Human Resources: Out Of Site But Not Out Of Mind

Long gone are the days of working nine to five. The changes in lifestyles and technologies are creating a demand for more flexibility of work schedules. The revolution of telecommuting is becoming more popular with companies who want to remain competitive as the ideal place of employment. For both employee and employer, telecommuting is a conditional solution that depends on specific factors in order for it to work.

Research shows that telecommuters are more productive than conventional workers.

It''s convenient for an employee to balance both work and personal pressures from the comfort of their own home. Employees save time and money from not having to commute, in addition to fewer interruptions from co-workers. Telecommuters also don''t experience the stress of having to get out of the office to beat rush hour traffic and are not affected by bad weather so they are able to concentrate on projects better and have more control over their priorities. The key to a successful balance is to have the ability to draw a distinctive line between work and home, as well as, have the discipline to set strict working hours. On the other hand, employees have to be careful of not overworking because of the convenient access to projects and sometimes react to the pressure of justifying the arrangement.

Employers primarily benefit by saving money through the elimination of office space. When companies are focused on cutting costs, this is an effective alternative. Global companies can benefit from telecommuters who are provided with the flexibility to work across time zones.

Managers share the biggest misconception of telecommuting by fearing that employees who are out of sight will cause a decrease in productivity. When approached by an employee expressing interest in telecommuting, the first question a manager or supervisor should ask is how is the employee planning on continuing their productivity from home because there''s a distinct difference between hours worked and productivity.

A rift in departmental cohesion is another concern employers have about telecommuters. Co-workers may be concerned how their responsibilities will be impacted. One solution is to host fun meetings once a week, perhaps Friday afternoons to stimulate creativity and interaction between telecommuters and conventional workers to reaffirm a sense of belonging.

Telecommuting encourages employee and manager to coordinate a better path for communication and establish performance measures.

It also encourages both to be better prepared for meetings in order to make most of the time together. Telecommuting does more responsibility on employee to keep supervisor informed. Great for people with school aged children who are gone all day but unsuccessful with under school aged children.

Managers shouldn''t overlook a telecommuter from consideration for assignments that require them to be in the office or career progression opportunities.

Now that we explored the benefits and drawbacks of telecommuting, the following are tips that both the employee and supervisor can do to maintain productivity with the arrangement.

Employees should:

Make family members and friends clear there cannot be any disturbances during working hours.

Schedule work time around personal responsibilities, children should either be in school or in day-care, etc.

Create a comfortable workspace and enough room to keep your work materials there.

Not try to overcompensate to justify telecommuting by working much longer hours.

Establish specific routines to keep motivation up and check in with the office every day.

Update your supervisor on a regular basis regarding your progress.
Take breaks and request vacation in accordance to company policies.

Managers should:

Make sure all employees are clear on their roles (whether they are telecommuting or not) and ask them to keep track of their progress.

Remember out of sight does not mean out of mind, keep their name out there when it comes to praise.

Keep managing. Set expectations, deadlines, and provide feedback on a consistent basis.

Productivity and performance should be measured the same for both telecommuters and non-telecommuters.

Be flexible and resist the urge to micro-managed from a distance.

Both should:

Voice any concerns regarding the arrangement

Communicate work schedules for everyone and provide efficient ways to contact the telecommuters.

Be patient. Change requires a period of adjustment.