By now it’s pretty evident that the internet has changed everything. As the internet slowly (actually, quite quickly) changes the way business is conducted; all spheres — from marketing, to production, to the C-suite, to HR – have to adapt. Some of you might want it not to be changing, but it is. Change does happen slowly in most large organizations, but now that the web is at the closing end of its teens (As Gary Vaynerchuk often says), the excuses for not changing are drying up. No excuses, fears, wishing and holding back is going the alter that.
Mitch Joel often argues that Fortune 1000 companies need a Chief Marketing Technologist — technology has evolved, marketing has evolved so it makes no sense that IT, technology and marketing don’t sit at the same table. Marketers can no longer be blind to techno-speak and IT can no longer hide from things like user experience. Well guess what, I’m convinced that HR needs a similar position.
Recruitment and employee retention is different
It’s no secret that candidates start their job search on Google so you need to understand SEO concepts. Potential candidates share, ask and check up on companies on Facebook, LinkedIn and Glassdoor so you need a solid understanding of social networks. Your employees are posting openings on Facebook and keeping in touch with old colleagues and friends. Your employees are getting recruited on LinkedIn and even Facebook and Twitter as we speak. Potential employees are scanning opportunities on their mobiles on a bus ride to work. And on goes the list…
Mass media such as TV, newspapers and radio still have their place in the recruitment process, but the real battle is happening online.
The moment is now
For some reason Marketers have slowly become more tech savvy while many HR departments haven’t. Granted many recruiters have hopped on the social media wagon because that’s where the candidates are. Maybe it’s the economy or maybe it’s lack of funds, but it’s more than social media. It’s RSS Feeds, it’s mobile sites, it’s QR codes, it’s iframes, it’s Google Places, it’s web analytics, it’s SEO optimization, it’s newsletters…
It’s not about being an expert on all topics, it’s not even about coming up with recruitment and retention strategies alone, it’s about being able to understand new features or and understanding limitations. In other words it’s about speaking the language so that you can fight for budgets and resources when needed.
HR is going to get harder and harder whether the economy gets better or not, so why invest in a Chief HR Technologist? What’s your take?
(Photo credit: ajmexico)
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