3-Ways Employers Can Build Successful “Work From Home” Programs

Today more and more employers are choosing to reduce costs by reducing their real estate footprint. Downsizing has become the new buzzword for many employers.

Office space in the real estate market can cost a fortune, depending on where you’re located.

And that’s not the only issue with maintaining a brick and mortar office space; more and more employees are looking for more flexible workspace and hours. 

According to a study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Quit Rates and Job Openings…the millennial work force is looking for more flexibility in the work place than ever before. At CoCreativ we see this on a daily basis. In our co-working space we have clients that start at 6AM and are out the door by 2PM, and others who are just getting in at noon and working till 7PM.

Choice of hours is not the only thing the newer generation of workers is looking for…they also want to be able to work from wherever they choose. Whether that is in a Starbucks in Miami or a hotel room in Jamaica. Technology has afforded us the right to set up an office wherever we can get an Internet connection.

So what does that mean for Employers?

It simply means that more of them are testing out the waters of allowing their employees to have the flexibility they need to do their jobs. However, managing a “work at home” or telecommuting work force creates a whole new set of problems or issues.

Here are three ways to start to build your flexible work model:


1.    Set clear expectations. When you hire work-from-home employees always be sure to lay out the expectations of the job. Are they required to work Monday through Friday? Be available during specific times? Or can they work anytime they want as long as they are meeting their deadlines? Always make sure there are no misunderstandings when it comes to expectations of the position.


2.    Hire the right people. Productivity and accountability can come under fire when not managed properly. Working from home or other places can be somewhat distracting which can cause a drain on productivity. So it is important to hire someone who is self-accountable. Flexible work schedules require a great deal of self-discipline – not everyone is cut out for this work style. So hiring the right people is imperative for it to work.


3.    Develop engagement processes that work for your business. For example big businesses are taking advantage of meeting spaces to bring together regional sales staff. Not only does it allow them to train, share new information and monitor productivity…it allows them to do it in-person. Employees need that face-to-face interaction. In-person collaboration fosters creativity and motivation and more importantly if builds up your team.

No one should ever work in a silo and many times work at home employees can feel isolated and alone; one of the downsides to working from home. It is important for employers to manage the interaction between employers / managers and employees by scheduling off-site opportunities for everyone to come together at least once a quarter. 

CoCreativ understands these issues and we see more and more collaboration happening in our space. As a matter of fact, we encourage it! We understand the flexible work style and our business caters to small and large business needs!

 
CoCreativ Conference Center in Tampa, FL, provides surprisingly affordable meeting and event space for enterprise clients with $25M-$50M in annual revenue. With their popular Successful Meetings or Your Money Back™ guarantee, CoCreativ is helping companies such as American Express, INTEL and Uber to better engage their employees. To find out more, visit: www.CoCreativ.com

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