Skills for Telework

Telecommuting is becoming a way of doing business for companies.

Working in a home office requires special personal qualities in addition to the normal requirements for the job, including excellent time management, communication and organizational skills. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in 2008 agencies reported that 102,900 employees were teleworking, which showed an 8.72% increase compared to 2007. With these statistics, whether it is a small business or a private corporation, telework is an advantage for a company. Human resources departments have set guidelines for determining whether or not telecommuting is feasible in certain positions, and for implementing it. Whether you are self-employed or an employee of a company, you'll need certain skills to be an effective teleworker.

Get Organized

Telework is becoming the work alternative. organizer image by Anton Gvozdikov from Fotolia.com

When you telecommute, organizational skills are required to prioritize and complete projects. This might include creating electronic files to store documents related to a specific assignment. Clients or managers might ask for a copy of a document or a status update and you need to be prepared to retrieve the data as soon as it is requested.

Computer Skills

Computer knowledge is essential for today's business. business woman image by sasha from Fotolia.com

Your computer skills are crucial for telecommuting. Necessary abilities for telecommuting include navigating the Internet, using email and how to use various forms of software. Software packages such as Microsoft Office, Windows, Excel and PowerPoint are invaluable tools. In some instances, you can contact an IT person for phone assistance, but it is essential that the teleworker have some basic know-how to operate and troubleshoot different systems to save time and work more efficiently. Without some basic knowledge of these tools it will be difficult for a teleworker to complete assignments on time.

Manage Your Time

When you work from home you have to be strict in time management. manager on a clock image by bilderbox from Fotolia.com

When working from a home office, no one will to come your desk and ask for an update. You have to be your own supervisor. Start your day early and plan to efficiently complete assignments. Have a designated work area that is for office work only. Setting up your work space in this manner will minimize distractions and help you stay focused. Household members must understand you are working and must not disturb you unnecessarily.You have to restrict yourself and keep distractions at a distance. Create an Excel spreadsheet that lists the start times and completion times for each of your assignments. It is most important that you use a day planner to schedule specific times when you can make contact with clients.

References

• Results of Telework data, 2009.
• Home Business Magazine
• Canadian Centre for Health & Safety

Resources

• The Telework Coalition