p32-3 Letters may1 28/4/09 18:21 Page 44
Your letters
Video-conferencing plays an
important part in business
I think Norman Gage misses the point, but he is
obviously defensive towards business travel
Now is not time
(“Web conference boost fuels CO2 debate” –
ttglive.com).
Web-conferencing allows multiple disparate
parties to meet online, instantaneously, and
discuss exactly the same issues, share the same
documents and presentations, and with live video
to poach staff
and audio there is excellent real-time feedback.
Hence, many companies now have to justify
not only business air travel, but also rail travel
and hotel/accommodation expense when there RECENT events have prompted LET which, frankly, cannot afford to
is a viable alternative. me to put my thoughts down
OF THE
TER
lose good people.
When I ask frequent business travellers why and submit this open letter Is it not a time to step out of the
they travel, the answer is something like: “I’m regarding the “poaching” of
WEEK
ring until the economy is a little
not an office person and effective only face-to- travel industry homeworkers. more stable?
face. Oh, and I also need the air miles as I plan With the sad demise of companies It is a company’s responsibility to
to take the family to Bermuda at Christmas.” such as Freedom Direct recently, should nurture their staff, make clear they are
Now if their employer contributed £100 to homeworking companies not be spending valued and reward good performance.
their own personal travel fund for every their resources marketing to those poor Clearly, if the homeworker/employee does
business trip that they didn’t have to take a souls who could be desperately seeking not feel any of the above then they are more
flight to, I wonder if there would be any employment? likely to want to leave.
reduction in their business travel expenses? I am not naive enough to believe that However, the blatant act of “poaching” in
Also, Gage’s comment “does anyone ever poaching ought not to exist, but what is an underhand fashion is in poor taste in this
ask how much carbon is produced by sending beginning to astound me are the methods current climate.
these satellites up into space” shows a lack of adopted by individuals while doing so. Someone recently said to me: “Business is
knowledge. Just 1% of web-conferencing traffic At this time in our industry where there are business and it’s dog eat dog out there.” I’m
is via satellite as it is used only where there is wholesale changes in organisations in order onboard with that, but I would rather spend
no broadband available. to survive the economic crisis, the last thing my time increasing our sales than worrying
we need are false or exaggerated promises in about how I can poach other firms’ staff.
Tom Sloan order to lure away top sellers from businesses
managing director, WiredRed that are becoming leaner and leaner and Name & address supplied.
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32 01.05.2009
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