How Scary is Remote Work?? Joe Arechederra President HDI Gateway Chapter

Transcription

1 How Scary is Remote Work?? Joe Arechederra President HDI Gateway Chapter

2 Background Took a 65 person Tier 1 & 2 helpdesk remote Started working on this in January 2010 Did not go full remote until August 2012 Currently have full time remote: 41 Tier 1 & Tier 2 agents (5 pending after training) 5 Support Personnel (trainers, PM s, QA, etc) 9 Manager / Sr Managers

3 Getting Started So you want to go remote.but how? You MUST be able to answer these questions Is management on board? If not, how can you get them to be so. Is the infrastructure in place? If not, what is missing and what are the costs? Is the reporting in place? Probably so, you just need to know how to frame it. What kind of training will we need? This depends upon how far you want to go. Let s walk through this.

4 Getting Leadership on Board Be able to explain the why/advantages Improved productivity Less water cooler talk Better attendance Less impacted by spread of cold and flu Decreased costs Less on site staff means less overhead More space available for growing companies Decentralized Staffing Weather or utility related events have less impact Opens up your recruiting base

5 Getting Leadership on Board (cont) Employee retention Fuel and wardrobe savings keep employees from looking elsewhere Increased flexibility makes for happier employees Decreased Environmental Impact Fewer employees driving into work Decreased utilities Create a pilot If management is on the fence, offer to create a pilot

6 Infrastructure Do you have the necessary infrastructure VPN / Remote Access Capability VOIP or Remote Phone Access Some things to consider Company equipment vs. employee equipment What is the company going to supply What is the employee going to supply What are the expectations.

7 Creating the Pilot Do so in earnest, do not choose the best on your team. Do a short, one month pilot with a few people. Will help determine any infrastructure needs or concerns If that goes well seek permission to go longer More to come later..

8 An Important Aside Set expectations early one If you expect the worker to cover any expenses, you must set that expectation early on. Phone w/local service Internet Desk Computer w/software If running a pilot, set expectations that this may not be permanent or the current setup could change. Work with HR to draft a document that meets your state laws as well as protects your company.

9 Reporting Quite possibly the most important piece The key metrics for a service desk Productivity Call Handle Time Resolution Rate Customer Service Compare on site versus off site employees Compare metrics before and after remote status Be prepared to present monthly.

10 Report Example - Productivity Remote Analysts Onsite Analysts Remote Specialists Onsite Specialists Pilot Start Date September October November December January February March April

11 Training On site vs. remote How much are you willing to tackle early on Remote hire and training can come later. Will your team need training on how to use VPN or phone system solutions? Work to create training on these pieces, you may support it but do you know how to use it? Think about how you will handle continuing education training. Remember, bringing people in for training may cause question of the legitimacy of the program

12 Implementing a Pilot Based upon your infrastructure, decide upon some scenarios VPN vs Remote Access VOIP vs Call Forwarding Try for one third of your staff Seek volunteers but also try and get non-believers Do not just pick rock stars. Pace setters and low performers may show true value Get management involved. Remote work is for everyone.

13 Implementing a Pilot (cont) Run it like a project Weekly meetings with the sponsor Scheduled meetings with the participants Scheduled updates with management Regular metrics updates Set goals and milestones Change the communication paradigm Out of site can be out of mind if you let it Do not forget your remote employees Make a point to touch base with them as often as you would if they were on site. Hold team meetings via conference call so no one is left out.

14 Implementing a Pilot (cont) Change the communication paradigm (cont) Use the tools at your disposal Office Communicator / Chat More frequent phone calls Webcam / Skype Keep the department in the loop There will be questions, answer them. Let everyone know how the project is going. Share stats without being user specific Share any milestones set

15 Implementing a Pilot (cont) If something is not working, change it. Have backups ready Infrastructure People Remember, this is a pilot, there will be issues. Be willing to experiment Try something new you are not necessarily replicating the office environment New technologies may improve the work from home experience

16 After the Pilot Collect the data Show the trends Breakdown the cost savings Obtain employee feedback/satisfaction Write up a project summary Include the good and the bad Include what you would change and why Present your next steps Depending upon your organization, this could be: A go live proposal Extension of the pilot Need for more research

17 Going Live Set qualifications and open it up to those who qualify Standard work from home qualifications Not a primary care giver to anyone under 12 Have a private work area Meet or exceed dept expectations Have high speed Internet, desk, phone, etc Set expectations for management One on ones Reviews Training Coming onsite

18 Going Live (cont). Roll out the go live, don t rip the band aid Be prepared to: Bring people back in Temporarily Permanently Replace equipment Deal with remote employees: Leaving the department / company Being written up / terminated

19 ..Going Forward Take advantage of new technologies If possible, use free services to enhance Pilot new technologies EX: Can tablets be used as a full time workstation? Be adaptive Team dynamics will change Hiring models will change Remote work solutions will change Seek feedback internally and externally

20 Thank you So.any questions? Contact Information Joe Arechederra