HR 2.0 is all about how to create meaning in the workplace and so promote organisational and personal excellence. Whilst the "2.0" is a bit cheesy, I first used it because I believe (and still believe) that Web 2.0 technology represents a new medium for the profession to utilise. Whilst nothing will ever beat the face to face meeting this new technology has the potential to redefine what is meant by the "employee" and the "organisation".Blogs are one of the key elements of Web.2.0 with, I belive, huge potential for HR. However we have a problem - most companies still ban the use of social networking sites (as many as 64% as suggested by clearswift). This is not only really annoying but it supports the nay sayers who claim that HR is loosing its value in the corporation.
So what can HR do with blogging? As the Fast Company suggested recently a properly moderated HR Department Blog can be a place where:
- Employees can post suggestions and questions; and where employers can respond, in a safe, properly moderated environment.
- Rumors can be brought to light, answered and addressed with clarity and consistency.
- Awards, successes, human interest (the good stuff) can be disseminated quickly.
- Challenges, disappointments and difficult changes (the bad stuff) can be communicated directly by company leadership to all employees without being muddled by poor communicators in middle management.
- An HR Blog can reinforce core values, quickly address real concerns, promote transparency and increase trust all while minimizing mis-information; in a forum that can be anonymous (for the fearful employee) and properly controlled (for the fearful employer).
Other reading:
CIPD discussion paper Web 2.0 and HR
17 comments:
Scott, I think you're completely on the money re HR 2.0.
I went to a conference on management 2.0 last week (http://social-business.blogspot.com/2009/01/mlab-management-20-conference.html), and I definitely think this is the direction is which organisations are going to have to go.
So HR 2.0 is simply the people management part of this. And of course, although I say 'simply', this is the core part of management 2.0.
It's a great opportunity for HR, and I think your insights definitely help HR practioners position themselves to take advantage of this future.
We will definitely see more of two-way communication in all arenas - the only question is how soon we dip our toes in.
I have my 'town' site up now. Of course, some people take to it readily. Others hold back.
http://olney100.ning.com.
Somewhere like a bank, where there are many Gen Y, I wouldn't start with a blog. I would set up a community site like Ning to allow social networking behind the firewall
I would start by polling all members of firm to find out how many people have 2.0 skills and who would be interested in working on the project full time. Then I would have a couple of people to liaise between them and the functional heads and CEO.
After a community got going and the functional heads are comfortable with the process, I would set up 2.0 skill courses to help people in their social media lives outside work where they inevitably encounter references to their company. They need help with heuristics to decide what to say to people when their co. comes up in discussion.
And I would support the CEO in asking his/her new 'community' what they can do to help in their jobs, as a community and as 2.0 users. The company will be pleasantly surprised!
Thanks for the comments both. I'm building a presentation just now the capture the key elements of HR 2.0. I will build this thinking in - we should join all of this stuff up conciously as I really think we are on to something here.
Completely on message. Blogging, social networking etc etc - its not a thing, its a channel. Its the native communication method for a generation and one that is being adopted by people of my generation. (Wrong side of 40 - oops!)
Not embracing it in the workplace, via HR or otherwise is complete stupidity. It has collaborative potential on steroids.
Pushing against it is the equivalent of resisting the introduction of the telephone.
For me personally it was eye-opening when I joined software development company - Atlassian - last year as HR manager. Atlassian is an Australian company and creator of a product called Confluence. Confluence is the world's most used enterprise Wiki.
Of course we use our products internally. In comparison to previous companies everything seems so much more effective because of to this relatively simple Wiki-concept.
I was amazed by the amount of collaboration within our team and in the organisation. I was even more surprised by the way wikis allow to project manage and roll out HR initiatives, by the way people understand the company objectives and values and by how people actively participate in suggesting improvements encouraging employee buy in.
Yes, there is a future for external blogging. But I’m far more impressed however by its potential within organisations.
The corporate blogging book suggests this also.
Minutes of meetings & away days attended etc can be posted on there instead of being emailed around a select few.
One organisation, (a public sector one no less) I cam across, the Chief Exec had 2 blogs. One for internal consumption & one for the wider public where he talked about things like customer service & climate change.
He obviously realised that he had to have a authentic voice because there would be a danger of anything like this coming over as spin.
"Hey, 200 redundancies but don't forget, those that are left get choice of car parking space..."
Thanks for the contributions folks. This is clearly an area worth exploring further. Basically I feel that we should just help our organisations and clients get on with it. Too much time being spent on business cases development for me just now!
"Collaboration on steroids" - I love it!
Well said Scott. So often the typical HR reaction to anything web 2.0 is to fear it. "We need a policy to make sure it doesn't affect the way we work" should be "How can we make it help us in the way work".
So true Rob. Jon Ingham and I have been banging this drum for a long time now. HR is always looking for ways to add "strategic" value (whatever that is) and Web 2.0 is SO obviously a means for HR to encourage collaboration, engagement, consultative processes, innovation etc. etc. The profession must get its act together or risk further marginalisation.
I am glad to see more and more people realizing the value of social networking in general for the HR function!
I recently posted a blog on how we as HR team use Web2.0 in our company. Have a look at the short movies: http://blogs.atlassian.com/news/2009/03/hr_professional.html
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