Did you know Lara Sweet is speaking at TNW2020 this year? Check out the session on ‘Redefining the way we work: productivity, culture, and talent’ here .

Lara Sweet, Snap Inc’s chief people officer, is well-versed in the world of business.

Having spent the past four years at Snap — where she was promoted to her current role in May 2019 — and over six years at AOL, Sweet is all too familiar with the challenges associated with running an international company.

But the past few months have, understandably, been different. The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world upside down, with businesses — those which have so far survived — having to adapt at record speed; many with fewer resources than Snap.

“We had challenges by the truckload and quickly realized that this was going to take a coordinated, cross-functional effort,” Sweet tells Growth Quarters.

Understandably, timing was of the essence — and the challenge facing Sweet multidimensional.

To respond as quickly as possible, Sweet says the team met daily as they needed to understand the multitudinous guidelines put in place by the different national and international authorities, learn to work remotely , and communicate with a global team.

“Finally, I think a big priority for us was addressing requests for mental health and wellness support,” she notes, adding that the situation essentially paved the way for significant changes in leadership and different ways of working.

The impact on employees

If one positive has come out of the pandemic it’s that, in general, employers have largely woken up to the fact that mental health and wellness are incredibly important.

It’s also helped to highlight pay-based inequalities between senior roles and more junior positions — let’s face it working from home is an entirely different experience if you have the ‘luxury’ of being able to set up base in a spare room.

Those with children, or caring for others, have also endured several challenges as the lines between personal and professional became increasingly blurred and parents had to double up as teachers.

The uncertainty — and the wave of mass redundancies across several industries — has also played a part, sparking leaders to become more transparent with employees.

Overall, COVID-19 has humanized the world of work, but working in 2020 hasn’t been easy and HR professionals have been handed the difficult task of dealing with individual and collective issues and boosting morale.

So, how has Sweet managed to do this?

How to boost team morale

Sweet says it’s important for HR professionals in every company to empathize with employees: “You have to listen deeply and understand what your team is facing.”

Communication is key at the best of times but even more so when you’re dealing with distant or remote teams . “You have to ensure people stay aligned on priorities,” she notes, adding that it’s essential that everyone ’s clear on what they need to do in order to progress as a group .

You need to be supportive . You need to acknowledge the situation and prioritize employees, letting them know that they’ve been heard and seen. Also, keep in mind that no two people are the same — or dealing with the same circumstances.  “We’ve provided additional support and training so our team can win from home ,” Sweet adds.

Foster connections . It can be so easy to feel like you’re no longer part of something when you lose daily contact with people . To overcome this, Sweet says departments should create opportunities for teams to simply come together.

Laugh . Even though individuals will be facing several trials and tribulations, it’s important to create happy moments. “We’re all carrying so much right now, so it’s good to take a moment to release some of that tension and encourage a few moments of levity,” she adds.

Overall, the pandemic has had a profound effect on how Snap interacts with employees, paving the way for increased pastoral care and support.

The company has also substantially changed its view on remote working and is now more open to offering more flexibility to its employees, which can expect to work from home until at least January 4, 2021.

“There has always been some skepticism about large-scale working from home,” said Sweet.

“The success our team has had during this extraordinary period has caused us to imagine a new way of working. I don’t see us becoming a company that works from home completely or permanently as we still crave the creative spark and inspiration that comes from interacting with our teammates, but I do believe that we will be much more flexible about remote work options in the future,” she concludes.

So you like our media brand Growth Quarters ? You should join our Growth Quarters event track at TNW2020 , where you’ll hear how the most successful founders kickstarted and grew their companies.

Positive company culture drives success — here’s how to create one while WFH

2020 has been a year of unprecedented change, but amidst the transition to remote work and the overall uncertainty of the times, company culture remains a critical component for all organizations. It is logical to assume that the ongoing uncertainty and shift to remote work makes it more challenging than ever to develop and maintain a strong culture.

Discussing company culture and how it relates to your organization has become a hot topic especially with businesses forced to work remotely. While the term has gained buzzword status over the years, it seems to have lost its true purpose due to the plethora of discussions, HR “smokescreens” and perhaps an inordinate focus on more elaborate perks (dog spa, anyone?) which might create a short term “feel good” situation but aren’t exactly the foundation upon which create cultures are built and sustained.

Company culture goes far beyond simply serving to attract and retain employees by making them feel good. While many companies openly tout their benefits and perks, company culture runs much deeper than extra vacation days and weekly Happy Hours. It sets the tone for the customers you will onboard,  the customer service they receive, the investors you will attract, and which companies will partner with you.

Why is company culture so important?

