I’ve never been a teleworker, but with current trends, there is a strong likelihood that at some point in my career, I will be working remote for an extended period of time. Telework certainly has numerous benefits for government, and with available technology, many of the stigmas and concerns related to teleworking are becoming obsolete.
Telework provides numerous benefits for employees and employers. Some of the most common benefits that I hear is that teleworking leads to increased cost savings, flexibility of hours, helps to retain talent, decreased commuting time, improved work life balance.
The concept of using telework to retain and recruit top talent is an interesting concept to consider. By implementing a telework strategy, government can adopt to changing norms in society. By doing so, government can attract top talent to work, offering a benefit that in some instances, is already being offered by competitors in the private and non-profit sector. Having telework opportunities will make government more competitive in recruiting talented professionals. Further, removing the need to be in a physical office opens up opportunities for job seekers all across the country, not just one physical location.
None of the benefits of telework can ever be achieved without sound management and technology. There is absolutely an art to managing remotely, or working with a remote manager. It’s interesting to think of what kind of technology is needed to fully leverage all the benefits of teleworking, to make teleworking feel as if the employee is sitting right in the office. Reading previous telework posts on GovLoop and across the web, here are 5 trends I’ve seen for telework technology needs:
- Video Conference Ability
- Collaboration Software
- Printing Services
- Security
- Remote Desktop
From your experience as a teleworker, or having colleagues who telework, what kind of tech solutions do you need or desire to have as a teleworker? What are some of the biggest challenges while teleworking?
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HP’s mission is to invent technologies and services that drive business value, create social benefit and improve the lives of customers — with a focus on affecting the greatest number of people possible. Check out their HP for Gov group on GovLoop as well as the Technology Sub-Community of which they are a council member. |
