What is Telecommuting? Here's a Detailed Guide

What is telecommuting? Well, "remote work" is another name for telecommuting. It is a flexible method of working that many people like. A recent Gallup poll revealed that 60% of Americans would like to work remotely as much as feasible. Who could blame them? You may work from anywhere if you are linked to the workplace and have reliable Wi-Fi. Thanks to current technology, you no longer need to be in an office area. Said it's no longer always essential. Therefore, let's examine what is telecommuting work, including its benefits and drawbacks, and discuss a few pointers for being practical when working remotely.

Please stay on this guide as we share telecommuting, including what are telecommuting jobs!

What is Telecommuting?

Telecommuting is an agreement between an employee and employer that allows the person to work from home (or another location of their choosing) full-time or part-time. As a welcome departure from the conventional office setting, telecommuting, also known as teleworking, is becoming more popular.

It's not the same as being your boss and using your laptop to do business while lounging on a beach in the middle of nowhere. As a telecommuter, you still need to maintain contact with the office, and you are still responsible for achieving the goals set out by your employer. Because of this, it is common practice for remote employees to locate themselves in the immediate neighborhood of their employer, such as a coffee shop, or to rent a desk inside a shared coworking space.

It is reasonable for some businesses to be apprehensive about providing employees with flexible work alternatives, while other employers are more open to the idea. It all depends if your company recognizes that life has moved from the traditional full-time 9-to-5 work schedule.

What does a telecommute position mean?

The notion of remote work is a non-traditional approach that allows employees to do their jobs in locations other than their employer's primary place of business. The theory holds that for workers to carry out the activities delegated to them properly, they do not need to be micromanaged or operate from a particular location.

So, what is the difference between working remotely and telecommuting?

Despite how similar telecommuting and remote work may seem, there are significant distinct variances, as discussed below:

• Restrictions. Telecommuting differs from remote work since your company may ask you to come into the office on specific days and be in a particular location for reasons like taxation. In contrast, remote work allows you to sit anywhere in the world without demands from your employer to come to the office for face time.
• Location. When working remotely, there may not be any coworkers, or if there are, they may be dispersed throughout the globe. Telecommuting coworkers may be in the same place.
• Team building. Telecommuters are obliged to participate in team-building and meeting activities, yet remote employees would be more dispersed geographically and these activities do not necessarily succeed on a regular basis.

How Telecommuting Works?

Telecommuting has become more prevalent in various business sectors and departments, including sales and customer service, marketing, and real estate, which formerly adhered to traditional business methods. However, what does it mean for workers to "remain connected with the team" via "telecommunication"? The phone, online chat, email, and various platforms for video meetings are the four most frequent means to communicate with one another.

Working from a distant location requires you to have strong communication skills, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. Why? Because if you're not at the workplace, your interaction with coworkers will immediately decrease (unless you use a communication platform such as RingCentral).

If you opt for an all-in-one platform, you and your team will only have to spend as much time managing all of these different tools on a day-to-day basis and from the perspective of upkeep and maintenance. The first benefit is that you won't have to pay for separate devices every month, which can be an expense that quickly adds up.

In an ideal world, you would have fewer instruments that can do several functions. For instance, a single platform that provides video conferencing, a cloud phone system, team messaging, screen sharing, and other similar features in one location so that you never feel like you are missing out on group initiatives. You may also be more responsive to customers who need you to reply fast, and team bosses can even conduct remote performance evaluations more simply using HD video chatting. Both of these benefits are possible because of advancements in technology.

Pros & Cons of Telecommuting

Telecommuting is fast evolving. However, for everything with an advantage, there is also a disadvantage. You can find out the advantages and disadvantages of working from home or telecommuting below.

Pros:

• Increased output from staff.
• If you don't have an office, there will be less overhead (or downsize).
• Your business has access to a worldwide network.
• Workers benefit from more flexibility.
• Improves work-life balance and increases employee well-being.
• Enhances worker retention.
• Less time spent traveling to work.
• Employers may increase the talent pool to fill any open positions.

