Professional development of telecommuting or off-site employees is a growing challenge for employers as the number of telecommuters is on the rise. A University of Oregon article estimates that by 2020 a full 30% of the labor force will be telecommuting on a regular basis. The current estimate is between 10 and 15% of the workforce is composed of off-site employees. Telecommuting does not appear to be a passing fad, but is rather a sign of our culture’s increasing environmental awareness and the emphasis being put on work/life balance for employees.
A successful recognition or incentive program can be a powerful solution for improving the performance of off-site workers, as many of my clients have found. An effective incentive program targeting telecommuting employees begins with careful planning, provides consistent communication throughout and tracks program results with accurate and reliable reporting.
Planning a well thought out and properly implemented employee award program should start with establishing a per capita budget. Both on-site and off-site workers should be included in the budget to maximize employee potential. Additionally, program goals should be relevant to each employee’s position. Incentive programs for employees can include a variety of goals based on this principle; one specifically designed for telecommuting employees could include objectives geared to improve customer service metrics for example. By carefully deciding the program’s goals and making sure that they are attainable for all employees, you can help to ensure the employee award program will be a success.
Communicating the program is the next step in planning an effective incentive program for off-site workers. Managing a telecommuter’s performance is often a tricky undertaking as conversing with and relating to off-site employees is inherently more difficult than with on-site workers because of their proximity.
The National Federation of Independent Business cites three concepts that should be consistently communicated to off-site employees in their article on keeping off-site workers effective. Telecommuting employees in particular need to feel that they are part of the company, understand that their work is important to the organization and that they have potential to grow professionally within the organization.
My clients communicate with their telecommuting workers by taking advantage of our unlimited emailing capability, printed paper statements, customized/personalized gift packages and online incentive website solutions. When employees are a part of an ongoing incentive program and given consistent communication they will begin to feel more engaged, become more productive and can achieve organizational objectives.
Lastly, tracking program results is an important component of any successful employee award program intending to motivate telecommuting employees. The contributions telecommuting employees make should not only be recognized, but also need to be measured over time. Implementing an employee award program that incorporates both on-site and off-site workers can translate into valuable bottom line savings, which is why reporting the program results is vital in tracking the return on investment an employee award program provides.
By keeping the above tips in mind, an organization can plan an effective incentive program that involves both on and off-site workers. Engaging and motivating telecommuting employees with an employee award program can help companies manage the distance created by off-site workers and remain flexible in the modern employment environment.
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