Fast Forward: 25 Trends That Will Change the Way you Do Business

In the article, " Fast Forward: 25 Trends That Will Change the Way You do Business", the main point is that the world of workforce management will be completely different 1o years fom now. Some examples of changes: Emailing may evolve into a more powerful information-management and collaboration tool. An internet pioneer named Vinton Cerf predicts that automatic language translation will take hold. Organized labor will increase, Coporation involvment in public schools will increase, workplace privacy regulations may be adopted from Europe in the United States, companies may be open around the clock, and Artificial Intelligence will bring advances but may bring up ethical concerns. There are many more trends that will change the way you do business. Since this article was written a little more than five years ago, some of the predictions have come true. I am excited to see what will happen in the next 5 years.

HR Technology Profile - Group Assignment: Rajith & Eric

Radio Show #3: Kent Plunkett, Founder & CEO, Salary.com




Salary.com integrates data and technology to provide on-demand compensation and talent management web tools for HR professionals, business executives and applicants. Salary.com offerings include on-demand software services such as: Professional Edition for Small Business – a market pricing tool for companies with 200 employees or less, CompAnalyst™ - a market pricing, survey management and pay analytics suite, TalentManager™ - a compensation planning and performance management application, Salary Wizard® - free Salary data for applicants, and Personal Salary Reports.

HR Technology Profile

Best of Breed – YES best of breed tech vendor with the most configurable software for consumers, enterprises and small businesses. Salary data and functionality with talent management software and on-demand compensation data and software.

Niche vs. Suite - Suit vendor: On-demand talent management software, on-demand compensation data, and salary content and research services.

Delivery Model – Software as a Service: browser based.

Very Important Concepts - Help level the playing field between applicant and employers in salary negotiations by giving ordinary people access to the same salary survey data available to HR or an employer. Other concepts of interest: Pay for performance concepts, talent/performance management, balanced score cards, and smart goals.

Kent Plunkett founded Salary.com also, talks about how HR is pushing talent/performance management and sees it going main stream in the next couple of years.

Six Steps to Company-Wide Adoption Thoughts

In "Six Steps to Company-Wide Adoption", Michael Indinopulos states that many companies have begun integrating individual technologies such as (wikis, blogs, RSS, etc).  Since technologies is always changing, it is now being integrated into a unified platform.  Companies believe that the way to deploy such platform is through a company wide pilot.  Michael does not believe company wide pilot will work sufficiently. He believes that using the six ways to adoption social software will work better. Michael states that Social software must be deploy similarly like a presidential campaign. There must be individual campaigns in each department, branch,  like a presidential candidate running campaigns in each individual state.  The six steps is as follows.  1. Encourage a broad range of use cases. 2.  Recruit energetic champions across the organization. 3. Launch the tools with hands-on experience for new users. 4. Route repeat activities through social software. 5. Integrate with existing systems of record. 6. Leverage public communities. I believe that Michael's six Steps to company wide adoption is more realistic and will work better.  

Naomi Lee Bloom Podcast Thoughts (Bill Kutik Radio Show)

In this podcast, Bill Kutick introduces Naomi Lee Bloom, the managing partner of Bloom and Wallace.  Naomi Lee Bloom said that companies should look under the covers in regards to purchasing new Human Resource programs from vendors. She recommends companies to develop scenarios for vendors to demonstrate how this program will execute those particular scenarios. Companies need to know the functionality and how the programs works.  Naomi states that there is a new appreciation to companies signing up to vendors. Companies are signing up for the vendor's best practices.  Some best practices can not be changed and should be kept unique. This will show what this vendor's product can or can not do.  Naomi Lee Bloom's main point in regards to a new hr program is to apply the same standards that you would with an hr practitioner to candidates, employees to vendors.  Naomi Lee Bloom also states that the reason why Bloom and Wallace is on top of the HR world is because of the constant research and integration of new technologies. 

