Working From Home: Exploring the Options
Professional Women LeadersIn
The Collection Industry
Discussion: TelecommutingWhat are the Pro’s & Con’s for the employee and employer
What are they calling it now?
Telecommuting Virtual Employee
Working From HomeHome office
Teleworker
Virtual Office
Running the Numbers
14% - U.S. workforce gets its job done at a home office more than two days per week.
That's up from 11% in 2004, and is set to grow to 17% by 2009.
At IBM, about 42% of the company's 330,000 employees work on the road, from home, or at a client location, saving the computer company about $100 million in real estate-related expenses a year.
Videos, an employer of at-home customer-service reps, hangs onto 85% of its employees each year, compared with the 10% to 20% rate for traditional call centers, according to consulting firm IDC.
And virtual workers are about 16% more productive than office workers, according to Grantham's research.
Best types of “Virtual Jobs”
Sales Professionals Managers of
Professionals Individual Contributors Consultants
Project Managers IT Professionals
Telephone Agents Just need voice contact, not face to face contact
(other) (other)
What’s in it for me? Employee EmployerNo commute •this has an impact from gas, wear & tear on car, not sitting in traffic, increased productive time
Save on real estate costs (some companies save $300B)
Additional Flexibility •Kids get off to school, home from school, personal errands
Keeping cars off the road helps companies bolster their green bona fides.
No need to relocate The practice can foster employee retention
Positive impact on Work / Life Balance
Boost work productivity
Running the NumbersAbout 61% of global executives say they think telecommunters are less likely to advance in their careers, compared with employees in a traditional office setting.
25% of workers who could feasibly telecommute,less than half would do so more than 2 days p/wk.
“From an organizational standpoint, its very easy to hire and fire remote employees” – this could be a grim reality for the 12 million telecommute employees.
Videos, an employer of at-home customer-service reps, hangs onto 85% of its employees each year, compared with the 10% to 20% rate for traditional call centers, according to consulting firm IDC.
And virtual workers are about 16% more productive than office workers, according to Grantham's research.
What are the issues? Employee Employer
Not everybody wants to work from home as they fear they will step off the corporate ladder.
Real advancement takes visibility, managing other people, and being where the action is.
Some employees need a busy environment to stay productive.
Many managers simply don’t know how to manage a virtual workplace.
Some workers feel lonely, isolated or deprived of vital training & mentoring.
Workers who spend three or more days without talking to a manager or colleagues start to feel disconnected.
Communication breakdowns can impede innovation, trust, job satisfaction, and performance.
Virtual work environments can be tough on young workers who are trying to learn their jobs.
Many teleworkers overcompensate for their non-physical presence.
Sometimes virtual workers miss informal advice that in-office workers obtain.
Employees can miss out on the office socialization that many people thrive on.
Communication Solutions:Learn How to Best Communicate
What is Best response
Time
Buddy System
Virtual Software
Mobile devices
Instant Messaging
Daily or Weekly
“touch base”
Daily contactVia Phone
Communicate
Managing Your Virtual Career:
What is Best response
Time
Check on Perceptions
frequently
Be Accessible
RescheduleTelecommute
days
Be present At Key
Meetings
Set specificCareer goals
Be great atYour job
The Future
Strategies for WN Colleagues:
Attend Conferences
Dial in forWN calls
Meet the Network
…
…
Call someoneTo laugh
Stay connected
Our Network
Resources
Sources
MSNBC.comHow telecommuters can keep career on track10/22/07
MSNBC.comWorking from home: It’s in the details2/12/07