The AA, for example, was faced with a situation where its Call Centre in Leeds was 'bursting at the seams'. They were looking at a larger building but decided to employ an additional 30 'homeworking' agents. This proved so successful that they have actually closed the Call Centre and now have 150 agents working at home. Some of the posts were biased towards the disabled which provided employment for some people who were previously unable to travel to work. In addition, if an employee wants to move away from the area they can still carry on working - the AA doesn't lose that experienced 'skill set'.
Companies can see the common patterns and extend their recruitment area.
If particular skills are required, geographic location of the potential employee is no longer an issue. Making it happen As well as offering experience and expertise, BT's Workstyle Consultancy Group can offer practical assistance in developing new workstyles. At a practical level, BT can offer advice and support such as trial groups with 'web based' questionnaires monitoring progress and experiences. We encourage clients to sell 'flexible working' as a 'people benefit' rather than just focusing on the cost savings. It is inevitable that there will need to be a change of culture.