Teleworking: 12 steps to go wrong

The Internet and mobile technologies become obsolete office as single working platform. But we must narrow down corporate culture

With the advancement of Internet and emergence of many communication tools, many IT professionals are already working in jobs remotely at least one or two days a week. The Brazil regulates this working model, considered a trend in the world to reduce costs and improve quality of life of its employees.

So the home office has become an increasingly common alternative and viable in today’s job market, especially with the limited mobility in large cities. Best known in Europe as Smart Working and the US as Workplace Flexibility allows “move the work to the workers, instead of moving the workers to work,” according to Jack M. Nilles, in the book “Making Telework to Life.”

In Brazil, the adoption of this modality is still under construction.

A recent study of SAP in Augusts 2014, shows that the profile of the companies that adopt the practice of Home Office in the country is of international origin with a concentration of 70% with IT markets, Chemical / Petrochemical industry, R & D, Autoindústria, electronics and consumer goods. Already the foundation for eligibility adopted by companies are more directed to the hierarchical level than actually to specific areas, and 45% extend to all levels.

And the organizations that have the practice, 42% are structured policy, with most of them existing within five years.

The objective of policy, companies point out, among the leading indicators listed, flexibility in the workplace and the improvement in quality of life. Items that have more prominence in relation to gains for corporations are involved employee satisfaction, increased productivity, employee retention and the differential in the hiring process.

Your company wants to have a policy for home office?

Follow here 12 practices that we consider consistent to help in dilemma.

1. Teleworking does not fit all

Understand that not everyone is prepared for remote work and some functions are not compatible with the model. Everything depends on your company’s corporate culture or even the type of work performed. Make an honest assessment of your organization’s mission, the various teams and departments, employees and roles is the first step. The employees themselves can offer valuable insights on how they, and their activities can be part of the process.

2. Only cancel remote work by work issues

If you need to deny the remote work, make sure you make an articulate manner and with roots in clear business justification. Personal choices can not be a reason to deny the option for individuals or teams.

3. Establish clear goals

The advantages of teleworking are well documented – increased productivity, employee satisfaction, less time spent transport, easy access to clients and services, reduced carbon footprint and lower expenses from office. But you need to be clear what you want to implement the remote program and how it will benefit your company. This helps to develop metrics and benchmarks to determine whether it is succeeding or need to improve.

4. Start with a pilot program

Switch to a remote model is a big step. Try the water before diving in. Create a pilot program of smaller proportions will help optimize the necessary resources and assess whether all that needs to be defined is even in place. Things like hardware, software for remote access and training of employees, for example.

5. Create consistent teleworking policies

Policies must include HR inputs, legal and even trade unions, if necessary. Make sure they reflect the responsibilities of employers and employees; address all expectations and include a checklist of necessary equipment and resources to ensure that the remote work can be done (internet access, equipment, security software, mobile devices etc.). Any employee may request remote work should understand and agree to the terms and disciplinary actions in case of loss on the bonds.

6. Provide training

Education and training are important success factors in a remote work program. Can be purely technical (how to use devices and secure remote access technologies) or addressing labor practices in groups to ensure collaboration between teams that are in different locations. Can also cover safety and ergonomics practices at home; or also pass on matters pertaining to human resources, such as feedback and conflict resolution.

7. Establish relationship practices across teams

Set rules for how the office staff will interact with remote teams can ensure a smooth transition and help resolve any crisis between those who can and who can not work remote. Ensure especially that of those who are remote workload is equivalent to that of those in office workload, so that the sense of justice and equality prevail.

8. Encourage employees to separate personal and professional life

To set up a home office it is necessary that the employee has at home a place where you can work with the door closed and away from the family’s eyes. This is an essential practice. Also make sure that all employees clearly understand that the remote work gives flexibility but can not be used to meet domestic problems such as lack of care for the children or care for elderly relatives.

9. Rephrase performance evaluation processes

One of the great challenges of remote programs is the lack of daily interaction, face to face conversation and feedback. Evaluate employee engagement at work can become a challenge. Companies often need to create a new set of performance metrics to evaluate remote employees.

10. Direct contact is essential

It is important to maintain human contact with remote employees. It is not always possible to plan a recurring meeting bringing together all remote employees or not, so you need to set times when this meeting happen – training, internal events, conferences may also contribute.

11. actively Check the employee is essential

If only by phone or video call, make a contact at least weekly routine with each of the team members to ensure motivation and engagement.

12. Solve the problems as soon appear

It is literally impossible for any business initiative work without crises or problems and a remote work program is no exception. Deal with crises immediately. Remote employees tend to imagine bigger problems than they really are or might not see the problems for the same reason: they are away from the office and lose much of the internal movement and hallway conversations.

Matéria completa: http://cio.com.br/

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