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Get a life, lose the commute
As a supervisor, I have a lot of concerns about people teleworking. Let's face it - you can't really know what your employees are up to when they are sitting at home while they work.How can I be sure that they are getting the job done and not doing personal things? What about customer service? If a customer needs an answer quickly, how can I be sure that our teleworkers will respond?
Whatever happened to the days when we all just came into the office for work? I don't want to sound mean, but if people are so worried about the commute, maybe they should live closer to their workplace. I understand that you may not want to print my comments and questions but, I just had to give you another viewpoint.
A: To the contrary, I'm really glad that you wrote in. Believe it or not, a lot of managers feel the same way.
Managers who are new to telework typically do struggle with how to best measure the performance of their remote workers. One point that I would like you to consider is this: How do you know what your employees are up to when they are in the main office? Isn't it possible that they are playing computer games, taking a long lunch, chatting with co-workers down the hall, or on personal phone calls?
The best way to ensure that employees are doing the job you expect is to develop clear, concise performance standards. You measure each employee's success against those agreed-upon standards. I'm talking about managing by results - if you know what you mean by quality and timeliness, you can judge your employees' performance regardless of where they are sitting while they work.
When it comes to customer service, I think you would find that it actually improves. Teleworkers are typically more accessible than their in-office co-workers. When your customer calls or e-mails, the fact that someone is working at a home office or telework center is transparent to them.
Finally, you are right - the world of work is evolving as technology evolves and our workforce changes. You cannot change that reality, but you can adjust to it.
Suggesting that people move closer to their workplace is not realistic given the cost of real estate in many D.C. communities and the roots that people develop in their home towns.
I'd strongly suggest that you consider a telework pilot program and give this a chance. Allow a limited number of staff members to try it out; I believe you will be pleased with the results and will find that morale and productivity increase.
If you need more information on telework and how to get started, you might visit www.teleworkexchange.com, www.teleworkva.org, and www.telework.gov .
Q: I am in the midst of a job search. I'm an accountant and would like to land a job that allows for telework. Is there a Web site that advertises jobs designated for telework?
A: Unfortunately, no such Web site exists right now. You are the third reader to ask this question so, clearly there is interest.
I am working with a Virginia-based telework association to develop a Web site that will provide a listing of telework-friendly jobs and will keep readers informed about this.
You might consider asking about telework policies when you are interviewed for prospective positions. It would help you assess the climate or culture of the employer and avoid organizations that do not have flexible work programs.
Q: I love the idea of telework, but with the voluminous files I have to download, I really need broad bandwidth capability and high-speed connectivity.
I live in a part of Fauquier County that does not offer cable or DSL. What are my options?
There is no way I can work from home using a dial-up connection. Do you know what the county is doing to support expansion of telework for local residents?
A: Like you, I live in a part of the county without cable or DSL.
The best option you have at this point is a satellite connection. You might check into Hughes Net, but I must warn you that it is a bit expensive.
Also, you can contact the Virgina Broadband office to determine when your community is scheduled to obtain those services. Its Web site address is: www.vabb.com.
As of this writing, I do not have answers for you about what the county is doing. I will check into this and provide an update in a future issue of the Times Democrat.
Any other suggestions, readers? E-mail them to: kkadilak@swlsolutions.net.
Kathy Kadilak is President of Strategic WorkLife Solutions, LLC. She can be contacted at: kkadilak@swlsolutions.net. Visit her website at: www.swlsolutions.net.
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