Beware: NET-A-PORTER

[Uri Guttman]

On 12/09/2011 10:36 AM, Jason Tang wrote:
> On 9 December 2011 15:14, Uri Guttman<uri at stemsystems.com>  wrote:
>
>> On 12/09/2011 09:32 AM, Avleen Vig wrote:
>>
>>   Not entirely true. Telecommuting doesnt erect barriers, it results in
>>> different barriers which need ti be handled differently.
>>>
>>> I worked for a distributed company for almost to years. Since then I've
>>> worked from home for almost 18 months. It's not more barriers, it's
>>> different ones.
>>>
>>> Eg in the office I sometimes hated having to find people, figure out where
>>> they are, maybe having to deal with them face to face when they're having
>>> a
>>> bad day. These things get better with telecommuting ime :)
>>>
>>
>> i totally agree. i tell my clients that all the time when they are not
>> into allowing telecommuting. it is a management style issue, not a
>> technical one. i placed many in a pure virtual company in the US. they are
>> fully set up for telecommute and have the management experience to do so.
>> another client is 100% onsite. no exceptions. BUT someone i know left there
>> and was allowed to telecommute since he had knowledge and experience they
>> needed. and this was a very large powerhouse place paying top salaries.
>>
>> it is all over the map with rules on allowing telecommuting. some love it
>> as it opens up to more qualified employees. others hate it since they don't
>> have the management set up for it. some do both, onsite if you can move or
>> already live near their offices, telecommute if you have the experience to
>> do so. it is also on the employee's head to be able to telecommute. some
>> just don't have the discipline to deal with kids, spouse and other
>> household distractions.
>>
>> one placement i made recently explicitly wanted to work onsite because he
>> was telecommuting for a while and wanted a solid reason to get out of the
>> house!! there are no fixed rules for this on either side. i have seen all
>> sorts of variations.
>>
>
> I guess when an employer and employee come together to see if there can be
> a professional working relationship they set out their own criteria.
> Clearly telecommuting high as a priority for you. Great that you know what
> you want! The flip side this isn't necessarily the 'norm' in the market
> place, so you maybe rather restrictive on your employment opportunities.
> This is of course your choice.

i am confused by your saying telecommuting is a priority for me. i place 
people in perl jobs. the choice of telecommuting or onsite is in the 
hands of the employers and candidates. i can try to influence those 
choices but i am happy to place onsite as well. i have had candidates 
move across the pond, and across large sections of the states for onsite 
work. it is not in my hands so there is no priority there. when i do 
direct work myself, yes, i will not be onsite permanently but i can be 
for short periods like a week at a time. this is something i also 
promote, a mix of onsite for that p2p communications which can be very 
valuable and remote for access to a broader range of candidates. smart 
companies will choose that path and figure out the mix best for them.

>
> Personally I appreciate communication methods that are not intrusive
> (someone coming over and interrupting you when you're in your zone is
> frustrating at the best of times). But with everything there's a balance to
> be struck to aid the social dynamics and progress of the project. Some
> things work well over IRC, and some things over email. However there are
> definiltely situations I would say getting off your chair and getting
> yourself sat with the person and talking about something is the more
> effective way to communicate something. What ever your style of
> communication it has to work with the peers you're working with.

and that is more up to management than the set of peers. you missed the 
telephone (or skype) which is still closer to classic communications 
than text only. video conferencing can be even closer. audio/video is 
much more efficient for some forms of teamwork, brainstorming, etc. 
email is better for detailed technical threads. each form has its 
wins/fails and should be used accordingly. telecommuting can work if 
done well. it can also easily fail if the shop is not accommodating to it.

uri