HR's Struggle with Web 2.0

Wow, This article hits dead on with my organization. From what I know. The process that is used to recruit candidates is through our UC Berkeley website. We post our open positions online for the public to see and hope for candidates to respond and submit a resume. This is the only time our department uses the web in the process to finding a suitable candidate. There is no active search through the web or through any possible means of marketing our open positions out to the public. There is no active searches on social networks such as Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace or any other kinds of social networking applications.  The way we keep track of the resumes submitted for a specific position is by manually filing them alphabetically, and by date of when the candidate contacted.  One of my projects that was given to me a month ago was sorting our resumes to see if we had contacted them for an interview by comparing the HR Director's Calendar to the resumes. We have filing cabinets filled with resumes. Even if we started to use Web 2.0 as a possible recruiting tool, our IT department and our school must go through many processes to get it approved. If the use of Web 2.0 applications were to be approved, that would same so much time, money, and be a lot more sufficient. 

ESF Catering: How to promote the business Charter

http://www.esfcatering.com

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This page created on November 18, 2008 by Eric Chu

Problem Statement                                                                                                                                                             

ESF Catering has been in a business slump for about four weeks. The reviews of the last event when 

very well, however there has been no inquires or reservations for any future events. Since ESF Catering  is operated by solely one person, in what way can one person gain more client retention? The Founder  would like to investigate and implement an effective campaign to promote the business by 12/31/09.

The founder would like to investigate how Web 2.0 Technology applications can promote the business. 

Problem Detail                                                                                                                                                                        

• Investigate other Catering Company Websites, and creating an ESF Catering Wiki.

Customers                                                                                                                       

• Current and Future Clientele

 

Business Case                                                                                                                                                                        

ESF Catering needs more demand for their services and to build ongoing relationships 

with companies. To advertise awareness through Web 2.0 Technology.

In Scope                                                                                                                                                                                  

• Solution to create ESF CATERING Wiki or a running website.

 

Out Scope                                                                                                                                                                                  

• Hiring a Web Designer to create a company website, not a wiki, 
• Promote business through social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, Blogspot .
• Maintenance of the Company Website.
• Building an on- call staff for future events.

 

Success Metrics                                                                                                                                  

• Increase of catering inquiries due to the website.(Email, blogs, voice-mails)
• Increase of Website visits (Counter) 

Deliverables                                                                                                                     

• Implementation of Social Networking Applications
• Communication Plan

                                                                                    

Resources                                                                                                                       

• Project Management/Analysis - Eric 
• Technical- (Hired Help)

The Machine is Us/ing US Thoughts

" The Machine is Us/ing Us" video was very informative. It shows us how human contribution will continue to create new technologies.  The video showed the evolution of HTML coding to XML coding. The original web was described as information only but now Web 2.0 is linking people together where people are now sharing,  trading, collaborating information and not just linking information. A real life example of people now sharing, trading, and collaborating information would be this class.  We are constantly sharing information, insight, and have the ability to collaborate without physically being in the same room.  Jun has introduced us to Web 2.0 applications that will benefit us for the rest of our lives. 

Comment on the Article "New 2008 Social Technographics data reveals rapid growth in adoption"

I believe that this article, "New 2008 Social Technographics data reveals rapid growth in adoption" has a great deal of truth and very accurate predictions of the years to come in regards to Social Technographics. To be quite honest, I was probably considered just a joiner before taking this HR Systems and Technology Class.  Now that I have been exposed to new applications, such as publishing blogs, publishing my own webpages, writing articles and stories to post, I can consider myself as a Creator. I agree with the article that the reason why the growth of Creators increased slightly was because of people not wanting to talk about themselves or anything else online. I was very uncomfortable to talk about myself on blogs before this class, but now, it's a different story. My comfort level has changed drastically.  I also believe that the percentages of Creators will continually grow in minimal way.  My sister and I introduced social networks to my parents so that can communicate easier with family friends, and colleagues. I am proud that my father now has a Linkedin account and also a Facebook account. My mother is still resistant to technology but now she is reading online forums and customer ratings/reviews. At this time last year, my parents would fall under the Inactive Level.  This is an example of the increase in Joiners and Spectators from 2007 to 2008.

