Leadership
The Virtual Office-Benefits and Challenges 2.3
The decision to permit staff to work from outside the traditional office confines is a complex one. There are numerous advantages to this “virtual office” type of working including a better work-life balance for the employee, cost savings in terms of real estate and overhead for the employer, and even an environmental benefit as the need to travel to work is removed and takes yet another car off the roads.
On the other hand, there is evidence to suggest that the virtual office environment can cause employees to feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues and their job. A fear of being overlooked for promotion or recognition may arise as a result of the “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy. With modern technology, the virtual office is becoming more connected to the physical office. E-mail, smartphones, and the Internet can keep virtual workers more involved in the daily goings on at their company.
Virtual working has become an essential part of the modern sales job, but sales managers must realize that their staff still needs to feel involved and not isolated. Some miss the monitoring and advice given by colleagues and superiors, so this must be continued even when the employee is working virtually.