Yammer Update

My co-workers have officially given up on Yammer. Although I tried to sell it to everyone as tool for business purposes only, it ended up becoming a time waster. People would post something like, "I'm off to lunch, please forward my calls to Tom." and others would reply "Great." or "Have a nice lunch." I was hoping that Yammer would be a tool that would keep us all informed about issues in the office that are note worthy, but not urgent, since communication seems to be an issue for our small office. I was thinking that we could post items there for everyone to see instead of repeating ourselves 6 times in order to make sure everyone in the office is up to date.

Hopefully I can come up with a tool that is more effective. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

HRIS - UC Berkeley Extension

I cannot believe that we are one class away from being done with the HRIS. I have to say that it is bitter sweet. Although I look forward to not driving nearly two hours to get to class on time, I will miss the insightful and fascinating lectures. This class makes me feel so...cutting edge. As if I'm on top of the technology as it relates to business and HR. I don't consider myself a technological savvy person, but the fact that I am twitting, blogging and doing my own research for advances in technology says a lot for what this course has taught me.

I was thinking the other day, "How will I know how to stay up to date when this class is over?" I am planning on keeping my Twitter account and keeping it as a professional tool to keep me informed. I am hoping that Jun will also keep using Twitter until the next new and improved social networking, web 2.0, website is created. Will that be enough though? In my office, I feel like I am leading the technological revolution, but again I reiterate I am not a technologically savvy person. I am worried, but at the same time hopeful that I will be able to lead our office into the Web 2.0 world with success, having learned a lot in this class.

I have a feeling that I will be back in a few years to take this class again, when Web 3.0 emerges (if it ever does...). Who knows what new and exciting technologies will have been created by then.

Looking forward to the future of technology in HR.

Best IPhone Apps for HR Professionals

The author of the blog begins his passage with the statement: "I can't understand why so many HR folks have blackberries." The response from the blogger below was straight forward and obvious: "...as long as my company keeps paying for my BB, I'll keep it." Many professionals, HR professionals included, have their Blackberry service fee paid for by their employer. Why would anyone want to pay for something, which is already being paid for by their employer, especially if it is work related?

Blackberry was cutting edge when it first came out, but now it has been technologically surpassed by other cell phone makers offering more options. Blackberry and other cell phone makers need to change their model if they want to stay in business. Apple, which is actually known for making computers, has penetrated many markets, including the lucrative and competitive cell phone market. By offering applications that can help people and professionals stay productive, who’s to say that employers will soon be paying for IPhones instead of Blackberrys. Why wouldn’t an employer want their workforce to be as productive as possible?

The blog also touched on a very interesting fact; many people do not have IPhones. I would love to have one, and put many of the suggested applications on it, but my cell phone provider does not sell the IPhone, therefore this is irrelevant to me. Too bad, because many of the suggested applications would probably help me professionally & socially. Oh well, maybe I switch carriers some day.

Taleo Reviews

Last week in class we had a demonstration of how Taleo works. I was interested in finding out what users actually thought of this product. Most reviews were positive, and I was only able to find one negative one. I would like to discuss the issues that the users had, and the positive aspects of the product.

"Taleo Business Edition™Summary: From the beginning of our relationship with Taleo we experienced trouble and miscommunication with their sales team as well as customer service. If their product fits your current workflow it might be a better match as we struggled with its inability to be customized. They improperly scoped our company from the beginning costing us an extra $500 in implementation fees with a third, outside resource. Although we pay for upgraded customer service, they insist on all initial contact being through email and often take 48-72+ hours to respond. They also had numerous server failures with no apology to users who went without service for hours and on occasion, days. They don't currently have any integration with Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice, LinkedIn, etc. Overall we have had major problems with the way they choose to conduct their business and haven’t been impressed by the product. Would not recommend."

This user clearly had issues with Customer Service, which I feel is the backbone of their discontent with the product. Had customer service been more responsive to their needs, maybe, they would have been happier with the product experience. As for the integration with Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice, LinkedIn, etc., I thought that that is something that can be integrated into the system. If I am incorrect, that is something that the company should have looked into before they purchased the product. There are other products that can do that, like Avature. They also talked about the fact that you cannot customize it. You can customize it, within limits. It's a SaaS based product, that is much less expensive than a tradition ATS. You cannot have it all, customizability and low cost.

