Question: Are there employers hiring “remote” or e-commuting team members in the area of web production, content management or web editing?
I have read a lot of articles about this growing trend, and some envious examples of people working from the beach. But, in reality, are American companies willing to trust and hire someone for their talents and ability to produce without their regular presence at an office (not contractor or self-employed)? I’m looking for perspective and insight from both management with employees working from home, and from individuals who work from home.
- Is e-commuting a benefit that is offered upfront and detailed in job listings, or is it something that is usually negotiated?
- If you work from home in a tech-related, full-time job (not contractor or self-employed), could you share some tips on how you did it?
- What are some ways to “sell” the idea of working from home to your boss?
I’m not looking for a new job, but more wanting to understand the HR and Management related issues around this topic.
Josue Sierra
Marketing Lead at JPMorgan Chase
Answer
From the employer’s point of view, e-commuting is not viable for most jobs and as a result, some employers are hesitant to open the door to that option. Nearly all management positions require the manager to be on site in order to mentor their staff and direct their activities. By the same token, less experienced employees who wish to develop management skills and eventually become managers themselves cannot expect to do so if they work off site.
From a quality of life perspective, working from home appears to offer advantages—flexibility in regard to work hours, less micro-management, and lower commuting costs. However, individuals who have worked from home or in a one-person office are aware of the disadvantages of this arrangement— loneliness (no social interaction with office peers), difficulty in getting motivated, and lack of real-time information flows that may affect the direction of the project you may be working on.
Taking these considerations into account, there are certain types of work where the trade-offs are worthwhile. By foregoing the requirement that an employee work on site, an organization can gain access to a larger pool of qualified candidates and possibly lower their costs as well. In fact, this is exactly what outsourcing is, since there isn’t really much difference between having an off site employee and an off site vendor—the considerations underlying the decision-making process are much the same.
To answer your last question first, selling the idea of working from home is tough, since your boss already has the preferred situation and is not likely to settle for less. The only real leverage you have is if you offer to work from home instead of quitting. This may appear to contradict what I’ve just said above, but keep in mind that you’ve already been hired and so the employer has already considered the question of hiring someone to work off site. The reasons for hiring someone off site—access to a larger candidate pool and potentially lower cost—don’t apply to you as an existing employee.
From the employer’s perspective, converting an onsite employee to an off site one has few advantages (your office or cubicle becomes available to another employee, yet only if you never work in the office), but many disadvantages (less accountability, and more difficult and slower communication). Unless the employer is faced with losing the employee and having to find a replacement, there is no advantage to the employer in agreeing to your proposal.
As for job listings, sometimes the employer will state upfront that the position can be performed from home. If the employer does not mention that in a job posting, you should raise that point during the first conversation with an interested employer and see how they respond.
