Going green is becoming a priority for a lot of companies. Companies everywhere are taking steps to be more green by using solar energy, reducing employee travel, instituting recycling programs and the like. These are all positive steps, but the companies that are really leading the charge are the ones that are taking more drastic measures, like going virtual.
Dr. Mike Hollier, a contributor at the Knowledge Center wrote recently:
…for many the simple act of getting to work still contributes immensely to their personal and office carbon emissions. American commuters emit 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year on their way to and from work. While that staggering number alone should be enough to influence change, commuting also results in enormous economic losses for businesses. Time spent in the traffic jams caused by American commuters results in a loss of 3.7 billion hours of productivity every year, which translates to a $63.1 billion annual loss for American businesses due to wasted time and fuel.
In the face of these alarming statistics and the state of the economy, some companies have decided to put all or part of their workforce back at home. This move can not only have a tremendous impact on the environment, but can also cut overhead costs and bring increased productivity and decreased sick leave.
And has this move paid off? Alexandra Krasne of PC World says yes.
According to a survey commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), 67 percent of survey respondents said their organization has experienced greater worker productivity as a result of allowing employees to telecommute, either full- or part-time. The main reason for the increase in worker output: less commute time.
It can also result in a company policy that will allow them to attract top talent. According to Christopher M. Carrington, CEO of Alpine Access, a premier provider of customer service solutions using home-based employees…
By using the latest technology advancements to bring the work to the people rather than the people to the work, it radically redefined the traditional infrastructure and eliminated much of the fixed costs associated with traditional brick and mortar centers. It also removed geographical barriers for hiring and opened up an enormous talent pool of customer service professionals. Now, clients could pay less and still have calls answered by skilled employees.
This is a very different approach from the off shoring trend of the 90′s where companies cut costs by outsourcing customer service jobs overseas. Many companies continue to outsource jobs, but more and more consumers are demanding that the jobs come home.
Today’s technology makes it easy for most companies to go virtual. Most people who are serious about working at home already have the most important components: A computer with Internet access, a phone and a quiet workplace. Some companies require additional equipment such as software programs or specific hardware. Many of them provide that as part of the telecommuting contract, but at times it is incumbent on the employee to purchase the needed equipment.
For those looking for some of these environmental-minded companies, there are many companies that hire home-based customer service agents and others that offer home based transcription jobs as well as many telecommute friendly companies. It’s encouraging to see so many companies coming around to the idea of being greener by offering work at home options.
Tags: customer service jobs, home based jobs, telecommute, telecommute jobs, telecommuting, work at home, work at home jobs
