The final 2 posts

Welcome to Discuss HR, the HR blog written by Human Resources UK. 

In the final post of our guest blogger week I thought I would indulge 2 corporate posts as they are both pretty interesting! Penna look at the effectiveness of social media to HR and the Guardian have an excellent infographic about the cost of your job.  (Ed Scrivener)

Research shows social media is now ‘a trusted tool’ for HR professionals

70% of recruiters now actively use and support the use of social media, and trust has grown significantly over the past two years, according to a research study from Penna Plc, a global HR Services Group.

An initial survey carried out in 2010 found that recruiters were largely suspicious of the benefits of social media, with 51% seeing it as ‘dangerous’ and feeling ‘uncomfortable’ using it. Two years later, this number has dropped to just 5%, and there are now an emerging group of ‘early adopters’ who are actively encouraging the use of social media to their peers. 45% of recruiters even classify themselves as ‘experts’, up from 23% in 2010.

Graeme Wright, Head of Strategy at Penna said, “It’s no surprise to hear that social media usage has increased among recruiters and HR professionals, but what’s interesting is the shift in attitudes towards it, from a general reticence or fear, to embracing and recommending. It’s clear that having a social media strategy is now considered ‘the norm’ within the industry.”

LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are the three most used social media channels among HR professionals and recruiters, with occasional use of blogs and videos. The research shows that whilst engagement with social media is increasing, recruitment and HR professionals have no plans to experiment with other forms of social media, which Graeme says “Suggests they would rather realise the full potential of the channels they are already using.” Conversely, 26% of employers are still trying to restrict Facebook access at work. This presents obvious practical challenges as Graeme explains, “ Employers are risking a disconnect with Generation Z, who do not see the need to separate work and social life - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, provided any policy is clear enough for the entire team to understand.”

The same applies to using social channels to access candidates. The report highlights an ongoing debate, with only 23% having a policy in place, which leads to confusion and a reluctance to use Facebook to research a candidate background for example, in case it constitutes gross misconduct. As a result over 60% say it is a “a concern that candidate information available online could get in the way of a fair recruitment process if used injudiciously”.

When it comes to making direct hires via social media, LinkedIn is highly regarded (12% say they have used it as a direct replacement for a consultant) and finding great talent. However there is still some confusion as to just how much this, along with other channels, can enhance recruitment practices and provide access to hard-to-reach groups. Graeme said, “Many respondents said they didn’t feel it helped them to reach anyone other than graduates, and the research showed it’s not used widely as an internal communication, or knowledge sharing, tool either. However, what is clearly understood is the link between social media presence and profile.” 

In addition to using social media as a means of communicating directly to candidates and building profile, employers are also showing they place real importance on monitoring, as a means of understanding the landscape, competitor activity and what people are saying about their brand online. The research showed that monitoring employer reputation in social media is done most effectively by those in HR roles but that those using an external agency report very good results (91% said they monitor well). However, Graeme says monitoring rarely works well in isolation and that managing by actively getting involved in conversations and shaping discussions is the only way to build a solid reputation. “96% of respondents said that managing their reputation online is important, and 85% believe it would have a direct impact on the perception of them as an employer of choice. What presents a challenge is having the time to do both well, which is why external agencies are perceived positively by those we surveyed,” he said.

Overall, the research has shown that whilst social media usage is most certainly increasing, there are still areas of untapped potential, particularly when it comes to advertising, gathering insight, and knowledge sharing. Graeme adds, “Whilst the research shows recruiters are confident in their use of social media, their feedback shows they value external insight and support too. Sometimes, it can be a challenge finding the time to develop and implement a social media strategy, but companies like Penna can help. Social media, used wisely can actively improve your organisation and we’re committed to making this happen for our clients.”

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How much does your job cost you?

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Discuss HR is the HR blog written by members of Human Resources UK, the 10,000 member strong LinkedIn group dedicated to the HR professionals in the UK.  Discuss HR is published twice weekly and looks to take an insightful, informative and sometimes irreverent view on the world of HR – all with the purpose of generating a discussion.

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If you would like to be a guest writer for Discuss HR, you can find more information here.  Our next guest writer week is the week commencing 26^th August.

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Networking & Schmoozing

Welcome to Discuss HR, the HR blog written by Human Resources UK. 

