A telecommuting job is one in which the employee usually performs all job functions from home or from any place other than the official workplace. Those involved in telecommute work interact with their colleagues with the help of phones, Internet or fax machines. There are a number of reasons why both employers and employees prefer this work setting over the traditional methods of working. Saving commuting time and overhead costs on traveling are some of these benefits that have compelled employers to give telecommuting work a serious thought.
In many cases, hiring organizations do not offer telecommuting positions upfront, but make exceptions for certain candidates who request for this arrangement. The flexibility provided by this form of work may also have certain drawbacks associated with it as some jobs have to be carried out by professionals in person due to their technical nature and reliance on specific equipment. However, telecommute work has been gaining increasing acceptance across a wide variety of industries, which mainly deal with online clerical or reporting work as it is not entirely necessary that the person carries out these jobs in an office-based environment.
Functions
A large number of industries offer telecommuting jobs along with regular jobs to save on infrastructural costs. Jobs that can be carried out in a residential setting with a good Internet connection are mostly preferred for this arrangement. With the help of Internet chat, web video conferencing, and teleconferencing, professionals involved in telecommute work can interact with their immediate supervisors and colleagues on a regular basis, thus replicating the physical work conditions in a virtual setting.
Occasionally, they may have to travel to the workplace for carrying out job functions that cannot be carried out on phone or the Internet. Client meetings, performance appraisals and physical inspection of products are some of the examples of these functions that require the presence of the individual in person. The specific responsibilities of a job are dependent upon the actual type of work carried out. However, the Internet and other forms of modern communication play an important role across all telecommuting jobs.
Skills
The basic skill sets required from a person in this type of work are based on the work that they perform. Telecommuting professionals working on reporting tasks should possess good knowledge about software applications such as MS Excel and PowerPoint. Every individual working in this field should have excellent skills in the usage of Internet and its various communication methods due to the nature of their work. They should be able to conduct basic troubleshooting on the common errors that they face regularly.
Advantages
Telecommuting work is mostly beneficial to both the employer as well as its employees. Companies can save large amounts of money on infrastructure required for full time employees. Employees save valuable time and money spent in traveling to and from office, which can lead to increased productivity on their behalf. Thus, it also promotes conservation of natural resources and fuel by encouraging people not to commute to work. Individuals who are a part of a newly formed family also find this arrangement far conducive in order to perform their professional as well as personal roles. According to research, there is a high amount of job satisfaction on the part of those involved in this type of work.
Disadvantages
Job security is one of the main issues that most professionals have with this form of work as the psychological impact of being at a work place and having a secure job is not present in telecommute work. Similarly, managers and supervisors prefer carrying out their supervisory tasks in person rather than on a virtual medium. A large number of fake schemes promoting work from home activities by luring people into paying a monetary amount to secure such jobs have affected the credibility of genuine telecommuting jobs.
Career Outlook
With the continuing advancement of technology and larger stress on saving fuel to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution, telecommuting jobs will continue to evolve and gain greater acceptance in the near future.
Thus, telecommute work is a good career choice for those who cannot travel to a place of work and prefer working in a home environment for a number of reasons.