Field staff is a term that refers to employees of a company whose main job scope is performed outside the premises of the office.
This does not mean that they don’t have workstations or a place in the office. It just means that they spend most of their working hours or the gist of what they do, is done outside it.
The terms originates from farms where field workers do their work in the field harvesting crops.
As businesses are getting more adapt at providing mobile and doorstep services, the amount of field staff in the workforce is increasing by the day.
Some of the common job positions that can be classified as field staff by employers include:
- Sale representatives
- Event coordinators
- Construction workers
- Mobile bankers
- etc
Because of the amount of time and effort that outfield staff spend running around the place, they are usually tasked with as little in-house responsibilities as possible.
This is due to the simple reason that if they are burdened with responsibilities in the office, they might not be able to concentrate on their responsibilities outside it.
An indirect reason for why they are highly valued by employers is that most people would prefer to work in the office than having to run about the place outdoors.
So these are not positions that are easy to fill.
The office is after all a more comfortable place to work in than being exposed to the elements outside.
Fresh graduates might often take up these positions. But few stay on for the long term due to the in-field job requirements.
Field workers are often given company benefits that those who are stationed in the office don’t get.
Transport allowance is one example as transport is essential for their work efficiency and productivity.
When transportation is essential for a job nature, then it’s only right that the employer provides benefits that cover these expense.