Cons:

• If you don't have the correct software and tools, it might not be easy.
• At times, it may give the impression of being alone.
• The a need for more gatherings to keep connected.
• Due to the ability of individuals to work from home, workdays might elongate.

Telecommuting Best Practices for Employers & Employees

Once upon a time, people would brush off telecommuting as just another thing that selective millennials did. It is becoming a common practice for how we work (and live), and it presents an opportunity for human resources professionals to recruit candidates from around the world. However, some businesses are still hesitant to leap because they fear that letting their staff work from home would lead to them not working. The reverse is true in this case.

Here are a few best practices for employers & employees telecommuting.

Use collaborative tools to your advantage

The correct technology and collaboration tools can alter the telecommuting workplace significantly. It makes sense for you, as an employer, to use the appropriate technology to improve collaboration among your internal teams.  

Platforms for video conferencing like Zoom, WebEx, and Teams are perfect for conducting meetings with distant teams. These options make it possible for team members to stay in contact with employees who find teleworking challenging and appreciate in-person interactions.

Give physical and mental wellness a priority

An individual who regularly works from home may find the situation quite taxing. Putting their emotional and physical well-being first is thus crucial. The staff members may also maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating wholesome foods and practicing frequent meditation.

Encourage staff to regularly back up and preserve data

Employers should always take care to teach staff about regular data backup. Regularly saving and backing up their work in progress should be a habit. Due to this procedure, confidential corporate information will never get lost despite cyberattacks.

Ensure your Wi-Fi is dependable

You should ensure that the Wi-Fi at your home office is excellent. Until then, streaming, downloading, and video or audio calling were impossible while working from home. You could realize that it was slower than you had anticipated. Purchase high-speed broadband that can manage your workload or experiment with a signal booster, which should increase the speed of your Wi-Fi.

If you aren't working from home, all you need to do is make sure the location you are going to has a reliable connection. Excellent Wi-Fi is available in many coworking spaces that rent out desks, and modern coffee shops know they need a Wi-Fi code to satisfy their consumers.

Use the right video conferencing camera

Your company may have a video camera they prefer you to use to keep the team aligned and all working from the same place. However, telecommuting is inseparable from video conferencing. Regarding video conferencing, we recommend the OBSBOT Tiny 2 as an excellent webcam to meet the video conferencing needs of telecommuting.

Key Features:

• Ultra Large 1/1.5'' CMOS in Webcam
• 4x Faster Focusing 
• AI Tracking with Auto Zoom

• Dynamic Gesture Control

• Voice Control

FAQs About Telecommuting

1. What type of jobs are best suited to telecommuting?

The following are a few jobs that are best suited to telecommuting:

• A clerk working on data input
• Designer of graphics and illustrations; illustrator; desktop publisher
• Insurance agent
• Marketing planner, media buyer
• Professional in public relations and a fluent speechwriter
• Translator
• Website designer
• Author, news writer, and editor

2. What are the challenges faced by workers when telecommuting?

Problems with technology are undeniably one of the most significant obstacles telecommuting presents. Problems with information technology, hardware, applications, and software may bring an immediate end to productive activity.

3. Is telecommuting excellent or bad for business?

Telecommuting is essential to employee happiness, contributing to overall job satisfaction and a healthier work-life balance. This, in turn, assists in boosting the efficacy as well as the productivity of the firm.

Conclusion

Thus, now you understand what is telecommuting, how it works, its pros, cons, and job options. Secondly, this article also showed the difference between working remotely and telecommuting. Some employees are under the impression that they can achieve a different level of productivity if they work in this setting at home. However, there are moments when they yearn for human interaction; this is where telework works. Working from home full-time is only an option for some. So, if the thought of a more adaptable workday appeals to you, ensure you have all you want to telework successfully and efficiently from the comfort of your home or any other location your employer prefers.