It is a practice of working from a location other than the office, making use of the internet, email, telephone and other communicative tools using technology to connect with employers and employees.
Telecommuting jobs are usually employed by publishing industry, sales, customer service and marketing firms. This mode of work is an arrangement between employer and employee. It is also known as telework, remote work, or e-commuting.
Purpose of telecommuting or telework is to scout and maximize several talents outside the box who can equally get work done efficiently from the comfort of their homes. This helps in improving productivity, work force, reducing cost, among others. As other professions have also started working from home, let’s look at its benefits, pros and cons.
Benefits and Downsides of Telecommuting
Benefits of Telecommuting
Improved Morale and the quality of work
Quality work results are yielded if there is a good morale to work, which usually stems from a positive attitude towards one’s responsibility at work. These are simple steps to help you achieve quality work;
Focus on your work without any distractions
Plan meetings and schedule office duties daily (ensuring a reschedule if one duty /plan is not met/held)
Being comfortable in your own skin while at home
While one works from home, they don’t get to interact with coworkers who are unfriendly
Desist from procrastination
Increased Productivity
While most employers fear when the notion \of working from home is mentioned, employees tend to do great when it comes to working from a different location aside from home, it could be a coffee shop, library, park, etc. There is a misconception that once, employees are out of sight they won’t be productive at the projects they are handling but that is not the case when it comes to telecommuting
Flexible hours
While you work from home, you can plan your work so that your work at the end of the day is highly productive. You need to find the time of the day that works for you; either you are a morning or evening person, whichever the case is, telecommuting is the most convenient option. Telecommuting here helps you have a balance work life
Additional Work Hours
Most of the time, competing companies who uses e- commuting tend to work for more hours on a project since the time used to travel to and from work is used in completing the projects, should it be handled from home. It also relieves your employees of the daily stress they go through before getting to the office.
Downsides of Telecommuting
Telecommuting is not without drawbacks; however, if you are keen on venturing into it, you should note these possible pitfalls and find ways to overcome them
Low Ability to Brainstorm
Working remotely can make one feel isolated to the extent of not finding it easy to collaborate with team members on tasks. One’s productive time may differ from another’s, making it a stress to brainstorm on topics necessary for company’s growth. Virtual team meetings, shared documents, frequent calls and occasional face-to-face sessions can help in overcoming this drawback.
Fear of a damage to career
Most people have the fear of telecommuting posing as a career disadvantage in the future especially when it comes to advancement. However, employers can overcome this perception by keeping communication lines open and strong, while ensuring employees are granted the opportunity to prove themselves by moving on to different positions in departments if they deserve it.
Issues of Security
There can be leaks in the company computer systems when access is given to telecommuting staff. Protocols should be put in place to ward off any gaps in security, including training on remote access security and frequent passwords updates.
Possibility of Production Loss
Although many workers can flourish in a telecommuting situation, others may not. Production and quality benchmarks can serve as motivators for these employees who find the distractions of home difficult to overcome.
Conclusion
You have a better understanding of telecommuting now, ranging from its benefits, advantages and disadvantages. It is obvious that telecommuting is not meant for everyone. Telecommuting or teleworking is the reason why shared workspaces and co-working has increased lately. Your company can save more and become more productive if it tries employing telecommuting as a mode of completing tasks.
