Telecommuting: Important to IT Workers?
By Robert Half Technology —
Menlo Park, Calif.—March 4Following the announcement of Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s decision to ban telecommuting for its employees, the subject continues to dominate the news and water-cooler discussions this week. Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether it helps or hinders companies and their employees.
New research from Robert Half Technology shows the dual views on telecommuting.
In a recent survey of more than 3,300 IT workers conducted by Robert Half Technology, three out of four said a remote working option was at least somewhat important when considering a new job opportunity. Here’s a breakdown of the responses to the question: How important to you is a remote working option when deciding whether to accept a job offer?
- Very important: 23 percent
- Somewhat important: 52 percent
- Not important: 25 percent
Conversely, 74 percent of IT workers say they generally prefer working on-site versus 26 percent who say they prefer to work remotely. Among the respondents who preferred working on-site, the majority indicated they appreciate the camaraderie involved with working face-to-face. Here’s a breakdown of the responses:
- Like the camaraderie/being around people: 40 percent
- Important for career growth to have face time in the office: 26 percent
- Hard to collaborate or have "on the fly" meetings remotely: 20 percent
- It's hard to focus when I work from home: 10 percent
- Other: 4 percent
Among those who preferred remote working arrangements, the majority cited increased productivity due to fewer interruptions (39 percent) and no commute (38 percent) as the primary reasons for their preference. Meanwhile, 1 percent said they prefer not to socialize or work with a lot of people; 19 percent said they’re able to better manage their work/personal obligations; and the remaining 3 percent checked the “other” box.
Source: Robert Half Technology
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