In the last few months, Kenyan job seekers have noticed an increase in the number of vacancies listed as fully remote.
The pandemic paved the way for a new style of working, where a company in Seattle recruits a Kenyan worker who has expertise but does not have to wear suits and clock in at the US-based office every morning.
The working-from-home model has become appealing to many that job seekers are turning to recruiters and coaches to help them find opportunities and thrive.
A study conducted by Cisco in 2022 shows that a majority of people believe their quality of work improved while working fully remotely and that their productivity had also improved.
Despite this, these remote jobs raise two fundamental questions. How does it affect productivity, organisational culture, employees’ well-being and their work-life balance?
How best are companies and job seekers preparing for this changed world?
Faith Wanjiku, in her mid-20s, works as deputy chief of staff at NiaDelta, an international leadership and culture consultancy registered in Mauritius and that is fully remote.
Ms Wanjiku’s interview was done virtually, joining a team of more than 30 other employees spread across the world whom she met online.
Faith Wanjiku pictured on July 18, 2023, at Nation Centre Building in Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG
She has worked as an in-person employee for other companies and now works remotely on a full-time basis. As deputy chief of staff, she is involved in recruitment at her organisation.
“Remote work is not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon,” she says. “We could be recruiting for a role that a candidate is qualified for but fail at understanding the culture that remote work comes with.”
Ms Wanjiku says, when you get a job in a fully-remote company, your role remains the same as the in-person model except that with remote and hybrid, organisations may prefer to run an output-based and not time-based style of working.
This means, an employee has the flexibility to work at whatever time they want but must accomplish tasks within certain timelines as opposed to sitting in an office and clocking out when it is time to go home.
“For many recruiters, finding a suitable person, therefore, becomes a challenge as most people work well with onsite supervision. This is where career coaches for remote work come in. To coach people looking for remote work to be better suited for the roles they apply for,” she says.
This mismatch between the job seeker and the suitability for specific companies or roles they want to work in has led job seekers to look for help on how to better set themselves apart in the market.
The ultimate promise is that coaches can help them become competitive, given that most of the jobs are advertised beyond their borders.
Muturi Njeri, another remote employee, met his recruiter at The African Leadership Academy who seconded him for a fully remote job for an education startup. He was interviewed virtually.
The company he works for has more than 50 employees. He has never visited its physical offices. He says he did not need a coach, having been in the main drag of remote work for six years now.
Muturi Njeri, a graduate of Psychology and Creative Writing from Colgate University in Hamilton New York, who works remotely in product, learning design and research field. PHOTO | POOL
A graduate of psychology and creative writing from Colgate University in Hamilton New York, he works in product and learning design and research field.
“The visions and style of work for most companies have evolved especially after the pandemic, organisations are looking at a large pool of talent and qualifications from across the globe as opposed to just within their regions,” he says.
“It helps to jump into that pool when you can swim better than your competitors.”
In his career path, says Mr Njeri, he has met career coaches that guide candidates on how to get and retain remote work opportunities.
“This is a breath of fresh air to the employer as the candidates getting in now are not just paper-ready, they have a bit of what it takes to start with zero or minimum hitches,” he says.
Ms Wanjiru says it is important for a candidate to have the right culture fit.
“This makes it easy for both the organisation and the candidate in the onboarding process,” she says.
Remote working has not been the harbinger of career coaches. Nowadays, paying a career coach is becoming commonplace as opposed to a luxury.
In Africa and Kenya in particular, there is an upshot of career development professionals and career coaches. Maryann Somba, who has physical offices in Nairobi and works hybrid (both remote and in-person), is among the recruiters and career development professionals helping Kenyans settle in or leverage remote jobs.
“I have been observing on LinkedIn and other networks how these numbers [of coaches] have increased, especially over the last three years,” says Ms Somba.
The 33-year-old is a trained psychologist who upskilled and now works as a career development professional.
She says career development professionals help in personal branding, upskilling and the creation of important professional networks.
Maryann Somba, a career development coach who assists Kenyans seeking remote jobs. PHOTO | POOL
They understand industry needs and they package that as a product and jobseekers and recruiters are willing to pay a premium.
This, Ms Somba says, can be attributed to the willingness of both job seekers and companies to warm up to remote work. She adds that remote work still requires the same ethics as a physical work environment.
“When the pandemic kicked in, I started getting clients in the remote and hybrid models of work as companies started adopting this style of work,” she says.
