Winning at Work: Working Virtually Takes Special Preparations

Advances in social networking, video conferencing, cloud storage, and mobile technology have enabled more and more employees to work virtually. A sizeable percentage of the U.S. workforce telecommutes from home at least part of the time. There are some challenges that can make it difficult for some people to work from home. One concern is that people miss the personal contact and social interaction that come with working in an office. Many people have difficulty creating boundaries between their work and home life. Finally, it takes discipline to work from home since there are no managers or colleagues around to motivate or prompt you to get things done.

Please respond to the following:

1. As a manager, what questions would you ask a job applicant to determine if the candidate is a good choice for a position that relies on telecommuting?

2. If you have telecommuted for a current or previous job, what actions did you take to help you focus on work? If you have not telecommuted, what actions would you need to take to stay focused on work? NOTE: You should be able to relate this question to working in online courses if you have not telecommuted for work.

3. What can a company do to create a sense of community when most or all of the firms employees telecommute?