Remote Workers Taking Over: Good or Bad for Business?
The age of technology no longer requires that a worker be confined to the walls of an office cubicle. With the downturn of the economy, companies are closing their office doors and requesting that employees work from home via telecommuting.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 232.7 million people are employed in the United States in 2009. Of those, an estimated 17.2 million work from home. This increase is a result of large companies benefiting financially from having a workforce of telecommuters . Cisco Systems Inc. released a study done on 2,000 members of its own telecommuting population, and estimated an annual savings of over $277 million in productivity. Of the 2,000 surveyed, 67 percent said their work quality improved and 69 percent saw increased productivity. Not only are workers enjoying the freedom and mobility of telecommuting, but Cisco, along with other major high tech companies, is seeing reduced insurance costs, better employee retention rates, and lower energy costs (an estimated 47,320 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions saved by reduced travel).
High tech companies like Cisco are, no doubt, wired for more advance networking approaches, but even other smaller companies can benefit from a certain amount of telecommuting. However, there are concerns over the negative impact telecommuting may cause for a company or its employees. In order to thrive in a business, build up a career, or move up the chain of command, it is vital that an employee develop and nourish certain relationships at work. A good working relationship, be it between employer and employee, or company and client, is often the key to success in the business world. One can argue that it is difficult to keep a working relationship healthy over the phone or internet. And although productivity can be increased, there can be a loss of creativity and new ideas that come through face-to-face interaction.
Michael Young, Regional Leasing Manager for Cisco Systems Capital, comments on his experience with working from home.
"Most of the time I really enjoy working from a remote environment, but I also love going to the office and working face-to-face with people. Cisco hires very good employees, and I thrive on that. So while working remotely certainly has its place, there's no question that I learn more and become more creative when I engage others in an office environment."
When asked if he has trouble motivating his team via telecommuting, Michael says "I work in a sales environment, so the answer is 'no' for me and my sales organization. My team is expected to produce X amount of revenue and productivity each week and month, regardless of whether we work from our homes or the office. Furthermore, I subscribe to former football coach Lou Holtz's theory of motivation: Holtz said, 'Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.'
The question with telecommuting is whether the good outweighs the bad. Is the financial gain worth the cost of creativity? Is the convenience in working from home worth the sacrifice of important relationships? It would appear that the steady increase in numbers of the telecommuting workforce speaks for itself.
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360