This is a hot topic in our industry, and is becoming more and more of a hot button to recruiters when looking for a new job. I know there are many differing opinions on the matter, which mostly hinge on your tenure, and how you produce in the office. How could your boss or your company trust you to work at home when it tough for you to stay focused in the office? The answer to this question would be depending on the person we are speaking about.

I spent the first 6.5 years of my career working for a staffing agency, which never allowed me to work from home. I am now working on the corporate side of recruiter, and working 100% from my home office. I can now say I have seen both sides, and feel I can finally offer my opinion on the matter. I strongly believe that by allowing an employee to have the freedom to choose 1-2 days per week to work from home will not only show this employee you trust him/her, but will make them a better producer for your office.

From my perspective, here are a few benefits of allowing an employee the opportunity to work from home...

1.) Makes your company more attractive than one who does not have a telecommuting policy.

2.) Makes your employee have more work/life balance (I know this is something very important to me)

3.) This may be the most important...Shows you have TRUST in your employee.

4.) Frees up the branch manager to put in more time and focus with new employees or underperforming employees.

I have never understood why our industry (for the most part), has been afraid to implement such a policy. Are we not professionals? Are staffing industry employees untrustworthy? Or, is it that they managers in our industry are afraid of change?

These are tough questions to answer, but I think the main question here is this...If you have a good producing employee working at your firm, why NOT give them the flexibility to choose to work from home?