6 Keys for Creating Strong Telecommuting Programs

If your business is still among those wondering if you should allow your workers to telecommute, you might want to start thinking more about when you will do it. And, more to the point, how soon you can. 

Telecommuting is already the norm at many leading companies. And as Robert Half’s Jobs and AI Anxiety report explains, we can expect to see the emergence of robust new communication and collaboration technology, including artificial intelligence-powered tools, making it even easier for employees to work from home — or anywhere — seamlessly and productively. 

Keep in mind this isn’t a trend that will unfold in the far-off future, but over the next five to 10 years, the report suggests. Internet connectivity, mobility and collaborative applications already support remote work quite effectively today. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for most employers to use the “our technology at the office works better” argument with would-be telecommuters today — so just imagine the challenge tomorrow. 

You’ll likely find many of your employees, especially those with long commutes, are ready for your business to give the green light to telecommuting. The ability to work from home can have a positive impact on their work-life balance. Also, it’s a good bet that job candidates will ask about your firm’s off-site work policy. More than three-quarters of the workers polled in a Robert Half survey said they’d be more likely to accept a job offer if they could telecommute at least some of the time. 

So, from both a retention and recruiting perspective, telecommuting programs make good business sense. Right now, they can provide businesses with a competitive advantage. But tomorrow, telecommuting will likely be a business necessity for many employers. 

It’s important to get your telecommuting policy right. Doing so requires careful planning and implementation. Consider these six tips for creating an effective program: 

1. Contact your legal experts 

Before you begin offering employees the chance to work from home, make sure your program won’t become a legal minefield. 

Legal counsel should review any telecommuting programs to make sure the company stays in compliance with employment laws. Issues to consider include workers’ compensation and state overtime regulations, as well as the matter of individual responsibility for company property used off-site. 

2. Invite managers to share their input 

While general approval of a company plan must come from business owners or upper management, individual supervisors should be invited to play a role in designing the specifics. 

Managers know which job functions are most suitable for telecommuting, so they’ll be in the best position to customize the program for their teams. Questions they might consider when evaluating roles include: Is this position really suited to independent work? Does the job require a lot of face time that videoconferencing alone can’t support effectively? And what – if any – impact would there be on our teamwork, and even our organizational culture, if several employees telecommuted regularly? 

3. Choose the right tech tools 

At the heart of a successful telecommuting program you’ll find workers using the latest technology tools to their advantage. 

Slack, Google Hangouts and Skype for Business are some of the platforms that telecommuters can use to keep in touch throughout the day. And file-hosting services like Dropbox, Google Drive or an in-house system can support their collaboration and information sharing in real time. 

As an employer, you’ll need try to stay on top of emerging tools and technologies that can help your whole team work better, no matter where they’re located. The Jobs and AI Anxiety report makes it clear: it’s never a good idea to sit back and wait for change to happen. Managers should be taking steps now to better understand how technology is likely to transform their workplace. 

So, for example, you may want to closely track the rise of immersive technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality in the workplace. Even people who won’t depend on them for core job functions will still need to be comfortable using these technologies. 

4. Keep things cohesive 

Make sure to help telecommuters feel like they’re part of the team. Set a policy to include remote workers in key meetings, and recommend they come into the office periodically. And make an extra effort to keep telecommuters in the loop on company and department news, especially if they spend a significant amount of time working off-site. 

Also, bringing your whole staff together at one location on occasion can help to build camaraderie and team spirit. If that’s not possible, try scheduling at least one big videoconference on a quarterly basis using a group-friendly platform like Zoom. 

5. Don’t micromanage 

Managing telecommuters can be tricky. Telecommuting employees need to feel confident that their manager believes they will work as hard as they would in a regular office, including keeping similar hours and maintaining productivity. 

If you’re unnecessarily checking in several times a day with remote workers just to “see how things are going,” those employees may feel like you don’t trust them. That can lead to employee frustration and, in time, turnover. 

6. Be fair to on-site employees 

Another key to successful a telecommuting program is making sure that those who work on-site are treated equitably. It can feel like a bum deal to be the employee who’s left to handle problems that can’t be performed remotely by off-site coworkers. Remember that it’s not the job of those who work at the office to cover for those who don’t. 

When it comes to quality and deliverables, there should be no difference between the work an employee produces at your office or while they’re telecommuting. So set equal standards for on-site and off-site professionals in areas such as client service, office hours, and response times for emails and phone calls. You also might want to set “core hours” when all employees are required to be accessible. 

A final tip for success: Be sure to regularly update your telecommuting policy. Over time, as technology and workplace practices continue to evolve, you may find that additional groups of employees can be offered this work option or that your guidelines need modification. Given the rapid pace of change today, that could happen a lot sooner than you expect — so make sure you, your teams and your business are ready to adapt. 

Check out our blog for more management and retention advice.