Today’s edition of Discuss HR is by none other than myself, so I’ll get straight to the point! (Ed Scrivener)

Networking & Schmoozing

If you’ve been reading Discuss HR since we started 3 years ago you will know I have written a number of posts relating to networking.  I have commented about how I felt HR could and should do more; I have arranged numerous HR networking events; and I have written how those entering into the world of independent HR consultancy need to appreciate that good sales isn’t phone bashing, but relationship building.  My twitter profile refers to me as a “networker and schmoozer”, the sentiment is sincere albeit expressed in a rather tongue in cheek manner.  In short, or at least short for me, I like networking!

I have spent the bulk of my career as a service provider, so it is easy to suggest my networking was sales focused.  I freely admit that there certainly was an element to that.  I have always believed you need to enter into a networking relationship with the belief that you are looking to help the other person, not just seek their help.  There are so many benefits to good networking; you can learn from your peers; you can find opportunities of all sorts; or you can just make good friends!

I recently benefited from my years of networking.  Late last year I decided it was time for me to make a career change and move away from being a 3^rdparty provider to become an in-house recruiter.  I looked at how I could achieve this move and decided to make a two pronged attack, firstly via social media and secondly via my network.  I reached out to everyone I knew professionally to seek their help and advice about my move and hopefully to hear about suitable opportunities.  To say I was overwhelmed by the response is a huge understatement!  I had numerous conversations with experienced people in the field that were able to advise me as to what information I needed to include in my CV and what approach I needed to take.  I had several referrals from people who flagged roles they had seen advertised.  Probably most valuable of all, I heard about opportunities with organisations where the role has not gone to market yet.  Therefore I wasn’t up against countless other applicants.  I had managed to catch a number of people who were in the process of reviewing their resourcing strategy and so my approach ended up being incredibly timely.  Not every approach resulted in a formal interview, but it would be naive to think it would.  Instead and importantly I become a known quantity within the field for the organisation which should hold me in good stead for the future.  But most importantly of all, these approaches did result in formal interviews (8 in total via networking) and crucially I secured exactly the type of role I wanted.  To further add to the proof that this is the best way to secure a role, I applied for 2 roles via traditional job boards; I wasn’t interviewed for either!

I firmly believe that following my years of taking the effort to go out and meet people both virtually and in real life, coupled with my desire to help them when they needed it resulted in this very positive resolution to my job hunt.  So my advice to anyone, whether you’re looking for work or not, a business owner or employee is to get out and do that networking and schmoozing!

Read about Ed and our other authors here

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Discuss HR is the HR blog written by members of Human Resources UK, the 10,000 member strong LinkedIn group dedicated to the HR professionals in the UK.  Discuss HR is published twice weekly and looks to take an insightful, informative and sometimes irreverent view on the world of HR – all with the purpose of generating a discussion.

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If you would like to be a guest writer for Discuss HR, you can find more information here.  Our next guest writer week is the week commencing 29^th April.

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The big misunderstanding about online networking

Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.

Human Resources UK is a LinkedIn group and by default is a social networking forum.  As such it is only apt that following last week’s article about how and why HR should network more that we conclude the theme focusing on online networking.  Today we welcome our latest guest writer, Ellen Selby, an experienced blogger and somewhat of a social media guru. (Ed Scrivener)

The big misunderstanding about online networking

You WILL listen to everything I say!

The misunderstanding between social networking online and social networking face to face is long present in today’s world of constant ’dialogue’ marketing. However, you’ll find that both are equally as effective if you can understand them well enough.

Whether you’re a twitter addict, and you find – like many of us – a smartphone glued to your hand each day, or you simply cannot stop talking, you are basically using networking techniques that are the same. The only difference is, one of them is getting misunderstood far more than the other. Let me explain.

You’ve probably caught onto the relatively new craze that is Social Media for your business. Of course, whether it is working for you is another matter entirely and is dependent on whether you’re using it in the right way for the right reasons. To illustrate the point properly: what do you do when you attend a Social Networking event, to make you and your business look fantastic?

