The Facebook Fear Factor

The Facebook Fear Factor – New CIPD report urges HR to view Web 2.0 advances as an opportunity rather than a threat

A new report launched today by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) finds that HR is failing to take advantage of many opportunities presented by Web 2.0 technology.

Web 2.0 and Human Resource Management: ëGroundswellí or hype?, which aims to inform on the latest thinking as well as outline good practice strategy development for the so-called V(irtual) Generation, suggests that the potential benefits of this technology are being overlooked because of fears about employee misbehaviour and a reluctance to lose control over its use. By failing to take advantage, however, it warns that HR will lose out on the possibility of playing an important role in guiding Web 2.0ís adoption to improve business performance.

The report lays out a systems framework to help HR professionals think about how web-based content in the form of text, videos, opinions and other applications can be transferred, through new Web 2.0 social media technologies, into important HR outputs.

Vanessa Robinson, CIPD Adviser, Organisation and Resourcing says:

ìWeb 2.0 provides employees with new tools for collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Its open, democratic nature, however, has meant that many HR professionals are focusing on the negative side, which is a shame as Web 2.0 is here to stay.

ìHR is in danger of playing catch up as a profession in failing to advance the interests of organisations by navigating them through the undoubted benefits. As well as limiting potential abuse by carefully selecting the technology used, HR professionals must develop and communicate clear and well informed policies to help employees understand what behaviour is acceptable and what is clearly not.

ìOrganisations will be increasingly faced with employees seeking to use Web 2.0 social media technologies at work, so rather than ignore them or ban them outright they will need to adopt sensible policies that fit a particular context. There are no one-size-fits all policies because contexts differ, which is evident from our research and case studies.î

The report offers thorough and clear guidance about Web 2.0 and cites case study examples throughout to illustrate how organisations can reap the benefits of these technologies while simultaneously mitigating the risk of employee abuse. Examples from organisations such as T-Mobile, NHS and the Royal Opera House show how they are using Web 2.0 creatively to enhance collaboration, learning and development, employer branding and engagement.

More details on how Web 2.0 can help drive organisational performance will be discussed in an interactive session at the CIPDís annual HRD conference on Wednesday 22nd of April at ExCel, London