We’ve been remote working for several years at Alternative Networks. We asked Client Management Director Giles Kane and Pre-sales Specialist Melanie Harris what they think about the whole idea.
Giles, Client Management Director
Client Managers are there to make sure that the service Alternative Networks’ clients receive is second-to-none. To achieve this, we really have to be contactable and connected at all times; so for me and my team, remote working is a vital part of our day. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to deliver the support and advice our customers demand.
I look after several teams over three different sites, and spend a good deal of time working between them. It’s hectic and demanding but, thanks to my laptop and BlackBerry I’m always available. Thankfully so are the rest of the team. Every member of Client Management is issued with a laptop with mobile broadband and a mobile email enabled device, right from day one. We even mention this when recruiting as we found that response rates from the highest calibre of candidates soared when we mentioned our flexible working initiatives.
I manage one full time home worker, who was a member of staff who needed to relocate, but didn’t want to leave the company. We knew he was a key member of staff, so we gave him all the necessary tools to work from his new home. As a consequence we’ve retained a great member of the team when we could so easily have lost him. It also means that other members of staff can work from home when they need to.
While there are some advantages to having a big office where everyone interacts, I am firmly of the belief that remote working makes you more productive, more competitive and in our case better at our jobs. Through a combination of hard work and good systems, we’ve made it work – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Melanie, Pre-sales Specialist
As a Pre-sales Specialist it’s crucial that I can be contacted by both clients and colleagues at all times. And I use a whole host of devices and systems to make sure that I can respond to them quickly and effectively. Remote working applications allow me to access all my voice and data services wherever I am. It really helps me make best use of my working day.
My BlackBerry is the centre-piece of my remote working strategy – I don’t know where I’d be without it! It’s twinned with my desk phone, which means I can be contacted anywhere on just one number. I can also use the full functionality of my desk phone, plus I can also log in on any desk phone – useful for long conference calls!
I work almost anywhere – office, train, café or at home – and so long as I have access to an Internet-connected PC with a web browser, I can access email and shared drives with ease. At home I have an IP phone, which is really useful as I sometimes make calls to international sites and don’t necessarily want to power up my laptop to use my softphone. It also cuts costs, as I use the lines in the main office.
Overall, I love working from home, but I think it’s important to balance it with face-to-face contact. By working solely from home you can miss out on the social element of work life, and the knowledge you gain from being around colleagues.
