
I consider myself very philosophical. But I do not like the proverbial chicken and egg question. And I get asked this a lot: What do you think comes first? A great company to work for or great people who work there? To me it’s just an exercise in futility because, at the end of the day, one doesn’t exist without the other. That is, without good people, it’s extremely difficult for an organization to be great. And vice versa. In 2009, employee turnover cost U.S. businesses an estimated $300 billion. The staggering cost of employee turnover can be viewed as simply the cost of doing business, however, additional damage occurs when turnover is compounded by poor hiring and management practices. (
The Real Cost of a Bad Hire, TEK Systems)
Tagged as:
Employee Engagement,
hiring,
leadership,
recruiting

Without a doubt, the adoption of using social technologies inside the organization is rampant. So many companies are hearing the loud beat of the “employee engagement” drum, but the task of effectively assessing your needs, implementing technologies correctly, and measuring for success and sustainability is a daunting project. So, it’s okay to slow down, take a deep breath and work from a well-crafted roadmap. Few things make employees more cynical than a social media platform that no one uses. And if your company quickly deployed a ["insert social tool here"] only to find that it fell flat because no one saw the value in using it then you know
exactly what I’m talking about.
Therefore, it’s refreshing to see firms such as Gagen MacDonald and APCO Worldwide working together to help shape internal social media programs. Recently, they analyzed research among U.S. adults working for companies with more than 500 employees that revealed 21 discrete attributes which in turn combine to form three major factors (see image below) that employees look for when deciding whether their company has effective social media internally.
Tagged as:
#socialHR,
apco worldwide,
Employee Engagement,
gagen macdonald,
internal social media
With 61% of employees saying that internal social media helps them to better collaborate and another 60% saying internal social media demonstrates innovation… it’s becoming much more evident that Internal Social Media (ISM) can — and does — impact the bottom line. To better understand the value of social media in the workplace, APCO Worldwide and Gagen MacDonald recently surveyed 1,000 U.S. employees, and built a model that quantifies the factors that characterize effective programs and the impact on core business drivers.
Some significant findings include:
- 58% of employees would rather work at a company that uses ISM effectively, and 86% would refer others for employment
- 60% of employees say use of internal social media demonstrates innovation
- 61% of employees say their companies’ social media tools help them collaborate
Read the full story. And while you’re there be sure to check out the whitepaper on “Harness the Power of Internal Social Media.”
Tagged as:
Employee Engagement,
infographic,
internal social media
Welcome to our Who’s Who list of companies who specialize in Social HR technology.
Are you in HR technology and wondering what options you have in software vendors? Or are you wondering what technology companies are transforming HR into more social functions? Then look no further. The list below has been collected from a couple of online sources as well as from our own research. The companies are listed in alphabetical order, but sortable by product solution. If you feel a company has been listed incorrectly or if you are a representative of the company and wish to modify your information, please contact us.
Solution categories:
- Employee Engagement – Employee surveys, opinions
- e-Learning – Learning management, talent development
- HCM Solution – Human capital management system that offers an overall solution
- People Management – Workforce analytics, case management, succession planning
Tagged as:
#socialHR,
HRIS,
list,
social knows,
technology

SHRM released its
Future Insights Report on the Top Trends for HR according to SHRM’s HR Subject Matter panel. This report highlights key HR-related topics and trends, as seen by subject matter experts from SHRM’s Special Expertise Panels. These trends are a valuable resource for any HR professional interested in seeing what issues HR subject matter experts believe will have the biggest impact on the workplace today and in the years ahead.
The report is broken down into key categories for HR, with each area having about 10 top trends. The trends indicate a promising revolution to the traditional role of HR in the organization and how organizations interact with employees and HR’s important role in this change. Of note, however, is the distressing (but not all that surprising to read) insight that technology and social media are seen as becoming more of a negative influence on workplace civility, manners, company information, privacy, business writing and etiquette. And their use is seen as increasing opportunities and avenues for harassment.
Tagged as:
future insights,
report,
shrm,
social workplace