|
|
Telecommute Jobs -
Strategies and Tips
Nimish Thakkar, MS, MBA,
CCMC, CPRW
Telecommute jobs benefit both employers and employees
Ever wished your daily commute could be as easy as visiting a spare
bedroom? Innovations in technology have made telecommute jobs a
workplace reality. In fact, many employers now encourage telecommuting
(work from home) and often feature it as a key benefit in their talent
attraction toolkit.
Contrary to popular belief, telecommute jobs benefit both employees
and employers. The obvious benefits to employees include gas savings,
flex time, family bonding, and stress reduction, among others. At the
employer end, benefits of telecommute jobs include reduced office
space costs, increased employee retention, improved productivity and
morale, fewer conflicts, and more.
My story
In addition to my career coaching practice, I often consult
organizations in the areas of search engine marketing, marketing and
technical communications, outplacement consulting, and recruitment. At
first, I had to turn down many projects because I did not want to stay
away from family or leave the comfort of my own office. After a few
missed opportunities, however, I developed a system that has worked
for me consistently. The following strategies have worked for me:
Start smart, do your homework
Do some homework before you accept your next position. The key is to
find employers who encourage telecommute jobs or have a policy --
however informal it may be -- to accommodate work from home requests
at least a few days a week. Accept the fact that some employers and
professions are not designed for telecommute work (telework). Even if
your profession isn’t suitable for telecommuting you can always
negotiate a day or two of work from home time.
Promote your value, establish authority, gain bargaining power
To be on the demanding side of the negotiation table, you must
establish yourself as an authority, a must-have employee. Once you
gain recognition as a sought-after expert (please read my articles on
career management to learn how), you
will have more negotiation power (I speak from experience) and the
balance will tilt on your side more easily. In the absence of such
authority, your reputation and track record as a dedicated and
motivated employee can be valuable leverage for negotiating
telecommute work opportunities.
Prove effectiveness, offer a pilot
If your employer is not familiar with telecommuting, volunteer to do a
few extra projects from home. Once your superior realizes you are
disciplined and uncompromising when it comes to quality, she will be
more willing to listen.
Propose a fair deal, talk balance
On one of my projects, I offered the client an extra hour of work
every evening in exchange for telecommuting benefits. It worked. The
key is to propose a deal the employer won’t be able to refuse. Find
what’s important to the company and then propose a deal based on that
need. It could be an extra hour, half-day on Saturday, late evening
work … any offer your boss won’t be able to refuse.
Showcase benefits
Senior-level decision makers love analysis (cost-benefit analysis) and
ROI numbers. In order to make a compelling case for telecommute work,
you may need to showcase benefits -- increased productivity, proximity
to client, lower costs, extra hours, whatever helps your cause.
There are downsides to telecommuting as well. Employees, for example,
may want more interaction or may feel they are missing out on
promotional or
networking opportunities. Employers,
on the other hand, may want more control. Despite these drawbacks, the
overall benefits of telecommute jobs far outweigh the disadvantages
and contrary to what critics have to say telecommute jobs are here to
stay.
Nimish Thakkar is a certified career coach, outplacement consultant,
and resume writer with ResumeCorner.com and SaiStrategies.com. Thakkar
holds two graduate degrees, including an MBA. He has worked with
thousands of clients and has authored over 100 articles.
Related Articles:
Telecommute Work Resources
Telecommute Jobs
Telecommuting
Career Management
Networking
-------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
