Can you imagine working from the comfort of your home without the need to travel to an office? Today, teleworking is a reality for millions of people around the world. But did you know that this practice has roots that date back to the mid-20th century? Join us on this journey through the history of teleworking and discover how this work modality has transformed the way we work.
The home office is not a passing fad; it is a historical cycle that repeats itself
Before offices were the norm, the home was the workplace. Blacksmiths, seamstresses and carpenters created their masterpieces from the comfort of their homes. However, a historical turn radically transformed this reality. The construction of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1560 marked the beginning of a trend towards the centralization of work. The Industrial Revolution consolidated this model, bringing workers together in factories and offices. For almost three centuries, this structure remained unchanged. But in 2020, an invisible virus triggered a seismic shift, bringing work back to the home and challenging everything we thought we knew about how we work.”
Birth of a concept
The term “teleworking” was coined in 1973 by American Jack Nilles during the oil crisis. In an attempt to reduce fuel consumption and road congestion, he proposed shifting work to the worker, rather than the other way around. However, a lack of adequate technology and tools limited the scope of this concept in its early days.
IBM: The pioneers of teleworking
In the mid-1970s, with the appearance of the first laptop, a future was glimpsed where work could transcend the walls of an office. However, it was IBM that took the first concrete steps towards this new work reality.
In 1979, while the world was still recovering from the energy crisis caused by the OPEC oil embargo, IBM IBM decided to carry out an innovative experiment. Five of its employees were selected to work from home. This initiative, which sought to reduce gasoline consumption and explore new forms of work organization, was widely discussed in the press. The Washington Post, for example, published an article entitled “Working at home can save gasoline”, evidencing the public interest in this new way of working.
The 1980s consolidated IBM’s interest in teleworking. With the birth of the Internet in 1983, the possibilities of connecting remote employees multiplied exponentially. Taking advantage of this new technology, IBM decided to expand its experiment to 2,000 employees. This decision not only positioned the company as a benchmark in labor innovation, but also laid the groundwork for the development of teleworking on a large scale in the following decades.
The case of IBM shows that the idea of working from home is not as recent as we might think. In fact, this technology company was one of the first to recognize the potential of teleworking and to invest in its development. The experiments conducted by IBM in the late 1970s and early 1980s laid the groundwork for the transformation of the working world that we are experiencing today.
The technological revolution and the rise of teleworking
As technology advanced, especially the proliferation of personal computers and the Internet, teleworking began to gain ground. In the late 1990s, many companies experimented with this modality, but it was with the arrival of the new millennium that teleworking became established as a viable option for a wide range of professions.
Pioneers of Teleworking in the 1990s: Beyond IBM
While IBM was one of the first major players to experiment with teleworking in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was not the only one. As technology advanced and communications became more accessible, many other companies began to explore this modality of work during the 1990s.
Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive record of all the companies that experimented with teleworking in the 1990s. This is due to several factors, such as the lack of standardization in measuring and reporting these practices, and the rapid evolution of technology and business models.
However, we can identify some trends and examples of industries that adopted teleworking in that decade:
- Technology companies: Given their close relationship with technological development, companies such as Sun Microsystems, Oracle and Microsoft experimented with teleworking for their development and technical support teams.
- Financial services companies: The financial sector also experimented with teleworking for their development and technical support teams.
- Telecommunications companies: Companies such as AT&T and MCI took advantage of their own infrastructures to allow their employees to work remotely.
- Consulting and professional services firms: Companies such as Deloitte and Accenture began to offer remote consulting services to their clients.
Factors that drove teleworking in the 90s:
- Advancement of information technologies: The proliferation of personal computers, the development of the Internet and the improvement of communications allowed for greater connectivity and collaboration at a distance.
- Globalization: The expansion of international trade and the need to access talent in different parts of the world drove the adoption of teleworking.
- Work flexibility: Employees began to demand greater flexibility in their work schedules and places, which led companies to explore new forms of organization.
The pandemic: The great accelerator
The 2020 health crisis exponentially accelerated the adoption of teleworking. With mandatory confinement, millions of people were forced to work from home, which tested the ability of companies to adapt to this new reality. The pandemic demonstrated that teleworking was not only possible, but could also be highly productive and efficient.
Benefits of teleworking for companies
Teleworking has brought with it a series of advantages for companies:
- Cost reduction: Lower spending on office rental, supplies and utilities.
- Expansion of the talent pool: Access to candidates from all over the world without geographical restrictions.
- Greater flexibility: Adaptation to the needs of clients and employees.
- Increased productivity: Studies show that teleworkers are often more productive thanks to fewer distractions and a better work-life balance.
The future of teleworking
The future of teleworking is promising. With the advancement of technology and the growing demand for work flexibility, this modality is expected to become even more consolidated in the coming years. Some of the trends that will mark the future of teleworking include:
- Greater adoption of hybrid models: Combination of remote and in-person work.
- Task automation: Freeing up time for more strategic tasks.
- Virtual and augmented reality: Creation of more immersive virtual workspaces.
- Artificial intelligence: Improved collaboration and communication between remote teams.
The role of BPO LATAM
At BPO LATAM, we are experts in providing teleworking solutions to companies of all sizes. We have a wide network of highly qualified professionals and a cutting-edge technological platform that allows our clients to optimize their operations and reduce costs.
Teleworking has come a long way since its beginnings. What began as a temporary solution to an energy crisis has become an increasingly popular and accepted way of working. At BPO LATAM, we are committed to continuing to drive this transformation and helping companies make the most of the benefits of teleworking.
Are you ready to make the leap to teleworking? Contact us today and find out how we can help you achieve your goals.