Tips for Rewarding Telecommuters
March 05, 2007
How to ensure that off-site workers get their due
By A. E. Smith
Flexible work schedules, which often include part- or full-time telecommuting options, are popular with an increasing number of employees looking to balance work and life issues. But although more companies are embracing alternative work schedules as part of their recruitment and retention plans, that forward thinking doesn't always extend to recognition programs. A survey of 1,320 executives by Los Angeles–based talent management firm Korn/Ferry International revealed that 61 percent believe telecommuters are at a disadvantage when it comes to moving up the company ranks, despite the fact that 78 percent think telecommuters are just as productive as their onsite colleagues.
"A lot of reward systems are based on the traditional office structure," says Gil Gordon, a mobile workforce consultant based in Monmouth, N.J. "What we call telecommuting has started to fall under a much broader umbrella, and in many ways, organizations are being forced to rethink their programs."
So how can companies ensure that employees who opt to work remotely are given equal opportunities for recognition? The most important thing is to keep remote employees in the loop, for social events as well as business objectives. Gordon says employees should be brought into the office for any team event, whether for a major recognition ceremony, a special training session or just going out for pizza after work. If employees are too remote to attend, creative managers will find a comparable event that is more local to the employee. For example, if a team is rewarded with a box at a sporting event, a manager could send a remote employee tickets to see their local team. "It says, 'We haven't forgotten about you,'" says Gordon.
When it comes to measuring performance, "create job measurements for all workers, regardless of where they work," advises June Langhoff, chief researcher at the association New Ways of Working Together. "If an employee shows flagging motivation or their work is suffering, bring them back into the office and discuss what can be changed to improve productivity."
Companies would do well to put such a program in place, since telecommuting's growing popularity ensures that it isn't going away any time soon. Advocacy group the TeleWork Coalition, in Washington, D.C., estimates that around 45 million people telecommute at least once per year, up from just 4 million in 1990. And among the same executives surveyed above, 46 percent reported that they too would like the chance to work from home. [For a case study of a company that hits the right balance, see page 39.]
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