Most Executives Believe Work-at-Home is Recipe for Career Stagnation, According to Korn/Ferry Survey

- 60 percent believe telecommuting can limit upward career mobility, - Two in ten say pay should be lower for telecommuters, - 94 percent see work-at-home as "important" to working parents,

By Korn/Ferry International

Published: Friday, Apr. 12, 2013 - 6:09 am

LOS ANGELES, April 12, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey by the Korn/Ferry Institute found that the vast majority of executives embrace telecommuting as a strategy to boost productivity and allow working parents to continue their careers.  Yet, paradoxically, most also see it as an avenue to career stagnation. 

"While some high-profile companies have stepped away from telecommuting, our survey shows that most enterprises still see it as an important way to drive productivity, increase retention and demonstrate inclusion in the workplace," said Ana Dutra, chief executive officer of Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting.  "It is all about driving responsibility and accountability, whether a person works in the office or at home."

Nearly 80 percent of the executives surveyed earlier this month say their companies allow telecommuting across job categories.  Fully 94 percent of executives, in fact, see telecommuting as an important option for working parents.  Despite it being an essential perk for work-at-home parents, 60 percent believe telecommuting can limit career-growth opportunities.  

"While working at home can be beneficial for both companies and workers, it can also lead to 'invisibility' that can limit opportunities for career advancement," said Dutra. "It is important for telecommuters to remain networked as closely as possible with peers and leaders in the office."

Though the vast majority of executives believe telecommuters should be paid as much as other workers in comparable jobs, two in ten disagree with the notion that pay should be equitable, regardless of work locale. 

The survey also found that 77 percent have telecommuted at some point in their careers, and that 58 percent are telecommuting now.

The survey was conducted from March 11 – March 20, 2013 and involved more than 300 respondents. 



Editor's note:  A 2012 Korn/Ferry survey showed that most female executives believe parenting provides unique leadership skills that are transferable to the job. These include a better ability to multi-task and prioritize. https://www.kornferry.com/PressRelease/13683

Questions/Results:

1) Do people in your enterprise telecommute?  Yes – 77 percent No – 23 percent

2) If people in your enterprise telecommute, from what functions?  Various – 61 percent Primarily executive and professional – 32 percent Primarily administrative – 7 percent

3) Do you telecommute? Yes – 58 percent No – 42 percent

4) Have you ever telecommuted? Yes – 77 percent No – 23 percent

5) Do you believe telecommuting can limit career upward mobility? Yes – 60 percent No – 40 percent

6) Telecommuting is an important option for working parents? Agree – 94 percent Disagree – 6 percent

7) Do you believe telecommuters should be paid as much as their peers in the workplace? Yes – 81 percent No – 19 percent

Methodology 
The Korn/Ferry Institute regularly conducts surveys to glean insights on the current workplace and leadership environment.  Results are based on surveys of executives globally registered with the firm's online Executive Center, www.ekornferry.com. 

About the Korn/Ferry Institute
 The Korn/Ferry Institute serves as a premier global voice on a range of talent-management and leadership issues. The Institute commissions, originates and publishes groundbreaking research using Korn/Ferry's unparalleled expertise in executive recruitment and talent development combined with its preeminent behavioral research library. The Institute is dedicated to improving the state of global human capital for businesses of all sizes around the world.


About Korn/Ferry International 
Korn/Ferry International is a premier global provider of talent management solutions, with a presence throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  The firm delivers services and solutions that help clients cultivate greatness through designing, building and attracting their talent.  Visit www.kornferry.com for more information on Korn/Ferry International, and www.kornferryinstitute.com for thought leadership, intellectual property and research.

SOURCE Korn/Ferry International

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/12/5336812/most-executives-believe-work-at.html

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/12/5336812/most-executives-believe-work-at.html#storylink=cpy

Telecommuting through virtual office; good but not for everyone

Daniel Calano, Prospectus, LLC

I'm writing this article, sitting in the comfort of my home, watching the snow pile up outside. While I rarely work outside the office like this, I was thinking appropriately about past articles I wrote for NEREJ about how "telecommuting" was here to stay. The articles build upon one another. But my conclusion had been that there would be more telecommuting, and thus less needed office space. Yes, in my last article, I gave a small nod to problems with working outside the office, but I had already made up my mind. The facts were that over the last ten years, required work space for employees had decreased from 250 s/f to 185 s/f according an analysis provided by CoStar.

Yet, as I sat comfortably at my desk writing, I felt a little lonely and even somewhat guilty in my telecommute. It became clear that some were not the right personality to work outside the office, and that there must be more to the negative side than I had given credit for.

For example, as mentioned, it takes a certain personality to be out there on ones own, however well connected technologically. The telecommuter needs to be a self-starter confident enough to not need feed-back and mentoring. As you look around your own office, you'll realize that not everybody is geared that way. Many thrive on the social interaction within the office. Some overdo it, but it is clear that many benefit from the "water cooler effect." The concept is that spontaneous meetings around the cooler or the coffee machine often produce conversations that lead to creative and intuitive thinking. Office designers are on to this, recognizing that while personal office space may be decreasing, "group" space is increasing. More common space, including recreational areas, gyms, etc. is on the increase. Ultimately collaboration is the goal; perhaps both the traditional office model and telecommuting both are detrimental to this goal?

A second problem to working outside is job security and promotion. There are studies that show that people working outside the office often lose enough contact with their bosses that promotion is less likely than for those inside. This is particularly true in recessionary times such we have had, where promotions are few and far between. The adage out-of-sight out- of-mind can be dangerously true, when it relates to an employer feeling connection and loyalty to an employee. According to research done by Jones Lang LaSalle, during recessionary times, management often reverts to the old model about how to measure worker productivity, and becomes an employee clock watcher instead of measuring results.

A third problem area is one of actual and perceived distraction. People working outside of the office must be very focused. If they are distracted by children, spouses, door bells ringing, telephones, traffic, road rage, bad restaurant service, it can in fact lead to a discouraging and unproductive day. Nothing is worse than to be on a conference call from home with other people inside the office, and to have your child crying or you dog barking in the background.

In studies by the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, faculty members have tried to analyze the pros and the cons. The school's director of the work/life integration project feels that "one-size-fits-all policies" don't work. They believe that, while "virtual office" is good for some, or good at certain times, it is less good for example when new projects are being launched or when a company is trying to solve various problems. The research further indicates that there may be a position between "all virtual, all the time is good" to a more nuanced position of: when does virtual work and when doesn't it ?

So from a real estate perspective, it may be that less office space will not be the answer. Despite the trend, a pendulum could swing towards the creation of better office space. Open plans with conducive social and recreational areas, combined with smart design and smart technology may produce a welcome relief to the lonely telecommuter. As I now sit in my "real" office, having left my house as soon as the snow stopped, I realize there are many alternatives in our future.

Daniel Calano, CRE, is the managing partner and principal of Prospectus, LLC, Cambridge, Mass.

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