By Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Microsoft Federal
Telework has been a topic of discussion for years and the federal employees I speak with are looking for an acceleration in action. Though progress has been made - agencies like the FAA have driven significant efficiencies through telework policies - everyone from the administration to federal employees are looking for broader adoption. A report released this past summer from the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton indicated that less than 6 percent of all full-time federal workers telework even one day a month. That leaves a great deal of room for improvement.
So what are the barriers? Part of it is cultural. Managers are accustomed to having face time with staff, and being able to physically monitor the productivity of their groups. That contact is important, but technology has advanced to the point where managers don’t have to sacrifice collaboration or productivity in a teleworking environment. Web-based access to files and applications has made coming into the office less critical, and the advances in communications and collaboration software have changed the way we think about meetings. Unified communications technologies are providing us all with more information about where colleagues are and how best to reach them, and between video conferencing, email, IM and social networking sites, the way we collaborate at work has already evolved, even while we’re in the office. Productivity isn’t about how long someone stays in a building, it’s about what they produce and accomplish, and performance management technology is giving managers insight into mission progress like never before.
Once we get federal employees engaged with the technology tools they need to maintain and even improve performance remotely, the other advantages are obvious. Limiting commute time is great for the environment, but it also frees up more time for employees to be working on mission goals rather than stuck in traffic. The flexibility has also been shown to improve job satisfaction, which aids retention and recruiting efforts – particularly among young professionals accustomed to getting things done while mobile. And Washington DC’s snowstorms last winter showed us all that remote access is a necessity in times when staff are unable to physically get to the office.
The good news is that the telework movement recently got a boost from Congress, with the Telework Improvements Act expected to be signed into law later this year. In the meantime, I’d love to hear more about telework successes and challenges from federal staff, managers and technology professionals working to make this transition seamless!