These days as more and more companies are incorporating telecommuting as a viable work option, and qualified employees are virtually demanding telecommuting as part of their job description, it begs the question: how do you assess a candidate that is going to be working remotely, or whose recent work history is mostly virtual? Is this even something to consider?

In the last few years, I can honestly say the trend I have seen in our area is to reward proven employees with telecommuting, as opposed to hiring new staff based remotely. And telecommuting can be a great tool if it is used in conjunction with “face time.”   Having the option to telecommute a couple of days a week, or perhaps for part of the day can be very freeing to many productive employees. For example, Seattle has serious traffic during both rush hours. Many people choose to live on the west side (the “Seattle” side) of Lake Washington, but work on the East Side (the ‘burbs) and vice versa. Having the option to telecommute from home during hours of, say, seven to nine can be hugely attractive for commuters. They can still be available for meetings and in the office to meet with peers or clients as needed. At home there may be fewer distractions, as opposed to having co-workers pop in to chat or “disturb the flow”.

But as a member of several virtual organizations, both HR and women-centric, I see a lot of questions about being a virtual employee, especially from professionals who have left the workforce to have/care for families (primarily women, but a few men as well) and want to work from home so that they can still give their young family time. These particular individuals are looking for employers to hire them to work from home. As a recruiter, here are the issues I have with this scenario.

1)      How long have you been out of the work force? Are your skills up to date? Especially in technology, if you haven’t done anything in the last four years, I honestly would not hire someone for a virtual role without knowing their work history. Have you volunteered, or taken/taught classes to keep your skills sharp? Have you continued to be well-networked in your area of expertise, doing at least occasional consulting?

2)      If you took time out to concentrate on family matters, I would have some serious doubts about your commitment to employment if your main motivation for virtual employment is work-life balance; I would question whether your commitment to work is authentic.

3)      Do you have a successful background as an independent consultant? Have you dealt with similar companies in the recent past (the last 1-2 years) with positive results? *Do you have current, strong business references?

4)      Why are you looking for an employer as opposed to owning your own freelance consulting business?

There are questions I cannot legally ask but which anyone in this situation should consider. If you are serious about returning FT to the work force, you will need to seriously consider childcare for any child not in school or otherwise chaperoned. I recently interviewed a candidate that took a telecommute software engineering  position to spend more time with his family, and he said he found that he spent LESS time with them than when he was working onsite for his former employer, even working from home.

Recruiters are lucky as telecommuters. We have a job which can be 100% virtual and successfully so. I have recently had two professional acquaintances approach me regarding virtual recruiting opportunities, and I recently got a LinkedIn invitation from a former co-worker who left a FT position at Microsoft to become a freelance virtual recruiter. In Seattle, we currently have a dynamic recruiting environment, so this is a very real and attractive option. I have a friend that I used to work directly with here in Seattle. She is now a member of one of the corporate virtual recruiting teams and has moved back to the Southeast. She has said that her greatest challenge is lack of cohesion with her team. This is a real challenge for telecommuters.

There are so many conflicting reports about the productivity of telecommuters that it really boils down to personal work style and ability, as well as job content and roles. About the only thing most research seems to indicate is that telecommuters are less likely to hike up the corporate ladder. That doesn’t mean they will be passed up for annual raises, but they are not giving the impression of serious contenders for management and strategic decision-making roles within the company. Like any decision, it’s a tradeoff.