"As a user of Taleo Business Edition for over 4 years I have found it to be an excellent product. The entire system allows me as a Recruiting Manager to modify the system to fit our recruiting workflow and practically anything else we need to do. It also allows us to have an additional career site so that our own employees can apply through the system before we post to the outside world. I find the interface to be very simple to use and to configure. Our old system required us to call the vendor every time we wanted to add a new custom field, e-mail template or just to change the recruiting workflow. After getting hit with surprise charges in the $1000's several different times we are definitely happy we switched to Taleo. They don't charge us for these changes that only take me a minute to make! I have used Taleo software as the only recruiter at a technology company and then later as part of a recruiting team at consulting firm. I was able to easily make adjustments and changes to the software and customize it to each environment."

This user was much happier with their choice of product. They felt that the customizability of it was what set it apart from their old system. They also felt that they got a deal in comparisons to what they were getting charged for with their old system.

I believe that every company has different needs, and those needs should be explored thoroughly before any decision is made regarding the choice of an Applicant Tracking System. We have seen two demonstrations so far, and I have thought about which system would be better for my company, but I would like to see more so that I can make a confident choice when that time comes. I have already made the mistake to purchasing software, which is very difficult for me to customize. I do not want to make that same mistake again.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform on the horizon

The article "Comprehensive Immigration Reform on the Horizon" was circulated in my office last week. When I read it, I became interested in what it had to say. Basically, what it tells us is that employers are obligated not to knowingly employ people who do not have the legal right to work in the US. During the Bush administration, the "No match rule" was proposed which basically said that employers would have to fire employees whose social security numbers did not match the records of the Social Security Administration. That rule never went into effect because of oppositions in Federal court by advocates for immigrants and businesses. Because of that businesses can only do their best in trying to not employ people who do not have the legal right to work in the US.

On September 8, 2008 the Obama Administration which will require businesses that solicit or win federal contracts to use the government electronic database to verify their employees' employment eligibility through a web based program known as e-Verify. e-Verify works by comparing I-9 data to Social Security Administration Data & the Department of Homeland Security databases. The results are returned within seconds. Although this move will only affect businesses who deal with government contracts, there may be a move for all businesses to verify employment eligibility using this system.

The government has come a long way with respect to the technological advances and the ease at which information can be obtained. What is unfortunate is that there are limitations to the utilization of these technological advances because of "red tape". I am all for employee rights with respect to employment opportunities, but what good does having technology if you can't use it?

It is very awkward when I have to tell someone whom we have employed through our company that there social security did not match. It's almost as if I'm accusing them of doing something illegal, which is not the case. We have had instances where people's identities have been stolen and Social Securities have been mis-entered into our system. As an employer, we are just doing our jobs. I hope that this will get easier with time, or government will think of an ethical way to handle these situations.

My Project

My project has been on my mind for over 2 weeks. Initially I had planned on developing a method to streamline the performance review process at my office. I thought this would be a good idea because there really is no system of record or follow-through from one performance review to another. Then I began to think of another problem at my office; communication. We try to get messages to everyone, but it just seems like we are always missing some important ones.

I attempted to implement Yammer, and it was successful for about a week, but I noticed that the people that were not using it were the most senior members of the staff. These 2 people are burdened everyday with information. Some of it relevant to the office, and some irrelevant to the office. I thought that I would start with them regarding the communication problem. Try and think of a filter system for them where they will be able to determine what everyone in the office should know.

I thought of weekly meetings with these 2. Then I thought maybe they both need a personal assistant. Someone who will read their emails, scan their phone calls and ask for updates after every call or meeting. Then I thought about the cost associated with hiring 2 personal assistants. We are a small staffing company that does not have the financial resources to hire personal assistants.

Honestly, I am stuck. I want to help with the flow of communication, I feel like I am doing my part, but I don't feel that everyone is.

Looking for some insight...

HR Comparison.com

I recently took the HR Comparison Survey and was amazed to see that it actually provided relevant HR Software Solutions for my specific company. This resource may be a good idea for companies who are in the market for an applicant tracking system. Comparing them side by side could be helpful because a company should weigh all options before making a decision. Before making a decision, a company must first have a plan, and know exactly what direction it wants to take with regards to its HR function.

