Why don't more companies offer telecommuting opportunities, especially if those jobs can be done just as effectively from home?
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M$4 Answers
Knowing the value of telecommuting myself, I'm constantly telling my hiring managers that they should consider or be open to someone who is a telecommuter. It dramatically opens up the talent pool because we can recruit nationwide and incur no relocation expenses. I've never been successful in convincing a manager yet, and it comes down to 2 reasons:
1. Trust
2. Outdated management skills
Addressing Trust....most managers feel that they need to see a person in the office to know that they are working. What they don't realize is that there are productivity and collaboration tools (software) that can help distributed teams work effectively while monitoring work flow.
Addressing Outdated Management Skills...All technology aside, the managers need to realize that managing a remote employee is completely different from managing an in-house employee. There are different tactics and techniques associated with ensuring that your employee is engaged, happy, working hard, getting the resources they need, communicating effectively, etc. These are skills that most managers aren't formally trained in.
There are definitely risks associated with a remote employee but telecommuting is becoming more prevalent in progressive companies and based on most industry HR leaders, the telecommuting trend is going to continue as companies look for better ways to procure talent and reduce overhead.
In your job search be patient and get yourself deep in the interview process before you ask about telecommuting options. If they fall in love with you, they'll likely make some concessions like 1 or 2 days per week at home. Once you prove yourself to be productive from home, you'll find that you'll have a lot more freedom to work remotely. That's how I did it...
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M$
I telecommute from time to time for different companies and I like it. Though I had some weird situations. One of my supervisors had permanent access to my PC during working hours. Luckily he didn't use it often, but when my Radmin icon went red I knew the boss was in my computer. It was such a relief when the project was finished.
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M$
- It is more difficult to manage employees working remotely than those working on-site.
- Employees working remotely do not interact as much or as effectively with their peers, reducing opportunities for team-building, synergy of ideas, etc.
- Seeing subordinates face to face daily allows managers to get a better feel for how work is progressing, and whether or not there are any roadblocks they should know about.
- In some cases there may be trust issues. Specifically, the supervisor, manager, or owner of the business may not trust that employees will actually work as hard or as long when they are not directly supervised.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
