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AdviCoach® Weighs Pros and Cons of Telecommuting

By: AdviCoach |  1,014 Shares     88 Reads

Leading Business and Career Coach Attributes Successful Telecommuting to the Right Employee and the Right Structure

April 16, 2013 // Franchising.com // Southbury, CT – A recent survey conducted by global research company Ispos found that one in five employees now telecommutes on a frequent basis. With the recent hype over telecommuting, businesses are starting to weigh the pros and cons, and many are considering banning the idea altogether. Business coaches with AdviCoach®, the premier source for business coaching and advisory services customized for small- to mid-size businesses (SMBs), say that not all telecommuting is bad, depending on the type of position and stature of employee.

Yahoo!’s recent decision to prohibit employees’ choice to work from home has sparked a debate across the globe over whether or not telecommuting will result in productivity and growth for a business. Some businesses are following Yahoo’s lead: Best Buy recently rescinded its flexible work program which allowed staff to work whenever and wherever they wanted as long as their performance evaluation was on point. Telecommuting may not be for everyone, but there are pros and cons for every situation.

“When it comes to telecommuting, there isn’t one right or wrong answer, although it is inaccurate to generalize that all telecommuting is bad,” said Brian Miller, COO of AdviCoach®. “It depends on the business and job functionality. Some positions lend themselves to telecommuting while others do not.”

In some cases, telecommuting will make an employee more productive. Working from home completely eliminates distractions such as chatting at the water cooler, employees disrupting you with questions and unnecessary meetings. Telecommuting can also be cost effective for employers who don’t have the overhead for office space, or would like to cut it down significantly. The majority of those polled in the Ispos survey agreed that telecommuting reduces stress due to less commuting and helps keep talented women in the workforce instead of having them leave to raise children. It is very appealing to moms and dads who need a more flexible schedule. In fact, by keeping an open mind to telecommuting, you may attract a higher quality pool of potential candidates looking for opportunities that fit with their lifestyle.

One of the reasons businesses don’t support telecommuting is management distrust, according to Miller. Some managers do not fully trust that their employees will complete their work unless they are in the same room as their boss, and this can actually be true. Just as some positions lend themselves to telecommuting more than others, so do some employees. Telecommuters must be self-directed and proactive. They must not rely on constant direction from a physical person or organized in-person meetings throughout the week. But, if there isn’t a structured management system in place for telecommuters, there is a higher risk of reduced productivity from employees working from home. They should be managed just like they would be in an office setting and they need to know how to separate their careers from their social life – especially when they have children.

There can be a downside to telecommuting for the employee too. The Ispos survey found that 62 percent of respondents found that not seeing colleagues face-to-face makes telecommuters feel socially isolated. Furthermore, 50 percent believed that working remotely damages the chances for promotion and creates more family conflict due to the reduction of boundaries between work and family life. These are things that may or may not apply to certain employees, but that each employee should strongly consider when given the opportunity to work from home.

To learn more about AdviCoach services in your area, please visit www.advicoach.com.

About AdviCoach®

With more than 25-years of experience in business coaching, AdviCoach® is the premier source for business coaching and advisory services customized for small to mid-size businesses (SMBs). The AdviCoach® business model is designed to empower SMB owners to increase the productivity and value of their businesses through unique coaching methodologies and the deployment of “Rapid Impact Strategies,” ultimately reaching long-term Income, Lifestyle, Wealth, and Equity goals. Part of Franchise Source Brands International™, AdviCoach® and its sister company The Entrepreneur’s Source® dominate $1.5 billion industry with a commanding 33 percent of the business coaching and consulting franchise market in North America. For further information, visit http://www.advicoach.com/.

SOURCE AdviCoach

Contact:

Jennifer Jaacks
Fishman PR & Marketing
(847) 945-1300 ext. 262
jjaacks@fishmanpr.com

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