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HR vs IT

Steve Boese led a very interesting topic of discussion at HRevolution.  His talk revolved around the processes of integrating technology into business, specifically human resources.  A resident expert on the subject, Steve is a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he spreads the gospel of all things holy technology.  He also writes a great blog:  Steve Boese’s HR Technology.

After Steve’s session we had a sidebar discussion relating to interactions among technical employees and human resource employees in addition to the paranoia of technology.  The most obvious issues identified dealt with the huge communication barrier between these two groups, especially when focused on a project.

Where do the problems lie?  In a lot of cases I believe the problems begin with the identification of candidates for a project team.  Just because an individual may be extremely proficient in the technical aspects of their job does not mean they will be able to communicate.  Same goes for the human resources side.  Not all human resource professionals are able to communicate effectively.  Without identifying key components of communication abilities in one’s personality you set yourself up for failure.  Once you have your team in place, if you do not recognize any inconsistencies in the understanding of the scope and intent of the project from any team members, fail again.

Where do you begin?  Do you train a “techy” on human resource concepts so they understand your view point and overall intent of a process or project?  Or, do you attempt to teach an HR professional how to program?

In my opinion, I believe the most beneficial scenario would be a little of both.  Identify an employee/team member who is technically adept and has a good foundation in human resources.  They do not need to know how to physically program but by understanding the language and procedures, they have a better chance to encourage effective communication.  They can be your liaison between the two groups.  The idea is to find individuals who are able to transcend the stereotypical behaviors of “techies” and human resource professionals.

What do you think?  What is the best way for human resource departments to acquire the technical skills to make us effective?  Train existing HR professionals on the technologies or bring in more technically skilled workers in to HR?

Did you hear the sonic boom the evening of November 6^th?  I did, but that was only because I was on hour 10 of my 12 hour drive from home in Tallahassee, FL to HRevolution in Louisville, KY.  Fifty or so HR bloggers and social media advocates came together for a two day event to share, discuss, eat, drink and be merry.  My experience was truly amazing.  I plan to have more details of the happenings in a later post, but first a self-indulgent top 20 list of things I learned about fellow HR bloggers.

1.   @sexythinker can eat a mad breakfast is both sexy and a thinker!
2.   Do not give @HR_Minion replicas of Louisville sluggers, your laptop will never be the same.
3.   @BenEubanks has Diet Mt. Dew coursing through his veins and can walk on his hands.
4.   @ADowling sees dead people, specifically “ladies in white” that haunt the Seelbach.
5.   @SteveBoese is seriously concerned about the ROI of wearing pants!
6.   The airlines have been saved by @MarenHogan – she purposely misses flights.
7.   @TheLance pays members of the audience to shout out that he is the “smartest man in the room.”
8.   Did you know that @lruettimann is a bifurcating trophy wife? @kenruet is one lucky guy!
9.   @ewmonster will in fact cut a b*$@!.
10.   Apparently @blogging4jobs is an extrovert – who knew?
11.   @tlcolson may wear steel toed work boots to work but she will look damn good in them!
12.   @joanginsberg IS taller than her avatar.
13.   Don’t worry, according to @stelzner, he really is a man.
14.   You can place blame on @akaBruno, he’ll accept.
15.   The Ultimate Twitter Lurker is @logicwriter.
16.   @TrishMcFarlane is a freak wrangler.
17.   @theredrecruiter gladly takes requests to sing Kumbaya.
18.   Shh, @BKRecruiter is secretly THE Burger King!
19.   @designtwit is an enabler of our need for bacon love. I think someone ate their bacon pin!
20.   I @SteveMGHarrison enjoy driving…A LOT.  Next time can HRevolution be in Europe? I will take a canoe!

Enjoy HRevolutionaries and feel free to add your own in the comments!

This is an exciting time to be a human resource professional.  Whether positive or negative, there is a huge spotlight on our profession, forcing our leaders to ensure all the “ducks are in a row” so to speak.  From monumental changes in employment law to health care reform, HR pros are on a first name basis with the business community.

I have been in the HR field since I graduated from college in 2004.  Since that time I have watched and actively participated in our profession gaining momentum.  We have gone from finally winning that seat at the table to fighting to keep it.  Some may consider having to fight to keep our seat a negative aspect of our jobs but I disagree.  This type of fight forces us to stay abreast of all the groundbreaking concepts, opinions and research surrounding our field.  It keeps us in the foreground of a monstrous business field, where the finance department usually gets all the attention.

The evolution of HR has been a long time coming and with tools like social media, it will continue to have a huge impact on how we do our jobs.  It excites me to see the unlimited opportunities for the improvement of our profession through technology.  For example, the HR blogging community now has clout, not just for interesting opinions on tough subject matter but for initiating necessary discussions to help us progress.  China Miner Gorman, Chief Global Member Engagement Officer for the Society for Human Resource Management believes:

“Blogging, micro-blogging and social media are no longer viewed as taboo.  In fact, they are becoming much more mainstream for HR, and our SHRM members are very interested in understanding what’s happening out there.  Blogs, for instance, are a venue where people tend to say what’s really on their mind, whether constructive or negative.  For HR, the value is in knowing what people (employees, customers and other stakeholders) really think about policies and practices.  As you know, at the SHRM Annual Conference in New Orleans, we held our first-ever session on HR blogging.  The beauty of that panel was that we had four very different types of HR bloggers on stage talking about how they got into blogging and what it has meant to their professional development and their professional effectiveness.  Their experiences were in some ways similar, yet different – but they were all blogging for and about HR.  That’s what was really motivating to see.  HR is making its voice heard like never before.”

HR bloggers have become “celebrities” in our field.  With their help there has been a push for more education in linking HR with technology.  I recently talked with Ben Eubanks of Upstart HR and posed the following question:  Is linking technology with HR essential?  He replied, “No it’s not essential to link technology and HR.  Human resources can go on with its traditional role, planning the office birthdays and making sure people take the exact number of sick leave hours.  It can also sit in the corner when real strategies are being planned.  However, if HR is going to be something bigger and better, then embracing technology is an amazing way to make a difference.  Communicate with employees.  Capture, analyze and forecast metrics.  Use technology to make HR indispensable.”

A great example of how far we’ve come is the advent of HRevolution, an “un-conference” that will focus on integrating technology like social media and blogging with functional human resources. The event will be held in Louisville, KY on November 6^th and 7^th (register here).  When I first heard of this event I was very excited.  To that end I had a discussion with HRevolution co-founder and blogger for HR Ringleader, Trish McFarlane who said, “For me, the idea came from hearing so many HR people involved in social media talking about how conferences were not delivering relevant information on social media for HR.  I hope that each person that comes will be able to teach what they know and how they apply social media to HR.  I also hope that each participant walks away with some actionable take aways from what they learned.”  Sharing is a big part of the evolutionary HR movement and is essential to its success.

I hope by now you are actively participating in the evolution of our industry.  If not, why?  Get involved – take an active stand and show your company why you deserve to be respected.  Don’t be the quiet HR pro who just “goes with the flow.” Do something that provides value to the industry.  I’m not saying you need to start your own blog but you can read, comment and initiate conversations with this community.  I promise…you won’t be disappointed.