New Ways of Working Network

Glenn Dirks sent us an article from Canada’s Globe and Mail describing how several Canadian firms deal with telework. 

According to the article, “telework has an image problem.” People assume that when you telework, you disappear from the office entirely “nobody sees you any more,” says Robyn Bews, project manager of WORKshift, a Calgary Economic Development initiative. “That’s just not the case. What we’re doing is promoting [the fact that] individuals work when and where they’re most efficient, often using existing technology.”

At Canadian banking firm, ATB Financial, mobile working in patterned on the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) human resources strategy. ROWE aims to attract and retain talent by giving employees choice – they tailor their work arrangements to their strengths and preferences. One way that ATB keeps in touch with its staff is through videoconferencing. They also use social media services, such as LinkedIn, to communicate within the business.

ATB also uses software from Teletrips (now renamed Better Workplace), to keep track of where people work and whether they meet productivity targets. According to company survey results, “productivity has increased and engagement has increased,” says Sherri Wright-Schwietz, head of talent for investor services at ATB. 

Workplace 2.0 is paying off for the company. On average, 2.0 employees are using ATB office space just one day a week. 

At Cisco Canada, employees use technology such as TelePresence HD video-conferencing platform and Directory, Cisco’s internal social networking site, to stay in touch. Cisco’s employees have mobility tools that allow them to have access to information whenever they need it. According to Nitin Kawale, president of Cisco Systems Canada, “48 per cent of our work is done off-hours and off-premise.”