theHRDIRECTOR’s new Editorial Panelist, Gemma Reucroft, HR Director (UK) at Tunstall Healthcare, talks about the positive impacts that embracing social networking can have on your professional HR capacity, performance and development.
I was recently asked how I found the time for social media. My response? Like anything in life, we find time for those things that we believe to be important, and I believe that social networking is an absolute must for me both as a HR professional and the leader of a team. There is no question that social media is game changing for HR and HR professionals. It has the ability to change everything we do; recruitment, learning and development, internal communications, engagement, employer branding, employee voice. The list of opportunities for its application and leverage is lengthy. So what does this mean for the HR professional? What is in it for you, your development, your career? We know that the world in which we live, and the world of work, is changing fast. Organisations need to be able to adapt quickly in the face of increasing globalisation, competition, technology. What employees want from their employers is also changing. HR Directors have an opportunity to lead their organisations through these changes, and provide our senior leaders with the tools they need to address the new demands on leadership these challenges bring. We simply must be able to keep up with new ideas, opportunities and technologies if we want to attract, retain, develop, reward and engage the best people. Social media can play a key role in helping you tackle these challenges head on.
Social media is a constant conversation and free flow of ideas. There is no easier and more timely way to find out what is happening in your industry, profession, even your personal interests, as well as finding out what your employees are thinking and feeling. There are active and collaborative social communities in Human Resources, Learning and Development and employment law. There is also a lively community of HR bloggers that will interest, engage and challenge you. Social media presents you with opportunities to network that would never be available to you in real life. Through Twitter, I share ideas and have regular dialogue with HR professionals all over the UK and the world, people I would never have had the opportunity to meet through traditional networking. These connections have translated into real life meetings, collaborations, shared projects, and even friendships.
As a leader, social media provides you with a simple and accessible way of talking to your teams and getting your message across. So much of internal communications within organisations is really just internal telling; talking at people rather than engaging them in a conversation. Social media is genuine communication because it facilitates a two way dialogue.
As a leader, social media has the power to make you real, approachable, inspirational. There are plenty of myths about social media. People will use it to time waste, bring the company into disrepute, cause you employment tribunal claims. It’s just for a certain generation, it will cause IT issues, it will be hard to justify the return on investment. As HR leaders we can either be the voice of risk, or the voice of reason. Managed properly social media will provide many more benefits to your organisation, and you personally, than it will present risks. My final reason why social media is so important to HR professionals: essentially, social media is about people. Whether you call it dialogue, internal communications, networking, collaboration, communities of practice, crowdsourcing, engagement, voice; it is all about people, and that is what we do. The best bit about HR social media? It’s free, easy, and welcoming. Dip your toe in the water, I guarantee you won’t regret it. Join in the conversation, be yourself, learn the benefits and then share them with the rest of your organisation. So, maybe I’ll see you on twitter? @HR_Gem
