Reply to: Sensible to mention remote-only in CV?

[TheVoice]

they just want you to sit where they can see you.

[1] Except where Team Player equates to "yes boss, everything that you say is correct"!

They're probably not the sort of people you want to be dealing with if they're of that mentality anyway

Saying that, a recent Permie manager at a client site was like that...suffice to say, I no longer deal with the company.

[TheBigYinJames]

You also don't have to get distracted from the TV talking about what was on TV with your co-workers, or sitting in the canteen for too long drinking tea.

[d000hg]

You can be very effective in a team as a remote worker. The phone is a great tool (IM not so good in my opinion) and you can use online whiteboard software when words are not enough.

You also don't have to get distracted talking about what was on TV with your co-workers, or sitting in the canteen for too long drinking tea.

[tim123]

The fallacy being that you have to be physically sitting together to be a team.

It's not a fallacy at all

IME the other poster is wrong, they aren't the slightest bit interested in "team players" [1], they just want you to sit where they can see you.

tim

[1] Except where Team Player equates to "yes boss, everything that you say is correct"!

[TheVoice]

The same thought had crossed my mind... I've actually had thoughts to do something in the recruitment sector for a while.

Do it as an online-only thing & there's very little overhead. Hmmm, I knew my Mrs being an ex-pimp might be useful...yeah I know, sh***ing the enemy...I accept my beating...!

[d000hg]

There's a plan B. An agency which only has remote workers on its book, sells itself on lower rates, no equipment costs etc.

The same thought had crossed my mind... I've actually had thoughts to do something in the recruitment sector for a while.

[TheBigYinJames]

I don't know if it's possible to get agencies to raise the issue... maybe I should totally not mention the remote thing until such point as a client has said they would like employ my services?

There's a plan B. An agency which only has remote workers on its book, sells itself on lower rates, no equipment costs etc.

[VectraMan]

The fallacy being that you have to be physically sitting together to be a team.

Indeed. Most of us work by ourselves for the majority of the time anyway. In my last gig we had team meetings via Skype, which worked well enough.

[d000hg]

No client will be interested. They want team players.

Well I've been doing it for a year so far, and for most of that time I've had more work than I could take on.

I've phoned a few agencies, figuring it's better to speak to someone, and they mostly say "we don't get much but it's not unknown". My understanding is that since a remote worker does tend to require more trust from a company (rightly or wrongly), it's much more common to get work from people you already know or have some links with. None of my work so far has come from traditional sources.

I reckon clients might be reasonably happy to go this route if it can save some money but maybe it doesn't cross their minds. I too would work for less for the comfort of home working (maybe 10-20% less than I'd ask otherwise).

I don't know if it's possible to get agencies to raise the issue... maybe I should totally not mention the remote thing until such point as a client has said they would like employ my services?

[TheBigYinJames]

No client will be interested. They want team players.

The fallacy being that you have to be physically sitting together to be a team.

[Turion]

No client will be interested. They want team players.

[TheVoice]

It's the way forward. Imagine the fuel and buildings costs that could be saved with a bit of voip infrastructure.

Now that'll shut the greenies up! Yeah OK a few more computers will take a bit of power but I reckon the benefits will outway.

S'pose I should actually go get ready to see todays clients now Yeah yeah, I do actually need to be there today, installing new toys...sorry...kit!

[TheBigYinJames]

Recent client was great, even their callcentre was made up of homeworkers...now that's a neat idea!

It's the way forward. Imagine the fuel and buildings costs that could be saved with a bit of voip infrastructure.

[TheVoice]

There's no good reason other than the client perception of 'value for money', that they are paying what to them is a large amount of money per day for you and for that they want to see your bum on a seat.

Hmm Psychology...clients have wierd minds sometime. Not sure about others but I give clients who don't just want a seat warmed better rates - no travel, no early starts, no traffic...got to be worth a few quid a day!

Recent client was great, even their callcentre was made up of homeworkers...now that's a neat idea!

[TheBigYinJames]

I see no reason in this day & age why, barring a few instances, people need to drive miles to a "workplace" to do jobs such as System Administration etc - especially with more & more companies virtualising their infrastructure.

There's no good reason other than the client perception of 'value for money', that they are paying what to them is a large amount of money per day for you and for that they want to see your bum on a seat. Also a lot of clients are nervous about 'managing resources' and this doesn't sit well with a self-organising remote contractor.

It's a general problem, a lot of permies could work remotely too, saving fuel and buildings and traffic etc. - it's a cultural thing which needs to change, and it needs Govt to tax-break it into existence - but they like the fuel revenues too much.