What Level does my Organization fall on the CMM

In my organization, I believe that the level they fall under on the Capability Maturity Model would be Level 3 (Process Standardization).  Process Standardization is what upper management focuses on. Our Human Resource, Accounting, IT Department, Purchasing, and Research Team all follow a standardized process.  However our Travel/Reimbursement department has been in dire need to standardize their travel and reimbursement processes. Purchase Orders were back up for months and students and Professors were not getting reimbursed in a timely fashion. The lack of a supervisor did not help either.  Upper management, myself, and the reimbursement team sat down together to figure out a standardized process to make sure all Purchase orders were process in a timely matter. In that meeting we development key requirements on what steps to follow, and what goals needed to be met. We also brought in our IT programmer to help create a more functional online system to submit, store, and keep records of the purchase orders. Other than our Travel/ Reimbursement department our organization would be considered defined. I believe that the Travel and Reimbursement Department would fall under Level 2 (Managed) for now.

Is YOUR company in tune with Web 2.0??

My reaction after reading this article was …um what? It was  a little bit to much..

 To summarize this article in a few sentences,  is to highlight the differences of  Web 2.o. to Web 1.o

 

Web 1.0		Web 2.0
DoubleClick	-->	Google AdSense
Ofoto	-->	Flickr
Akamai	-->	BitTorrent
mp3.com	-->	Napster
Britannica Online	-->	Wikipedia
personal websites	-->	blogging
evite	-->	upcoming.org and EVDB
domain name speculation	-->	search engine optimization
page views	-->	cost per click
screen scraping	-->	web services
publishing	-->	participation
content management systems	-->	wikis
directories (taxonomy)	-->	tagging ("folksonomy")
stickiness	-->	syndication

 

With Web 2.o,  there is no hard boundary  but has a gravitational core.  The focus of strategic position of Web 2.o  is the platform of the web. The core competencies: consists of services, not package software, architecture of participation, cost-effective scalability, remixable data source and data transformations, software above the level of a single device, and harnessing collective intelligence. Web 2.0 was created to evolve web based communities, social networking sites, blogs, tagging, and wikis. In my organization I am not sure what system the HR Department uses but I definitely know we are  not Web 2.o. I do not think we will be Web 2.o for many many years.

In Class Group Assignment Eric and Rajith

Technology Tools

Concept of Bookmarking




Name: http://delicious.com

Comparable Technology: Browser Favorites, BookmarkSync, CiteULike, and Windows Live.

What is it? Delicious is a Social Bookmarking service, which means you can save all your bookmarks online, share them with other people, and see what other people are bookmarking.

What problem is it designed to solve: Access to your web links from any computer with a Internet connection, pull together information to individual needs “reminder”, and find new bookmarks from people like you.

Pros: Web links can be accessed anywhere from a web connection, tag info, and sharing links.

Cons: Privacy and personal tracking issues.

Thoughts on the article, "Why We Hate HR"

 

Keith H. Hammonds, Deputy editor of Fast Company states, " And if it's not clear already, I don't like HR, either, which is why I'm here. The human-resources trade long ago proved itself, at best, a necessary evil -- and at worst, a dark bureaucratic force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change. HR is the corporate function with the greatest potential -- the key driver, in theory, of business performance -- and also the one that most consistently underdelivers". Wow, that is definitely some powerful words. I respect his thoughts on the disconnect between HR and companies. While reading this article, I always think of the TV show, "The Office". In this show, The regional manager of Dunder Mifflin (Paper Supply Company), Michael Scott absolutely despises another fellow employee named Toby Flenderson.  Toby is a corporate employee who is the Human Resource Representative for the branch. Michael describes him as evil, and the only reason why Toby is there is to make life hell and not fun.  It is true that a Human Resource department needs to follow strict guidelines and regulations that must be rolled out and followed to the employees. However, this is the way it has to be.  Many people believe that HR departments hamper the growth of the business but In my opinion, I believe strongly HR departments are there to protect the company and its people in different ways.  I disagree with Keith Hammonds when he states that HR people aren't the sharpest tacks in the box. I believe that people who pursue a career in Human Resources are ambitious and want to make a difference.  One of my first jobs was an HR assistant for a very small company, I remember an HR job was described as " pushing paper work, and thats it".  Look at the Human Resource Departments now, it has evolved drastically.  

