Peer to Peer Magazine

WWW.ILTANET.ORG 63 remote workers on how to motivate them, guide them to be results-oriented and learn new ways to supervise a remote workforce. What data and other reasoning can be used to convince firm management that allowing people to work remotely (from home) will be successful? Andy: We did an ingress and egress analysis of our building access for all employees at our largest location in Chicago, and one eye-opening thing for us was that on any given workday, only 30 percent of the population was in the office at any given time. That's a significant portion of the population out there meeting and working with clients, traveling, etc. When you look at expenses, people cost the most, and the next largest expense is space. We used that as an opportunity to reduce our space in Chicago by one-third and still support the entire workforce. That's a substantial savings for our organization and a smart budget cut that enhances the culture and morale of the organization. Sandy: Almost all firms already support some kind of remote workforce with no formal policies when temporary situations arise (e.g., schedule changes, inclement weather or off- hours client service). Allowing this flexibility reduces operating costs, improves employee satisfaction and provides work-life balance. Younger generations want more flexible hours and the ability to work outside the office. Firms that do not adapt to these changing trends risk losing professional talent. In addition, having a remote workforce can enable firms to hire professionals in distant locations when qualified workers are not available in the area. Paul: There are tools that enable organizations to track what people work on throughout the day, but there has to be a level of trust that people will put in the effort needed to maintain productivity levels. The IT department can demonstrate that during the last (however many) What best practices or policy changes should organizations implement when moving toward a mobile workforce model? Paul Wittekind: Our midsize law firm has found one practice particularly helpful: making sure people have met the folks they'll be supporting remotely. Meeting in person establishes a level of familiarity that makes remote support a lot easier. Andy Jurczyk: We provide the capability for our lawyers and approved staff to work from home four to five days week. However, the technology is the easy part. The hard part is integrating the cultural, policy and leadership changes necessary to maintain the firm's productivity and unique culture. Sandy Mikita: Building on both points, when considering a mobile workforce it's important for organizational support to happen from the top down. This initiative must be a strategic plan communicated by management. Business processes must be redesigned to anticipate all the details of employing remote workers, including implementing different technologies, setting performance goals, holding people accountable, setting protocols and adjusting the way managers operate and how employees communicate. It is essential that firm administrative departments work together to create a cohesive plan. A formal policy should be implemented that covers areas such as who is eligible, obligations and responsibilities, productivity expectations, timekeeping, compliance monitoring, information and equipment handling, required security measures, confidentiality, etc. Technology requirements need to be stated and extensive process training provided. Guidelines should be created for remote support, minimizing risk, workstation setup and implementing safety measures. Separate training should be provided to managers of About the Author Sandy Mikita is the Information Technology Project Manager at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, a Pittsburgh-based law firm with 375 attorneys in 10 offices. She has been involved in legal technology management since 1987 and has been an active ILTA volunteer since 2001. Sandy currently serves as ILTA's Law Firm 101 Chair and Program Planning Council. Sandy previously served as the Middle Atlantic Regional Vice President and in many other volunteer roles. Contact her at smikita@eckertseamans.com. About the Author Paul Wittekind is the Director of Information Technology Services at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. He oversees all strategic and tactical aspects of Porzio's technology platforms. In addition to managing all internal technology projects, Paul coordinates the firm's ongoing efforts to strengthen its external client relationships through improved technological integration and the provision of e-discovery consulting services. His current internal initiatives focus on developing effective enterprise content management and mobility solutions within the context of a midsize firm. Contac him at pcwittekind@pbnlaw.com. About the Author Andy Jurczyk is the Chief Information Officer at Seyfarth Shaw LLP. His responsibilities include the direction and alignment of technology for the firm's strategic business plan. Andy joined Seyfarth Shaw in 2012 with 30 years of experience in the technology field. He has taken part in various public speaking engagements on topics including legal technology, outsourcing and management. Andy belongs to the Technology Executive Network (TEN), the Association for Legal Administrators (ALA) and the Society for Information Management (SIM). He is on the Editorial Advisory Board for Law Technology News and the strategic advisory boards for eSentio, HP Autonomy, Litéra and Traveling Coaches. Contact him at ajurczyk@seyfarth.com.

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