A company’s culture molds how the organization and its employees are viewed by the rest of the world. Building a positive company culture is not easy, yet it defines how you do business, how you interact with others, and how your team of employees communicates with customers, partners and the media. The company culture you adopt translates into the business’s DNA formula.

It also influences your business’ expectations, guidelines, and mindset. It should include shared beliefs that are established by the business leaders and then clearly and passionately communicated to your team, outlining the employee’s expectations and understanding of the company culture.

Culture should serve as an inspiration starter that encourages employees to be motivated while working. The most talented and dedicated employees always want to work for the best companies and those who are highly motivated will organically share their positive work experience, thereby strengthening a company’s culture.

A positive company culture that aligns with your employees’ values and expectations help partners and customers to see your culture as an example of how you do business instead of just thinking about your product or service that you are offering.

Strong culture leads to company success

A positive and strong culture breeds dedicated managers and employees which results in better business outcomes. By embracing positive company culture within, employees will be more engaged and involved which leads to an improved financial outcome for your company.

It’s important to take the time to contemplate what you can do to make your company culture more successful and think about why it’s important for your company goals. Here are my top four tips for developing and strengthening your company culture:

1. Create a unique company DNA

As people, we are all unique – from our personal values to our DNA, no two people are alike. The same is true in business; every company needs to differentiate itself from others with unique principles that are aligned with its business mission. Your core values create your company’s uniqueness.

Your product can be copied, but your values will always inform who and what the company truly is. A strong and differentiated DNA can play a major role in attracting the best employees and customers.

While business behavior can’t necessarily be seen, it can definitely be felt. A company’s board, managers and employees can feel the company’s DNA and core values every day. However, you must not forget that the core values of the business need to be communicated from the top.

They should be created by the founders and communicated to the managers who can then share them with all the employees. With unique company values and DNA in place, you can differentiate your company culture when compared to others.

2. Be transparent with all employees

Transparency in communication builds trust between employees and management. It is a critical factor for every business and it starts with the founders. It’s imperative that the company leaders are transparent and continuously updating employees about the health of the business and its direction and mission.

When discussing company news with employees, it should always be structured and honest. Your company numbers and data should be available to all employees so that they will have an idea of what’s going on with the business. Company transparency can include ongoing conversations about the company performance, mission and vision.

Being transparent with your employees creates the idea of employee trust and your team can then feel that they are a key factor of your business success which increases company culture internally.

3. Communicate continuously

In every business – regardless of industry – continuous communication with employees is key. In a business, where open and positive communication is encouraged, employees feel they have open access to management without judgment. It is important to encourage communication with employees and managers where everyone will feel comfortable to ask for help.

To improve communication, keep it simple. Make sure that the message is clear and straight to the point and make sure there is a joint understanding. With strong communication between employees and management, your employees can strive for more positive communication, which is key to your company culture.

4. Rethink employee benefits for remote workforce

Happy employees translate into better company culture. Company culture thrives when celebrated correctly. However, with everyone remote, it is tough to celebrate together.

Companies should get more creative when celebrating or acknowledging employee wins or achievements. I have initiated showing employee recognition for their contributions during company-wide meetings or in company communications channels.

Whether it is a shout-out on the company Slack channel or highlighting their achievements over a Zoom call, your employees will feel the appreciation. This is just one way to redesign company culture for the remote workforce. By adopting different creative culture initiatives that will help your remote workers feel more ingrained in your company culture, you will see happier employees no matter where they’re working.

To be sure, company culture goes beyond perks and benefits for employees. It is the core values that hold the company up and spread its message to the rest of the world. Employees who are motivated and excited to perform their daily tasks yield better results for the company as a whole.

Personality, communication, and transparency make the workplace a more pleasant environment for everyone involved and, in turn, are communicated to customers and investors as well.

So you’re interested in the future of work? Then join our online event, TNW2020 , to hear how successful companies are adapting to a new way of working.

Solutions, not art: The true business value of design

Did you know we have an online conference about product design coming up? SPRINT will cover how designers and product owners can stay ahead of the curve in these unprecedented times.

Value is an attribute that defines how much something is worth. People tend to make decisions by assessing value, such as “Should I buy that product?” or, “Should I subscribe to that service?” As they are considering the business value of design, business leaders may ask: “Should I hire a designer?”

Value is not something a designer can simply assign themselves and have a potential client automatically recognize it. However, designers can focus on the business value of design and master the art of presenting themselves as value-driven professionals.

Rather than focusing on embellishing their portfolio or increasing their rate, in order to boost bookings and be paid more, designers should concentrate on becoming more valuable to clients. Since businesses are primarily looking for results, i value delivered, designers who can demonstrate they’re able to deliver value will stand out from the crowd.

