05/ 25/ 2006
How telecommuting can be an asset—and a success—for your small business
The Expert:
Mark Lichtman
CEO, ZenaComp
www.zenacomp.com
Livonia, Mich.
Even though it was almost eight years ago, I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my office and one of my top sales executives approached me. She had a new baby and wanted to move back home to New York to be closer to her family. She also wanted to keep her job with ZenaComp, the business tech services company I started in 1989.
I had no experience with telecommuting at that time, but it didn't take me long to make the decision. Because she was such an important asset to my then-growing company, I knew I was going to have to let her telecommute—or risk losing her.
I went for it, having no idea what to expect. It worked out great because she was an independent worker who was committed to her job. She worked when she said she'd be working and produced the same results she had always produced in the office.
As work-life balance becomes increasingly important to today's employee, and as new technologies make communication even more effective, telecommuting seems like an easy option for some employees. Who wants to fight traffic each day traveling to and from the office if you don't have to? Who wouldn't be more comfortable working at home? If you can attend the weekly sales meeting via videoconference, why does it matter where you are? But just because all signs point to telecommuting, it doesn't mean you can rip up the lease to your office and send everyone home. You have to make sure your employees are doing not only the best thing for themselves, but also for your business. You have to balance people's work-life objectives with your own corporate objectives.
It may sound pessimistic, but it comes down to this: We all operate in our own self-interest, and there are going to be distractions at home. That's why telecommuting takes a lot of discipline. The temptation to blow off work for something better is always going to be there.
As employers, we want to be fair and accommodating, but we don't want to be taken advantage of. That's why telecommuting works best for employees who perform highly measurable tasks or functions—and who have a great work ethic. That way, you can have peace of mind and never have to wonder if they're just goofing off.
Telecommuting can work, but it requires a little more effort from a management standpoint. Your telecommuters will repay you with their efforts, too.
Why telecommuting is on the rise
- Work-life balance has become increasingly important in today's world. The next generation of workers is eager to strike a balance between earning a living and living their lives.
- Constantly improving technologies such as Web cams, high-speed Internet connections and video conferencing make it easier to communicate with workers—whether they're down the hall or several states away.
How to make it work
- Telecommuting isn't for everyone. To determine whether it will work, consider things such as the employee's work ethic, if the work is easily measurable, and if it requires a lot of collaboration with others in your office.
- Communication challenges can be more prevalent with telecommuting. To minimize them, we created a system where employees can interact without being in the same location. For example, we use online work orders that can be accessed from anywhere.
- To keep telecommuters in the loop, schedule regular visits to the office and conference them in at staff meetings so they still feel like part of the company.
