There is no denying the important of work/life balance. As more and more workers — of all ages — begin to discover and embrace their perfect balance, a shift is beginning to happen in the workplace. Telecommuting is growing. In fact, the number of telecommuters in the U.S. has grown threefold in the last twenty years.
That’s right. According to research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), telework rose from 20 percent in 1996 to 60 percent this year. The article by SHRM also says 95 percent of employers said the ability to telework has a significant positive impact on employee retention, too.
It’s a win-win!
While the need for balance is the main driver of increased telecommuting, advances in technology are helping it becoming more and more realistic for employees. TDS managed IP is just one example of that, which will hit the Bend market soon.
But if you’re worried about managing all the employees that are no longer under one roof, there are a number of ways to monitor productivity and maintain regular and open lines of communication.
According to the article by SHRM:
Skype, Google Hangouts, and other tools for monitoring and communicating with teleworkers help companies manage these workers more effectively.
Monitor an employee’s deliverables. Set realistic goals. An employee should know what he/she is expected to accomplish on any given workday. If the employee is delivering the work product on time [and]on budget and meeting quality control standards via teleworking, the system manages itself.
