the things that matter most: growing your business.
Globalization Partners
Hire anyone, anywhere, quickly and easily. Use Globalization Partners’ AI-driven, automated, fully compliant global employment platform powered by in-house worldwide HR experts. Trust the named industry leader that consistently attains 98% customer satisfaction ratings.
Globalization Partners: Succeed Faster
(Originally published on Globalization Partners)
OysterHR
Oyster is yet another EoR that makes hiring global candidates simple, easy and affordable; no matter which country they live in. They’re an end-to-end Distributed HR Platform that empowers companies to hire, pay and care for talented teammates with complete ease.
Not only does the platform streamline global employment at every stage of a remote employee’s lifecycle, but it’s also a joy to use. Oyster uses the very best software to create a smooth user experience—all thanks to their transparent global employment infrastructure.
So, whether you’re part of the People Operations team or an employee yourself; Oyster provides human-centric solutions to managing globally distributed teams—and takes the hassle out of doing so.
Lano
Want to hire top talent compliantly across 150+ countries? All you need to do is create an account with Lano; the compliance and payments platform that allows you to hire the best local talent at impressive speeds.
From compliant contracts to global payrolls, Lano has you covered. Their tools and services allow you to recruit easily in countries where you don’t have a legal entity. The team at Lano have also put together a comprehensive guide to hiring talent in pretty much every country in the world—from Tajikistan to Poland.
Remote-friendly hiring tools
Flexa Careers
When it comes to finding the right people for your business, Flexa Careers is all you’ll ever need. They’re a recruitment platform that verifies companies as genuinely flexible; giving job seekers the transparency they need when searching for new opportunities.
Companies will undergo a two-stage benchmarking process; an employer benchmarking and an employee benchmarking. To receive Flexa’s “Flexified” stamp of approval, you’ll need a pass mark of at least 60%.
From there, Flexa will create your own company profile on their website to increase your discoverability. This will help match you with potential candidates that’ll instantly benefit from your flexible values and policies, whilst helping you to cultivate a productive workforce.
Flexjobs
For the past 14+ years, Flexjobs has been the largest and most experienced global job platform for remote and other types of flexible working. Their platform has connected millions of qualified candidates with employers that value flexibility—and they’re not stopping there.
Flexjob works closely with partners to establish ways to enhance their branding as an ‘employer of choice’. They do this via webinars, virtual job fairs and targeted email campaigns, as well as offering expertise on an array of flexible work topics to streamline the hiring process.
Global workspace providers
Hubble
As the world’s first hybrid workplace platform, Hubble can help businesses find their ideal blend of working from the HQ, home and on-demand workspaces. We do this via our three flagship products: the Workplace Strategy Tool, Hubble HQ and the Hubble Pass.
The Hubble Pass, in particular, is a flexible membership that gives businesses the ability to allow their teams to work from anywhere. The Hubble Pass network currently comprises on-demand workspaces in 600+ locations (and counting!)
With it, your employees can easily search for and book top-quality on-demand workspaces, such as coworking spaces, private offices, meeting rooms and event space, whenever they need it.
Learning & Development
Learned.Live
If you’re keen to satisfy your international teams’ growing appetite for online virtual classes, then Learned.Live is for you. Inspired by the constant development of edutech, Learned.Live has created an easy-to-use platform that connects talented teachers with inquisitive students—no matter where they are in the world.
It’s truly unique; courses are not only taught live, but students can also access 1:1 feedback in real-time. With it, you can give your distributed teams the opportunity to hone their skills in a wide range of corporate subjects, such as public speaking, time management and marketing.
But what’s great about Learned.Live is that they also offer courses that are fun, exciting and perfect for remote team socials. Whether that’s juggling, balloon modelling or even bubbleology, Learned.Live allows you to bond with your teams, no matter where they are.
HowNow
HowNow is an intelligence workplace learning platform that makes you think outside the “tick” box. By using HowNow, businesses can effectively onboard and upskill their remote teams by connecting them with relevant learning resources whenever they need it.
HowNow brings scattered learning together. From day one, you can engage new starters by setting up personalised learning pathways and hubs with internal best practices all in one place.
From an employer perspective, you can also track the growth and skill progression of your teams by understanding their individual strengths. It’s this that helps you support the development of your employees from any place in the world.
Learnerbly
Transform the way your team learns with Learnerbly; the online marketplace of learning resources curated by 200+ professional providers. The platform takes a simple and personalised approach to learning—which is perfect for employers who haven’t met their distributed teams face-to-face yet.
