IELTS Writing Task 2: Online Communication
In many workplaces, online communication is now more common than face-to-face meetings.
Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?
Offices around the world these days are opting to hold meetings online to save both time and money. In my opinion, despite the potential loss of a strong rapport between co-workers, this is a positive considered as a whole.
Critics of these changes often point to its effect on interpersonal relationships in an office. The meeting itself is largely secondary as most information can be communicated just as easily through an online teleconference or an email. True value lies, instead, in the moments before, during and after meetings when colleagues have a chance to socialise or exchange ideas about what they have been working on. This is the reason some companies, famously Apple and Pixar, designed their offices to maximise opportunities for employees to chat with individuals from different departments. The strengthening of social bonds and the sharing of novel perspectives can both boost morale and help drive innovation.
Nonetheless, meeting online is more convenient for employees and saves money for companies. When employees must come in for their work already, many of the benefits listed above are already present and meetings mainly serve as a distraction. Remote workers will also appreciate not having to commute for a short meeting, especially if they have family or other working commitments. Moreover, companies benefit from the time that employees save because it allows them to better allocate their labour towards actual work, thereby increasing efficiency. There are also a range of costs that can be reduced once online communications become standard such as leasing less office space and savings related to office expenses and employee perks.
In conclusion, though communicating online can be detrimental to personal relationships in an office, they offer thoughtful conveniences to employees and help cut costs. Companies ought to shift as much training to online as possible.
VOCABULARY
- these days nowadays
- opting choosing
- hold meetings online have meetings over the internet
- despite regardless of
- potential loss possible disappearance
- strong rapport good relationship
- co-workers colleagues
- considered as a whole on level
- critics detractors
- point to argue about
- interpersonal relationships relations between people
- largely secondary less important
- just as easily equally simply
- teleconference talk alone
- true value lies actual importance comes from
- instead actually
- colleagues have a chance co-workers get the opportunity
- socialise talk in a friendly way
- exchange ideas share views
- famously well-known
- designed made for
- maximise opportunities increase the chances
- chat with talk to
- different departments other parts of the company
- strengthening making stronger
- social bonds interpersonal relationships
- sharing of novel perspectives exchanging new views
- boost morale increase happiness
- drive innovation make more creative
- nonetheless regardless
- convenient useful and easy
- benefits listed above advantages I wrote about before
- already present exist now
- mainly serve mostly are
- distraction draws away your focus
- remote workers people who work from home
- appreciate be grateful for
- commute travel in to work
- commitments obligations
- better allocate divert towards more useful areas
- towards going in that direction
- thereby increasing efficiency as a result increasing productivity
- range of costs many different expenses
- standard common
- leasing less office space renting fewer offices
- office expenses costs in the office
- employee perks privileges for workers
- detrimental to can hurt
- thoughtful considerate
- help cut costs reduce money spent
- shift change to
