Thursday, March 08, 2007

Dial Up Telecommuting: Employer Benefits

In a few previous posts, I've written about telecommuting as a work at home option. If that appealed to you, this next three part series should be of interest to you. While it is based on the employer perspective, consider these benefits when presenting telecommuting to your bosses. If might make the option palatable to them.

What could your employees do if they were not stuck in traffic every single day for two or more hours? I'll bet you are probably stuck in that same workday traffic. There are plenty of executives, data entry personnel, and others who are clogging the roads every single day. But think about it, is physical presence at your company really required?

Sure, you need a data entry clerk, but does she have to sit at a desk every single day to receive her work assignments? Could they not just as easily be delivered by courier or mail? Perhaps you could cut down the amount of time that she spends in the office while giving her the opportunity to work at home.

If your mind is working in that general direction, then you are probably ready to contemplate telecommuting for the people in your office. As an employer, you know that there are numerous benefits for you. While almost everyone thinks about the many advantages this mode of work has for the employee, the other side is rarely considered. Here are some of the most obvious benefits to your operation – and bottom line!

1. Save on space.
Space equals money, and instead of expanding your operation every few years when new personnel needs to be hired on to keep up with the growth of your business, you will be able to continue leasing the same space without making costly renovations to cram more people into the small space.

Having a number of telecommuters working for you enables you to stagger the times when they come in and thus three to five workers can share one work station (A concept that used to be called hoteling)! While the initial cost of setting up several of your qualified employees to telecommute might be off-putting, consider the money you will save in facility related costs, and
you will break even very soon.

2. Software makes connections easy.

With the many software innovations, you will no longer have to attend long and drawn out meetings that take time away from the many tasks you could be performing. Instead, online meetings, conference calls, and group emails will permit you to continue your supervision of the projects that are outstanding while at the same time freeing up time for everyone who would
normally have to travel to meetings and take up time that could be better spent working on a task.

These are but two of the many facets that make up the advantages telecommuting can offer to the employers. Do not make the mistake of dismissing the idea immediately.

Here's another benefit that you might not considered: telecommuting may enhance hiring. With more and more people seeking a work life balance, you can offer them the option of office or home based work and attract better/more qualified people to your company.

You will need to make sure that the person to whom you entrust this kind of work is disciplined enough to handle it, but once you have found them, you will be sure to reap great benefits.

About the Author:
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