Please respond to 2 peers

My Post:  

How can employees contribute, regardless of location, role, experience level, language, and device preference?

There are numerous contributions that employees can make concerning their roles, experience, and the positions they hold in an organization. One of the roles that an employee can contribute to is the attendance of all the meetings called by the management of the organization. The rationale behind this is that it would help individuals to formulate future policies that would also play a critical role in helping the organization achieve its full potential. An employee can also provide numerous suggestions for the changes that he feels should be made in an organization to ensure that changes are made in the manner in which the organization runs its programs. This can be achieved through the use of virtual meetings.

Is the answer for all meetings ‘virtual first’?

The question of virtual meetings has remained an issue that has necessitated numerous debates since the inception of the coronavirus pandemic. The rationale behind this is that the pandemic has caused a lot of mayhem, especially concerning the physical interaction of individuals. It is therefore important to note that the moment people are limited from interacting physically, numerous options should be formulated. The virtual meetings have therefore played a critical role in ensuring that people meet and have their meetings and propose strategies that they feel should be incorporated into their industries. Therefore, with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, all meetings should be handled virtually.

Does it make sense for employers to coordinate or even compel their employees to come into offices for certain tasks? Or is flexibility about allowing employees to exercise full freedom of choice, no matter the task

On one hand, it makes sense for employees to compel and coordinate their fellow employees into attending offices and handling certain tasks. The rationale behind this is that the moment an individual is capable of performing his roles in his organization and also facilitating the formulation of other roles, the organization would be in a better position of enhancing the ideologies of the company for the better. On the other hand, it does not make sense for such employees to compel their fellows to handle certain tasks if it is unreasonable. The rationale behind this is that it will be a violation of their rights.

Reference

Spicer, A. (2020). Organizational culture and COVID-19. Journal of Management Studies, 57(8), 1737-1740. 

Peer1:  (Tanner)

How can employees contribute, regardless of location, role, experience level, language, and device preference?

The term used for employees contributing to a hybrid work environment is called collaborating equity. Collaboration equity is when all workers have the ability to contribute and communicate equally. Companies need to make sure that everybody in a hybrid work environment is collaborating equally and if there is a lack of collaboration equity then employees could stop feeling empowered and not speak up in meetings, or off-site employees struggle to access their on-site managers. When these start to add up they start to damage the employees well being, career potential, and effectiveness. In order for employees to contribute regardless of their location, role, experience level, language, and device preference businesses need to achieve representation equity. “Representation equity means that all employees can be seen, heard, and portrayed equally, whether working off-site or on-site” (Setty). I think the best way for employees to contribute is to participate. Make sure that you are participating in meetings regardless of where you are at to make sure you are feeling heard and businesses need to make sure that they are providing the employees with the right tools to succeed in a hybrid workplace. 

Is the answer for all meetings be virtual first?

I don’t think the answer to all meetings is to be virtual first. I think there is something important about people meeting together and talking face-to-face sharing their ideas rather than doing it virtually. It may be easier for the companies to meet virtually, but I think companies should strive to have meetings in person. In a hybrid work environment, it becomes distorted. The people participating remotely appear giant on a conference room monitor, while the people in the conference room appear tiny on screens at home. It can be difficult to determine who is in the room and who is in charge. This clearly shows that representation equity is important and it becomes harder to do that through technology. 

Does it make sense for employers to coordinate or even compel their employees to come into offices for certain tasks? Or is flexibility about allowing employees to exercise full freedom of choice, no matter the task?

I think it all depends on the certain tasks employers are asking employees to do. If it is something that can be done at home then why not allow the employees the full freedom to decide whether they want to do it in the office or at home. I think allowing employees the choice to work from home or in person allows employees to be happier at their job. I think every task is different and employees should be aware that the employer might make them come to work for this task and employees have to be okay with it. There needs to be a balance between the employer and employee about the choice of coming to work or not to complete a certain task. Allowing the freedom of choice is going to motivate employees and make them feel heard and appreciated that they are able to make that decision. 

Setty, P. (2021, February 22). Collaboration equity in the hybrid workplace – think with google. Google. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/management-and-culture/hybrid-workplace-collaboration-equity/

Peer2:  (Michael)

How can employees contribute, regardless of location, role, experience level, language, and device preference?

There are many way employees can contribute regardless of their location, role, experience ETC. Even though the pandemic has taken it toll on everyone it has allowed us to become more inventive when it comes to how we conduct business. Working from home or hybrid models of work allow for people to work for companies that match what they want and allows for employers to select from a larger pool of candidates since they are not necessarily limited ot location anymore. I believe that this allows for employees to be more flexible with their hours of work and how they can contribute during the day. I know that there is also a lot of talk about issues regarding work from home and how that impacts business as well as the mental health of employees. 

Is the answer for all meetings be virtual first?

I think that virtual meetings are helpful, but deeming them all “virtual first” might not be the answer. It is good to have the option of virtual meetings for employees working from home or working hybrid models and virtual meetings have been in existence before the pandemic, but if a meeting can be held in person with who needs to be there than for me, that would be the better option. I believe it is hard to have a steadfast answer for this because our world is ever changing and the pandemic has ushered in a new age of work for many people. I don’t know if there is a true answer if any at all besides we have to adapt and work how we can. 

   Does it make sense for employers to coordinate or even compel their employees to come into offices for certain tasks? Or is flexibility about allowing employees to exercise full freedom of choice, no matter the task?

This question depends as well. If there is something that can be done in the office and the employees wants to come in or you express that they need to come in in order to achieve what is needed, that is fine and should be executed by the employee. But, if the employee is capable of completing this task from the home office and can do it successfully, I don’t see any harm in it being done from home. I suppose it depends on the task and the employee, but I think that it is important to be flexible with this type of dynamic. Many people have had a hard time adjusting in the pandemic, not just to the stressors outside of work but the shift of the work dynamic as well. Employees and employers should collaborate in order to find a successful middle ground for what they both need, expect and want out of a work situation.