Is your
telecommuting employee working hard on that report that’s due
tomorrow? How can you be sure? With more than a third of all businesses
offering employees the option of telecommuting, managers face hiring and
supervisory dilemmas they never imagined a few years ago.
"Not every employee is cut out to be a
telecommuter — and not every manager is suited to supervise one,"
said Daniel Abramson, President of Dunhill Staffing Systems, Inc.
"To make the most of this new trend, you first have to identify the
characteristics that make a good telecommuter, and then help your
telecommuters be as productive as possible."
Abramson offers the following tips for those who are
looking to hire a telecommuter:
1.
Ask the Right Questions
Professional recruiters know you can tell a great deal about a
candidate’s suitability as a telecommuter by asking him or her to
describe their work routine. What kind of home office set up do they
have? What distractions exist? How often would they communicate with
management? If they haven’t thought about these issues, they may not
be self-motivated and organized enough to be a good telecommuter.
2. Consider "Face Time"
While some jobs can be performed in a virtual vacuum, many demand
interaction with others. Telecommuters tend to be isolated, which
doesn’t make for good team-building. Try to get a sense of whether the
prospect considers regular in-office meetings and participation in
company activities important. The candidate who doesn’t think
"face time" is necessary might not be the kind of team player
your company needs.
3. Outline Expectations
Telecommuting may be new to both you and your prospective employee. Be
sure to clearly outline your expectations during the interview. What
exactly must be accomplished each week? Do you expect telecommuters to
stick to a regular 9 to 5 work day, or will they be able to work at
their own pace and schedule so long as the work gets done? Spell it out
right from the start and you will avoid misunderstandings later.
4. Establish Checkpoints
You won’t be able to simply stroll into the telecommuter’s office
for a cursory project review. Managing telecommuters demands a more
structured approach. Schedule regular checkpoints in the work process,
whether via telephone, e-mail or face-to-face.
5. Be Fair to Telecommuters
If you can’t help thinking that telecommuting is just a perk, you
probably shouldn’t try to manage a telecommuter. In fact,
telecommuters are often held to a higher standard, because they tend to
be judged purely on the quality and quantity of their work. Remember:
just because the worker is already home doesn’t mean they should be
automatically expected to work 12 or 15 hours a day!
"When you screen for telecommuting candidates,
remember that there will be a team member behind the technology,"
said Abramson. "Whether you’re hiring a credit analyst to work
from home or a design engineer to work from the road, you have to trust
that they will do the job they were hired to do — no matter where they
do it from."
