Role of Virtual Teleworkers
The use of virtual teleworkers has become commonplace in the business world as a method of increasing productivity and reducing overhead. The term "virtual" refers to the fact that the teleworkers are working off site, usually from their home office, where they can perform their function for their business via telephone and the Internet. Many teleworkers are hired with the expressed intent that they will work exclusively from their remote location. Others are required to attend meetings at the business' brick and mortar location, and some are given the flexibility of working in either location.
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The Tools of the Teleworker
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The common tools of the virtual teleworker are the telephone and the Internet. The worker may work through the company's secure intranet or simply use software that is specific to his line of work and then transfer the net results of his work back to the company. The worker may also be required to have a dedicated fax line. Whether the worker is required to pay for these expenses or his employer provides them or compensates him for the tools may be negotiable. Minimal standards are usually set for the computer's efficiency and the efficiency of his Internet connection.
Advantages of Using Teleworkers
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Working in a main office tends to offer more interruptions than does a home office. Teleworkers do not have to contend with long commutes to and from work and can save on gas and wear and tear on their cars. They tend to work longer hours, largely due to no commuting time, and because they are not around sick co-workers, they are absent less due to illness. Because most workers find it more desirable to work from home, it is easier to keep employees. Business owners require less office space and less furniture and can reduce their utility expenses. Productivity needs to be monitored, and workers need to remain on task. An organization needs to have motivational incentives in place so that work flows easily.
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Jobs Handled by Teleworkers
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Teleworkers handle a broad array of tasks, which include, but are not limited to, various forms of analysis, auditing, batching orders, bookkeeping, performing calculation, computer programming, telephone sales and customer service, data entry, CAD design, transcription, writing, editing, photography, various forms of engineering, performing evaluations, producing graphics, preparing proposals, accounting, advertising account management, radio broadcasting, stock broker, real estate agent, stock analysis, and telemarketing. Many consultants, working in a variety of areas, work on a contract basis from their home office, reporting to the company offices only for meetings. Some teleworkers, such a salespeople and service representatives, spend time servicing a region and then work out of their home or spend minimal time in the office.
Ensuring the Success of Teleworking within a Company
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In order for a company to successfully institute a teleworker program, specific goals and objectives for the program should be set. A benchmark of performance should be set prior to initiating the teleworker program to later compare worker productivity. Telecommuters should have specific and strong supervision from within the organization, and the procedures necessary for them to perform their work need to be clear and precise. Networks used to conduct business and transfer sensitive information must be secure, and teleworkers need to maintain the same high level of security in their home office as they would within the company's offices. If employees are given the freedom of working in the office or at home, managers need to set terms and conditions by which employees are allowed to work off-site.
Trends in Teleworking
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There are a number of indicators that teleworking is on the increase. According to the Associated Press, the number of teleworkers in Japan now exceeds 10 million people, nearly 15 percent of the country's workforce, and the United States has nearly 29 million teleworkers according to the Telework Advisory Group. International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that the number of global teleworkers will be over one billion people by the year 2011. They go on to estimate that by 2011 nearly 75 percent of the workforce in the United States will be working virtually in some capacity.
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- Photo Credit Images by: Jamie Barrows, Public Domain - Carlosar, Public Domain