But electing to concentrate on increasing their value is a strategy that may prove to be challenging for many designers. It calls for a different set of skills from core design skills and requires a different approach that centers on enhancing soft skills and focusing on the client’s bottom line.

What do businesses and brands value the most?

There is a common misconception among designers that they only need to aim for great visuals and cool-looking designs , and everything else will follow. Though aesthetics matter, it’s not the most critical factor when it comes to a business evaluating what type of designer to hire.

Companies find it more valuable when a design provides their customers a solution to a problem—increasing conversions, eliminating pain-points, and reducing friction. In other words, clients value a designer’s problem-solving skills more than their ability to deliver pretty-looking designs alone.

To be more successful, a shift in mindset is required—designers need to position themselves as problem-solvers, not “artists.” The value designers can deliver is directly proportional to how valuable they are perceived. A skilled designer can design a cool-looking landing page, but not everybody can solve a pressing customer problem that a company has been grappling with for a while.

There is a well-known saying that may help illustrate this concept: “Show, don’t tell.” Anton Chekhov said: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Showing how a business problem was solved and walking through previous design case studies with a client—highlighting value delivered with key results—goes a long way in establishing trust and credibility.

Expert designers diagnose business problems first rather than jumping straight into dispensing design advice. Value-driven designers understand the client’s problems before they suggest a solution. How can a solution be offered if the problem has not been understood? How can trust be built while there is a lack of empathy with the client?

There is a powerful technique designers can employ to show empathy, build rapport, and understand the root of a company’s problem: asking great questions . Clients will feel that the designer is aiming to get to the bottom of the problem from a business perspective and will therefore regard the designer as a valuable ally.

As a designer, asking questions and making sure everyone understands they come from genuine curiosity and a desire to explore the problem at hand more deeply will help designers come up with the most optimal design solutions.

A consistent design process produces consistent results

In the First Industrial Revolution, steam-engine-powered machinery was introduced, helping many businesses produce twice as much in a fraction of the time it took previously. The reason why industrial machinery became so reliable was consistency. Companies realized that by using industrial machines to produce goods, they could achieve consistent results faster.

In the design field, the only way clients can reliably predict if the results provided will be effective is by looking at a designer’s process . When designers implement a previously tested process, it helps give clients clarity and confidence in the designer’s ability to deliver consistent results, because a consistent process produces a reliable outcome. In the long run, that type of client confidence often translates into trusting the designer with more work.

Sharing a specific design process with clients can break down barriers and instill trust. Walking clients through a tried-and-true process they can understand will make them feel that a similar process will add value to their company.

Demonstrating a bulletproof design process may be time-consuming, but if done right, it’s an investment that will bring significant returns. Since clients want to dig deeper and understand how solutions were arrived at beyond a beautiful mockup, investing time in demonstrating a consistent process is a way for a designer to increase their perceived value.

Communicating the business value of design

When it comes to communicating value-driven design to clients, it can be challenging to articulate it and convey it clearly. Developing a well-thought-out communication strategy will increase the chances of being able to deliver a convincing presentation.

However, the right kind of value needs to be communicated. Not everything outlined by a designer may be perceived as valuable, and may not excite the listener. Being selective about what to impart can serve the designer better and make a more significant impact.

An effective strategy to communicate value is to listen to the client’s pain-points first, ask questions, and then suggest a path of discovery to arrive at workable solutions. Tuning into what will make the most significant impact on the pain-points mentioned by the client will increase trust and convey the value of the design delivered by the designer.

Competition is fierce among designers looking to be selected as the winning candidate for a project. Clients will always have many options, and the only thing that can set a designer apart from hundreds of others is the value they can deliver. When jockeying for a lucrative job, mastering the art of communicating the value a designer will bring to a project can increase the chances of them landing that job.

How to increase the business value of design

Businesses are primarily looking for outcomes and expect a recognizable return on investment. Value-based design is an expansion of the design process that also considers specific business needs. The winning combination for successful designers is to possess not only excellent design skills but also to be able to put their “business-oriented thinking” cap on and figure out where design can deliver value.

Understanding the business, diagnosing customer problems before giving advice, having a consistent design process, and strategically communicating how the value of design contributes to a company’s bottom line can increase the perceived value of designers. Combining this set of skills may take some time, but it’s well worth the investment.

The Toptal Design Blog is a hub for advanced design studies by professional designers in the Toptal network on all facets of digital design, ranging from detailed design tutorials to in-depth coverage of new design trends, tools, and techniques.You can read the original piece written by Andres Esquivel here . Follow the Toptal Design Blog on Twitter , Dribbble , Behance , LinkedIn , Facebook , and Instagram .