Hey nerds! I just got back from Southern California and I thought I’d show you a close up into my trip. YEAH that’s right, I’m making you watch my video slideshow presentation. Just pretend you’re in my living room.
I had a blast with my BFF Lorrie and the weather was fantastic.
Enjoy a look into my world and have an amazing weekend.
Today’s guest post comes from my gal pal Melissa Fairman who is an HR Practitioner as well as one of our favorite HR Bloggers over at HRremix. And if you’d like to see Melissa in person (so to speak) check out this video interview I did with her awhile back.
Photo Credit: SironaSays < totally check this blog out too!
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If you are curious about social media, have been to an HR conference, or a local SHRM meeting you’ve probably heard plenty about social media. Did you bite though? Did you sign up for a Twitter account?
Or maybe you just wrote it off as a fad?
Well, social media isn’t a fad.
Social media has done a lot for me and my career. As I’ve detailed before, having a big network with tons of connections is a great thing regardless where you are at in your career.
But I don’t think social media is the answer.
What?!
Stay with me. Here is the key, if you want to be successful on social media you have to be:
By the way I fall in that last category. I still struggle with the networking thing because I tend to be a bit shy; I’m not a born net-worker but I am open-minded, somewhat outgoing and have an interest in people.
The people who fit in the above categories are the people who are successful at social media. It is because they put effort into connecting with others, they would be successful regardless if it was online or in person.
The act of signing up for a Twitter account will not change anything. You have to be willing to interact with others. You have to be willing to follow others.
By the way, signing up for a Twitter account, locking it down and/or logging on once a week is not engaging in social media. I hate when people do that and then say “I tried Twitter, it was dumb.” No. You didn’t try Twitter; you made a half-ass attempt.
So to answer the question Anita is asking: “Do we need social media in HR?” “Is social media relevant to HR?” The answer is Yes and Yes! But only to the extent that you go into it with the right mindset.
Social media is not going to cure the following recurrent HR ills: crappy candidates, being the policy police, lack of an HR seat at the table or the general lack of respect HR gets.
But it will give you access to an extraordinary number of people who are willing to talk about and share their struggles and triumphs in HR. The kind of people who want to help their employees and their organization and they do that in a ton of different voices: sincerity, sarcasm, snark, humor and in serious tones as well.
Trust me, these are conversations you don’t want to miss! If you aren’t already follow me on Twitter, or connect with me over Facebook or LinkedIn.
This post originally aired over at HRremix.
Today’s guest post comes from my friend in the HR/Recruiting world Bonnie Ungaro who is in my neighborhood, ya’ll! Bonnie know’s what she’s talking about when she writes about networking and I wanted to share with you to spur you into networking – online and off! Enjoy, and make sure to connect to Bonnie and subscribe to her blog where this post was originally aired. She’s also on the Twitters.
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How to make a real connection with other professionals?
Ah-ha, gotcha! I don’t really believe networking is BS, however earlier in my career I honestly did not see the value and here’s why – I was meeting the wrong people.
In the beginning of my career I attended several conferences, seminars and networking events and had a decent amount of exposure to HR folks. However, a majority of the time I had the luck of running into one of two kinds of people “The burnt out HR person” and “The blah blah me, me, me person“. Of all the many HR folks I met I only made two valuable HR connections (connections that I am still in contact with today!).
Here’s one super awkward example from my experiences. A couple of years back (before my professional social media days) at ILSHRM, I attempted to “network” during the lunch break. I approached three different tables with people and asked if I could join them for lunch. The first two tables told me they were full, the last table had one woman and she was the “classic burnt out HR person“. It was terrible! I felt like I was in high school, and that I was a huge LOOSER:(
But it’s not just me! Recently, in speaking with some of the younger folks at work about networking I’ve learned they too don’t see the value. Additionally the networking events I do attend in my community (from an eyeball perspective) the average age is 45+, not to mention many of these seasoned professionals have well established relationships so when they are at these event they are talking with each other. This situation is highly intimidating to “younger”/ “foreign” people. (Stay tuned for my post about seasoned professionals and being inclusive.)
