Event reviews - IBM roundtable

Article Type: Resources From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 8, Issue 3

Global talent: What is the future of the global workforce and how is it changing?, London, UK, 21 November 2008

Social media can bring benefits to the workplace, according to the experts present at the IBM roundtable, “Global talent: What is the future of the global workforce and how is it changing?” The event drew together 21 experts in HR and social media as well as entrepreneurs and employers representing nearly two million employees worldwide, including IBM, global advertising and marketing group Euro RSCG and the National Health Service. The event was organized by BraveNewTalent.com and IBM as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Following are some of the comments that emerged during the session:

• Employers should embrace, not shun, social networks.

• Social media can play an important role in the workplace.

• Despite 50 percent of employers banning or restricting access to Facebook(Sophos, 2007) and other social networking sites last year, the technology has the potential to transform workplaces and enhance recruitment practices.

The workplace benefits

Rather than fearing the technology, the group concluded that social media should be embraced, with the following five potential areas of benefit:

• 1.

  making recruitment more efficient;

• 2.

  delivering efficiency in working practices;

• 3.

  improving employee retention;

• 4.

  developing skills and enhancing learning; and

• 5.

  bridging the gap between universities and employers.

One of the issues discussed by the group was the amount of time that employers spend sifting through employment applications. Event hosts IBM, for example, receive around 1,000 applications for 16 internships each year. Matt Whitbourne, senior inventor at IBM says “We would prefer a small handful of applications, but the right ones. Social media technology could play a role in replacing the online application form, making the process more efficient and more worthwhile for the applicant.” IBM is also pioneering the use of social media in the workplace to identify skills as well as to complete projects online. Chris Francis of IBM’s government programs says: “We find internal social networks not only improve communication and bring global teams together, but also help make better use and recognition of the very broad knowledge base within IBM employees.”

Lucian Tarnowski, CEO of BraveNewTalent.com, says: “Worldwide there are 1.3 billion people connected to the internet and there are over 300 million social network accounts. Employers need to recognize that the next generation of employees – Gen Y – is growing up with this technology and that it has enormous potential in the workplace. It is clear that social media offers a phenomenal opportunity to engage with potential candidates. Among other benefits, it can cut out the waste in recruitment. Employers can start a dialogue with potential employees earlier on in the recruitment process, helping applicants determine whether the employer is right for them and providing a means of enhancing the employer brand in the process.”

Overcoming the challenges

The group did recognize the challenges of introducing the technology within the workplace. Dr Tazeeb Rajwani, BraveNewTalent.com’s director of Talent Strategy and fellow at the Cranfield School of Management, comments: “Organizations are comprised of all sorts of people from the Gen Y students to baby boomers and Gen X. This presents many obstacles for organizations in adopting these technologies. However, enlightened organizations will overcome the cultural resistance and recognize the enormous opportunity.”

Tazeeb RajwaniTazeeb Rajwani is director of strategy for BraveNewTalent.com