Teleworking appeared during the Covid pandemic.
It became clear how the traditional parameters related to everyday life were transformed entirely and revolutionized. This impact became more apparent as the months passed, and the existing forms of interaction were no longer adequate to meet the needs of businesses, enterprises, and small businesses.
The call center sector, perhaps more than others, has seen a radical change in the approach to work.
By spring 2020, it was estimated that around 557 million people worldwide worked from home.
This is almost one in five workers that use Teleworking.
What are the advantages of Teleworking?
The time saved outside of transport is 80 minutes for Shanghai residents. So much time is saved for their personal business without taking a break at the office.
A reduction in sick leave. Employees who were slightly ill worked from home, whereas they would not usually have come to the office.
A calmer working environment. Due to better working conditions, teleworkers could handle more calls than in the office.
In 2021, 85% of US teleworkers said they were more productive than they were in the office.
Furthermore, if we take the example of Shanghai’s central business district, call center employees have expressed greater satisfaction when working from home.
The total number of layoffs has also decreased by more than half.
Teleworking is also an essential ally in the environmental transition.
Indeed, working from home allows you to reduce your home/office commute.
What are the limits of Teleworking?
Professional development is limited.
In France, during the first lockdown, 80% of managers and senior professionals could work from home compared to 35% of employees and 7% of workers.
Even for those lucky enough to benefit from it, telework can lead to unsuspected professional inequalities.
In the Chinese call center, teleworking employees received 50% fewer promotions than their face-to-face colleagues.
The main reason was that teleworking meant their managers less noticed that employees’ performance.
There is no ideal, and like in many things, there is a middle ground. This is why some companies offer alternating remote and office work. This preserves social links and supervision while promoting autonomy and freedom.
In the end, teleworking in your company is a win-win situation for both employer and employee. But to reap the benefits of teleworking, you need to be rigorous and disciplined.