What Is Telecommuting? And Should My Company Be Doing It?

You may be wondering, what is telecommuting? It’s when employees work outside their central place of work with the help of telecommunication tools.

Instead of the three walls of a cubicle, a telecommuter's workspace is virtually unlimited. Remote workers can choose to work from their home office, a co-working space, a coffee shop, or another location with internet access.

Telecommunication and cloud-based technology allow employees to connect and work together from anywhere in the world with an internet connection Software, telephones, video conferencing platforms, and email are the tools that make telecommuting possible.

In the post-pandemic work culture, telecommuting has become a mainstay. There are an estimated 5.1 million teleworkers in Canada, which accounts for over 30% of Canadian workers!

Ever heard the term remote work or teleworking? These are other common terms for telecommuting.

In most cases, employers set their telecommuting or remote work policies based on their preferences and needs.

Global teams are on the rise, with employees working in remote locations and across different time zones. These jobs are typically fully remote.

Others may have hybrid work arrangements, where employees occasionally work or attend in-person meetings in the office.

The hybrid work arrangement has gained great popularity recently, with 61% of Canadian companies using this model.

It Saves Your Company Money

Managing costs is always a priority, especially with the pandemic and rising inflation in recent years. Telework, fortunately, reduces the cost of office space for your company.

When employees work remotely, there is less need for physical workspaces, which reduces operating and real estate costs. Companies can save up to $11,000 for every employee that works 2-3 days remotely per week!

These savings are attributed to a reduction in rent, increased productivity, and lower absenteeism and turnover. We’ll discuss these advantages next.

You’ll Retain More Employee Talent

As a result of flexible schedules and reduced commutes, most telecommuting employees now have more time for themselves.

Almost two-thirds of people in a hybrid work environment saved at least 4 hours per week, according to a study by Cisco.

With a better work-life balance, 78% of employees said that remote and hybrid work had improved their overall well-being. And this rise in employee well-being has impacted corporate culture and retention.

More than half of remote workers say that telecommuting has made them happier and more motivated in their jobs. As a result, they are less likely to look for a new job.

Your Employees Will Be More Productive

There has been a significant impact on well-being from remote and hybrid work. So it’s logical that productivity has also seen an increase.

Early in the pandemic, some leaders were concerned about remote employee productivity.

But with time, research has shown that most remote workers are at least as productive in their telecommuting jobs as they were in the office. And 32% of Canadian employees reported accomplishing more work per hour. Businesses benefit greatly from this rise in productivity.

You Need The Right Technology

Before implementing remote work, employers must ensure they have the right technology to manage a remote workforce and facilitate work.

To have effective conversations with colleagues, customers, and prospects, employees require the right tools. Otherwise, the conversations will be difficult and unproductive.

Alternatively, employees must also ensure they have a strong and reliable internet connection.

Unified Communications is an excellent option for organizations implementing or improving remote work. You can get essential remote working tools, like phone, messaging, and video conferencing, all within one platform.

With the rise in remote work, it’s no surprise that unified communication system use has grown 212% since the pandemic.

Difficulty Unplugging, Loneliness And Distractions

Remote work has generally been good for employee well-being, but some challenges still exist.

Employees may experience burnout and decreased work satisfaction if they can't separate work and personal time.

Loneliness and other distractions are other top struggles employees face with working from home.

Adapting your corporate culture for the remote workforce can help alleviate these challenges.

Help your team and organization get the most out of remote or hybrid work with these tools:

Cloud-Based Business Phone System:

Because VoIP phone systems use the internet instead of landlines, your business phone number is available wherever you have internet access. Employees can plug in their VoIP desk phone and continue working from home, or use a laptop, mobile or desktop. A unified communication system can offer VoIP phone, video, SMS, and chat within a single platform.

Video Conferencing:

Video conferencing software allows you to hold virtual meetings from anywhere. With a service like net2phone’s Huddle, features such as screen sharing enhance the experience to simulate an in-person meeting. You can host up to 100 people and even stream to YouTube!

SMS:

SMS is an effective option when you need to convey a message quickly. SMS tools that are part of your business phone system allow you to maintain your business identity when sending texts. Maintaining a distinction between professional and personal communication is possible in this way.

Project Management Tools:

Use tools like Trello or Asana to help teams easily organize, plan and execute projects.

Messaging Apps:

Team members can communicate instantly with messaging apps. They can resolve questions and issues while avoiding long email chains. Popular tools include Slack and Microsoft Teams.

File Management Software:

Make it easy for team members to collaborate and access documents and shared drives via the internet. Teams can edit and collaborate in real-time with tools like Google Drive and Zoho WorkDrive.

Integrations:

Use software integrations to connect your existing tools to increase efficiency and flexibility while working remotely. For example, you can integrate your business VoIP phone system with your CRM. Even if an employee telecommutes, they could use the CRM and make phone calls directly from the system.

• Employees who telecommute work remotely outside the company's headquarters using telecommunications tools.

• Telecommuting is also known as telework or remote work.

• 61% of Canadian companies are now using a hybrid work model.

• Remote work has increased employee satisfaction and retention by creating a greater work-life balance.

• Telecommuting also helps companies reduce operational costs and improve employee productivity.

• Employers must address telecommuting challenges. This includes providing the right equipment and ensuring employees' well-being.

• The right telecommuting tools are essential for remote work. Tools include a flexible phone system, video conferencing, messaging and more, all of which you can take advantage of with a uCaaS solution.

Do you want to take advantage of all the incredible benefits of telework? Creating a successful remote working environment is easier than you think. Download the guide to working remotely now for everything you need to succeed!