Once signed up, businesses can provide their employees with an individual learning budget. From there, Learnerbly curates appropriate resources based on their interests and needs—and it’s up to the employees to nurture their own development. It’s this level of empowerment that goes a long way in creating happy and productive workforces.
Global perks providers
Perkbox
If you’re keen to bring the very best of your company culture to employees’ doors, then Perkbox is a great place to start. It’s an employee benefits platform that helps show that you appreciate your employees—regardless of whether they’re in the company HQ or in another continent.
With Perkbox, you can care for, connect with and celebrate your employees by providing them with thousands of perks and discounts—from handy tech and electronics to delicious food and drinks.
They ensure that companies with distributed workforces can still have a harmonised Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and culture that all employees can benefit from. What’s not to like?
Perks at Work
Perks at Work; the employee perks programme that sources the perks which make a difference is yet another great way to celebrate your remote teams. With it, businesses can access 30,000+ national and location employee discounts across 20+ categories—whether that’s Electronics, Food & Groceries, Travel and much more.
If that wasn’t enough, users can also join COA; a free resource of live and on-demand classes for both adults and children. The classes range from an array of different topics; from wellness to personal development—and they’ve been designed to make your employees happy, healthier and more productive.
Pirkx
Pirkx is yet another global perks provider that makes it easy for businesses to give benefits to their employees. But what’s great about Pirkx is that they’re on a mission to make this accessible and inclusive for all—whether they’re full-time, part-time or self-employed.
They’ve also made this accessible for businesses of any size, as their benefits packages are at an affordable price. So, wherever you are in your journey from idea to IPO, Pirkx allows you to care for and celebrate all involved.
Communication
Whereby
Whereby is a video-conferencing platform that takes the hassle out of video meetings. The platform was built by a team of Europeans who value privacy, so there’s no app or software download needed.
All you need to do is choose your own personalised URL and whack it into your mobile or desktop’s internet browser—and in just one click, you can meet your teams.
Doist
Doist is the remote-friendly company behind two products; Todoist and Twist. Twist is a communication app that helps teams stay connected and balance focused work with collaborative conversations.
All types of communication can thrive in Twist. You can keep information organised and apparent through top-specific channels, threads and 1:1 messages.
It’s also the top-rated Slack alternative that allows you to have all your communications in one place without it feeling overwhelming.
Legal
LegalEdge
LegalEdge provides practical, affordable and legal solutions for companies who are growing their distributed teams. They’re a legal service that’s made up of flexible business lawyers who have worked inside businesses before, so they’re highly experienced in everything from day-to-day legal requirements to legal strategy and budgeting.
LegalEdge prides themselves on being a more affordable and practical alternative to many providers out there whose approach is too complex or impractical. They’ve tried and tested an array of templates and tech solutions to give you the best results, while also saving you time and money.
The Law Boutique (tlb)
If you’re looking to make the contracting process simple and easy, The Law Boutique offers all you’ll need. They help to optimise your business contracts so you can focus on what really matters: driving strategy and business growth.
They’ll redesign your contracts so that they’re fit-for-purpose—whether it’s for your suppliers, employees or users. Tlb has also created contract playbooks to standardise your approach and reduce your business risks, allowing you to save time, money and build better relationships with your clients.
Desk booking tools
Kadence
Kadence has created an easy desk scheduling software that’s especially useful for hybrid businesses. The product is a simple and intuitive way to source for and book desks and spaces wherever you are in the world.
All you need to do is download the mobile app and from there, you can see the desks and parking spaces available. You’ll also be able to access at-a-glance floor plan which lets you look at available and clean desk spaces in real time.
Employee wellbeing
Spill
Spill is an all-in-one emotional support tool that employees can easily access through Slack. With it, your globally distributed teams can access a variety of services; such as 1:1 therapy sessions.
Your employees will also be able to ask therapists questions and receive a written response the next working day. For employers, Spill also offers culture tools such as guided 1:1s, handbooks and remote-presentations that help managers and team members communicate better.
Edenred
While Edenred is a leading services and payments platform for people at work in 46 countries, they’re also big on providing employee benefits, perks and incentives.
Their products enable businesses to support their employees on the things they need most —whether that’s childcare, food or travel. This is achieved through an abundance of vouchers, schemes and programmes that have been created to actually make a difference.