John Montgomery Rouse states, "HR is becoming more and more focused on being a driver to business results. I find your viewpoint valid, but it just ain't right. You are ignoring the very point of where HR is going and why so many Y Generation graduates are interested in a career in psychology and HR - I firmly believe HR is an intergral part of the success of the company - when it is used with genuine hard strategic thinking. Bad HR, like bad finances, poison companies. Great HR, like great financial skills, can add immensely to top line (Less burnout, more retention so less recruitment, induction, and succession costs) and to the bottom line (Nurturing talent DOES drive business results). HR needs to convince the board that strategic HR is the key to people's earning potential and then the door will spring open"

At my previous company, there were talks about opening up a division that staffed only Human Resource positions.  The demand of Human Resource needs have increased rapidly through the recent years.  I do believe there is still a great deal of work and we will need patients for others to respect HR departments.  To be honest with you, when I accepted my current position, I was absolutely shocked on how badly the HR Department was.  Everything was so unorganized.  The explanation of my benefits, payroll setup, and the lack of communication almost made me rescind my acceptance. However, I came to my senses and said that this could be a great opportunity where I can make a difference. In my mind,  I am close to finishing up my Certificate program, and I could utilize what I have learned to make this department run smoother,  sufficient, and also to recruit the best and brightest people to make the organization stand out.

Turnover Rate is an issue. HR is usually to blame for employees who stay for only 6 months. I believe it is a combination of things. Again at my previous company,  the turnover rate for employees was astounding.  In one year, a whole division of employees in a branch could change 2-3 times. The reason behind that is "not because of the HR department", its because of the quick action to fill a seat.  Upper Management tends to hire quick,  not give anyone proper training, and in three to four weeks, the new employee is lost and disheartened by the situation. They end up using the last two weeks trying to find another job. If there was an HR department dedicated to hire properly, train properly, give detailed description of what the job entailed, and expectations there would be less turnover.  

Bill Kutik- POD CAST#13 with Jason Averbrook

Just a side note. This was the first podcast I have ever listen to. In this podcast, Bill Kutik introduces Jason Averbrook who is the CEO of Knowledge Infusion, a consulting authority on human resources and talent management.  Jason spoke about how companies were spending so much on software which could not be used to the fullest potential due to people who were not SME's to rollout or introduce new application software.  Jason reiterated that there were shortages on "skills" and the CEO's of companies started to be involved. Bill Kutik said that Web 2.0 is a big hype, but no one is actually using it.  Many companies are not comfortable with change. In my previous companies, our database that we used was called MicroJ. This was an application where we would manually type in candidate's information on skills sets, education, work experience, and other personal information. This database was used to match up skills sets, experience, to any open job order we needed to fill. Not only would our searches come up with the same people, because we relied on people coming into our office to sign up we were not utilizing applications such as Linkedin to find new candidates.  With the use of LinkedIn and Facebook, such applications where it is free and with more information, MicroJ is unnecessary. The company spent millions on this program and it needs to be constantly updated. With LinkedIn and Facebook, the information is constantly being updated without the time an effort of an employee.  This would save so much money for the company, but the issue is security. Web 2.0 allows a more centralization of interacting with people. It is collaborative and community based. Such application that Jason talks about is Linkedin, Facebook. He states that Linked In and Facebook knows more about an individual than the CEO of a company. With that in mind, this allows Jason and Knowledge Infusion to scan individuals who are experience in certain skills and experience.