Gasoline is getting really expensive. It is getting so expensive that the average person has to make adjustments in their eating habits and social activities just to pay for, as they said in The Road Warrior, “the precious juice.”
With most employees living in the suburbs, and with the suburbs way out there, somewhere, perhaps it is time for your business to consider the virtual office. As with all things new, the virtual office has its good points and bad points. Your employees are out of proximity and some may even take advantage of not having to show up every day. Some employees do not do well without rigid structure and an established working environment.
But some do. Some can perform at optimum rates from home. By running the virtual office out of their houses, employees can cut down on traffic time and fuel expense. They don’t have to stay home every day of the week, but even a couple, few days are helpful in keeping down expenses. And collectively, with workers staying home, but actually working, the lack of travel will go a long way in slaking our energy demands.
According to an article in CNN, drivers have already eliminated something like 10 Billion miles from their travel. That’s a lot of miles. We are talking space travel on that kind of mileage. Nothing like harsh reality to achieve energy conservation. So maybe it is time for the virtual office. Maybe it is also time for the increased usage of teleconferencing to avoid air travel. Maybe.
There is a lot to be said for face to face meetings. There is a lot to be said for not having to get on a plane, wait nine years on the tarmac, with delayed flights, get off the plane, wait another nine years for your luggage, discover your luggage has been shipped by accident to Timbuktu, and then end up at your meeting, tired from traveling and rumpled in the clothes you wore on the plane. With Cisco and other companies bringing advanced teleconferencing systems to the market, you can actually get up close and personal. You can see everything from bleary eyes to spots on their ties. Enough to distract you from the point of the meeting. Just like being there.
So, if you are considering the virtual office or are thinking about considering the virtual office it is smart to conduct professional references and other background searches that will reveal the behavior patterns of your employment candidates. Thorough background checks don’t just reveal the obvious, but they may well reveal how someone would behave and how they would produce from a virtual office space. A pre-employment screening program may well eliminate any unwanted surprises.
Check them out before you hire.