Common practise is to ask a fair amount of questions, answer the ones you can answer, interact animatedly with all potential clientele that you find, offer help to others as well as accepting help from the members of your networking group, and advertising your business where possible and when it is appropriate. It is this high and diverse level of interaction that face to face marketing allows that gives it the potential to be successful. However, many people using Social Media online find that they cannot replicate this successful social process. Rather, they are using online social media to talk AT people.

Let’s put it this way. When, at a networking event have you responded well to someone talking ‘at’ you? Unless the person in question is an incredibly inspirational speaker, you are unlikely to respond positively. Unfortunately a lot of people use Social Media for precisely this, and assume it is a free ‘Social Advertising space’, forgetting about the ‘Social Networking’, engagement or interaction element. These users post their content and leave it, without interacting with others or looking up relevant topics at the time. Not only does this make their posts uninteresting, it also makes the news they are reporting irrelevant to what is happening at the time and gives no opportunity for further engagement.

Unfortunately, of the 90% of websites and businesses that use Social Media as a networking tool, only 50% use it effectively. This leaves a large percentage of businesses tweeting and Facebooking into nothingness, when this needn’t be the case at all. The trick is to mimic the same skills you would use at your physical networking events, and use them online. For instance, the one thing everyone loves to do – business or no business, is talk about themselves! So ask your followers questions to show you are interested in helping, and give your followers the opportunity to indulge in writing a few lines themselves. This not only promotes the same feelings of involvement and community, similar to networking events, but also engages people so you are able to learn more about your potential customers.

Whether you are talking to an actual crowd or your online followers, your networking techniques need to be engaging and filled with the personality of your business. If you find yourself needing to ‘advertise’ certain aspects of your business online, ensure that your posts are enthralling and customer focused, and steer clear of saying anything on Social Networking sites that you would not say ‘out loud’.

The tone of Social Media is forever changing, and will continue to do so as we move forward, causing us to constantly evolve and change how we present ourselves. We must be flexible: but hold onto the human element that we know wins business.

About the author

Ellie Selby’s specialities lie in the realms of Social Media and helping and adapting businesses to grow their sales in the world of B2B. Quality and not Quantity is what matters when Social Media is involved: to be worthwhile it must reap results.

Email | LinkedIn |Website

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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK.  Next week’s Discuss HR will be published on Thursday 21^st June and will be written by employment law expert Annabel Kaye.

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HR, get out and network!

Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.

Well that was the long weekend that was and what a brilliant example of how us Brits can make the most of any situation.  The site of the drenched choir serenading the Queen and crowds in the Jubilee flotilla was a joy to behold and was echoed throughout the country with soaked street party-goers determined to have a good time.  Regular readers will know how I like my (very) tenuous links and these gatherings show how much we gain from meeting people.  Putting that into a work sense today I explore why HR needs to get out and meet more people. (Ed Scrivener)

HR, get out and network!

Maybe 3am was too early to start this event?

I shall start with a slight apology.  Regular readers will know these blog posts are non-promotional, but there will be an air of promotion to this!  Before you run for the hills I am not promoting how great my services are, but rather promoting this group – so apologies for breaking my own rules, but it is in a good cause!

Last month we held our latest round of networking events which were bigger and better than before, 7 in total held across the UK.  The reason I instigated these events were on the back of a survey I sent to group members a year ago.  A number of people commented that they wished to take their online networking into the real world and actually meet their connections!  Since the inception the events have been attended by more and more people, which is fantastic but what I would like to look at today is the need for HR to network more, in fact a whole lot more! (I will add this is not a veiled attempt to grow numbers to the events!)

First and foremost, why do we network?  Whilst there are some truly selfless people out there, I’d suggest 99.99% of us network to get something in return.  This doesn’t need to be as cold and calculated as winning new business or finding a job, it could be simply as honest as wanting to expand your knowledge or even just talking to peers (a trait particularly important to self-employed consultants I may add!).  Clearly one of the most important factors is choosing the right networking avenue – if you attend spam sales sponsored by spamalot then clearly you’re going to be bombarded! – but it you do some research you should quite easily find numerous events that are just there to let you network.  Whilst everyone will be there to get something out of the event, they won’t be there to thrust business cards down your throat.

So why is this not only beneficial, but essential for HR professionals to be at these events?