I found this sight helpful for me because it gave me four options. I went in several times and changed my parameters slightly. The four options that were given to me did not change, which was interesting.

I liked the option to request a demo. This is an easy and quick way to contact a sales representative to learn exactly how the product works, again having the opportunity to view and decide if that specific product is right for you.

For me, I would want to consult with my employer before I start choosing the parameters. I would want to make this as relevant and concise as possible, which is the whole point of this. I do wonder, however, how companies are chosen. I was surprised to see that Avature or Taleo were not among the choices for my company. Do companies have to pay to be a part of this? I would be curious to find out.

Any thoughts?

"Technology aids the human touch"

This was an interesting article that I found online ( http://tiny.cc/o71Rw ). The article discusses how far HR has come and where it is going in the future. The "administrative duties" associated with old HR have already been replaced by technology. HR managers will take on a more "people focused" role where they will move away from subjective people management to objective people management. HR professionals will use their knowledge and know-how to do more succession planning and staff development. Paper chasing will be left for technology to handle.

The issue that I see here is HR buying into this. Why would anyone embrace an idea that will essentially take away their job? I am very excited about the prospects of being in a more technologically advanced department, but I am uneasy about the possibility of having less HR positions available. On the other hand, the reason that I decided to get into HR is because I believe in the human aspect of business. If the job that I had strictly focused on the people in an organization, and less on the administrative functions, wouldn’t that be ideal for me? The answer to that is yes, provided that the ideal position will be out there waiting for me.

If HR is able to re-invent itself into a technologically savvy, strategic business partner, top talent will be attracted to this sector of business. Fewer positions, for more candidates would be the result. Competition to get into this field will increase as will salaries. Staying ahead of the game, constantly reinventing oneself is the key to survival in this field. I am excited and nervous at the same time about the evolution of the field. I am confident that I will be able to keep up, but nervous knowing that so many others will be doing the same, and we will all be fighting for the top positions in HR.

Looking forward to the future....and beyond

Generation Why?

On Friday, I arranged for a series of interviews to take place at one of our client companies on Monday. The 10:00 AM did not show up to the interview and at 10:10 AM the HR person at the hiring company gave us a call letting us know that he had not shown up. In a panic, I called his one and only phone number (which happened to be a cell phone) and left him a voicemail. I was upset. I thought to my myself, "If he could not make it, why didn’t he let me know?" That same day, I got into work at 9:45 AM because I had a doctors appointment. I did not get a chance to read through all of my emails until about 11:00 AM when I saw an email sent by the candidate who missed his interview. "An email?" I thought to myself. How could he guarantee that I would see it in time to inform the client company? I was even more frustrated. I thought about how I would handle the situation. What would I have done to communicate in an emergency? I would have probably sent an email and left a voicemail to make sure that someone got the message. Is it because he is young, I thought to myself, or is he just unprofessional? Or is being young equal to being unprofessional? Or are the tendencies of the younger workforce unprofessional? I'm not sure. What I do know is that younger workers will be working with older workers and they both need to adjust their work habits (in this case their desired methods of communication).

That same day, the 9:00 AM called us at 8:30 to let us know that she will not be able to attend her interview because she was not able to find transportation. I was out of the office, so a co-worker of mine attempted to call the client company to let them know. She realized that she did not have a phone number and the company is not listed (they are a start-up). After searching for 15 minutes, she found a phone number. She called it and asked to speak to the HR person. The person who picked up seemed really confused and said that they were not the person in question. My co-worker asked if she could have that person's phone number and the person on the other end said that they did not know it. Doesn’t this company have a directory? Do they not know how to transfer phone calls? Do they only communicate physically or through email? Why does something so basic, like using a telephone, seem so difficult? Is it their ages? Having toured the place, there are not too many people over 40 working there. Have they forgotten the basic administrative things that were once assumed for everyone who worked on an office to know? I would like to think that this was an isolated event, and that the person on the other end of the phone line was once of the few people who don't know how to handle the phone. Two situations in one day with two millennials gives me the impression that millennials are ahead of the times with new methods of communications and behind the times with old methods of communication.