Here’s how YOU can network more efficiently:
1:) Use social media to make connections. Using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and/or G+ or one of the many other social media sites out there will help you find “the good ones”, the people worth connecting to!! It’s kind of like how Match.com changed the dating world. Yeah, you’ll still meet weirdos but you’ll also have a greater chance at connecting with really amazing people in your industry!
2:) Once you’ve established the “superficial” social media connection, schedule a phone chat, G+ hangout or Skype call with the people you see potential value in. This will further your relationship and open the door to a real professional connection.
3:) Ask your new contacts if they will be attending any of the upcoming conferences, seminars, etc. If they are arrange a time to meet.
So that’s you’re 1,2,3 to making valuable connections and networking more efficiently.
On another note, if you’re like me and kind of shy, don’t be afraid to say hi to someone you’ve met through social in person or AKA “IRL”. Some will be receptive and some may not, but at least you can walk away saying you tried.
Meet the Author:
My name is Bonnie and I am certified human resources professional, and certified social sourcing recruiter. I have great passion for all HR topics that I share over at TheHRLife. I’d love for you to come visit! Feel free to connect.
I often love to hop on to Youtube and watch a few videos of channels I’m subscribed to as a part of my ongoing learning in this space (okay, and a few funny videos).
I came across a fantastic video from Meet the Boss TV titled “Ten Best Practice HR Tips” that showcases HR and Executives from companies such as McDonald’s UK, KFC, IBM, Google and Mattel It was interesting to hear how they change their strategies from what previously was being done in their organizations to what they are currently doing in regard to their people.
HR can be a game-changer in our organizations. The very ones who can quite possibly change the course of our ships and create amazing organizations; the very ones who can often change the definition of what’s expected from our leaders and our people. They can become the greatest company brand ambassadors and create amazing change within the structure of our organizations.
Sometimes that takes asking ourselves a few questions such as:
When we determine the answers to these two things we can often create an energy that can be released around our people – from where it should begin first and foremost. From there HR can then begin to talk about the future talent needs of our organizations, how we can generate better insight around our people, how they can get rid of organizational silos that destroy our progress, and lastly – how we can support change in business.
Back to the video:
We must start thinking differently and perhaps going back to the basics where we do consider it more about our culture and the people that work there than our ever arriving at the table.
I always love to go to my extra-smart friends for guest posts to mix it up a bit. I’m quite boring, in reality, and don’t wanna bore you to tears. Jeff Waldman is one of my go-to-guys in that respect. Check out this outstanding post and make sure to connect with Jeff and his team. You can find them all over the place.
Photo Credit: en.blog.zyncro.
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SocialHRCamp business partner Salima Nathoo and I recently co-authored a 2 blog post series for SmartRecruiters and Blogging4Jobs on “Why HR Needs to Speed Up Social Media Adoption” and “Why HR is Slow to Adopt Social Media”. The former post focuses on the business case and the latter on barriers to adoption. It was a tough exercise to go through because there are so many reasons why HR needs to adopt and why HR has not already done so. The focus of this post is on a simple question that can be applied across all business functions. The question is… “What does social media adoption have to do with strategy”?
Oh Right… Strategy…
Does it not make sense that the activities that you perform during the course of your work day support some strategic aspect of the business you work for? Sure there are tasks that one would describe as mundane, repetitive, pointless, etc… but if you ask yourself “why” you are doing those tasks you probably could, or should come up with some strategic reason for why you do them. The same holds true for social media.
Ah Ha Moment…
Before you dive into the social media maze you need to clearly understand what your core HR business challenges are that you are trying to solve. Forget about social media for a second; every organization has challenges and strategic objectives that are being tackled. If they did not exist there would be no organization to work for.
Ask Yourself…
Pull out the dusty HR strategy and the business strategy and identify the top 3-5 priorities. Are you trying to attract higher quality talent to “hard-to-recruit” jobs? Are you trying to solve a growing retention issue? Are you trying to support the business expand and enter new markets? Will you be tasked with organizational restructuring or acquisition initiatives? You get the point but it’s critical for you as an HR professional to figure this out first.
