1. Forget Yahoo! 5 Trends Companies Need to Know about Telecommuting in Today’s Workplace

2. Background As a leader in corporate relocation services, SIRVA, in conjunction with Allied HR, likes to keep its finger on the proverbial pulse of the mobility market in order to better serve its customers. Consequently, SIRVA and Allied HR conducted a Workforce Mobility Study in 2012 among Human Resources professionals in companies across the United States. This research examined HR professionals’ views on issues pertaining to the overall mobility environment, recruitment, relocation, onboarding and retention.

3. About the Survey Sponsored by Allied Van Lines, the 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey is intended as a service to HR professionals and is part of a larger ongoing initiative -- Allied HR IQ -- which will conduct additional research projects, host events and facilitate discussions in the HR community via the Allied HR IQ website. The topic areas and questions for the survey were determined through collaborative discussions involving Allied Van Lines, Allied’s independent research partners, and distinguished HR professionals.

4. Method and Sample 208 online interviews were conducted in March 2013 with Human Resources professionals from 39 states and the District of Columbia. All respondents to the survey were required to be familiar with all three critical aspects of the profession. Recruitment Relocation Onboarding and Retention

5. Industries Represented Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey, AlliedHRIQ.com

6. Company Size (Annual Sales) Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey, AlliedHRIQ.com

7. Company Size (Number of Employees) Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey, AlliedHRIQ.com

8. Telecommuting Defined Telecommuting is when employees do not travel to a central place of work. It’s sometimes referred to as telework or remote work. Flexible work (aka flextime) is when employees have the ability to adjust their work hours. There might be core hours when everyone is required to be in the office.

9. 1. Telecommuting isn’t a popular benefit.

10. Telecommuting allowed in 50% of businesses surveyed Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey AlliedHRIQ.com

11. Only 25% of employees take advantage of telecommuting Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey AlliedHRIQ.com

12. 2. Other benefits are more desirable than telecommuting.

13. Size Doesn’t Matter Does the size of a company change the strength of telecommuting policies? “Mega” companies – those with more than 10,000 employees – are only somewhat more likely than companies with fewer than 10,000 employees to report having strong telecommuting policies. Mega firms’ telecommuting policies still take a distant backseat to other recruiting factors that an HR professional at these huge companies can use to entice a job candidate. Small, medium and large companies are comparable in the strength (or lack thereof) of their telecommuting.

14. Telecommuting policies are a little stronger at “mega” companies, but still quite weak in comparison to other recruiting enticements Size of company: Number of Employees % = 5 or 4 on a 5-point scale. Higher percents mean greater strength in that area. Total Mega (Over 10,000) Large (2,500 – 10,000) Mid-Size (200-2,499) Small (Fewer than 200) Healthcare benefits68%81%67%78%53% Company culture/Atmosphere59%71%51%56%60% Quality of executives/Workforce56%74%47%55%54% Location of job/Company54%65%56%58%46% Retirement benefits51%65%53%58%35% Development learning opportunities50%71%47%48%43% Compensation48%58%36%53%47% Career advancement opportunities45%74%47%45%31% Flexible working arrangements39%45%40%34%38% Closing skills34%42% 36%24% Negotiating skills33%39%36%33%28% Relocation package33%55%38%34%19% Telecommuting policy24%36%24%20%22% Lifestyle benefits14%29%16%14%7% Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey AlliedHRIQ.com

15. Telecommuting Not a Factor Telecommuting policies are not even much of a factor in those companies which reportedly have “highly successful” recruiting programs. Granted, highly successful companies have stronger telecommuting policies than weaker ones do. However, to put things in sobering perspective, telecommuting is a weaker recruiting factor in highly successful companies than other recruiting factors are (e.g., health care benefits, company culture, company location) in companies that have unsuccessful recruiting programs or no recruiting programs at all!

16. 3. Telecommuting doesn’t achieve results.

17. Restrained Enthusiasm HR professionals whose companies allow telecommuting are not necessarily wildly enthusiastic about how well it’s working. 3 out of 5 (60%) report that telecommuting has been “somewhat successful” 1 in 3 (34%) say it has been “highly successful”

18. 4. Communication is a problem.

19. Telecommuting Challenges It’s possible that one reason for this restrained enthusiasm is that telecommuting doesn’t always lead to desired outcomes. The good news is that very few employees (9%) abuse their telecommuting privileges. However, one frequently mentioned problem with telecommuting is employees’ tardy responses to communications. Other prominent problems are employees not connecting to the company’s network, lack of productivity and missed deadlines.

20. Lack of communication is the biggest problem Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey AlliedHRIQ.com

21. 5. Companies do want to give employees flexibility.

22. Work-Life Balance is Crucial Clearly, the primary reason companies allow their employees to telecommute (whether they have a formal policy or not) is to help employees maintain balance between work life and personal life. After that, companies embrace telecommuting because they believe it increases employee productivity.

23. The driving force behind a company’s decision to let their employees telecommute is… Reasons for allowing telecommuting Importance Rank Work-Life Balance Increase Productivity Cost Containment Accommodate Maternity Needs 1 (Most Important) 65%21%11%3% 2 17%46%22%15% 3 18%26%41%15% 4 (Least Important) --6%26%67% Source: 2013 Workforce Mobility Survey AlliedHRIQ.com

24. Workplace Flexibility Exists Although HR professionals report that their companies’ telecommuting policies are weak, this does not mean that their companies have highly rigid work environments. HR professionals believe their organizations are relatively strong in providing “flexible working arrangements” (presumably including things like flex hours, personal time off, liberal vacation policies, etc.). And these flexible working arrangements are much stronger at companies than are their telecommuting policies alone. Companies which are “highly successful” in recruiting new employees have much greater workplace flexibility than do less successful ones. And within these highly successful companies, workplace flexibility policies are superior to telecommuting policies.

25. Flexibility Over Telecommuting? 1.Companies want to offer employees flexibility. 2.The business cannot sacrifice good communication. 3.Being in the office creates accountability and results. 4.Employees value other benefits more than telework. 5.It makes no sense to offer a benefit that won’t be well received.

26. Thank You! Questions? Connect: Website: www.alliedhriq.comwww.alliedhriq.com Facebook: /alliedhriq Twitter: @alliedhriq LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/AlliedHR-IQ-4900645