Making Telecommuting Successful

Telecommuting is no longer in its infancy as it has become an accepted and effective means of retaining valued employees by allowing them to work in a flexible environment and keep the overheard costs under control, not to mention the environmental impact due to the reduced number of commuters on the road. Even the 2007 WorkatWork Survey Brief showed how there has been an increase of 25 percent within one year (05-06) in the number of Americans who are allowed to work remotely at least one day in a month. However, people need to consider certain pointers that make telecommuting successful in order to reap its optimum benefits.

For the Telecommuters

Right equipment in place: Apart from having some basic office furniture like a table and chair, you will also need electronic and communicating equipment. To begin with, you need to have a computer with good internet connection. Apart from that, a phone and a fax machine are two other important tools that you need to have while working from home. You would also require a printer, scanner, storage device and good software back-up system as part of your computer accessories.

Right attitude to work: Just because you are working from home, it doesn't mean that you can work and play as and when you like. To become successful as a telecommuter, you should have the right professional attitude to complete your assigned work even when no one is watching you. You should also have the ability to manage interruptions at work like someone dropping by during your working hours, caring for the elders, young children and the like. The key to become a successful telecommuter is to stay organized, prepare a work plan for everyday, create a time schedule and follow that diligently.

Skills to depend upon: The first thing to become a successful and dependable telecommuter is to keep in touch with your coworkers and supervisor so that you can carry out your assigned job without any difficulties and play the prefect team player. You can establish a frequency for checking in your employer's needs and your job functions once a day or more, depending on what suits your role the best. You should also return phone calls within a specified time period and make sure that you are able to handle deadlines.

For the Employers

Helping in the set-up: You should help your employee with the necessary software, hardware and telecommuting equipment so that he/she can have all the required tools before beginning work. Apart from delivering the supplies, you may also order for ergonomic work chairs or help in the proper positioning of the monitor and keyboard etc.

Evaluate the telecommuting arrangement: You should assess how well the arrangement is working for at least 30 to 60 days. If all goes well, you can think about increasing the number of working hours. If not, you will need to find ways to improve the arrangement so that the desired results can be achieved.

Offering feedback to the employee: You should do regular assessment of the telecommuter to provide an insight into what works and what does not. This will help the employees know how well they performed in the telecommuting environment and fine tune things, as and when needed.

By deciding to telecommute, you can save a lot both as an employer and as an employee. Cisco claims to have earned over $277 million in productivity savings by opting to allow its employees to work from home. Even the findings of a survey by WorldatWork show how a higher percentage of Americans have embraced telecommuting in 2008.

So, whether you are an employer or an employee, telecommuting can offer you a win-win situation if you keep the above mentioned pointers in mind and act accordingly.

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