The simple fact of the 21st century workplace is that telecommuting is here to stay whether a company feels it is appropriate or not. It is becoming increasingly commonplace in the largest companies and soon will be expected in mid and small sized companies by potential employees. Any company that doesn’t appreciate the ramifications of this phenomenon could be doomed to failure. Here are some reasons why:
Talent Does as Talent Will – While it’s a crude approximation of the old adage, the sentiment is the same – the most talented people will be allowed to operate as they choose or their valuable services will not be available to a company. For better or worse, this situation will continue through good times and bad as companies compete for the very best talent. If you won’t budge on this particular requirement, you are undoubtedly denying yourself the benefit of many superior individuals.
Your Competition Offers It – As you well know, potential employees will compare your benefits against those of your competitors and this includes your telecommuting policy. The most talented and in-demand ones may not want to be confined by any of your current policies. Instead, they will ask for more flexible schedules that, they insist, will meet your needs as well as their own. Recognizing this heretofore non-traditional fact, and adjusting to it, is simply necessary for you to recruit and hire the best talent available.
Employees Love the Financial and Social Benefits – Perhaps you wonder why the flexibility of working remotely is so important to the millennial generation. The answer is quite simple – it opens up a whole world of social and financial benefits. In addition to the obvious benefits of not having to deal with the stress, time and expense of commuting to work, employees are able to efficiently deal with many of life’s “little” problems, such as waiting for the cable installer, with a minimum of stress. In addition, many of your “greener” employees will point at the reduction in their carbon footprint as a benefit.
There is Enhanced Flexibility – One of the most common reasons for employees to leave is out of necessity when their spouse or partner receives a better job offer in another locality. In short, after examining the possibilities, they will decide that your employee’s job is better left behind even though your current employee is quite satisfied with their job. A remote work environment can solve this dilemma and keep a valued employee on your payroll.
Employers Can Benefit Too – For most companies, the rent on their location is the second largest expense behind labor. With telecommuting, this expense can be lessened to a significant degree as much office space can be shared or even eliminated. The use of common areas for multiple tasks and teleconferences can reduce this burden even further.
A Final Thought
Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard, famously changed their telecommuting policy a few months back but, to her chagrin, was roundly criticized for it. It remains to be seen how the tech giant will react to the clamor from existing employees but one thing is for sure, they have certainly created a “tiebreaker” for their competition. Anyone looking to telecommute will probably place HP on the bottom of their employer wish list.
Managing these off-site employees will undoubtedly give many HR departments a case of “agita.” Still, the benefits can outweigh the heartache if you can integrate the management of their time and activities into an HRIS system. An HRIS can monitor, record and evaluate such activities as extra company phone contacts, inter office emails and even online collaborations. At the very least, they let you know who is making the effort and who is not. Consider one for managing your telecommuters.