Managing the Virtual Worker/Telecommuter  

Virtual workers/telecommuters are employees who perform assigned duties at an alternative site (usually home) during some or all of their scheduled work hours. With the number of full-time virtual workers expected to exceed 13.5 million in the U.S. within the next two years and 130 million worldwide by 2003, managers are more often being confronted with a new type of employee. As a result, we need to make adjustments in how we manage them, when compared to the on-site employee. We need to learn how to screen and select viable candidates, develop new guidelines (e.g., state expectations clearly, manage by results, communicate often, plan ahead for meetings, and consider special needs such as administrative support), learn what goes into a work agreement, and consider technology impacts.

Heikes, Peter C. STC Proceedings (2001). Careers>Management>Telecommuting

Managing Today’s Commuters Across the Miles  

The Technical Communication Department at Allen-Bradley, a sustaining member of STC, is located in Highland Heights, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This reporting structure alone has forced telecommuting between the managerial and supervisory levels, with management located in Ohio and supervisors in Wisconsin. Additionally, the department has telecommuting communicators located throughout Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Bottoms, Charles W., Linda Gomez, Jean M. Jahnke and Greg D. Kroeze. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Telecommuting>Management

So Near and Yet So Far: Tips for Working With, Managing, or Working as a Remote Resource  

The use of remote resources who work from a home office has potential advantages, such as enhanced productivity and motivation, cost savings, and personal and organizational flexibility. It also has potential disadvantages such as isolation, lack of direct supervision and communication, and increased travel expenditures. Constructing a win-win solution for remote resources, their managers, and their co-workers involves consistently using imaginative solutions to maximize the advantages of the situation and to minimize its disadvantages. Examples include using differences in work schedules and time zones to create a 'second shift.' Successful outcomes also require an increased emphasis on structured two-way communication.

Cassidy, George and Pete Larson. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Telecommuting>Management

Successful Management Strategies for Nontraditional Work Environments  

As the reengineering of organizations, advances in technology, and the growing popularity of telecommuting continue to provide enormous challenges to managers and project leaders, we must identify effective strategies for dealing with the inevitable results of such rapid, ongoing change.

Henderson, D.L., Bonnie J. Davis and Genie Vidal. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Telecommuting>Management

Telecommuting: Practical Option or Management Nightmare?

Telecommuting can be a wonderful benefit for your editors and can save your department money -- as long as you set clear terms and carefully monitor the results. It doesn't have to be the management nightmare you may be imagining.

Cormier, Robin A. Editorial Eye, The (1998). Careers>Telecommuting>Management