Homesourcing.

It’s a buzzword circulating about the business world, as technology increasingly allows an easy commute from bedroom to office.

Nationally, a 2004 study of call center managers by a technology consulting firm found that 20 percent were using home-based workers. And the trend is not confined to customer service reps, as other industries are filling a need for employees with home-based talent.

The model “is about to hit a growth spurt,” predicts Stephen Loynd, program manager of contact center services for IDC, a worldwide market advisory service.

“People are moving farther out,” says Loynd, a reaction to the high cost of housing in urban areas and close-in suburbs. That adds time and cost to their commute, creating a compelling reason to work at home.

Local homesourcing

In Northern Nevada, home-based workers already are a piece of the business puzzle. “IGT has home-based workers throughout the country,” reports Rick Sorensen, IGT’s public relations manager. Most of them are in the company’s MegaJackpots response group.

“Homesourcing is a fantastic model that works exceptionally well for Alere,” adds Janet Tewhill, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Alere Medical Inc.

Headquartered in Reno, Alere jumped into the homesourcing pool out of necessity; it competes for highly qualified nurses in a time of nursing shortages throughout the country. What’s more, the firm, which provides remote patient monitoring, is dependent on its staff of trained nurses both in its call center and from their homes.

“We got into homesourcing really slowly,” says Tewhill, but it’s proven to be “a huge part of our successful recruitment over the last year.”

Alere piloted its homesourcing program in Reno, offering its workers the opportunity to set up shop at home. “Not all the nurses like homesourcing,” says Tewhill, noting that about half of Alere’s 170 nurses are home-based. Some choose not to go remote because they like the structure and social interaction of the office; others don’t have a secure or acceptable office space they can designate for work.

“Bottom line is that working from home is not for everybody,” Tewhill adds.

Daily discipline

What makes a home-based model successful? Sparks resident Aviv Raveh, academic affairs project lead for the University of Phoenix Online, says discipline is an important component. In his position, he trains faculty mentors and addresses issues that crop up during mentorships, which means he spends at least eight hours daily connected to the computer.

“Home-based employees have to know when the job day ends and personal life starts,” he says. “Because you have access to the office all the time, the line can become blurry.”

And the business has responsibilities to home-based employees as well.

“The company should create opportunity for face-to-face interaction between telecommuters and their supervisors or peers,” he says, acknowledging that UOP Online brings together home-based employees annually during graduation week in Phoenix. “When people encounter problems, they rely on personal relationships for solutions. If that element is missing, it can lead to decreased productivity and dissatisfaction.” — Additional reporting by Mikalee Dahle