ResolutionsRTK

Why working remotely is the solution for the future... (or at least part of it)

Tom Pietkiewicz
Principal Consultant

On a Personal Note
Just over a week ago I returned from five weeks in Europe. It was not a holiday as such; let's call it a trip. I was working for Australian clients, but was simply was not 'here' in the traditional bricks and mortar sense. Working as a consultant I have a variety of assignments and projects, splitting my time between working at the ResolutionsRTK offices, to working at clients' premises, to working from my home office when I don't want to be distracted. After finishing off a large piece of work that concluded with a variety of meetings and board presentations, I was looking towards at my next responsibilities, and it occurred to me that with a few quick manoeuvres, as long as I had my smartphone, laptop and an internet connection, I could do my upcoming work from just about anywhere… in the world. So I booked a ticket to Europe and off I went. I made it to a cousin's wedding in Poland, visited some ex work colleagues in Berlin, rode bikes in Holland, ate ribs in Belgium, attended a festival in London, enjoyed some sun in Paris, reconnected with family and made lots of new friends.. More importantly, I also got all my work done! Although I spent everything I earned that month and then some, it definitely got me thinking about the nature of work, office hours, place and space, delivery of results, technology enabling greater work-life balance – all topics that fascinate me.

Organisational Case Study
I recently worked on a project for a client who wanted, or more to the point, needed to set up some work from home options in their business. The need was quite urgent. Without going into specifics, the department in question consisted of staff who processed client data on computers. The business was growing and the company simply started running out of space and desks. When trying to secure more space on other floors it was quickly calculated that the cost of a desk, equipment and facilities worked out to almost $30 thousand per year. What's more, there was simply no room on other floors and the current offices had already been redesigned at a considerable cost. The question from senior management was, "Why can't we set up some kind of work from home arrangement?"

This turned out to be a lot trickier than it seemed at first. There were technology issues to work out. A lot of the databases the employees accessed were secure and unable to be accessed remotely. Yet this could be managed with some effort.

Many issues were people based. Firstly, the OH&S considerations, for which there are no specific guidelines – organisations are simply required to take reasonable steps to ensure health and safety. We decided that this could be done by providing a computer, desk and chair, and having an OH&S consultant conduct a risk assessment of the proposed work area at home. It could not be a kitchen used by others, or a shed, or a cramped cavity in a corridor. We had to ensure there was air conditioning, good light, no unusual hazards, noise etc.

In communicating to staff, it was acknowledged that while the need was generated by lack of space, the initiative had generated a range of real benefits to employees, such reduced travel times, flexible hours etc. Unsurprisingly, there was no shortage of volunteers.

Then there was the question of time management. Could employees simply look at log in and log off at required times and ensure hours were kept? This did not make sense, so we looked at average current work rates in terms of work done. We could pay a person for a day's work based on these. We found that many people were able to complete this workload in less time than they did in the office where they worked to start / finish hours.

Selection of employees was also a critical factor. While some would benefit from working from home, others may feel isolated, unmotivated, disengaged etc. We looked at a number of factors when selecting staff for the pilot: performance behaviours, motivational fit, and psychometric factors. During the pilot we ran some more personality tests on those that did well compared to those who struggled to build a model of a successful work from home employee. We could now find the right person during initial recruitment.

For ongoing management we had to create a number of policies and processes for a number of purposes. How do you manage performance, how do you conduct career discussions? All these had to be solved.

After a few discussions the union was also on board. The organisation agreed to cover costs of electricity and internet connection, along with some basic allowances for tea/coffee and toilet paper.

After conducting and monitoring the pilot we found that for the right people, work from home is a great option. For example, a mother could break up her workday into blocks where she could do some work early, then organise kids for school, do some more work during day, pick up the kids from school, and then work later in evening. Saving on two-hours travelling time per day, along with getting ready time, allowed for a lot more time with family. Others had more time and flexibility to care for parents, or conduct hobbies. One person was a vintage car restorer who could split his day between work and hobby. On the other hand, there are many people who do like coming into the office as a place to connect and interact. Some would simply struggle to work alone.

Through taking careful steps, consultation and monitoring we were able to set up work from home successfully with very few issues. Additionally, we were able to tap into a whole new pool of candidates who simply would not, or could not, apply for our type of role in the city due to family commitments or distance from where they lived. This generated further gains in performance.

The Future
While my trip to Europe is probably untenable for many, the technology and reasoning involved could be applied to many situations that could reduce travel time, congestion, emissions, and costly office space. First and foremost, we need to think of work as deliverables rather than time spent at a desk and manage, reward and renumerate as such. This requires a shift away from the mindset that equates time spent in office with effort and motivation – we know from research that this has little to do with results. Of course, some roles will need to remain in an office (for the time being), while others could be split or completely disassociated from a designated place. A lot of research and findings are becoming available in these areas.

The implications of working remotely are many. City design could change. People could live a distance from business district and be able to do work, coming in occasionally if required. Experienced people could semi-retire while still contributing valuable knowledge and receiving an income. Technology is making more things possible but our mindsets also need to keep up. I can almost imagine a world where all one needs to conduct business is an internet tablet, a fold-up bike and a comfy pair of shoes. I do believe that the highly capable individual editing this article is doing so from a dairy farm in Gippsland. [Ed. You’re close, Tom. It’s a beef farm.]