Networking the Way to Success: Introduction

The following extracts are from my recent article, co-authored with VP HR and consultant Lauren Leader-Chivee published by the Journal of the Human Resources Planning Society: People and Strategy (the Special Future Edition)

There are many complex human resources challenges facing companies large and small,
many of which are directly affecting by internal and external communications programs.
The advent of globalization and the prevalence of mergers and acquisitions have made it
harder than ever to ensure employees in disparate locations around the globe have a
consistent experience and experience a unified corporate culture.  Talent pools are
shrinking, turnover is high, brand is increasingly paramount, and recruiting costs are ever
growing. Yet one of the most interesting and potent resources for addressing these issues
remains a relative mystery to most Human Resources leaders. Online social networking
may be the most powerful solution not yet built into the corporate plan.

In the last few years, online social networks like Facebook and MySpace,  along with
professional networking sites like LinkedIn, have exploded in popularity with an estimated aggregate total of more than 170 million subscribers.  New social media tools are cropping up every day. While many employers view social networking as a threat to productivity, and while many block access to popular sites from work computers, some visionary employers have figured out how to leverage powerful social media tools and online communities for efficiencies and competitive advantage.  

Social networks are an important workplace consideration for the purposes of keeping up with employee demands and communication preferences, as well as for maintaining a variety of innovation and competitive advantages. Some early adopters are pro-actively fighting turnover, increasing engagement, affinity and retention, and recruiting passive, retiree, and boomerang talent through the use of social networks. Others are facilitating knowledge transfer and collaborative process improvement and innovation through company social networks, while simultaneously driving new business development.  The possibilities for leveraging social media tools to broad success are enormous.  Most early-acting companies have begun social media strategy consideration through the marketing department. Others are evaluating from the standpoint of corporate communications, updating Intranet (knowledge center) strategies by adding social features to existing processes. Few are embracing a new approach to human resources strategy that embraces an advanced approach using online social networking to bridge internal and external communications and tackle pressing recruitment and retention concerns.  It is unknown what the optimal strategy looks like, but how soon is too soon to try?

Comments

[red sole]

Wow. I've been reading your stuff for about a year now and this is basically the only sh*t I dont agree with. Give atleast a little credit where credit is due. Kobe got his ass kicked by this so called fluke. So what? Chill out. No one said the Rockets were the best team.