Recruiting, inducting, training and communicating… New Web 2.0 tools are now available to help HR managers in their daily tasks. Now all you have to do is master them!
With the soaring popularity of Web 2.0, new services have arisen including blogs, exchange platforms and social networking sites. These recent applications have transformed traditional online usage. You can now be informed at any time, share anywhere and even communicate with anyone.
According to David Guillocheau, an expert in human capital management1, it is in the best interest of HR managers to take advantage of these new online tools. “They are user-friendly, effective, and very human,” he emphasizes, predicting a huge success for the new trend. “These tools will revolutionize HR practices, even more than the arrival of computers did. The Web 2.0 wave empowers jobseekers by enabling them to collaborate and share more easily.”
Canada is lagging
It is not always easy to question solidly entrenched practices, however. Canadian HR departments have been slower than their French or U.S. counterparts to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into their daily routines. The main obstacle is the difficulty of going against traditional approaches in terms of recruiting or internal communications, which does not seem to be the case with our U.S. neighbours. “Some US companies are very advanced in their use of Web 2.0,” observes Guillocheau, citing the example of Starbucks, which recently created induction and training communities, along with a directory of employee profiles for employees’ use.
- 6 examples of HR 2.0 tools you can implement
– Social networks for recruiting
Social networks can be used as recruiting tools, whether they are professional networking sites like LinkedIn, or personal sites like Facebook, as long as you are patient and methodical, because social networks are not like resume banks. To find a candidate, you need time. Such communities can be a good way to reach passive candidates and generation Y talents, who are big users of Web 2.0.
– “Serious games” for inducting
Virtual games tailored to a company can be created to facilitate the induction of new employees. Known as “serious games,” these applications provide immersion into a company’s world. They help new recruits assimilate the company’s culture or learn a certain position’s duties. New employees play alongside their co-workers in teams, and learn while having fun. Such tools are not inexpensive, however. BNP Paribas’s “Starbank” game,” distributed to 85 countries, required an investment of over $150,000.2
– Virtual campuses for training
Before starting a course, companies can set up a virtual space reserved for discussion between learners and teachers. This sharing platform provides access to all the documentation before the session, and can include exercises to extend the training. L’Oréal recently adopted this application to train its employees. The main advantage is decreased training costs. “By developing online training for multiple users, you can reduce the number of individual training days required, as well as travel time,” explains Guillocheau.
– Wikis for collaboration
A wiki is a collaborative work tool that can be useful for teamwork. It consists of a website that allows users to edit pages as desired. Such a portal can contain documents used by all, which are accessible at any time and whose content can be modified from any computer. Collaborating is therefore faster and easier.
– Directories for internal mobility
Creating an internal directory gathers staff profiles in one place. Employees can store their updated CVs there in permanence. HR managers therefore have access to all the information about employee skills and interests, which makes finding the right person to fill jobs internally easier.
– Blogs for communicating
Blogs are completely free and an excellent way to develop communication within a company. Usually maintained by a human resources manager and updated regularly, they keep employees current on a variety of topics, and afford the opportunity for readers to participate and ask questions. Their warm, informal tone makes them a user-friendly and attractive space. Guillocheau agrees, “With this kind of Web 2.0 tool, relationships within a company are more human.”
- Gradual implementation
To start using these HR 2.0 tools, the Talentys director recommends a gradual implementation, in two steps:
- Testing: It is better to start off by testing external tools, like social networking site LinkedIn. Such services are not very or not at all expensive that can be started and stopped quickly and easily if they don’t work out. Since they are external, they have the advantage of not affecting a company’s internal organization, only those departments that use them.
- Development: If the first wave is successful, the process can be developed and extended to other functions. This time, the tools will be tailored to the company and integrated with the information system.
It is crucial that the tools to be implemented be easy to use, such that they are accessible to everyone. Do not forget to include support for getting over the initial Web 2.0 hurdle by showing everyone how to use the various tools. “Employees may find these new services disruptive,” warns Guillocheau. “You have to prepare the field with respect to former practices and support people in dealing with the change.”
1 David Guillocheau is a director at Talentys, a French human capital management firm
2 Source: Les Echos – June 15, 2009