Magazines, websites as well as conferences focused on human resources management are increasingly addressing the issue of the so-called social HR or the use of social media in HR. Forbes.com, for example, described the whole year 2013 as "the year of social HR" and also other resources are emphasizing especially the benefits of using social media in recruitment and internal communications. Let us, therefore, look at the social HR phenomenon from a different point of view.
Jonathan Richards, CEO of the British provider of online HR systems breatheHR, has recently published an interesting article on the HR Magazine website titled "Why social media should have no place in social HR". He explains social HR as a model which aims to achieve higher employee engagement and better team performance. He sees it as a big opportunity for HR professionals to move from administrative to a more strategic role in the company. "It takes real people to develop authentic programmes that engage employees and create high performing teams," writes Jonathan Richards.
Richards has been in the HR software market for more than 15 years and he is convinced that the industry should not try to integrate social media in HR just because it's trendy. He explains that social HR is not a matter of social media, but of the respect to employees and the development of teams.
He notes that HR software can never replace the human touch of an HR professional, but it should support him and help him in his work. "It's time we in the HR software industry stopped playing with Facebook and Twitter in the name of social HR and accept our responsibility to provide the platform for great team performance," concludes Richards.
And what do you think social HR is?
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