Modern Interview went Old Fashion

Last week, I arranged for an interview to take place. Prior to the submittal if this candidate for the position in question, I was unaware that she was in another state. When I was informed of this, I contacted the hiring manager to let her know. Fortunately, she was still interested in interviewing her over the phone and asked if she had a video on her computer or a Skype account. I asked the candidate if she had either and she said no. She did inform me that she had a LinkedIn account where she had a picture of herself and recommendations from her colleagues and managers. I had to stop there. Did she think that the reason that the reason that the hiring company wanted to interview by video or Skype was because they wanted to see what she looked like? I quickly explained to her that they wanted to see her reactions to the questions that she was asked and her body language as to mimic that of a traditional interview. She, fortunately, understood.

I brought the incident up to my boss. He thought that the concept of a video interview could be a potential liability for companies if they used them as a way to "screen" candidates. "Screen" candidates for what, I thought to myself. Then I got to thinking even more. Where is the EEOC in all of this? Have they even considered Video Interviews and Skype s as a potential for discrimination? Or, are they waiting for someone to make a claim? What about all of the benefits for employers, like saving money on flying out potential candidates or watching a candidate in a more relaxed and natural environment for them.

To avoid any legal issues, a company who ops for this type of interview needs to treat it just like a traditional face to face interview, and all viewers of the video must be aware of the Title VII, ADEA & ADA laws. I even think that this should go a step further and require all applicants to do a Video interview. This way, the same advantages or disadvantages a video interview may provide will apply to all applicants.

In case you’re wondering, the candidate mentioned above ended up having a phone interview and was offered the position. I guess the traditional methods still work sometimes.

The HR and L&D Profession: The Career Factbook for 2009

Analyst John Bersin touches on some interesting points regarding the development of the HR profession and HR professionals. I found that one of the most interesting facts that he shared was the educational background of HR professionals. According to him, 92% of all HR professionals have at least a bachelor’s degree. In our last discussion in class, we talked about how HR professionals aren't necessarily the smartest people in an organization. Maybe this fact is already starting to change. Old "Personnel Department" professionals have started to retire, and newer, younger, more business oriented people are taking their places. In taking their places, they have also changed the HR department as well. As "Personnel" changed to HR, what will HR change too? I like the idea of HR becoming a business partner, because it only makes sense.

I am a recruiter for a staffing company, so I often don't have the time to study and analyze all of the companies that I recruit for. Often, I have no idea for which product I am recruiting for. Of the few times that HR has given me information about the product in which the person that I am recruiting for will be working on, I have been successful in finding the right candidates. When I have to ask more questions about the position, or I ask to talk to the hiring manager, I am often ignored. I believe that I am ignored for either 2 reasons: Reason one is that the HR department doesn’t really know much about the position or the product line, or reason 2, HR does not want to ask the hiring manager for more details because they do not want to seem clueless. This is unfair for me because I am left in the dark, trying to sort through thousands of resumes in the hope that I hit the right one.

I am really hoping that HR will become more of a business partner soon. I love business, but the reason that I love it so much is because I love people. That is why I am pursuing a career in HR. I believe that it is the people that make a difference in the success of an organization, and I want to be a part of that. I want to know that the people that I help bring into an organization, will bring added value to that organization. The more I know about the organization, the more likely I am to succeed.

CISCO Sends Employees Home to Work

This was an interesting article in that many people still don't buy into the working at home = higher productivity statement. I asked around and a few people said that they would be more likely to "goof off" at home because there are so many distractions. I thought about this. For me, there are many distractions at work too. For example; my cell phone, my work phone, the internet, my co-workers, etc. I have to be honest, when there is not much going on in the office, I am easily distracted, but when things are really busy, I don't even take my phone out of my purse so that I can stay focused on my work.

Maybe CISCO has figured this out. Some positions have more constant work than others. It is possible that they send the employees home who have a lot of work to do, otherwise, the distractions would be too much of a risk. On the other hand, the distractions are there regardless of whether you are home or in the office. The difference is that you can monitor your employees better in the office. When employees are monitored too much, they may feel stressed and as a result feel unhappy. If you are constantly working, and your work can be monitored, you can work in the office or at home and sustain productivity.

For me, the idea of working from home sounds great. As I embark on a new chapter in my life, where the work life balance will be very important, I am hopeful that I will be able to work from home and be productive. I am hesitant to say that I will jump on this opportunity if I am offered it. I would at least like to try it out, and I hope that my employer will appreciate my attempt.

