Week 4 Learning Log: Post One

 

Section 1 - 
This week’s exploration will involve exploring the use of social media tools (internal platforms) platforms to do one or more of the following: connect employees, allow collaboration, identify new talent, generate new ideas, share best practices, etc.

I had the privilege to work for a Company that was ahead of its time when it came to internal Social Media for employee use.  At Nationwide Insurance, we were one of the first financial services companies to offer Yammer.    Yammer was an internet based social tool that was link to employee email.  It was secure and was able to be captured and retained for regulators.

Yammer opened the door to internal communication and was helpful during projects.  We could meet virtually and post links to documents that were housed on SharePoint.  Yammer allowed employees to set up a profile, post a status, and even blog.  One of our senior leaders even started a blog and would send out daily sales goals and numbers.  This was implemented in 2010 at Nationwide.
 

Since then, I have worked for two companies that have not allowed for internal social media.  I think that if the company can get over the risks of storing the data, it would benefit the company through open communication channels both upward and downward in the organizations. My hope is that social media continues to evolve for financials services.  I see the benefits and have lived them first hand.

Reference:

Ulrich, D., W., Younger, J., Brockbank, & Ulrich,M . (2012). HR from the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources. McGraw-Hill.

Section 2- Additional References:

This weeks discussions allowed me to find some additional references. 

Biro(2012) gave a great look at challenges for HR Leaders.  I especially liked her look at rewards and emotional intelligence.  I have worked in a number of organizations that rewarded individual contributors with people management positions.  To me, this idea is flawed.  The same skillset needed to be in a functional role is far different than leader people.

Biro, M. (2012, November 11). 5 Greatest Challenges Ahead for HR and Leaders. Retrieved on September 14, 2016 from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2012/11/11/5-greatest-challenges-ahead-for-hr-and-leaders/#62206bea67a1

Du & Jiang(2015) took a look at the need for engaging in Social Media.  They did research that looked at 1500 S& P firms.  They found that firms with a social media presence are more highly valued by the market and have higher future financial performance .  I used this in my discussion to support my assertion that a move to employee usage of pre-approved content would enable HR to maintain control while increasing Dimensional’s brand awareness and footprint.

Du, H. & Jiang, W.  (2015) Do Social Media Matter? Initial Empirical Evidence. Journal of Information Systems: Summer 2015, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 51-70.

Galer(2015) helped support my assertions around some of the benefits and drawbacks of cloud computing for HR.  While it can be helpful, there are some risks including privacy and regulatory record keeping requirements.

Galer, S. (2015, March 26). 3 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Human Resources. Retrieved on September 14, 2016 from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2015/03/26/3-benefits-of-cloud-computing-for-human-resources/#40e487a95ab2

Vorhauser(2013) had an  interesting article around employee engagement. At a previous employer, we had an annual engagement survey.  The results became part of the signature experience and a way to measure leadership success.  Vorhauser(2013) helped support my personal experience.

 Vorhauser, Smith, S. (2013, August 14).  How the best places to work are nailing employee engagement. Retrieved on September 14,2016 from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/sylviavorhausersmith/2013/08/14/how-the-best-places-to-work-are-nailing-employee-engagement/#2f1a32338aa4

   

Section 3: SHRM Connect:  

Like last week, I have been a lurker this week. I  did get a response from my Communication Audit Statement.  The HR professional agreed that the results should be pushed out from HR and communicated to a wider audience.

It is below with the link: https://community.shrm.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?GroupId=19&MID=92830&tab=digestviewer