2nd Ah Ha Moment…
For all you non-HR people reading this blog post this also applies to you too. It does not matter what area of business you work in, the fact remains that you need to understand the core business challenges you are trying solve before you dive into social media.
Now You’re Ready to Think About Social Media…
You now have a crystal clear idea of why you want to use social media; now it’s a matter of identifying the social media platforms that will enable you to achieve the best results. The task of figuring this out will be so much easier if you have a clear idea of why you want to use them in the first place. Sorry, just slapping up a Facebook page because “everyone else” has one is a complete waste of time, and will ultimately make you look foolish.
So, think strategy first, then social media second.
This blog post was originally published in the Social Media Camp blog.
About the Author:
Social media enthusiast, entrepreneur, social HR strategist and educator, Jeff is the Founder of Stratify, a social HR solutions consultancy and SocialHRCamp, the first-ever global HR unconference. With a background in business, HR and marketing, and a diverse career spanning all facets of HR Jeff has been carving out and leading the way in a growing niche that brings together HR, social media and business. Founded in 2012 SocialHRCamp helps the global HR community adopt social media into HR business practices and will be running events in Canada, United States, Singapore, Philippines and India.
When it comes to adoption of Social tools into our organizations some folks may be a little behind in adapting. That’s okay, because that was us at one time or other.
I have spoken at my share of events and conferences especially in regard to technology and social tools in the workplace. Something I have to keep in mind is that “Not everyone is on the same level playing field.” We’re all at different levels of adoption and knowledge of these things. And that’s okay.
At a few recent events we (those of us who have been involved in social and technology longer) seemed to have forgotten this and really seemed to have taken it over the top of the heads of the attendees.
Sometimes we talk to our audiences in our own language and they’re sitting out there looking at us like a young calf looking at a new gate.
I try to remember when presenting that it’s best to “keep it simple, stupid” – because you don’t want to lose your audience completely.
When holding social presentations there will probably always be a mixture in the crowd of the following:
This will more than likely always be the case. That being said, it does make it difficult when presenting to this kind of crowd. Perhaps it’s best when planning our events to segment our presentations into (a) (b) and (c) groups instead of lumping them all together.
At one of my most recent events I had a few folks (ladies) come to me in the lady’s room afterward to tell me “Thanks for talking on a level we could understand. Most of us aren’t up to speed and you kept it simple and very easy to understand.”
HR is rapidly advancing in social technologies but we must remember to share on a level that folks can understand not only in the need for incorporating these tools, the benefits and ROI’s but also share the “Here’s how to do it” as well.
Cause let’s face it – we can pretty much Google stats and the “WHY you need to do Social” – am I right?
Photo Credit: JohnHaydon
In researching HR and Social Media I came across a divine article from our friend China Gorman. Since she is a much better writer than I, I asked her if I could share the post over here on the cafe. She was so kind to allow me to do so -
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In the land of HR, folks tend to think inside their bubble.
And when it comes to social media, some are early adopters (think using social media for talent acquisition) and many are laggards (think writing policies that keep people from accessing Facebook while at work).
But the truth is that there is so much more to social technology than social media. And HR needs to go to school on this.
I was pleased to attend IBM’s Connect Conference in Orlando last week. I was there to get insight into IBM’s acquisition of Kenexa and its commitment to building a Smarter Workforce – the brilliant marketing extension of their Smarter Planet campaign. Social business is huge. Social business at IBM is enormous — and growing.
While at the conference, I received a copy of the IBM Institute for Business Value’s report titled,The Business of Social Business: What Works and How it’s Done, that should be required reading for every HR person. It’s a sort of primer explaining what social technology is and how it is transforming the way businesses are competing in the global marketplace.
Based on survey data from 1,161 respondents and interviews with 21 executives responsible for implementing successful social business practices around the world, this report is easily consumed by non-technical business leaders (that’s you, HR Pros) and creates a much larger context for understanding the opportunities that social technology brings to an organization — and that will be coming to your organization soon!
