Sample essay on harvard business review article tours of duty: the new employer -employee compact

The relationship between employees and the employer has been changing from time to time. For the best part of the 20th century, organizations have been pushing for stability in the relationship between employees, and employers. The relationship in the organization was highly dependent on the financial security of an organization and the efficiency of employees in their jobs. The employees were required by their employers to respect the rules of the organization, as well as remain loyal, and they would remain relevant in the organization (Hoffman, Casnocha, & Yeh, 2013).
However, the situation could not have remained the same. The world is experiencing extensive changes following existence of globalization and the information age. Employees were required to shift their minds to the changing world. The changes have been crucial in demolishing the intact relationship that existed between the employer and the employee in the past (Hoffman, Casnocha, & Yeh, 2013).
Employees and employers should work as partners where each of them benefits from the other. The employer should give the employee exposure that he or she needs to make his career better. On the other hand, the employee should render services accordingly to ensure that the company also reaps some benefits (Hoffman, Casnocha, & Yeh, 2013). However, there should be consultations beyond the boundaries of a company to make the management knowledgeable of what would be happening in the outside world.
The organization should encourage networks among employees that would help them in creating opportunities as well as bringing improvement to a given community. Networks act joinery between an organization and the world. While people are leaving the company, it should not be done casually but a process should be followed where the leaving employee is requested to remain in contact with the previous colleagues (Hoffman, Casnocha, & Yeh, 2013). This encourages alumni networks, which are equally outstanding in maintaining the proper relationship between the business and the outside world.
However, the article may be supplemented by previous findings on some of the elements that it discusses. The first element that is evident in this case is the existence of contracts between the employer and employees in organizations. Employers have not been willing to invest heavily on permanent employees. They feel insecure as they cannot confirm whether the employees will assist in achieving the outlined goals of the organization. The article highly advocates for semi-permanent relationships between employees and employers to suit the challenges that are likely to arise when an organization finds it hard to achieve certain goals. Contracts will always save the company from risks of engaging in permanent employment, which would call for extensive costs that come with maintaining a number of employees in a company. However, after the expiry of the contract the employer should not let the employee go without first evaluating his or her stay in the company. Feedback on the experiences in the organization should be taken seriously by the employer as he seeks to establish ample working environment for new employees, as well as the existing ones (Hoffman, Casnocha, & Yeh, 2013). Also, contact with the employee should not stop immediately they part ways as the employee may be of extensive help in extending information about competition in the sector.
Whenever, an employer hires an employee he or she expects influential change by the employee in the management of the affairs of the organization, and improved performance. This means that the employer must incur a cost of training an employee to the performance he or she would like to experience in his organization (Hoffman, Casnocha, & Yeh, 2013). On the other hand, the employee must be ready to give the best of the skills that he or she possesses to the organization. This is the definition of mutual benefits between the employer and the employee. The two must add value to each other during the contract period.
It is true that there should be a proper relationship between employees and employers. This is mainly dependent on the plan of the organization in the execution of its duties. The employer needs to be committed to adding value to an employee while the employee is required to respond through obedience and delivery of high quality performance. Goals of the company should remain clear to an individual, and they should be a driving force to them. Programs should be developed by organizations to ensure the employer keeps close contact with the current employees, as well as alumni employees. This will help the company to withstand any form of competition that would be fashioned by competitors. Productivity of any company is highly dependent on the reliability and loyalty of employees. These arguments make the article extensively relevant.

Reference

Hoffman, R., Casnocha, B., & Yeh, C. (2013). Tours of Duty: The New Employer-Employee Compact. Harvard business review, 91(6), 48-58.