The idea of curling up on the couch in pajamas, laptop in hand and getting work done from the comfort and convenience of home is enticing to many employees. It can save them a ton of money in gas and they can avoid rush hour traffic. With technology constantly advancing, telecommuting is becoming more and more common. Not only do employees love it, but they look for it in prospective employers.
The problem is that many employers are uncomfortable with it because of a lack of trust. If they can't physically see their employees, employers aren't always confident that they're really doing what they're supposed to be doing. Unfortunately they are often justified in their suspicion. Telecommuting abuse happens. On the other hand, there are many employees who are even more productive as telecommuters.
As employees continue to look for flexibility in their jobs, telecommuting will become an increasingly beneficial practice for employers. It allows them to attract and retain valued and experienced employees, as well as keep their employees happy and productive. What employers need to remember is that there are only certain people and certain tasks that are suitable for telecommuting.
The first thing you should do when employees approach you about the idea of telecommuting is look at the tasks they perform. Is this person?s position highly collaborative? Is the work fairly self-contained? Tasks like analysis, research, planning and writing are ideal for telecommuting.
If an employee?s tasks are suitable for telecommuting, then the next thing you need to do is consider the characteristics of the person. Look for employees who are independent, organized, self-motivated and require minimal supervision. Does the employee have a good track record? Managers need to feel confident that their telecommuting employees are actually going to be working. The best way to accomplish that is to give telecommuting a trial run. Once it's been done a few times, compare levels of productivity as a telecommuter with previous levels or productivity. Are they submitting the same amount of work? If an employee you thought you trusted isn't keeping up with his or her work load, then put an end to telecommuting. If an employee is maintaining productivity, then consider making it a more permanent arrangement, so long as he or she keeps up with the workload.
The important thing to remember about telecommuting is that it should be handled on a case-by-case basis. It's only right for certain people in certain situations. When you do decide to give an employee the privilege of telecommuting, put together a telecommuting agreement. This should highlight responsibilities and expectations for both parties, as well as outline exactly how the arrangement will work once it is in place.
There?s definitely value to having employees physically in the office, but telecommuting doesn?t have to be an all day, every day arrangement. Maybe one employee works from home on Fridays, while another does it Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Telecommuting may require a shift in management style, but that?s just one of the kinks that employers and employees need to work out as the trend continues to grow. The bottom line is that for telecommuting to work, the employer needs to trust the employee, while the employee needs to earn that trust and keep up with his or her work to maintain it.
