Skills Telecommuters need for their 21st Century Work Environment

Today about one in five workers around the globe telecommutes frequently, and nearly 10% work from home every day (Ipsos/Reuters). Most telecommuter employees will say that their ability to telecommute provides them with greater job satisfaction, improves their work-life balance and reduces their expenses. According to Mobile Work Exchange, nearly three out of four employees reported increased productivity while teleworking. Meanwhile, two out of three will give preference to positions that offer telework and 16% will not even consider jobs without telework.  

But it’s not just employees who are reaping the benefits of telecommuting. Organizations that foster telecommuting workplaces are seeing increases in productivity and reduction in real estate costs, as well as reduced absenteeism and turnover. Global Workplace Analytics projects that United States businesses alone could save over $500 billion a year, which equates to roughly $11,000 per employee per year, and additional savings could come from utilities, janitorial services, security, maintenance, paper goods, coffee and water service, leased parking spaces, transit subsidies, ADA compliance, environmental penalties, equipment, furniture, and office supplies.

Yes, there are potentially huge cost savings for businesses and improved morale for staff, not to mention the thousands of tons of pollutants spared, but before managers start approving telecommuting requests from staff, it’s important to consider some of the competencies, or soft skills, that might be required for a 21^st century career perk like telecommuting:

• Self-Management. Does the employee demonstrate self-control and an ability to manage time and priorities?
• Planning and Organizing. Does the employee utilize logical, systematic and orderly procedures to meet objectives, regardless of the environment?
• Interpersonal Skills. Can the employee effectively communicate, build rapport and relate well to all kinds of people in a variety of settings?

Thinking about some of the competencies you might want a potential telecommuter to have, how does this impact your decision to hire? What if even before hiring your next employee, you could understand which competencies he or she has well developed, and which competencies require further development throughout his or her career? Our job benchmarking process effectively matches the right candidate to the right job, however unique the job’s circumstances might be.

To learn more about implementing job benchmarking in your company, call 616-676-3330, or email us at info@vantagegroupinc.com