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Talent Management Perspectives

Published December 2009

Fielding Objections to Telecommuting

 

  Katy Lynn

Telecommuting is defined as allowing an employee to work remotely through the use of electronic connections with a central office. Offering this as an option to employees provides the opportunity for them to have a better work-life balance and still maintain productivity standards.

The primary struggle lies not in implementing telecommuting, but in convincing management teams to change. HR professionals must know how to meet management opposition in order to gain consent for the change. Here are some of the most common forms of resistance they may encounter.

"Workers won't be productive unless they're on-site for me to watch them." This is one of the top reasons managers give for resisting telecommuting. Many believe their teams are only productive with constant supervision.

This belief is completely unfounded. Statistics show that organizations that offered telecommuting options actually saw an increase in productivity and a decrease in absenteeism. Working from home gives employees easier access to their work and more time to get it done, while still allowing them time with their families. It's best to approach this type of opposition by implementing telecommuting on a trial basis so productivity can be monitored; this will demonstrate the increase in employee engagement firsthand.

"I can't manage workers unless they're on-site." Managers work hard to establish leadership style and believe that if employees work off-site, things will fall apart. Telecommuting would mean that managers would have to take on the additional work of coordinating both on-site and off-site employees.

It would be to the organization's detriment to concede this point and risk the loss of talent for the sake of catering to a manager's inability or unwillingness to coordinate an off-site team. HR professionals can invest in cost-effective managerial training to provide the necessary skills to lead an off-site team.

"Teams can't coordinate unless everyone is available on-site." Managers recognize that employees can benefit greatly from the knowledge and experience of more senior team members. They believe that allowing team members to work remotely will mean sacrificing this.

Technology has enabled organizations to offer telecommuting options without losing knowledge-sharing capabilities. Webcams, videoconferencing, e-mail and podcasts are just a few of the technologies available that allow employees to work from home and still coordinate with team members.

The greatest fact to refute this argument is that managers have been missing out on potential subject-matter experts by avoiding telecommuting options. In recent surveys, organizations indicated that telecommuting options gave them greater access to more qualified talent that wouldn't be accessible locally.

"We can't afford to offer telecommuting options." In actuality, organizations can't afford not to offer these options. Recent surveys have shown that regular on-site 8-to-5 schedules are quickly becoming antiquated. Telecommuting will become a more common practice in the next few years, and failure to meet that change will only result in the potential loss of top performers. Telecommuting is cost-effective and has a positive impact on employee engagement, retention and attraction — all of which are critical for organization success.

We live in a changing workplace, and organizations must change with it or risk irrelevancy in this evolving market. Employee needs are transforming quickly, and the desire for a greater work-life balance continues to grow. HR professionals must be able to address manager apprehension regarding telecommuting so the organization can meet these employee needs.