Telecommuting:  An In-Depth Look

--by Colleen Shaw                                                                                                                        

Purpose:  To inform my audience about the growing     

                trend of telecommuting.                               

Thesis:  With the advancement of technology,

              telecommuting is a rapidly growing trend, and

              for many people and jobs, it can be ideal.

Formal Outline of Speech

Introduction:

I. One year ago my brother-in-law, Alan, received a job offer from ENS, Enterprise Networking Systems.  This small startup company made him an offer he could not refuse.

A.     ENS told Alan that he could be a telecommuter—that is he could use technology to perform work away from the traditional work site (his home).

II. Alan is just one of many people who telecommute regularly.

A.     According to the International Telework Association and Council, there are nearly 20 million employees in the U.S. who telecommuted in 1999.

III. [Thesis] With the advancement of technology, telecommuting is a rapidly growing trend, and for many jobs and people, it can be ideal.

IV. [Preview] I will discuss just how popular telecommuting has become and some reasons for the rapid growth.  To get a clearer image of what telecommuting entails, I also discuss the needed technology.  And, finally, we will explore who is most likely to become a telecommuter.

Body:

I. There are many reasons why telecommuting is a fast growing trend in the United States.

A.     An article in Business Journal:  Serving Greater Tampa Bay states that companies have noticed that allowing employees to telecommute reduces absenteeism and job turnover rates. 

1.Many employees must call in sick to work when their child becomes ill. However, if the employee is a telecommuter he or she could simply take care of their child and still accomplish most of the necessary work.

                    2. Supervisors and managers often worry about employee turnover. Some employees are rarely satisfied with their job and constantly look for a new, better place of employment.  With the increase of telecommuting, supervisors have noticed a dramatic decrease of employees quitting their jobs.

a.       Kent Hoover, the Washington Bureau Chief, conducted a study on the average annual savings to employers who allowed its employees to telecommute.  The results showed that employers have saved an average of $10,000 per telecommuter in reduced absenteeism and job turnover costs.

B.     Many companies also allow telecommuting because the worker becomes more productive.

1.Gil Gordon, president of a telecommuting consultancy firm, says, “You can be at least 15 to 25 percent more effective when telecommuting.”

a.       Higher productivity ultimately saves company’s thousands of dollars each year.

[transition] In order for a company’s telecommuters to become more productive, the proper equipment must be purchased.

II. Both employers and telecommuters must have the needed equipment before   

     telecommuting becomes effective.

A.     Employers must adopt a centralized database so the telecommuters can access information. The use of a centralized database allows all employees to share information whether they are at the office or home.

B.     An article in Black Enterprise stresses the importance of potential telecommuters having a variety of equipment in their homes.

1. The “typical” office equipment must be purchased.

a. A computer with Internet access, fax machine, printer, and a phone or cable line must be present in the telecommuter’s home.

2.      Most companies provide their telecommuters with cellular phones and pagers to make them easily accessible.

3.      Telecommuters must also have a room of their house set up like an office.

a. According to Lisa Kanarek, author of Organizing Your Home Office for  Success, it is crucial to find an isolated part of your home to set up an office.  Telecommuters should avoid working in the kitchen, family room, or living room since these are often high traffic areas.

b.      There should also be file cabinets and other office supplies on hand.

[transition] Working in your spare bedroom sounds ideal, however, not every job or person is able to do this.

III. Many factors decide which jobs and people are more likely to telecommute.

A.     Since every job is unique, everyone is not able to telecommute.

1. It would be quite difficult for a teacher to simply stay at home and teach students.  A gas station clerk could not charge customers for gas from the comfort of his or her own home.

                  2. On the other hand, telecommuting is feasible for an Internet company.  Statistics from the International Telework Association and Council show that almost 80% of telecommuters work for technology companies.

3. Companies who do not have many employees are more inclined to let workers telecommute.  American City Business Journals reported that 67%  of telecommuters work at companies with fewer than 100 employees.

a.       Part of the reason for this is that smaller companies are not as likely to lose important daily contact from their employees as some larger companies.  However, telecommuting is still feasible in large companies.

B.     Before letting an employee telecommute, a supervisor must examine the employee and his or her work habits.

1. Individuals who are the best telecommuters are self-disciplined and

                      conscientious.  However, these people are often susceptible to over-working themselves.  Potential telecommuters must be good workers inside the office and extremely self-motivated.

                  2. Some employees are not suitable for telecommuting. 

a.       The International Telework Association and Council found that workers who procrastinate and workaholics are not ideal telecommuters.  While workers who procrastinate would not get much work done, the workaholics would be easily tempted to “finish up” a project at three in the morning.  Also included are employees who view telecommuting as an escape from the office.

[transition] Although not everyone is a candidate for telecommuting, it is a growing

practice in the workforce.

Conclusion:

I. Alan, my brother-in-law, ended up taking the job with ENS.  Like millions of other employees, he enjoys the flexibility of telecommuting. 

A. Telecommuting not only positively affects the employees, but also the companies by reducing absenteeism and job turnover rates.  

B. Before companies can receive the benefits of telecommuting, the proper equipment must be purchased and the employee must have the necessary work habits.

II. With nearly 20 million telecommuters in 1999, it is clear that telecommuting is a

     growing trend.