Remote colleagues?

[BrooklineBiker]

Hi everybody,
My next job might have an option to telecommute. However if I telecommute, I will be required to keep in close touch with remote teammates. The teammates would be in an central office and various remote offices. Have any of you done this? What did you do?

[aschmidt2930]

Your post is likely to confuse many.  "Remote" is a term typically used interchangeably with telecommute.  You're saying you are working at home, and are expected to communicate with workers in a central office and various other offices, correct?

If so, it's not too difficult, IM definitely helps, but there's no reason to be concerned here.

[jeromedawg]

Agreed. A combination of IM and telephone is fine. Also, check to see if your manager/director or whoever wants or needs for you to do visits every now and then (maybe once per quarter). I'm about to jump into a telecommute position myself so it'll be interesting. I've done work from home for a few periods at a time and am pretty comfortable jumping on calls or on IM but it does help to have some face-to-face too. Another option is video-conferencing but it just sorta depends on company culture too. Try to get a feel for what others are doing at your company and use that as a starting point maybe.

[Lordy]

I work in a team of people spread across all over Europe, each in their home-office.

We communicate mostly via Phone but have recently added Slack, which I find very helpful. Three or four times a year we meet at the headquarters for trainings and meetings, which is a good opportunity to socialize.

Working from home requires discipline in both starting and ending a work day but can be a big plus in terms of saving time (no commute) and money (gas, transportation). I am currently on-site with a customer where I am back to cubicle life for three months which reminded me how great home-office can really be. Sometimes you may miss personal interaction but the flexibility and savings make up for it. If you feel the need to talk somebody in person go to the pub down the street :)

[BrooklineBiker]

Your post is likely to confuse many.  "Remote" is a term typically used interchangeably with telecommute.  You're saying you are working at home, and are expected to communicate with workers in a central office and various other offices, correct?

If so, it's not too difficult, IM definitely helps, but there's no reason to be concerned here.

Yes, your summary is correct.

[BrooklineBiker]

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses. I agree fully with the notion of not going to work to socialize. I am there to make money so I can support my family and then retire. If I need a friend, my dog will be at home. I can do without office melodramas, colleagues flaunting consumerist lifestyles, etc.

[I'm a red panda]

I work in a branch office of my company and therefore work remotely from my team, but do not telecommute.
I communicate with my team daily through IM, telephone, and email. We use WebEx and a video conferencing software as well.

I could do the job just as well at home as in the office, but I prefer to be in office. I do like the interaction with other people, and I like not having to pay for printer ink when I do need to print things :)