Telecommuters need more than a laptop

Sarah Wood has spent her fair share of time sitting in airport terminals during her past seven months working for Regulatory Compliance Associates.

As a project manager for RCA -- a Pleasant Prairie-based business providing technical compliance services to companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device areas — she makes weekly commutes between client sites and her home office in Madison.

"You would be amazed at how much work that you can get done in an airport," says Wood, who regularly works at the gate while awaiting flights -- laptop in front of her, and cell phone and Blackberry at her side.

RCA President Mitch Januszewski says telecommuting is more the rule than the exception in his business, with about 85 members of his staff working remotely. "Just about everybody who works for us are folks who work either from home or at a customer site."

While technology enables more and more people to work out of the office, many Capital Region businesses have found it takes more than a laptop to have a successful telecommuting work force.

Technology essentials

RCA's large remote work force makes it heavily reliant on communication technology. Everyone has a cellular phone and laptop computer that can be plugged into their Blackberry mobile communication device to send and receive e-mails. The real-time technology means Januszewski and his management team have nearly continuous contact with field staff.

Managing telecommuters is all about transparency for Stephanie Key. The clinical application manager for Madison-based TomoTherapy -- a cancer treatment technology developer -- has training staff at locations worldwide.

Having trainers in different time zones means company resources must be available at any time. "So if I have an employee in Germany that needs to find an answer to a question about the software, we've created libraries and folders in our department Web site to help. At any point in time they can get in the Web site and look at something to help answer their question."

Making it work

Even with all the technology, the distance disconnect can still be a problem, and Key sees challenges coming from this physical divide.

With staff scattered anywhere from London to Auckland, New Zealand, she says chances are that some of them will have to call into their monthly teleconferences after regular work hours.

"Of course there is always going to be someone who is inconvenienced by the time. We try to do it later in the evening so that as many people as possible can be involved."

A concern for Rob Crain, manager of strategic communications for Madison-based Alliant Energy, is ensuring his "open-door policy" also applies to his remote staff in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Without knowing a manager's schedule or having a feel for the atmosphere within the home office, it can be tough for off-site workers to know the right time to call.

Crain says, "It's important that they know that they have an open line of communication and I can be approached whenever they need me."

It's good communication that keeps employees up to date on current issues, but it's good company policies that give structure. RCA's large remote staff incurs a lot of expenses for employee's meals and other miscellaneous charges. Januszewski says their administrative staff processes about 100 expense reports weekly.

"It's down to a system," he says. "We have a comprehensive expense reporting policy and all expenses are submitted with detailed backup and with rationale for the expenses."

But there are times when all the policies and strategic management fall helpless to unforeseen circumstances. Increasing technology reliance creates rising dependency on functioning communication lines, and power outages can certainly wreak havoc. Januszewski says losing electronic communication between their main computer and remote employees can be a big problem.

"Since we are very technologically based, if the technology fails … oh boy, it's not a good thing. We have redundant systems and we've got backups upon backups. But when a contractor cuts that cable out in front of the building, we're done. It doesn't matter how much redundancy we have."

Leadership issues

Having employees in satellite locations brings new leadership issues, but the benefits often make it worth the challenge.

Placing employees where the action is means businesses have firsthand understanding of the task at hand. This is vital for Crain, who needs to have his finger on the pulse of the communities that Alliant Energy serves.

"We are a Midwestern company, but sensibilities in Iowa and sensibilities in Wisconsin are very different. Our job is to have someone in Iowa available to the media and our customers who understands the community and the sensitivities."

A part of good community relations for Crain is having good internal communications with his remote staff. Voice tone in a voicemail or language used in e-mails can be easily taken wrong, especially when you can't readily put a voice with a face.

"In the cyber world, things like sarcasm can get lost, so you have to be mindful of those types of things."

To avoid potential problems, Crain makes regular trips to Cedar Rapids to meet with staff in person.

"I make sure that we set aside time during those visits to sit down and get to know one and other."

Maintaining good communication is often a product of well-defined roles within an organization. For Januszewski, this means having home-office-support staff members who know their roles in supporting remote staff members.

"We define what the in-house staff's roles and responsibilities are in terms of supporting the folks that are on-site with our clients.

For instance, we have IT support personnel that help people with technology issues. They know that that's their job and other employees know that those are the go-to people for those types of issues."

Work/life balance

Januszewski says another part of giving support is making sure employees maintain a good "work/life balance."

"We don't have a problem with people not working hard enough; we have a problem with people working too hard. If someone is working that hard it's not enough to just tell them to quit it. What you have to do is find out why they are working so hard and give them the help they need."

Sometimes these issues come right to management. Key says trainers will occasionally approach her concerned that they are not doing enough work.

"Mostly that's just perception because they don't see what's happening in the office. They can see the project list but they feel like since people are in the office they must be working harder than they are."

In these cases, Key typically puts their minds at ease by pointing out the accomplishments and contributions the employees have made.

The solitude telecommuters often work in creates special needs for social contact. RCA hosts an annual companywide convention that doubles as a vacation for employees and their families.

"In May we'll take all of our employees and their spouses and their significant others and fly them out of North Carolina to an island for a five-day fun retreat," says Januszewski. "It's an opportunity for people to spend time with their families and see folks that they might not have seen for months."

Telecommuting has been an enjoyable experience so far for Wood. She says that seeing different parts of the country, meeting new people and the opportunity to learn keep her excited, but she does tend to get a bit homesick.

"I miss my friends and family here in Madison. A lot of people that I work with do have family and that is one of the job's hardships."

As employees' lives change, Januszewski says that they can always make adjustments to accommodate the changes. "As families evolve, people have children, as people become empty nesters their personal situations change and as a responsible employer you have to try to accommodate that."