Pl
RU
Maryia Lemiaza, the founder of SMAR, recently participated in an inspiring workshop organized by Cushman & Wakefield. The event explored modern approaches to work organization and office spaces, sparking fresh ideas and serving as a launchpad for planning exciting projects for the coming year, which we’ll share at the end of this article.
But first, let’s dive into Maryia’s key insights on how SMAR’s teams operate remotely across multiple countries and how we manage our processes effectively.
Managing a Remote Team
Our Polish team includes 20 employees working from various cities. While our main hubs are in Warsaw and Gdańsk, the remote work model allows us to recruit professionals from any part of the country.
We rely heavily on technology for seamless coordination:
- Unified task and time management system:
Tracks working hours and analyzes time spent on projects, helping us:
- Identify inefficiencies,
- Pinpoint areas for skill development, and
- Automate workflows.
- AI-powered chatbot:
Quickly responds to client queries, reducing processing time and improving satisfaction.
- Automated document management system:
Minimizes routine tasks and errors.
All tools are integrated into a unified ecosystem accessible to every team member.
Approaches to Hiring
We leverage several strategies to find talent:
- Collaboration with accounting schools: Many of our employees are graduates of such programs.
- Social media: Candidates often reach out, inspired by our values.
- Referrals: For instance, one employee joined us after working for a client who shared our principles. We coordinated with the client to seamlessly onboard her into our team.
Company Values
We look for professionals who share our core values: responsibility, a passion for growth, and building trust-based relationships.
Our team primarily consists of women, most of whom are mothers. We create conditions that enable them to balance their careers and family responsibilities:
- Remote work and flexible schedules: Help maintain work-life balance.
- Continuous learning opportunities: Support professional growth.
Challenges and Benefits of Remote Work
Remote work is increasingly valued, particularly by Gen Z. Studies show it’s often a decisive factor when choosing an employer. According to futurists at the workshop, the standard workweek could shrink to three or four days by 2035.
Currently, this model allows us to attract specialists from diverse regions and manage processes flexibly. However, it also has challenges, such as limited in-person interaction among team members.
To address this, we opened an office in Warsaw—a space for meetings, discussions, and strengthening corporate culture.
Working Across Borders
Each country has unique requirements:
- Belarus: A hybrid model with a physical office required for document storage.
- Poland: Remote work creates opportunities for women, particularly mothers.
- USA: Fully remote, but an office is planned to meet business visa requirements.
- Cyprus: A physical office is mandatory for company registration. We partnered with reliable local firms to streamline operations.
We adapt flexibly to these requirements, incorporating them into our strategic plans for growth in regions like Kazakhstan and Cyprus.
New SMAR Initiatives
The workshop format was a perfect example of how to bring together employees and partners to discuss trends and share experiences.
Such events offer fresh perspectives on established processes, enhance team collaboration, and inspire innovative solutions.
At SMAR, we’re planning to launch our own workshop series. These will focus on outsourcing trends, team management, and professional development, while fostering an active professional community. Our first pilot workshop is set to launch next year.
We are deeply grateful to the organizers for the inspiration and the opportunity to share our experience. We firmly believe that sharing ideas and embracing new knowledge is the key to achieving excellence.
