Many people who work in traditional offices complain about lengthy commutes, office politics, long hours away from home, and other negative aspects of working in an office. I’ve often heard people say, “If I could just work from home, things would be so much easier.” There is truth in this statement, but they are missing the fact that telework is challenging and not for everyone.
What to Expect
The truth is that it can be easier to work from home. There is no dress code, no commute, fewer interruptions, and no time-consuming gossip at the water cooler. Simply put, working from home allows you to manage your time. The challenging part is how to manage your time well.
When working from home, there are many distractions, such as the ever-growing personal “to-do” list: cleaning, laundry, errands, repairs, etc. You can be more easily distracted by the TV or by having more freedom with your time at the computer.
The distractions can be endless if you have pets, children, a stay-at-home spouse, or other family members living in your home. With so many potential distractions, one of the greatest fears of traditional management is that home office employees will not be productive. This fear can be legitimate, but it is not the case for most people.
Staying Disciplined
Working from home requires discipline to commit to office hours, avoid distractions, and stay focused on work. However, the freedom allowed in the home office is just too tempting for many. At Fentress Incorporated, we have had past employees take advantage of the freedom by working on educational pursuits during office hours, running errands, watching children, working from Starbucks and cafés, and pursuing freelance work on company time.
It is awkward for everyone involved when an employee runs into my wife at the local shopping center during business hours. Or when I call an employee on the phone during the workday and hear in the background that they are not in the office.
My experience has shown that about a third of the employees hired to work in a home office cannot work effectively from home. Based on the references I have spoken to when hiring employees, these people can be productive in a traditional office setting.
I have had employees leave the company because they could not be productive working from home but went on to take responsible positions in traditional office settings. When he left the company, one such employee told me, “If I had a nickel for every time I said I wanted to work from home, I would have enough money not to work at all. I am excited about moving on to work in a normal office.”
If around a third of home office employees do not work out, what happens to the other two-thirds? Simply put, they thrive on the freedom of working out of their homes. Watching employees' growth in a virtual company from traditional office settings is incredible.
On the first day on the job, a new employee typically receives their equipment, employee handbook, and other materials required to start work. Then, the employee goes home and must figure out how to be productive without anyone else looking over their shoulder or providing guidance. There is an adjustment period as they go through the process of setting up an office.
What Does it Take?
It takes a self-starter who is willing to be proactive and reach out to communicate with other employees for information, training, or technical needs. Also, the new employee needs to set up boundaries to eliminate distractions so they can successfully work from home. After an adjustment period that can last several weeks, I often hear comments like: “I have never been so productive, and it is amazing what I can get done in a day without interruptions.”
I wish there were a test to know whether prospective employees will or will not work effectively from home, but sadly it does not exist. When considering if prospective (or current) employees are the right fit to work virtually, I try to find out the following: Are they self-starters? Can they work independently, or do they require supervision? Are they technology savvy? Do they appear confident in themselves and competent in their job skills? Do they work well in a team? Can they communicate effectively and clearly?
The latter point about working in a team and communicating may seem odd when considering whether someone could work remotely from a home office. However, I have found that working well with others and sharing is even more critical in a virtual setting.
In a traditional office, there are many opportunities to communicate face-to-face. In a home office, communication is limited to technology – phone calls, e-mail, and videoconferencing – so each individual must be able to communicate effectively. If effective communication does not happen, it can have a ripple effect in a virtual setting, causing both teamwork and productivity to suffer.
A Healthy Balance
So, who can work from home and thrive in a virtual setting? You can screen people, check references, and ask probing questions, but there is no foolproof method to determine success. In my mind, the best indicator is the desire to work from home. My experience has shown that the majority of people that interview for a home-office position can be productive in a virtual setting.
Employers should openly let prospective employees know they are applying for a virtual environment because not everyone views working from home as positive. It is much better to have someone not interview because they do not want to work from home than to have them learn this fact through the interview process.
At Fentress, we went through a phase early on where we questioned whether or not to post information on our website about being a virtual company. After some debate, we decided that while some people may see this as a negative, the people we genuinely want to hire would be attracted to our virtual setting. So we opened a section on our website and provided frequently asked questions. Since then, I have had numerous prospective employees say how helpful it was to have this information in advance.
Employees who value working from home will thrive in the setting and become more loyal to the virtual company. They can manage their time effectively, avoid interruptions, and become highly productive. Such productivity is greatly appreciated by clients, the employer, and the employee – everyone wants to be effective and make a positive contribution at work.
Virtual employees are dedicated to the home office setting because it offers a more excellent balance between their professional and personal lives. This balance leads to happier employees who want to stay in the company to be respected professionals and still have an active home life. My next blog post will explore this balance in more detail.
