By Marco Colaiacovo, HGS Work@Home Lead
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to work from home? More and more organizations like HGS offer a Work@Home solution to employees and while there are many benefits, we must also understand that Working from Home is not for everyone. Successful employees make a successful company, this is why you should do your research before applying for a position, and make sure the position is right for you! From an employee’s perspective, make sure it’s the right fit for you, and to help you, we have prepared a simple list of key criteria to consider before completing your application.
Outlined below are 6 major considerations that must be incorporated into any decision to work from home;
- You will save money by working from home! On average there is a $3500 to $4000 annual savings because of reduced travel cost (gas, vehicle maintenance, public transit); reduced clothing costs (it’s always casual day at home!); reduced meal/snack costs (daily coffee runs; eating out for lunch; etc). This is a benefit that will vary depending on your situation but it is a real cost savings
- You will have more time with your family. No more long commutes in rush hour traffic leaving early in the morning and arriving home late at night. Your office is 10 feet down the hallway, there is time to get the kids fed and off to school in the morning; there is time to cook supper and spend time helping with homework. Schedules vary depending on the company and the requirements but overall and since there is no travel involved, the time spent with family increases
- Many people really do NEED to work from home because of situations/circumstances in their lives. Below are a few examples
- Living in a rural community often times means long commutes to work in all types of weather, working from home alleviates this and allows you to work in the community you live in.
- There may be mobility or scent sensitive circumstances that make it very difficult to travel to and work in a typical office setting.
- Military spouses who are often deployed to different military bases require opportunities that can follow them. Work@Home allows the work to move to whatever base you are assigned to.
- Along with the benefits identified above, there are some collective decisions that must be identified and discussed with such a unique position Working from home with HGS. You MUST have discussions and buy in from your family or room-mates. Working from home requires two very basic things; a stable internet connection and a quiet place to work. If discussions have not taken place prior to working from home, there may be internet connectivity degradation as children/spouses stream video or play games on the internet. If the household has not completely agreed, background noises will affect your ability to work. Without prior discussion and agreement on what can and cannot be done when you are working, there is a real possibility you may not be successful.
- Many people believe that working from home will enable them to look after their children or dogs/pets rather than a day care setting. This is wrong! One of the worst customer experiences that can happen is if a dog or child are heard in the background. No organization will allow this, no customer will stand for this, you will not be successful if you do not treat the household workplace with the same respect and compliance as an office workspace.
- Finally, you must ask yourself a simple question ‘Do I have the mentality to work from home?’. When contemplating working from home, besides discussing with your household, you must also take an introspective view of you and how you will react/exist in a more isolated environment than you are accustomed.
- If you are a jovial extravert that craves and enjoys high fives in the workplace, you will likely not be successful working from home.
- If you rely on constant support and do not take initiative to find answers on your own, you will likely not be successful working from home.
- If your motivation only comes when others push you, you will most likely not be successful working from home.
There are many benefits to working from home but there are many questions you, and only you, can answer to determine if working from home is right for you. HGS does supply the equipment and excellent online training to give you the tools to be successful, but ultimately your ability to handle the unique home environment and working independently, will determine if you will be a successful Work@Home employee. I have been delighted to launch this program in North America, and hope this short intro will help you to make the right choice. I also advise you to take a look at JoinHGS.com in the Work@Home section as there is lots more information, and detail on the program as well as some useful tools to help you get a 360 view before applying. We also have a very active Facebook site where many of our Work@Home agents are more than willing to answer any specific questions you may have. Just search for HGS Canada or HGS USA to learn more. Good luck and I hope the blog was helpful in you making your right choice.
Work from Home with HGS! The Way Work Was Meant To Be!
Marco Colaiacovo
Marco Colaiacovo leads the Work@Home initiative in HGS Canada and HGS USA. In this blog, he shares major considerations candidates should think about before making the decision to work from home.