In a surprising move, it was announced on Friday that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has mandated a telecommuting ban for all employees, which will go into effect this July.
As a female professional and career coach, I am shocked by this turn of events. Mayer has been an icon for millions of working women who are constantly striving to strike the right balance between their responsibilities in the home and at the office. In fact, there have been numerous articles written about Mayer’s strategy to avoid employee burnout, such as letting employees like “soccer mom Katie” leave early on certain days to attend her kids’ soccer games, and then jump back online after the kids are in bed. By the looks of this decision, it sounds like Mayer has changed her tune.
Telecommuting is not a realistic option for all employees, but when used appropriately for the right people, it can be a win-win for both employers and employees. Catering to more than 33,000 employers, TheLadders works with an array of companies that offer flexible and remote work schedules to select employees, and judging from their results, I think it would be wise for more companies to follow suit. Here are five ways companies can benefit from offering telecommuting and other work-flexibility options to their teams.
Avoid Employee Burnout
With the economy still tight, employees are continually asked to produce more with fewer resources, bringing stress levels to all-time highs. The ability to work from home and maintain a better work-life balance is one way to counteract some of this added stress and avoid employee burnout.
Reduce Costs
Employees who take advantage of flexible work schedules are typically happier, more engaged, and committed to their employers. Not only does this translate to higher retention rates and less absenteeism, but it also can increase employee referrals. Both of these arrangements can increase productivity and decrease hiring costs.
Negotiate with More Chips
While the option to work from home is not typically a deal-maker or deal-breaker, providing this type of work flexibility certainly is a selling point. This scenario can especially come into play when the perfect candidate’s bottom line is just outside the client’s approved compensation range. By negotiating more work-schedule flexibility, you are instantly offering value to the candidate in the form of reduced commuting and childcare costs.
Attract Talent
When telecommuting is an option, your available talent pool suddenly grows. This option allows employers to tap into candidates who are unwilling or unable to move locations, and appeals to those caring for an ailing relative or dealing with a disability. In addition, by offering more flexible work-scheduling to employees, your organization is instantly considered more “parent-friendly” and attractive to the population at-large.
Increase Productivity and Work Time
When employees are traveling only from the kitchen to their home office, the time to set up and begin working is greatly reduced. Time previously spent on the commute now can be converted into productive work hours.
As technology continues to advance, our world is becoming smaller and smaller. Between conferencing software like Skype and iMeet, and document-sharing services like iCloud and Dropbox, the ability to work — and perform well — as a remote team member is easier than ever before. Assuming an employee’s productivity and work output is not negatively impacted by a virtual office, offering more flexible work schedules is a great way to attract and retain talent, as well as improve morale.