With 11 million people telecommuting in the U.S., employers are finding that innovative employee relations is the key to keeping good PR practitioners. The days of attracting employees with competitive compensation packages, top-notch health benefits and ample vacation time, while perhaps not over, are certainly getting a face lift.
With the steady increase in telecommuters during the last thirty years, this trend is not likely to dwindle, says Robert Moskowitz, president of the American Telecommunications Association. Moskowitz describes telecommuting as a "win, win, win" situation.
"The individual, employer and society all win from telecommuting," he says. "The employer saves money off the overhead costs, the telecommuter is motivated, highly productive, eager to prove they can do the work and society has less pressure on its infrastructure."
How productive are these employees when they have the luxury of working from home, with no commute and no business attire?
"I get much more done and am more efficient without all the distractions from work," Jeanne Silsby, senior account supervisor for Portland, Ore.-based KVO, says. She's now telecommuting for KVO, a PR agency which boasts an above average employee tenure of five years, compared with the industry's average of two-and-a-half years.
A productive employee is a desirable employee and that gives telecommuters the edge they need to work from home.
"A highly skilled employer can negotiate easily because they're in demand," says publicist Rosie Dempsey. She's been working out of her home for about 13 years after an earlier career with the Circle Theater Corporation promoting independent films.
Entrepreneurs Abound
At the other end of the telecommuting spectrum are those PR folks who have left the office to start their own firm. This was the case for Maury Tobin of Maryland-based Tobin Communications, Inc. Providing Radio Media Tours for companies like America Online, Tobin says working from home adds flexibility to his day and cuts his overhead costs.
"If a client wants to do a 6 a.m. RMT, I can do it," Tobin says. "I can out-hustle the competition and that's important in such a competitive market as D.C."
In fact, Tobin says it's crucial that he work from home to conduct the five radio tours he provides each month.
"I'm saving money on office rent and gas which allows me to pay my employees better," he says. An obvious benefit is that he can avoid the D.C. drivers at rush hour on the Beltway.
Dempsey agrees that a great benefit to working from home is saving money. An even greater advantage, she says, is saving time.
"The most expensive thing about commuting is time and time is money," she says. "The bane of modern existence is time and commuting."
Dempsey even has the luxury of using the talents of staff at her client's firms. Any administrative tasks are left to the client, while she concentrates on strategizing.
Home Time vs. Work Time
"You can bet I'm doing radio media tours while I'm wearing shorts or sweatpants," Tobin says.
While it may sound appealing to trade in your heels or ties for cotton sweats, it can also be lonely. In addition, working from home allows telecommuters to keep working even after their colleagues have left the office.
"It's not a big difference from working in an office," says Silsby. The best part for her is that she's more productive without putting in all the hours.
"But I do miss interacting with coworkers," she says.
Tobin agrees, but makes up for a lonely working atmosphere after business hours.
"Yes, it's lonely, but that's why I go to lunches with clients and happy hours," he says. Tobin buys a block of Washington Capitals tickets for clients and friends to enjoy.
Besides missing out on office gossip, coffee breaks and group "fun days," how do telecommuters effectively communicate with their colleagues on the twelfth floor? The consensus is that email and phone calls work best.
Silsby conducts conference calls with her IT team and schedules trips back to Portland for larger, more important group meetings.
Besides communication, keeping up with trends and people in the industry can also be a challenge, notes Dempsey, who schedules lunches not only to socialize, but to network.
"This industry does change and you need to know what else is going on," she says.
Managers Beware
Managers are usually the least enthusiastic about allowing employees to telecommute, Moskowitz says.
"You can manage badly when people are in the same room," he says. "You can evaluate how people are working if you can actually see them."
The challenge, however, comes when some staff members are working from home two or three times a week. This requires managers to be more organizated and requires more training for both the telecommuter and the manager.
"When I first started, I wanted a lot of control," Tobin says. His business partner also works from home, which means the two must communicate by phone or email.
Others, like Silsby, found that her transition from working in the office to telecommuting went smoothly.
"It worked out well," she says. "My supervisor let's me be pretty autonomous."
If you are telecommuting, you're not alone. There are numerous resources on the Web, Web sites and even a magazine - Telecommute. (Dempsey, 202/832-4633; Robert Moskowitz, 818/224-4224; Jeanne Silsby, 970/674-0177; Tobin, 301/229-0369).
| Turning Your Home Into an Office - Monthly Expense Checklist by Maury Tobin | |
| Web site | $5,000 |
| Stationery (including business cards) | 5,000 |
| Phone/Fax (long distance) | 2,000 |
| Internet Connection (ISDN) | 200 |
| Cell Phone | 150 |
| Postage | 200 |
| Entertaining clients | 200 |
Getting Guidance When You're Out on Your Own
A new resource for PR professionals who work alone, telecommute, or just need a guide is the year-round mentoring program offered by PRSA's College of Fellows.
Free for members of the Public Relations Society of America, and at a cost of $100 to non-members, mentor volunteers are professionals with 20 years or more of PR experience who offer career and management consulting. Most of the dialogue between mentor and consultee takes place via email but it's up to each pairing to work out the details.
To sign up, contact PRSA at 212/995-2230 or http://www.prsa.org.