It may or may not come as a surprise to you to find out that roughly 30 million Americans work remotely from home at least one day every month. That number will continue to grow larger as employers and employees implement best practices to make telecommuting worthwhile for both parties.
One of the most important ways to make telecommuting mutually beneficial is to ensure your employees have access to the technology they need to do their jobs well. Let’s take a look at what this may entail.
First, it’s crucial for your company to know each telecommuter has the right computer equipment to maximize their output and effectiveness. Many firms issue portable personal computers to employees that can be transported home when needed so this point is not an issue.
However, if your telecommuter needs to use his own computer, then it’s imperative that it’s in good working order and free from viruses. A good IT company such as i.t.NOW in Utah can prove invaluable in this situation if your company has limited or no IT technicians on staff.
I.T.NOW’s services allow small to medium-sized companies to have a full team of I.T. support professionals for less than the cost of one in-house employee. In fact, your i.t.NOW team is available 24/7, and can usually solve your computer problems faster than your current I.T. person’s drive time.
Telecommuters need secure remote access to their entire busy network, enabling them to work as though they were sitting right at their office workstation. Again, an outsourcing IT company like i.t.NOW can expertly set up secure access for your employees to your company’s intranet or extranet.
Working from home, your employees need access to internal documents and their own company e-mail to capably fulfill their job responsibilities. Also, if the telecommuter is involved in a team project, make sure there are project checklists and other resources available so they can contribute and stay connected with other project participants. Be sure to assign project tasks and chart progress on a daily basis using project management software.
By no means have we covered all the bases to put together an effective telecommuting program for your company. But hopefully you will begin to see what needs to be coordinated to make telecommuting productive for both management and employees.
For more assistance in getting the technology side of your telecommuting program working properly, feel free to contact i.t.NOW and have their IT staff show you how to make telecommuting work best for your business.