Better Management Through Better HR

Mr. Ulrich makes some interesting points about HR in today's economy. I have to agree with nearly all of them, but I don't think that he shed too much light on anything that he was asked. For example, the interviewer asked if HR is evolving & adapting in this recessionary environment. He stated the obvious answer, which is yes, and touched on the obvious, keeping employees happy, while managing to cut costs. This statement alone deserves a lot more attention. How do you do that without burning out your employees? Also, he didn't even touch on the technological aspects of evolving HR, and how many departments of HR will eventually be outsourced. In my opinion, the answer should have been more directed to HR as a department, not as a function of a company.

As a recruiter, I get to see the evolving HR department for many companies. More and more companies are using staffing agencies to due the recruiting and staffing of their employees. Many companies have outsourced their benefits department as well. As for the employment law issues of a company, most are handled by a lawyer or a company that is paid to do just that. What is left for HR to do, if many of the administrative functions have been outsourced? I feel that future HR managers will have to take on the role of business partners. These HR business partners will have a bigger stake in the actual function of the company. How they will combine the HR and business development is what will be what we have to look forward to as future HR managers.

When Mr. Ulrich was asked about the morale of employees vs. the morale of human resource management professionals, I wanted to ask Mr. Ulrich how HR management professionals are different from all other types of employees. Aren’t they under the same stresses that other employees are? I really liked how he discussed the 5 domains in keeping the morale of employees high. The 5 domains however, can be applied to all employees in all departments, across all industries.

Overall, Mr. Ulrich is right on in his responses to the questions, however, I feel like he could have answered more and gave more of his knowledge and experience.

"10 Ways Twitter Will Change American Business"

As with every new idea, technology, invention, or whatever, comes the good and the bad. This article touched on the positive and the negative aspects of Twitter as it relates to changing business in America.

Growing up, my father owned a Liquor Store. The 80's were a great time for him as far as his business was concerned. People bought alcohol, soft drinks, ice and many other things. When "Super Markets" made shopping a one stop shop for busy people, Consumers stopped visiting my father's store all together. Business took a hit. He had to invent new strategies if he wanted to stay in business. Fortunately, my father did have some business sense and began the following, in order to survive; cashing checks for a fee, renting an ATM machine, renting video games, selling money orders. He was able to stay in business for another 20 years before he decided to retire. My father did not even graduate High School, but he figured out a way to survive.

Personally, I enjoy the "one stop shop" of a super market, but I do feel bad for not supporting small businesses like my fathers. But I am a consumer like everyone else, and I am trying to make my life as easy as possible.

Twitter has many possibilities for its many types of users. I personally liked the idea of real time stock information for traders, but I do agree with the author of the article when he said that there is a potential for fraud by users posting inaccurate data. On the flip side to that, a user can post whatever he/she wishes; it is up to the reader of that post to make an informed decision about buying or selling. Furthermore, there are specific SEC laws that can be enforced if things get out of hand.

When the author talked about "Expanding the Power of Micropayments", he touched on something that is surely going to get the attention of the IRS: "Twitter may become a remarkably good way to keep money from the IRS." When I read this portion of the article, my mind did not even go there, but when the author mentioned it, I said "I could see that". In order to avoid that, the IRS will have to come up with new ways of monitoring money. Times are changing, so everyone (including Uncle Sam) must keep up with the changes.

Keeping up with the changes of society can present problems, but it is better to view them as opportunities. New business ideas may grow out of Twitter and new start-ups may form, who need qualified HR professionals with strong technical aptitude to help with their staffing issues. Just a thought.

"What is Web 2.0"

The term Web 2.0 is confusing for most people (myself included) because people throw the term around as if it is a new Web. I believed that I was not a Web 2.0 user because of my own resistance to the new features that the Web had to offer. Little did I know that Web 2.0 is being used be by accident. I'm sure many users have made this assumption too.

