Telecommuting, or the process of performing workplace functions remotely, is gaining increased acceptance among employers these days since the vast majority of companies have found that employees who telecommute are just as productive as those on-site. This, of course, was one of the stumbling blocks in the past which hindered broader acceptance of the practice, because employers were generally reluctant to trust unsupervised employees working from home.
Another factor which has contributed to the increase of telecommuting has been the advance in cloud telephony because it has significantly improved communications between the remote employee and the office. According to a poll conducted by the Gallup company, the average worker today telecommutes at least two days each month, and that figure represents a 37% increase since 1995. With technology now better able to support work by remote employees, and many of the old fears about productivity removed, it is to be expected that telecommuting will enjoy even greater acceptance in the coming years.
Advanced features available from home
With companies having a cloud-based telephony system, remote workers have all the same advantages that office workers have from your phone provider. For example, a business desk phone placed at home can include all the same features that an office phone would have. both video web conferencing and audio conferencing can be set up between remote workers and office personnel, for effective sharing of information and for keeping current on company developments.
It’s also a great way to keep remote employees connected to the main office, so as to retain the sense of belonging that might otherwise be missing from an isolated location. An advanced business phone setup for a remote worker can also be easily integrated into the corporate phone directory, with the same kind of voicemail and menu structure in place at the office. Privacy is ensured because remote employees are not obliged to call from their home phone numbers or their mobile phones, so all business information is kept discrete and intact.
Telephony and telecommuting benefit employers
Because cloud telephony allows remote employees practically all the same advantages and opportunities available right in the main office, it opens up the possibility for hiring employees without regard to geographic location. This can be a tremendous benefit to companies because, in areas which have a limited talent pool of qualified workers, it means that candidates from almost anywhere can be seriously considered for hiring, and can be as productive as anyone working right in the headquarters office.
It also provides the opportunity for tremendous savings on overhead costs, since the company could theoretically employee a significant part of its workforce remotely, thereby lowering the need for the kind of large office setup necessary to accommodate a relatively large workforce of employees. With such obvious benefits to both employer and employee, it seems certain that the prevalence of cloud telephony and telecommuting will enjoy even greater acceptance in the near future.
