Homesourcing…
Didn’t They Used to Call it Telecommuting?

Corporations are wrapping themselves in the old red, white, and blue—and going Green in the bargain…

In direct response to customer complaints about outsourcing overseas, American companies have
begun homesourcing; sending their call centers to in-home employees rather than foreign nationals.
Perhaps the new phone game won’t be trying to guess what country your operator is in, but what room
of the house. Nor is the trend confined to call centers.

As more and more employees spend 100% of their time behind a computer or on the phone, decision-
makers are discovering that homesourcing is a cost savings alternative. Comparing the cost of facility
overhead—and the associated cost of downsizing those now oversized facilities—is miniscule to the cost
of setting up virtual offices in employee’s homes.

Clients are happier dealing with local employees who can empathize with their concerns; executives are
happy with reduced costs; employees are happy with a commute-less office; and conservationists are
doing flips over fossil-fuel savings.

With VoIP, VPN, and ultra-wide bandwidths, homesourcing (also known as “homeshoring”) is becoming
feasible for most companies—it’s becoming less of a technical issue and more of a character issue. Are
employees disciplined, self-directed, and motivated enough to stay productive outside their corporate
walls? Is every home worker-friendly?

From an employer’s perspective, ease into a homesourcing initiative slowly. Consider offering a few
employees a day or two a week to try the home office set-up. Create metrics and productivity standards.
Call at various times of the day to make sure no kids are playing noisily—and distractingly—in the back-
ground. If all goes well, let out the leash a little more, transitioning successful home employees to more
days a week, and stay on top of the productivity standards. Some people are more suited to “home-
work” than others. As long as expectations are clear from the onset, and strictly enforced, such a sourc-
ing method may prove profitable.

If you’re an employee or job candidate angling to be homesourced, use keywords that encompass reli-
ability, discipline, and self-motivation in your resume. Keep track of your own productivity levels to dem-
onstrate your ability to meet or exceed them from home and take the initiative to set up a quiet, comfort-
able place away from family and pet traffic to jump on the opportunity when it comes. Expect to train
children and spouses that work time at home is sacrosanct so you can pass the trial period with flying
colors. Specifically: red, white, blue, and green.