Despite Applebee’s and HMV’s unfortunate handling of recent experiences with social media, note that the IBM survey identified three primary areas of social business in which organizations around the world are currently investing:
I found it fascinating that when drilling down into the second bullet point, driving workforce productivity and effectiveness – HR’s domain – the focus was on learning and developing talent, not acquiring it. There’s a head snap for you.
Take a look at the report and look for more useful information from the IBM Institute for Business Value. And download the free “IBM IBV” app for iPad and Android from your app store so you don’t miss any new research!
This originally appeared on China Gorman’s blog at ChinaGorman.com. Used with permission.
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
I’m not sure if that is true or not but it definitely gets one thinking.
I thought of the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray (who happens to be a native of Chicago and a true Bears fan). This is one of my very favorite movies. It is so far-fetched and funny that I seriously laugh out loud every time I watch it. I am embarrassed to say, I’ve seen it more than 7 or 8 times (I own the DVD).
I think I can relate to it in many aspects because in my lifetime (that short span of 47 years), I have often felt that drudgery of doing the same thing – over and over and over again. You wake up, have your coffee, read a little, check your emails, get in the shower, get dressed, go to work, drive home, fix dinner, deal with the kid, deal with the husband, clean up, get the kid ready for bed and then go to bed yourself all to wake up the next day and do the same thing over and over again. It becomes a rut in which we often find ourselves.
Perception is key. How we view what we are experiencing is key to our well-being and how we will cope.
Looking back at the movie, He wakes up every day and it’s Groundhog Day. A day in which he hates. He is forced to face the same people saying the same things in this little town that he hates. He is quite miserable but watch what begins to happen as his heart starts softening up and he realized he can never get beyond this dilemma until he accepts it and changes some things in his life, especially his outlook and response to what is happening in and around him.
I encourage you to watch the movie, which by the way, was filmed just 20 minutes north of where I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a little town called Woodstock, IL. I love going there and seeing the little town which totally takes me back to the scenes in the movie. It puts a smile on my face.
A couple years ago, I was there shopping with my friend Lorrie during the Christmas holidays. We drove past the home they used as The Inn where Bill Murray stayed. Here is the picture I took.
What can we learn from all this?
Accepting what we cannot change, going with the flow, and saying to ourselves“How can I come out of this or through this alive and with a greater appreciation for those things that once brought stress, anger and depression and be the better for it all.”
Happy Groundhog Day! I hope that rascal figures it out.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have said to others (or under my breath) something that irritates me about someone I live with, work with, or do social with. Yeah, I’m kind of vocal about that. I wonder, do we all do this?
I have said to my husband “You do this or that and it irritates me! Stop it!” Or perhaps I have mentioned online about a contact that “shouldn’t be doing this or that on social media or community building” and have others give me a big “HECK YEAH! You tell em!” by others.
I have even worked with someone who was continually a “challenge” for me because of the things they said or did and judged them accordingly!
I have been smart enough to realize however, and sometimes at the most inopportune of times, that these very things that annoy me about others, I in fact, have done myself.
I once moved out of a relationship and living arrangement with a fiance’ and my moving out speech was “You didn’t live up to your bargain” only for them to come back with “Well, regardless of what you think about me, you need to know that you are no picnic to live with, either!” Wow, did that ever hurt.
I thought I was without flaws and the perfect friend, fiance’, co-worker or whatever! I was in fact, a legend in my own mind.
Sometimes we are aggravated at others in their behavior, demeanor and actions but if we take a step back will see that we have done or are doing the very same things.
Why are we so quick to judge others instead of giving grace? After all, is there anyone who is perfect? Uh, no!
I have learned this so many times over my lifetime and hopefully, have become a little more chillax and extend grace to others even when they do irritate me (for the most part). But there are times I have to be reminded or remind myself.
Let’s face it, life is hard, work, people and community can be difficult, no one knows everything and hopefully, we are all still learning.
Let’s go into this new year readily accessible to help others and not be so quick to judge. Let’s allow others along with us room to grow. Shall we?
Image Credit: blogskins