I’ll use the recent HRUKLI events as an example.  I am aware that some attendees have found new employees via these events.  I may be an evil recruitment consultant wanting to charge extortionate fees, but even I can see the benefit of recruiting via referrals as the cost is a big fat £0!  Looking on a less tangible sense but networking can also do wonders for the employer branding of a business. You not only represent yourself at these events but your business too; you can wax lyrical about what your business does and without doubt you’ll raise a few admiring eyebrows. A further example would be expanding your knowledge.  Meeting with your peers you are undoubtedly going to meet those who specialise in areas different to yourself.  Rather than paying for support, a simple chat in this environment may provide the solution you needed.  In the recent HRUKLI events we had a number of themes which did just so, such as an employment law clinic and a discussion on the recent pension changes.

All of the above are rather obvious reasons for networking, but only touch upon the 2 elements of networking I feel are essential.  Firstly, the above examples are all about attending HR events which is fine, but I’d be very interested to find out how many HR professionals have attended general business networking events? I’d strongly suspect very few.  We all know and often have to go out of our way to state that HR is a valid and valued business function, if so why is HR not participating in these kind of events?  Networking amongst entrepreneurs and senior managers of other businesses will without doubt expand a person’s knowledge.  You may also be in a position to change people’s opinion of HR in a commercial sense, which is no bad thing!  A criticism often levelled at HR is that it is often a blinkered profession, whether this is a valid argument or not mingling with other professions will give you a certain insight.

Trying to catch all the business cards proved tough...

Before moving on to the next point I will say that of all the types of networking events the general business events are the ones to be most cautious about!  Please research the right type to attend otherwise you’ll find yourself at 7.00am drinking a liquid apparently called “Tea” whilst being cornered by a desperate sales person!

Over 98% of the traffic that views this blog site is referred via a social media site.  No surprise when you consider I market it mainly on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.  As a result, the very nature you are reading this means to an extent I will be preaching to the converted.  Nevertheless I feel HR needs to do far, far more social networking.  As I have often written about HR and social media I won’t bore you by regurgitating the same information, but I will cover the salient points.  Essentially social media is a fantastic medium for employee engagement, talent management, employer branding and comms to name but a few.  However, too many HR divisions are focused on policing social media than utilising it.  So stop being stuffy and start engaging!  I find it very interesting discussing, or just eavesdropping, with my Twitter buddies as numerous have commented that in the last 12 months the best  new contacts they have made have been via Twitter (other mediums are available, but they’re probably not as good!).  I would strongly agree with these sentiments.  You can find some truly inspiring and knowledgeable people on Twitter (you can also find me, so maybe it’s not that good...) and you can use it to bring together numerous areas of interest in one fell swoop.  The beauty of this is that you’ll soon find out how many of your peers share your hobby, or vice versa, which will undoubtedly strengthen your relationship.  If you’re thinking of joining Twitter or want to expand your HR networking I would strongly recommend you look up the #connectingHR tag.  This is an incredibly interesting and engaging HR community who you’ll find most welcoming.

Have I made a convincing argument to make you network more? Maybe, maybe not, but as I have found time and time again the proof is in the pudding.  Try networking a bit more than you currently do and I am extremely confident you will start seeing tangible benefits. So come on HR, get out and network!

HR networking events to consider (all have come recommended):

• HRUKLI – surely I have to put this at the top of the list, as it’s the events of our group!
• ConnectingHR – they have various events and tweet-ups and reach areas even we don’t get to, namely Dublin!
• Reconverse – they discuss the future of talent management

General business events:

• The likes of Business for breakfast and 4 Networking can be good, but the quality does vary from region to region.
• Check with your local Chambers of Commerce as I have found the best events are specific to an area and you should find a list of events there.

About the author

Ed is an HR recruitment specialist and social media trainer.  He holds over 8 years industry specific experience recruiting mainly for middle and senior HR management positions. He stumbled upon social media a few years ago and has since become passionate about the subject.  He now trains companies and individuals alike in social media techniques. He is the Group Manager of Human Resources UK and Editor of Discuss HR and occasionally his humour will creep into articles!

Blog | Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website

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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK.  Next week’s Discuss HR will be published on Thursday 14^th June and we welcome our latest guest writer, experienced blogger Ellen Selby.

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Beware of Big Brother

Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.