The web changed as the users gained confidence in their usage. The evolution of the Web is inevitable, and the companies that are recognizing this are ahead of the game. The "Netscapes" of the Web will be a thing of the past, and new and improved ideas will emerge. Let's think back 10-15 years ago when companies like Netscape and Napster were at the top. We could not even imagine what was next. Then Napster dissolved, and Google & ITunes emerged and their new ideas came to be a reality of the Web. The action of downloading has almost faded away. I have a feeling that my children will not even know what that is. The concept of data storage is even evolving. I was fascinated when I first started my Gmail account because the website claimed that I never needed to delete an email again. I was an AOL user, where my emails would just disappear after awhile when I wasn’t paying attention.

Things change so fast. I cannot wait until the next new idea that the next "Google" emerges, and what new technology will develop as a result. I never thought that I would be so excited to learn about the Web, but the more you get into it, the more you want to learn. 10 years ago I thought we were so ahead of the game, and I never imagined the magnitude and the capabilities of the Web. I thought we were at the top. Now, I think I know better, there will never be a top, we will continue to reinvent things to improve ourselves and become more efficient as a result.

Baby Boomers: New Consumers of Work

Although I am very pro-retirement, I feel that the by baby boomers not leaving the work force, this presents an opportunity for both Generation Y and Baby Boomers to learn from each other in the workplace. For example; when younger workers often come in for an interview, they often come in wearing some pretty unprofessional attire, or they often forget their manners all together. They are usually pretty confident, but I'm not sure why being as though they often have little or no work experience. When older workers come in for an interview, they will come in wearing suits & stockings (on women) and almost have a nervousness that often makes me nervous. The ideal interviewee is someone who has confidence, and knows why. Professionalism is very important, especially during an interview, where first impressions are usually lasting. I feel that suits and stockings are unnecessary, but jeans and t-shirts are just unprofessional. Something in the middle would probably suffice.

Baby boomers tend to work a lot because it is a socially expected. Today, workers are encouraged to take their vacation days or they will be lost. My parents think that it is strange to take vacations in an economic recession because they feel that by taking vacations, it shows a lack of interest in the company. They don't understand that pretty much everyone takes vacations, even bosses. Sometimes I feel guilty for taking vacation days, because my Dad never did. He thinks that it is strange when workers go into work at 10:00 AM, instead of 8:00 AM. He thinks that everyone should start early and end late, not start late and end late. How else do you show dedication?

I'm on the cusp of Generation X and Generation Y, but I feel like I work like a Baby Boomer sometimes. I know that by working long hours, you show dedication, but efficient work is more meaningful & relevant. I know this, but sometimes I get stuck in the old ways. I do not work with any Generation Y workers, but I am looking forward to working with them, as I feel I will learn from them.

The Way We'll Work

For me, it is frightening to think that the workplace is changing so quickly, being as though it just went through a drastic change so recently. Back then, it was so new & exciting to me. I was so thrilled about email and the internet, that I would get annoyed with people who would refuse to "get with it". Times are changing. Sometimes I feel like I am refusing to "get with it". There so many new technologies to learn about, as I'm still trying to keep up with current technologies. It is frustrating, but once I just accept that things are changing and I have to change with them, I just might benefit from these changes.

"The Future of Work" made many interesting predictions. I really related to 3 portions of the articles. The first one was "Women Will Rule Business". It is strange to think that when I was in high school, we debated why a woman could never lead our country, now we are predicting that women will lead business in America. (That was quick...I haven’t been out of high school for that long!) I remember talking about how women are too emotional to handle difficult situations. I am very embarrassed to say that I even remember agreeing. The article did not even mention the emotions of women. It touched on that women tend to be long term thinkers and that men tend to be risk takers (risky loans = demise of our banking system).

The next portion that I really enjoyed reading was "It Will Pay to Save the Planet". This was of interest to me because I feel that America is on the brink of the Green Industrial Revolution. It feels good to be part of something that is actually good for the earth while creating new jobs. Who knew, that just 4 years after the US refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, we would not only sign it, but hope to become the leaders in Green Energy.

The last portion of the article that I enjoyed reading was "The Last Days of Cubicle Life." This article touched on the changes in the workplace. This is very relevant to me, because I am trying to grow professionally while growing my family at the same time. The idea of working from home to balance work and life is so appealing to many people. I know that this will be the future for many professionals.

This article was a pleasure to read as it related to so many topics that we are going to be facing. As a matter of fact, I forwarded it to my manager to read.