Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Working From Home: Exploring the Options Professional Women Leaders In The Collection Industry

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Discussion: Telecommuting What are the Pro’s & Con’s for the employee and employer

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network What are they calling it now? Telecommuting Virtual Employee Working From Home Home office Teleworker Virtual Office

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Running the Numbers 14% - U.S. workforce gets its job done at a home office more than two days per week. That's up from 11% in 2004, and is set to grow to 17% by At IBM, about 42% of the company's 330,000 employees work on the road, from home, or at a client location, saving the computer company about $100 million in real estate-related expenses a year. Videos, an employer of at-home customer-service reps, hangs onto 85% of its employees each year, compared with the 10% to 20% rate for traditional call centers, according to consulting firm IDC. And virtual workers are about 16% more productive than office workers, according to Grantham's research.

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Best types of “Virtual Jobs” Sales Professionals Managers of Professionals Individual ContributorsConsultants Project ManagersIT Professionals Telephone AgentsJust need voice contact, not face to face contact (other)

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network What’s in it for me? EmployeeEmployer No commute this has an impact from gas, wear & tear on car, not sitting in traffic, increased productive time Save on real estate costs (some companies save $300B) Additional Flexibility Kids get off to school, home from school, personal errands Keeping cars off the road helps companies bolster their green bona fides. No need to relocateThe practice can foster employee retention Positive impact on Work / Life Balance Boost work productivity

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Running the Numbers About 61% of global executives say they think telecommunters are less likely to advance in their careers, compared with employees in a traditional office setting. 25% of workers who could feasibly telecommute, less than half would do so more than 2 days p/wk. “From an organizational standpoint, its very easy to hire and fire remote employees” – this could be a grim reality for the 12 million telecommute employees. Videos, an employer of at-home customer-service reps, hangs onto 85% of its employees each year, compared with the 10% to 20% rate for traditional call centers, according to consulting firm IDC. And virtual workers are about 16% more productive than office workers, according to Grantham's research.

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network What are the issues? EmployeeEmployer Not everybody wants to work from home as they fear they will step off the corporate ladder. Real advancement takes visibility, managing other people, and being where the action is. Some employees need a busy environment to stay productive. Many managers simply don’t know how to manage a virtual workplace. Some workers feel lonely, isolated or deprived of vital training & mentoring. Workers who spend three or more days without talking to a manager or colleagues start to feel disconnected. Communication breakdowns can impede innovation, trust, job satisfaction, and performance. Virtual work environments can be tough on young workers who are trying to learn their jobs. Many teleworkers overcompensate for their non-physical presence. Sometimes virtual workers miss informal advice that in-office workers obtain. Employees can miss out on the office socialization that many people thrive on.

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Communication Solutions: Learn How to Best Communicate Communicate Daily contact Via Phone Daily or Weekly “touch base” Instant Messaging Mobile devices Virtual Software Buddy System What is Best response Time

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Managing Your Virtual Career: The Future Be great at Your job Set specific Career goals Be present At Key Meetings Reschedule Telecommute days Be Accessible Check on Perceptions frequently What is Best response Time

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Strategies for WN Colleagues: Our Network Stay connected Call someone To laugh … … Meet the Network Dial in for WN calls Attend Conferences

Prepared Exclusively for Women’s Network Resources Sources MSNBC.com How telecommuters can keep career on track 10/22/07 MSNBC.com Working from home: It’s in the details 2/12/07