Meet Jessica Zeba-Snow, Head of Remote Operations and Culture at Skillable:
Jessica Zeba-Snow, Head of Remote Operations and Culture at Skillable, blends a rich career journey in executive leadership and public health. Her trajectory encompasses guiding organizations through growth, earning master’s and doctoral degrees in public health, and pioneering trauma-informed frameworks for positive workplace culture. Amidst responding to the pandemic, Jessica found her way back to operational leadership at Skillable, where she seamlessly integrates transformative operations with a passion for employee well-being, crafting a rewarding and promising path forward.
Listen Up: Jessica Zeba-Snow, Head of Remote Operations and Culture at Skillable — Full Podcast Episode on Spotify
Watch Now: Vit’s In-Depth Talk with Jessica Zeba-Snow
Quick Read: Jessica Zeba-Snow, Head of Remote Operations and Culture at Skillable, Interview Highlights
Transitioning to Remote Operations and Culture
In my latest Default Global podcast, I had a conversation with Jessica Zeba-Snow, Head of Remote Operations and Culture at Skillable. Jessica’s career journey is a blend of operations, public health, and a focus on employee voice and community support.
She shared, “my journey with Skillable as head of remote operations and culture has enabled me to not only harness my leadership and strategic strengths in transformative operations, but I’m also able to put my heart and pursuits at the center of all that I do.”
Jessica’s Views on Remote Work and Team Culture
When asked about her views on remote work and team culture, Jessica highlighted the role of empathy in creating trust and psychological safety for employees.
She said, “My experience in the arena of trauma-informed work led me down to a path of traumatology and psychology, which taught me the importance of building trust and connection.”
Jessica also stressed the importance of operational agility to respond to unpredictable business needs in a remote setting.
Building a Better Work Culture at Skillable
Skillable, a fully virtual organization, prioritizes a culture-first approach. Jessica explained that their culture thrives due to two-way feedback and high collaboration among teams.
She said, “we also promote high collaboration among our teams. We use collaborative tools and platforms that allow us to work together seamlessly, even though we’re physically distanced.”
Understanding Challenge-Centric Learning
At Skillable, the focus is on “challenge-centric learning,” a form of experiential practice-based learning. Jessica explained that “traditional training has primarily focused on knowledge dissemination… The focus is on stuffing as much knowledge into people as possible and hope that they can retain some of it.” In contrast, challenge-centric learning offers a safe space for individuals to build skills through actual experience.
Managing a Globally Distributed Team
Managing a globally distributed team comes with its own sets of challenges and opportunities.
Jessica elaborated, “one of the primary challenges is really dealing with the different time zones… However, we’ve really turned this into an opportunity by adopting a follow the sun model to allow us to provide round the clock support to our clients.”
Emerging Trends in Global Hiring and Remote Workspace
When asked about the emerging trends in global hiring and remote workspace, Jessica identified several key areas: flexibility, digital collaboration tools, employee well-being, continual learning and evolution, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Advice for Leaders Going Global
For leaders considering going global or improving remote work, Jessica advised, “embrace diversity… invest in technology… prioritize employee well-being… adapt and evolve… lead with empathy.”
The conversation with Jessica Zeba-Snow revealed the importance of a culture-first approach, operational agility, communication, and empathy in managing a globally distributed team. It also shed light on the emerging trends in global hiring and remote work, providing valuable insights for leaders in this domain.
