Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »
Public Council Teleconference: Application Rationalization — Hidden Costs and Smart Decisions
November 17 at 11:00 am US/Eastern (GMT-5)
Join Honorio Padrón, of The Hackett Group, who will share the drivers for companies to tackle application rationalization and the results of research that define the hidden cost of complexity. Additionally, we will discuss key decision milestones—to start or not, holding the course steady and fulfilling expectations.
Virtual Desktop Cost-Benefit Analysis — Michael Jacobs, Catlin Group
The analysis contained in this presentation measures the cost of everything from the machines and licenses to the infrastructure for virtual vs. traditional desktop environments.
Honor your best senior team members - Apply for the CIO Ones to Watch Award
Get well-earned public recognition for your top up-and-coming team members, your IT organization and your enterprise. Award winners will be announced, publicized and feted in May 2010, great timing to help attract new IT recruits to your company.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »August 20, 2008 — Computerworld —
Telecommuting is back on workers' radars in a big way these days, thanks to gas prices that are a whopping 30% higher this summer than last.
Wannabe telecommuters are lining up outside their bosses' offices with work-from-home plans in hand, and many of them could get their wish this time around: According to WorldatWork, an association of human resource professionals, 40% more employers are offering telework programs this year than last.
Should your IT employees be part of that burgeoning crowd?
It's certainly tempting to say yes. Increasing fuel costs and heightened corporate environmental consciousness are magnifying many of the benefits of telework, including conserving fuel (and money), reducing traffic congestion (and CO² emissions), and reducing space and energy use at the employer's facility. Employers also often find they're better able to attract and retain talented employees with the flexibility and increased job satisfaction that telework programs offer.
All of that is driving "a huge amount of inquiries" from organizations looking to deploy more systematic, companywide telework programs, says Josh Holbrook, director of enterprise research at Yankee Group Research Inc.
That said, IT and telework don't have an unblemished record of success. In 2006, Hewlett-Packard Co. ended teleworking arrangements for hundreds of its IT workers. And early this year, Intel Corp. began requiring more than half the teleworkers in its IT group to report to the office at least four days a week. In both instances, the companies indicated that teleworking had had a negative impact on IT employees' productivity and collaboration. (See Telework up, productivity down? for details.)
Although a few reversals of telework policy do not constitute a trend, those cases can and should sound a note of caution for technology managers who might otherwise be inclined to say OK to telecommuting.
Holbrook says: "These instances get attention because they cut against the grain. The trend is overwhelmingly in the other direction." Nevertheless, in some instances managers or even whole business units have "gone rogue," he says, allowing employees to work from home without the right technology, policies and procedures in place. "It's very possible for a well-meaning manager to shove the employee out of the corporate jet without a parachute," Holbrook warns.
Some telework decisions are fairly obvious -- most managers wouldn't let a new, inexperienced employee telework until he had proven himself, for example -- but there are other, more subtle aspects of a person's character and a company's culture that can make or break a telework arrangement.