This week there is good news and bad news.  The good news is that there is no long winded introduction; the bad news is that it is my turn to write the blog post!  Today I have written about how job seekers really need to be aware how they use social media as they could be harming their chances of securing work. (Ed Scrivener)

Beware of Big Brother

I suppose the title should read “Beware the Big Brothers” as I do feel any sane person should run from the recurring reality show, never mind the haunting original Orwellian Big Brother!  But in this instance this Big Brother is the spying eye of your future employer.

I am sure you are all aware of numerous cases of people not being hired, or even fired, due to the content of their Facebook account.  Scantily clad photos or referring to your current boss in unflattering terms is often the sure fire way of not being offered the new job.  Quite frankly though, I am sure 99% of you reading this are fully aware that you shouldn’t undertake such practices so I am not going to preach to the converted, instead my focus is on a more subtle area.

You will be reading this either via LinkedIn, Twitter or directly via the blog site.  In which case, you will have a certain level of understanding about the world of social media.  One of the key aspects about social media, in whatever guise you look at it, is that what you post is there for the world to see and invariably will be there to see forever.  It is with this in mind that I ask you to think about how you use social media and to be aware of the long term repercussions.

In recent months I have become increasingly shocked by the content added by job seekers to various social media mediums.  They haven’t been posting scantily clad photos (although some people’s LinkedIn profile photos are wholly inappropriate!), likewise, they haven’t been tweeting about how they hate HR whilst looking for an HR Manager role (although again you’d be surprised!).  These job seekers have been involved in posting what appears to be professional content, be it via URLs or simply partaking in a forum discussion.  However, when you scratch beneath the surface the content they are using does not paint them in a positive light.  Essentially what they are doing is complaining about certain professional related facets, for example tweeting they just had an interview with someone “rather boring”!  As it has been stated that over 80% of potential employers will do a search on applicants social media presence this kind of tweet is not going to be received well (especially if you are the boring person reading it!).

Don't get caught whinging!

The example I have cited is a more extreme case which again I feel most of you would know not to do.  However, there are further examples where job seekers may not understand the negative impact their content may have.  Searching for work can be an extremely frustrating process, we all know recruiters and companies alike can have rather dubious recruitment processes that leave us angry.  I believe it is good for the soul to air your frustrations as it puts them behind you.  But it is important these frustrations are aired in private with your closet friends and not in a public arena where anyone, especially the hiring manager reviewing your CV can read them.  A few months ago, a rather honest contact of mine explained to me that he had Googled a person he was due to interview and found numerous comments by that person on a variety of sites and he stated that she just came across as whining, something he really didn’t want in his team.  Whilst he didn’t say as much, I am sure he would have gone into the interview with that preconception the person was a whiner, regardless of whether that was the truth.  Again this is probably an extreme example, but it does go to show how content can have a negative impact.

It is also very important that your content matches up to what you actually feel or verbally state.  I interviewed someone recently whose comments to me verbally where at complete opposites to their social media content.  This left me rather confused as to what I should believe and what the person’s genuine thoughts were and as such it was only natural that I then cast doubts on the credibility of other statements they made.

If you are not sure of the level of impact this can have why don’t you try Googling yourself or a colleague.  You will be amazed about how much you can find and how easy it is to do.  This is what 80% of hiring managers do...

A casual look at my LinkedIn profile or for those that know me, will know I am a HUGE fan of social media.  It is has now been adopted as the central theme to how I work, simply put, I think it’s fantastic!  So this is not an attempt by me to put you off the medium, as I firmly believe you will gain far more than you will lose by using social media.  Instead, it is just to err caution when you are posting to think how that comment could be received.  Written communication is renowned for being misunderstood, so try to understand the different ways your comments can be read before you vent your spleen!

About the author

Ed is an HR recruitment specialist and social media trainer.  He holds over 8 years industry specific experience recruiting mainly for middle and senior HR management positions. He stumbled upon social media a few years ago and has since become passionate about the subject.  He now trains companies and individuals alike in social media techniques. He is the Group Manager of Human Resources UK and Editor of Discuss HR and occasionally his humour will creep into articles!

Blog | Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website

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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK.  Next week’s Discuss HR will be published on Thursday 26^th January when we will welcome back guest writer and employer and personal brand specialist Paul Goring.

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